Good morning!

Yesterday continued the higher calories, adding in dinner. I guess I'll call that my new plan. Weight came down another 0.2 pound after a 15 day stall.

Tonight I have another paint night with my old high school friends, with the addition of one I haven't seen since. It should be great.

This time I will be sure to order a glass of "sparkling white wine" so the girl doesn't come back and tell me they don't have any Champagne but they do have sparkling white wine. :lol3:

Karen, it's good you are cautious on the trails. Scaling up a crevice sounds exciting, if not too difficult.

Bill, credit for eating on plan. The Sweetgrass book is getting me pumped for gardening, so I can see why your dw enjoyed it.

Curly, kudos for keeping the food to moderate portions at the luncheon. Saving half seems difficult every time for me.

Maryann, treat tuesday? Oh boy, that would be tough. It's a new day and you have a plan. Enjoy your few days home alone.

Joy, good job talking down those sabotaging thoughts and making a plan!

Hi everyone!

A couple of not-so-good days--or even bad days--even after posting I had a snack---too big of one--the other night. Today has been on track, although a bit short of water. As we all know, giving in strengthens the giving in muscle and it was trying to get more food today. I finally settled on something to tell myself that worked--I can't reach my goals if I eat that. I've had to tell myself that over and over today--as if it's news to me or something--but at least it's worked and it's now 10:00 and I'm going to go to bed without going through the kitchen.

G'night all!

--Beth

Thursday - Remains of a Neanderthal man found on Jersey, Channel Islands (1911)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Exercise was chase the (3.5 yo) DGD day, CREDIT moi. We spent the whole day at the Boston Museum of Science. It's about her third or fourth trip and she shows signs of ownership. Oddly, she absolutely loves an oldish display of stuffed birds with a console in front where she touches the picture of a bird and then can listen to its call. She just seems to enjoy her mastery of it. And another where she operates the control of a developing pattern on a 10 foot by 10 foot screen. She wasn't the least bit afraid of the Royal Boa snake displayed at the live animal show. At the ticket counter we were told that we'd probably only last five minutes in the live butterfly room, "It's 80 degrees in there." She absorbed every butterfly lasting 17 minutes - much longer than I'd have guessed. At lunch, overlooking the Charles River, she counted the Duck Boats driving into the water. After we were exhausted, we retired to an outdoor playground where she continued for an additional 30 minutes of climbing and sliding down. She's now able to walk up all the sliding boards - a challenge the kids learn from each other. Only one requires a granddad push over the steepest part.

Eating was close to plan, CREDIT moi. Lunch at the Museum of Science was a planned overkill because I use it as an excuse to get my yearly Italian Sausage sub because they sell a small one on a good roll. Unfortunately, 'yearly' is closer to six times a year. (Calculations about eating suffer in the area of accuracy.) I nibbled the cheese portions of DGD's uneaten pizza as if I were an unfed animal. Maybe not as close to on plan as I'd thought, LOL.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Neat to plan a lightly scheduled week. May it remain so - instead of filling up with all that you can think of.

maryann - Thanks for "The number is just information not a condemnation" - I can use that right now.

curlyjax - Yay for a new "look" - should subtly boost your spirits. Kudos for bringing home half your lunch.

Beth (bethturnaround) - Neat motivator, "I can't reach my goals if I eat that."

Penny. - Congrats on a small weight loss after a stall. Glad that you're now educated to ask for "sparkling white wine."

Readers -

Good morning coaches,

Yesterday food was more than planned due to trying a few new things from Trader's Joe's. I went about the sunscreen, but found it is in a spray can and too large to carry on my backpacking trips. I ended up buying some dried mango and trail mix and had some of each . . .more than I needed for sure. I did housework, packed for my overnight and had my hair done. My friend is picking me up in less than a couple of hours and we're heading to Sedona for a couple of days of hiking. We're camping overnight, but not sure where yet.

Yesterday was a series of interrupted plans. I did manage to get the snow tires changed from one car - we should be safe from snow now:)- and returned by mail the dorm key that DD forget to return. Last night I was so exhausted even though I had taken a nap, I started worrying about getting sick which can't happen this weekend, I have a lot to do. then I started eating because i was a bit hungry too. This morning I feel much better fortunately. Today I need to bring DS to town hall to fill out paperwork for his summer job, and then we are going to pick up his tux- the prom is this weekend! This week I keep throwing together dinner with take out or odds and ends, its a challenge to cook when doing errands etc around dinner time.
Karen- have a great trip!
Penny- have fun at paint night. What do you do with your creations?

