Today's challenge is supper out with my brother and his family. We'll be at a cajun seafood place. I've picked the seared tuna salad. Since I've been there before, I know that it comes with a ridiculously sweet corn muffin. So, I will call that my dessert and not have a drink. No one in my brother's family drinks, so it's kind of easy to just abstain with them.

Credits:

• weighed three days in a row

Weigh-in: +0.05 kgs, Exercise: +40, 915/1200 minutes for September

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan, weight remained the same, and I got the next batch of food in the crock first thing this morning. It's a 13 bean chili with ground turkey, with which I have a love/hate relationship. It is delicious and low cal but at some point the high fiber started giving me discomfort. I'm not making it as often as I used to.

Karen, welcome home! It must feel good. I calorie count with the Lose It app and this must be my fifth time coming back down after a large weight gain. Major yo yo food addict. This time feels different though, since I have not had to "white knuckle" at all. It's also the first time I've added in Beck and CBT. But alas, I know how strong I can feel and still crash at some point.I'm still reading my advantage "cards" every day, which is just a digital note on my phone with reminders.

Beth, I can picture the 80s bathroom. Ha! One thing I absolutely love about visiting people in their homes for work is seeing the dated styles. One gentleman still had his home unchanged from the 60s, complete with the car in the garage.

I'm the same with restaurant bread. Best if I just don't.

Bill, credit again for navigating the social eating. My work weekend crammed in 30 hours of work, but I'm super spoiled and only work very part-time. I won't work again for two weeks, when they'll try and cram as much as they can onto my schedule again.

Joy, good plan for the restaurant meal. It feels so much better when I can get it planned ahead. I just wish every restaurant had info online.

Hi everyone!

5 product day for me today--no time to stop and eat. We spent the evening at our new house doing electrical work, removing items for the contractors to paint, etc. and so on--that was definitely non-stop exercise!

Tomorrow, I am craving a salad for dinner--so that's what we're going to have--and then probably going back to the house !

--Beth

Wednesday - Poet T.S. Eliot born (1888, St. Louis, Mo.)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Felt like a day off to have only my morning class as the only scheduled event for the day. One more time I walked away in awe of the process of building proteins in the cell using information from the DNA inside the nucleus. I've been through this before: DNA to messenger RNA to transcript RNA through Ribosomes into a protein. The complexity is just marvelous. Yay for RNA for doing all the work while DNA gets all the credit.

Eating was OKish. I had all my scheduled snacks; I'm better off if I skip snacks since their main effect isn't to reduce my hunger but to make me want more snacks. There is a tiny stack of designer cookies on the kitchen counter that was given to DW but she doesn't like. That's not good. Her loving DH must lovingly consume them so that she doesn't offend the friend who gave them to her to be lovingly consumed. The friend who will never know whether they've been eaten or not - she hardly comes around to inspect our kitchen. The thick mantle of love means that they can't just be tossed. Thank you brain, LOL.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Drooling over seared tuna salad - what a good choice to try to get out of a cajun seafood place within your eating plan.

Karen (karenrn) – Welcome home. You certainly are willing to put in a bunch of miles driving in one day. I, too, am intrigued by the routes chosen by Waze even while I'm amazed at how often it makes good choices that avoid a traffic problem. I have a friend who was told by his financial advisor that he had to start spending more money so that he wouldn't exit with too much. He translated that into staying in a five-star hotel on his last vacation.

Beth (bethturnaround) – Doing one's own renovation work is top shelf exercise; Kudos. Neat that you're comfortable doing electrical work.

Penny. – Funny, we just had 13 bean chili last week - but with beef instead of turkey. We've become fond of the Red Mill 13 bean package. Even though all the others are good, it stands out as the best. 30 hours in one weekend is staying busy.

