[Penny.]

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is down.

My depressed son has published a new videogame with a soundtrack of all original content. It makes me feel better that he is doing okay, even if not talking to me much. I listened to the music in bed last night and I am so impressed with his composition, layering. He has been into gamemaking, animation and music since he was little.


Bill, credit for the walk and on plan day.

Curly, sorry you are feeling down. I know the feeling!

Joy, I do love a good thunderstorm. We don't get much of that here, just drizzly light rain but many days of it.

[maryann]

Good Afternoon, Coaches.

I was up at 5:00 am to make it down the mountain to my PT at 8:00 am. Such a beautiful drive.

Now that I am home, I am beginning to organize my revised food program. I started with the "2 teaspoons of vinegar a meal." I had strawberry balsamic on my cottage cheese and raspberries. Then I had cranberry pear on my apple/oatmeal snack with walnuts. Quite yummy. I have just roasted broccoli and put the home made, home ground wheat bread in the oven for lunch. I am honestly nearly too full to eat. Another part of my program is to eat 70% of my calories before 1:00 p.m. I can wait another hour easily.

I have some school work to do and then I will dive into my new veggie cookbook.

gardenerjoy: Have you invested in a bread slicer. So tempting.
Penny: It is a relief when I realize I worry I have about DS may be due to my error in perception or my giant parent magnifying glass.
curleyjax: Here's wishing the blues fly away quickly.

[karenrn]

Good afternoon coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday and weight is finally back below it was before I had nachos for dinner on Saturday. I didn't have any problem sticking to my plan while my friend was here and our visit was fine. She was so glad to have someone to visit with that I wasn't sure she would ever shut up the first day, but she did. She is very pleasant and was very grateful to just get in our pool for three days in a row. This morning I got up early to hike Bell Pass with my weighted backpack on. It's really a hot week and today was the cooler of the next few days. I'll will get out with my backpack another day, but a shorter hike. I went to the doctor about my thumb late this morning and I'll be seeing the orthopedic hand specialist on Friday. I may not need anything, but after waiting nearly 4 weeks I can't squeeze the hip belt on my backpack or the deal I wear around my waist when walking with Otis, or really get a cap off of a bottle. I want to be sure I'm not going to have a lasting problem. They took x-rays this morning, but I don't know the results. I am getting my hair cut this afternoon too, but no more hair color. I have had my hair lighter and lighter once we moved to AZ, but there is still a lot of medium brown with some grey in the crown. At this point I'm just kind of curious to see what I've got. One brother has grey/silver hair and the other still has brown hair. They are both younger than I am.

Maryann I'm so impressed with all the changes you are making in your food plan. Good job.
Penny I clicked on the link and just listened for a short bit cause I have to get out the door, but I am very impressed.
GardenerJoy I'm glad you're getting in double walks when you can. Do you have lots of beautiful flowers in the area?
Curlyjax I hope the blues leave you soon too. I actually am going to the hairdresser. I know they all have masks on and I am to send a text when I arrive and they will let me know when to come in. I'm sure it isn't perfect, but I also try to remind myself that I am social distancing from all but my hairdresser and the patrons don't all have Covid. Very likely no there does. I'm just trying to be realistic for me. I do realize though we all live in different areas of the country with different ideas about it.
Bill Your salmon dinner sounds so good. I think I need some corn on the cob.

While my friend was here we watched a short documentary movie called Idaho on you guessed it scenery from Idaho. It was on Amazon Prime. I think I'll get dh to watch it tonight. Most every year about this time I want to move. I get over it in about October when it cools down again and gets cold and rainy so many other places. Oh I wish I were young and could be out hiking and exploring for another 40 years. You never know, I might get another 10 or 15 on the
hiking trail.