Good morning!

Yesterday was on (new) plan, and weight is holding.

Paint night was fun, although the friend I haven't seen since school got sick and couldn't come. I had a single glass of bubbly, as opposed to the two I had last time, and felt much better. No icky dehydrated feeling.

Meeting the knitting ladies this morning at the coffee shop and looking forward to hearing about one of them's recent trip to Croatia.

Beth, the mantra that gets me back on plan is "that's just my addictive voice talking. It does not control my actions. I do." that addictive voice is relentless but quiets down when she realizes she can't get her way.

Bill, I love that DGD has been to the museum so many times that she acts like she owns the place.

Curly, credit for such a productive day. How exciting for your son to be getting ready for prom.

Karen, you're off again! So many hiking adventures. This book I'm reading, Sweetgrass, is making me not only want to get my garden going, but also take my kids camping again. Have a great time!

Today's challenge is a trip to the in-laws to see an out-of-town aunt. We have genealogy things to discuss, so that will bridge some gaps that otherwise exist in our discourse. I have no idea what lunch will be, but I'll plan to keep my serving size small.

Tonight's a challenge, too, with a book club meeting that will mean that DH gets delivery. I don't have to participate in that, but there's not a lot in the house. Thinking...okay, I have a plan that is good enough.

Exercise: +60, 475/1100 minutes for May

Good Morning,

Penny: In my next life I will be a gardener - exercise with no calorie in take. I use to sew and craft but that is no exercise.

BBE: One of my fondest memories is DS on a duck boat in Boston.

Beth: I,too, went to bed without that last kitchen forage and woke up to a two pound drop on the scale. If I hadn’t gone to bed hungry it wouldn’t have happened. A good lesson.

Karen: Have a good trip.

As for me, I have been more anxious this week which could be contributed partly to school winding down, I have been working on some meditations from Codependent No More. I interact with so many people everyday I am often without boundaries and protections. This leaves me vulnerable to defending myself with food and therefore numbness. Again, I must slow down and give myself positive affirmations when things get rough.

Have a good day.

Hi all,

Today was a nice and controlled day.

Penney--that is brilliant. I told myself multiple times today that it was my addiction talking--and it really resonated. Yet another tool in the arsenal. It's sort of powerful to describe it as something other rather than as part of me. Thank you so much.

We had errands out of the house this evening and went out for dinner. I ordered well, ate well, and didn't finish my dinner. I was proud of myself for stopping. I haven't had quite enough water but I'm still working on it. Since we were running errands I didn't have time for a long walk. I had DH drop me off about a 15 minute walk from home and I walked that last bit of the way. It was beautiful out and some of the houses had lilacs in bloom. I swoon for fresh lilacs. (And don't care for lilac-scented stuff at all)

G'night all

--Beth

Friday - National Pack Rat Day
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Spent a long lunch at a picnic celebrating that classes were over for the semester. The food was reasonable but included a Ben and Jerry's ice cream truck at its conclusion. It wouldn't have been that much effort to just sit and watch while everyone else at my table went for a scoop. But I just joined them as if I didn't have a choice. An occasional serving of ice cream isn't that big of a problem, but dessert after lunch just doesn't fit my plan. I'm so old that I remember when lunch didn't end with dessert. Maybe I'm just remembering that in my childhood, lunch was just to get enough food so as not to be too hungry waiting for dinner.

Otherwise eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. Dinner included new potatoes. I'm fond of the many choices of potatoes that exist in our life. It's on my Bucket List to visit the mountains of Peru to see if they really have a zillion variety of potatoes there.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Geneology does span the generations. Hope you're getting all the Joys lined up.

maryann - Kudos for skipping the late night kitchen forage.

Karen (karenrn) - Waving back toward Sodano. Love that you just bought dried mango when Trader Joe's had no sunscreen. I suppose.

curlyjax - Yep, snow tires are done for the year. DW thinks that I can bring the snow shovel in from the front porch. I think it makes us look prepared, LOL.

Beth (bethturnaround) - Oh Yes, lilacs in bloom around here also. DW brought in a branch so that we can smell it while in the kitchen. Kudos for creating that 15 minute walk.