Readers -

Good morning coaches,


I guess I didn't get back here yesterday. This morning I have already walked Otis. I did get to the Y yesterday and did the elliptical for an hour and I'm not sure what I did the rest of the day. I have been making dinner and making enough to freeze another meal. Today I have a hair appt this morning and taking dh to the doc this afternoon. He is having lidocaine injections in his back to see if that controls his back pain. If it does he'll have a radio frequency ablation procedure which apparently reduces the pain significantly for a year or so. One of my hiking friends has had it and said it has been great. The feast time of the year is starting next week with my youngest brother and his wife coming for a week. Her two adult children live here (for now). She will babysit for her daughter and my brother will help her son do electrical work on a van conversion that the family will be taking on a year long trip around the country. Two days after they leave my niece and her husband arrive for a week, which they've been doing twice a year. This time she is pregnant, so I imagine that routine will change. We had talked about doing the Rim to River to Rim hike in the Grand Canyon . . 18 miles or so in a day. We won't be doing that this time. I look forward to the company. Also, my friends will be coming back from their summer homes. All good.


Bill That sounds like a very interesting class. My sister in law is very in to genealogy so when I was in Washington I spit in a test tube which she'll send in. I kind of figured since I had already seen my brother's results, I didn't need to do it. I was very surprised when she showed me the difference in hers compared to her siblings. I guess I have forgotten much of what I learned in nursing school.


Joy I also love seared tuna salad and find it much easier to forego a drink when others don't drink.


Penny I have yoyo'd with my weight too, but I will say the older I get the narrower the range has been. I guess it's more practice over the years and Beck does help. I have been on many diets but now I pretty much just track in My Fitness Pal and watch my macros to ensure I get plenty of protein and fewer carbs (for the most part).


Beth Busy times for you with the new house. When did you say you will be moving in?


Waving to Curlyjax and Maryann.

Much of my day will be spent clearing brush to celebrate our first fall-like weather day. Except for that part where I get dressed in professional clothes to meet our school superintendent at a coffee shop to talk about how the community can support some terrific efforts at improved racial equity in our schools. Sometimes, I can't believe my own life--I'm supposed to be the quiet one who writes computer programs or plays computer games.

Credits:

• weighed four days in a row
• left 1/3 muffin and all won-ton strips on my plate at a restaurant
• packed 1/2 of the tuna from my plate to take home for DH's lunch

Weigh-in: +0.1 kgs, Exercise: +55, 970/1200 minutes for September

Penny: We made chili a few days ago and DH is convinced it's not working for him. That's unfortunate so early in the fall season. Usually I get away with making it for a few months before he complains. It may be off our repertoire for the entire cold season this year.

Good morning!

The 8/16 fasting can be tricky if I get busy and miss the earlier lunch! I had to do the two meals only, but it felt fine. Weight down a smidge today.

I made 24 pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with my two younger kids and by the end of the day they are mostly gone, without any help from me. My daughter managed to squirrel one away and write her name on a sandwich bag, so she can have it for breakfast. She has already learned the art of survival in a bigger family at age seven. :lol:

Beth, credit for a good day! Mmmm I crave a big salad sometimes too.

Bill, you remind me that sometimes having excellent self awareness and insight is still no match for the "addictive voice." The class notes are bringing me back to buried info rattling around in the unused parts of my brain.

Our natural food store had an heirloom bean version of the bean soup mix that was notably delicious (edit to add: Zursun Idaho, Paris Bistro). Mostly I buy the cheap stuff in bulk.

Karen, impressive that you jumped right into the gym and walks! It must really be a lifestyle change at this point. Good to know the yo yo dieting window has narrowed for you.

Joy, credit for all those excellent credits in your list! The 13 bean soup is more appealing to some in my family with the addition of tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream. Lol

Phone check in.

Six weeks into school and this is the first week my mood seems to be lifting. I have continued to believe that quitting is the best thing for me but dh and shrink disagree. So I persevere with one day at a time.

I make a gratitude list topped with dh and ds. Lots to be grateful for. This is just a point in time. It is not forever.

So glad to read about everyone’s successes. Weight is at ticker and I’m focusing on healthy eating. I do not want to lose anymore weight right now.SIL made it to the top of Whitney. I couldn’t be prouder.

Hi all!