I'd better get ready to get out the door. With two appointment in one day it almost feels like the good old days.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Was so warm I got into shorts for the first time this year. I walked, CREDIT moi, through some streets I've not been around for months. Saw a sweating guy practicing racket ball alone on the court in the park in the hot sun while a woman, also with a racket and apparently with him, sat on a bench in the shade reading a book. I immediately voted her the more sane. I wasn't wearing a hat as part of my new notion to get more Vitamin D to fight the Coronavirus. One report said that some of the worst hospitalized cases were Vitamin D deficient. Another report said that stuffing yourself with megadoses of Vitamin D was a bad idea. I'll let the sun regulate how much I get. The 90 degree F heat made for a short walk.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner on the patio in summer attire was just bliss - again - even though we were having leftovers. Lunch was a peanut butter, pecan, banana sandwich on toasted whole wheat bread ends - my favorite in all the world. The jar of peanut butter was very old - as in expired old. Since it was sealed, unopened, I decided that the expiration date could be ignored. However, stirring the separated oil was a problem. It hadn't just separated, it had hardened. Correcting that was my resistance exercise for the day, LOL.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - That movie, A Hidden Life does sound a bit heavy. Thanks for the warning. Yay for its contribution to more sleep for you.

maryann - That sounds like some healthy eating. I can almost smell the homemade bread from here.

Karen (karenrn) - Hope that thumb gets back into its normal operation. Idaho seems so far away from the U.S. East Coast.

curlyjax - "Ugh" for that 90 degrees is right on. An appointment with your hairdresser is a great step away from the blues.

Penny. - I enjoyed the range of styles in your DS's soundtrack. The brain in there is fully operating even if not communicating much with his mom. Kudos for on plan.

Readers -

chapter 1 Begin a New Way of Life

You Will Change Your Mindset

By the time you finish the Beck Diet for Life Program, you will notice how different the "new" you is from the "old" you.

The old you thought: I'm hungry. I have to eat.
The new you thinks: I'm hungry. Oh, well, dinner is in an hour. I'll wait.
. . .
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 18.

[curlyjax]

Thanks for the cheering on everyone! Part of it is probably not getting enough sleep, which always happens to some extent in the hot weather, and part of it the unending pandemic which affects everything. I have ordered some fun stationary from Amazon and plan on sending some actual mail to some friends and family as a perk me up, for them and for me.
My big triumph yesterday was watching old episodes of the british baking show and not eating any sugar before or after
Gardenerjoy- I am avoiding anything heavy like that movie for sure!
Karen- I'm going in the opposite direction; i've been grey for years, and am going to try coloring it fully, yikes! It will be interesting indeed to see what emerges from your head. Good luck with your thumb, that sounds painful.
Penny- I haven't listened to your son's composition yet but I am so impressed that he has done it!!
Maryann- that food all sounds so wonderful! I forget what the vinegar is for- good digestion?
Bill-yay for opportunities of natural Vitamin D! That sandwich does sound good.

[maryann]

Karen: It is so discouraging when a little mishap like a fall keeps hanging in. That thumb is tricky business and we never know how often we use it until it hurts. I get into fear of arthritis because both of my parents have it. Thankfully, they are doing so many good things in the medical community to help.
curleyjax: The vinegar encourages something called the AMPK which "activates glucose and fatty acid uptake when cellular energy is low." A small study out of Japan showed people lose between 2-4 pounds over three months by adding 1 - 2T a day. I am looking toward the effect that occured which was to lose an "inch" around the waist. It doesn't have to be apple cider vinegar like all the hype says. I am using balsamic and rice vinegar 2t. a meal. It has only been a day but I ended up putting less salt on my rice and my oatmeal was sweeter. So far so good.
BBE: It is always good to get out into the sun for a bit.

Down another pound. Very exciting. I changed my details.

[Penny.]

Good morning!

Yesterday was overbudget with the pizza I should have never started, and weight bounced back up.

Thanks for the feedback on my son's music. He also has started talking to me a little more, so maybe we are coming out of it.

Karen, sorry the thumb is still bothering you. It's scary how quickly a little injury can turn into a chronic arthritis issue. I have it with my hands and now my shoulder.

Maryann, interesting about the vinegar. One thing I found funny about the 100 year old diet book from Upton Sinclair was all the foods he thought bad for digestion: vinegar, kraut, beans. All the things I like.

Bill, we finally got our hot weather too. Yay! Lol at the racquetball partner reading in the shade. I've never seen racquetball outdoors and am curious how you get the full court. I thought it had to be an enclosed box. Ok...I just googled it and see they use a three wall cubby. I'd be doing a lot of ball chasing.

Curly, I love the letter writing plan. Your friends will appreciate it. We're all depressed a little I think.