Penny. - Neat that you have a picture with only half the bubbly. Is it twice as precise? Or half as creative?

Readers -

I feel bad that I keep reporting lack of progress, but boy I am down in the dumps still. I've had this wierd fatigue for two nights now, and my face was hot, that starts at 6 pm and makes me just crawl into bed and do nothing. And I was very sad, because normally when I wasn't feeling well I would call my mommy:) and of course I can't do that anymore. I'm sure its just depression because i'm fine during the day.
Also yesterday during the day I had a very brief episode of heartburn after eating- and it was salad, nothing greasy!- and I started googling heart attack symptoms in women. I'm sure i'm fine, the only risk factor I have is being overweight, but you hear these strange stories about heart problems. I made a vow to eat healthier- which I promptly broke when i was feeling sad last night.
thanks for letting me vent. I thought the spring would be easier, its when i usually get energized, but it hasn't happened yet. Of course the constant rain, and DD's stuff from college which is still EVERYWHERE, isn't helping. Tonight I am going to a comedy show with my widow friend thank goodness!
Bill- my mom would tuck a few cookies into our lunchboxes. And we had dessert at dinner. Tough habits to break! Although she didn't have a weight problem, just a sweet tooth.

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is holding.

I had my last gym class with the friend for a while. She is doing several weeks of travel, so I need to reach out to a couple other ladies I know use the classes because motivation will take a hit.

Joy, I hope you got all of your geneology questions answered, and your food plan was successful.

Maryann, credit for recognizing the anxiety and making a plan to add in non-food methods to ease it.


Beth, I'm glad that method helps. I got it from a website called Rational Recovery for alcohol addiction. There are a couple pages of the mantra to read to yourself and I just changed the words drink/drugs to overeating.

Bill, the painting was a hard one and the results were not so good, but fun was had. I hope you at least enjoyed the ice cream.

Curly, I'm glad you have plans with your friend. This spring does come with extra sadness this year for you. :(

Good Morning,

I slept in late this morning because the boys are at Disneyland. I have a weekend alone and I know I need it. I am an introvert despite outward appearances and I need time completely alone despite how much I love my boys.

Today I will focus on quieting my mind which constantly tells me I am not doing enough. I will do my job which is to “see” all my students as they create. In a world that is about conflict around diversity this is a big deal. My school is the great melting pot with only one ingredient lacking - wealth. Credit.

Then I have an hour and a half massage. I know. Crazy. But I wanted to see what it is like. Food plan includes two smoothies.

Penny: One of my goals this summer is to develop hiking buddies.

Beth: credit for a good day.

Wave to all.

Low energy day. I have a plan for low-key things to do and a plan for food that doesn't require too much work, although some of it is at unusual times, so I want to keep an eye on things.

Exercise: +15, 475/1100 minutes for May

Saturday - Blue Flower Moon
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Left the supermarket with no spontaneous purchases, CREDIT moi, that would likely end up as unplanned snacks. I did leave with a package of chicken sausages and a baguette that DW will make into a dinner. The sausage was on sale, which was a treat, but the buying it wasn't spontaneous as I'd arranged with DW to add them to her menu plan. It boggles my mind that she writes down our dinner menus for a week before she goes shopping. Duh! How else could it happen that the food for each meal just happens to be in the fridge each night? Sometimes I'm glad that I'm not in charge of things around here.

Great achievement was to get some paperwork signed by someone else in a volunteer organization I do work for using Adobe's electronic signing feature. It's really neat and quite easy. Easy, that is, the second or third time doing it. First time is rather unintuitive. To make it work, the document lives somewhere in Adobe-land so that once it is signed it can't be changed. That makes sense, but it takes some adjustment when trying to send a copy to someone else after the signature is applied. But, I jumped through all the hoops and avoided a process of printing out the document, then finding the person whose signature was needed, then emailing (or snail-mailing) a scanned copy of the signed document.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for a low-key day every now and then.

maryann - Hard to imagine a full 90 minute massage. Hope you're able to stay awake. Yep, diversity doesn't usually consider a wide span of available income.

curlyjax - Easy to imagine that college clutter on top of your living space adds to the challenge of fighting the blues. Keep the faith.

Penny. - Good idea to line up some other gym buddies.

Readers -