I usually save my 'one meal of the day' for dinner but I knew this evening would be hectic, so I made DH and I taco salads for lunch. Tasty, but definitely didn't keep me full for as long as a dinner might have--not quite sure why that is.

I've been doing poorly with walking the last few days, and my cards, and my reading, and my recording in MFP. Not all bad decisions on food, but not really fully on track either. Living in one house and getting the other ready to move in to (and packing) is keeping me really busy and stressed--and I'm letting things fall. We're going to a Mensa weekend this weekend (instead of staying home and getting Stuff Done). I've promised myself to walk daily--looking forward to it. And I'll eat 5 products on both Friday and Saturday in order to avoid temptation.

G'night all.

--Beth

Thursday- French scholar Jean-François Champollion deciphers the Rosetta stone (1822)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was chase the (3 yo) DGD day, CREDIT moi. Resistance exercise came from lifting her into and out of the baby swing at the playground which she likes and seems to use as a calming event. It amazes me how long she wants to swing - longer than almost any other activity she does. She invited me (demanded) to play her only board game, The Ladybug Game. DW had purchased the game because it properly shows the relationship between ladybugs, aphids, and grasshoppers. Few kids games are ecosystem accurate, LOL, but this one is. She's really good at the rules. Her rules. She makes them up each turn. I just love it. Her token crosses the finish line first and she has the largest stack of awarded aphids. Perhaps someday she'll be scorned by serious gamers for her unbounded style, but I believe that we have time ahead of us to instill the notion of rules constant for an entire game that apply equally to all players.

Eating was OKish. I'm still doing snacks, despite having little time to myself when the DGD is around and about. It's hard to follow the minute-by-minute accusations and counter-accusations from Washington without nibbling. Dinner included fresh green beans; I marvel that someone is growing these and they get to my dinner table as fresh as they do. We spent dinner conversation talking about the North Carolina folks who long to go home - but home is half underwater. The visual and emotional notion they have of their home in their neighborhood no longer exists. I haven't yet read of a realistic description of what's likely to happen in the future.

Speaking of which: the saga of the gas line explosions in Andover Mass continues. The gas company and other investigators have not yet definitively explained how the high-pressure gas got into the old, low pressure piping. But, in awareness that Massachusetts winter is approaching, they have an ambitious two-month plan to replace 50 miles of old gas pipe with new pipe by calling in crews from near and far. In the meantime, they're handing out electric hot plates and electric space heaters. Fire crews are desperately trying to be sure that working fire alarms exist in all the houses that will get new high-current appliances dropped onto their existing circuits. It's going to be a miracle if this resolves without more disaster.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – It's so impressive to me that your group of civilians is getting conversations going about the nearly-unsolvable racial attitudes that need to change. Hats off for your success. And Kudos for leaving a third of a muffin behind.

maryann – Kudos for hanging in for six weeks. Hope you're turning a corner. Yep, to the top of Whitney is a big deal.

Karen (karenrn) – Can only imagine how happy Otis is that you're back to take walks with him. Your rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike is so ambitious. Only 18 miles, but it's straight up and straight down. Sending supportive thoughts for your DH and his back. Hope the non-invasive treatment works for him.

Beth (bethturnaround) – It's a challenge to balance living today and prepping for the future. I thought of you when my DGD was playing the game by her own rules. Don't tell your buddies this weekend that there are folks who don't take the rules of games seriously.

Penny. – Congrats for making muffins with your two younger kids. It takes amazing patience to use help from youngsters. My congrats to your seven-year-old for figuring out how to thrive in a large family.

Readers -

Yesterday's yard work turned into 90 minutes of hauling branches up a hill -- cardio and strength-training at the same time. I'm feeling it in my arms, hips, back, and legs.

Today's challenge is an event from 5pm - 8pm with dinner served. I have absolutely no clue what that's going to look like. So, I'll eat light earlier in the day and make a game of seeing how many veggies and fruits I can get on my plate at supper.