[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday and weight is down a smidge to 147 even. I have been going up and down by a couple of pounds for some time and I'm committed to keep heading down this time. My goal is 135 by September 1st, which is quite manageable if I do the right thing. I was 142 after backpacking last summer and then just slowly inched up. I actually slept all night last night and didn't wake up until after 4 this morning. I decided not to go hiking and just take Otis for a little longer walk, which we did before 6 a.m. to beat the heat. I need to get to the grocery store today as the fridge is quite empty. It felt good to get my hair trimmed and my hair stylist thinks my hair will look great grown out with the natural color. Luckily she is not one of those who thinks everyone needs to keep coloring their hair. I was amazed how quickly my appointment went with just a haircut. She wants me to cut it in a short layered style after my backpack to get most of the blond off and then grow it out to similar to I have it now which is long enough for a pony tail by just a little.

Maryann I got my X-ray results and I don't have any fractures, but there are some bone spurs and something else. I will see the orthopedic guy tomorrow who specializes in hands and probably get a steroid injection. I'm glad to be going to him cause he fixed my husbands thumb up with an injection and it stayed fixed. I listened to the book you are reading, but I think I had better purchase it and start adding in some of those tricks. Dh includes ground flax seed daily and I'll be curious to see if it helps with his cholesterol. I'm so happy you are having good results. It's amazing how encouraging a bit of a weight loss is.
Penny I see you just posted as I am messing around with this post. I listened to more of your son's music this morning. I really like it. I'm glad he is beginning to communicate more with you. It's a tough age to be sure.
Curlyjax I've been coloring my hair for years. I didn't even have any grey when I started. Anyway, I will be 67 in September although I can hardly believe it myself! I think you're about 20 years younger. You go girl!
Bill I'm glad you're getting some extra vitamin D from the sun, but my levels were low even living here in AZ and hiking as much as I do. I do use sunscreen on my face, but generally not on my arms and legs when I hike. The doctor had me on an increased dose and now I take 4000 iu per day and my level is good. I just got an email from NutritionFacts.org that says vitamin D status does appear to predict the decline in physical performance as we get older, with lower vitamin D levels linked to poorer performance. There is a lot more to his email and he even has a series of videos, but I haven't gone that far yet.

I did rewatch Idaho with dh last evening. He told me we are not moving there. Damn! Well, come October I probably won't want to, but it sure looks like a great place.

You all have a great day. Maryann, I'm getting on Amazon now to order the book. Keep up with the tips in the meantime!

[gardenerjoy]

I'm gearing up to shop tomorrow. I'd hoped to wait until Monday, a full two weeks. But we're definitely running out of things. Since I have to shop soon, anyway, food will be less complicated for us if we do it now.

Weigh-in: N/A kgs Exercise: +45, 1310/1400 minutes for May

karenrn: I'm missing the Missouri Botanical Garden, but we do have neighbors with flowers. The peonies are glorious when they're not beaten down by the most recent storm.

Edited to add: The Garden must have heard me: https://www.facebook.com/missouribot...9606580111921/

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement was a trip to brick and mortar Costco warehouse monster store. Arrived ten minutes after the 8:30am early opening for the old folks' hour. A few gray-haired folks already in the store. The doorman stopped a woman in front of me,"Can you show proof that you're over 60?" "Well, no, but I'm already here." "You're welcome to come back at 10:00am when we regularly open." And she had to walk away. Sulking. A Karen, I suppose. I asked him to card me so that I could brag. He snickered, and waved me in. So much for fishing for a cheap compliment. On my afternoon walk I bumped into the developer of a new property that he had just put on the market the night before. For $2.565M! I'm just not got my head around current house prices.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. However, the scale has jiggled up two pounds this morning after weeks of continuous drop. I've got to use all of the Beck strategies to keep my thinking in line and not decide that a pint of Ben and Jerry's toasted almond dark chocolate ice cream is the proper response. Or to note that Krispy Kreme is giving away a FREE donut during donut week. Did I mention that it was FREE?


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Thanks for the peonies tour of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Can understand why you're missing the place. Happy shopping day.

maryann - Neat that vinegar is working for you. The discovery of balsamic vinegar was one of the best discoveries of my life. When we were in Italy, some balsamic vinegar sold priced like top shelf wine.