We'll be "design thinking" an Education Innovation Hub for the St. Louis region. I have no clue what that's going to look like, either, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

Credits:

• weighed five days in a row

Weigh-in: -0.4 kgs, Exercise: +90, 1060/1200 minutes for September

BillBlueEyes: Thanks for the Massachusetts news -- it's no longer going out as a national story, since they are too busy covering all the back and forth in Washington. I think DH is going to watch the gavel-to-gavel coverage on any number of broadcast TV stations. My to-do list is too long to spend that many hours watching or being distracted trying to listen. Plus, I think it will only add to the stress. But, I'm sure I'll catch a little.

Mornin'!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is down again, a whole pound. Maybe this IF is just the trick to shaking things up for my metabolism. I'll appreciate it while it lasts.

Maryann, good to see an update from you. I'm glad the work isn't feeling as stressful as it started out.

Beth, one benefit of the products is no cooking. That must make the busy days at least a little less prone to fast food. I don't even want to cook on the same day as grocery shopping.

Joy, I love the game to find veggies at the dinner. I hope you win! Lol

Bill, I must confess I'm in a total rut with following the news. My newspapers are piling up, unread. Thanks for the updates. I hope there is some improvement with all of those children stolen from the asylum seekers.

Hi all!

I'm posting early today since we're driving to Ohio tonight and will get in late.

BIG NSV: I am wearing size 12 jeans today. I was wearing size 20 (and they were too tight) at the first of the year. The jeans in my closet were all 16s and too big, even though I took them in at the waist. So I ordered new ones (same style, same brand) in a 12--and they fit perfectly. I admit that this brand runs big. But it means I'm a 12-14 depending on brand, and that opens up all sorts of shopping opportunities that a woman who is size 20-22 just plain doesn't have.

Food is OP so far today. I made scrambled eggs with leftover taco meat and tons of veggies for lunch. Served it with some berries, sliced cucumber and celery. It's becoming a go-to meal since it's quick and easy and I can put lots of veggies in it--just whatever we have works.

Probably no exercise today beyond the deep squats I did while folding laundry, taking one item out of the basket at a time.

Penny: I used to grocery shop every Monday on the way home from work. I'd buy a rotisserie chicken, prepared mashed potatoes, salad fixings, and fresh fruit. Every Monday, we'd have rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, a green salad, and fruit After dinner, while DH did dishes, I usually made a salad with chicken salad to take to work the next day, and DH ate the rest for his lunches. It was a rhythm--because I don't feel like cooking after grocery shopping either.

--Beth

Friday - Native American Day (since 1968, Governor Ronald Reagan, California)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walked, CREDIT moi, dropping by the library to return four books. One was not fully read, but I was lagging in the amount of time I was putting into it. I like to religiously honor the return date in recognition that there is a waiting list. I started to drive, but admitted that the weather threat could be countered by wearing a waterproof jacket. Duh!

Eating was OK, with the same issue of snacks. I can do a long stretch of no-snack days then I seem to fall into a stretch of snacking days. I've got a looming to-do list that's giving me heartburn; when I get that whittled down a bit, I think I'll do better with the snacks.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Ninety minutes of hauling is some serious exercise. After I posted yesterday, the local newspaper carried a story from the fire chief reporting that they'd found a number of triple deckers (three family homes) that had a total 60 amp service in the area that has its gas shut down. The fire department wouldn't let space heaters be delivered there. No alternative was suggested.

Beth (bethturnaround) – Neat that your jeans know what you've been doing. Scrambled eggs are a go-to meal around here also.

Penny. – Yay for making IF work for you.

Readers -

Good morning!

Sleep has been improved the last couple nights and I feel up and at 'em today. Weight back up that pound, and eating was on plan. I've scheduled a 20 mile bike ride with a friend on Saturday.

Beth, congratulations on getting into the size 12s! It's extra exciting, knowing the plus stores no longer carry your size. :D
I've done the rotisserie chicken dinner too. Mostly I make giant quantities of each recipe I make, to last several days, and do my shopping on a non-cooking day.

Bill, awesome that you chose walking over driving.