Karen (karenrn) - Yay for a haircut for boosting your spirits. Your comments might encourage me to ease into some Vitamin D supplement.

curlyjax - Super Kudos for the strategy of buying fun stationary to get started writing letters. And always Kudos for failing to get triggered by watching a baking show.

Penny. - I do know about bouncing scale readings. Congrats for your continued support of your talented, teen DS.

Readers -

chapter 1 Begin a New Way of Life

You Will Change Your Mindset

By the time you finish the Beck Diet for Life Program, you will notice how different the "new" you is from the "old" you.

The old you thought: I'm upset. I need to eat.
The new you thinks: I'm upset. If I eat, I'll feel even worse. I'll go calm myself down using the new techniques I've learned.
. . .
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 18.

[curlyjax]

Last night I watched the british baking show and did indulge in some chocolate- melted chips with a glob of peanut butter- but it was controlled and I didn't go back for seconds. It's a good show to watch while I eat dinner and i'm finding it very calming. It's great to have such a range of things to watch in the evening but almost too much to choose from; I have to think,what am I in the mood for tonight. I am missing the library so much, I like to read at the end of the night, and I am not a fan of the kindle unless i'm in the airport or away from home. I did order and read most of a book on menopause which pointed out that menopause is a great thing to deal with, as people used to die before they "accomplished" it. I'll keep that in mind! DD and I ahve different temps going which doesn't help- she is always running cold and I'm running hot so its a battle with temp regulation!
Today we have another team meeting; hopefully no bad suprises!
Karen- an injection sounds great, its amazing what is done for arthritis these days. Your hairdresser sounds like she did a great job. I like mine too, she has never pressured me to dye it either. I'm 53, but I know what you mean. Somedays i'm like- how am I over 50 now??
Maryann- thanks for the vinegar info. During the colder weather I sometimes put ACV in my hot tea, and enjoyed the tang of it.
Bill-I always tell my elders, play the old lady card when it helps! Grey hair comes in handy sometimes.
Gardenerjoy- those are gorgeous flowers indeed, what a treasure to have close by.
Penny-glad your son is doing better! Ah pizza, that crust is a killer. Bread is just so good!

[maryann]

Curleyjax: thanks for the tip of the acv in tea. It will help me get my daily 2 T in.

Hit here for two days but I haven’t been outside. We will be 10 degrees cooler this weekend.

Just got to the exercise part in the book. Big news is exercise basically has now effect on Weight loss. Healthy in other ways but the body doesn’t want you to lose weight exercising evolutionary speaking. The body will compensate for extra calories burned by releasing hormones to make you hungrier and reduce yr fast twitch muscles.

That does not seem fair.

Still my goal for overall health is to walk in the morning on an empty stomach 4 days a week for an hour. It burns twice the calories through metabolism boost. Crazy that timing matters. This can take an inch off my waist over time. But I can’t eat the extra calories I have perceived to burn.

All these inches will add up over the long run. It seems I won’t see the results of my great experiment until the end of summer. That is ok, though.

[gardenerjoy]

I intended to shop today, but I'm moving on to Plan B. My car wouldn't start because the battery is dead. Fortunately, DH is handy about things like that, so he hooked it up to a battery charger. It should be fine to drive in a couple of hours, but we decided to just wait until Monday for the shopping.

Weigh-in: N/A kgs Exercise: +55, 1365/1400 minutes for May

[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan and it's been an interesting morning. I saw the orthopedic doctor and I'll be going in for a ligament repair and possible reconstruction next Wednesday. That was the problem with my thumb. I'm not sure how several of you thought arthritis. I fell 4 weeks ago while hiking. The swelling went down quite a bit, but I still can't use it like I should be able to and the knuckle is enlarged because the ligament is shortened up and making a mess of things. Because of the time I've waited (thinking it would heal itself), I may need a reconstruction due to the ligament shortening. Luckily I have a good ligament in my wrist they can use if needed. He knows about my backpacking trip in August and says I can do it and they will make a special splint if I need that. Thank God I was persistent and got in. I'm not going to Sedona on Monday though. I think I shouldn't take any chances before surgery and besides I had better get some food prepared ahead and all the things caught up around the house since it is my right hand.

GardenerJoy I loved watching the video of the botanical gardens. I used to have lots of peonies in Washington. My cousin who lives in Washington has a beautiful yellow one.
Maryann I received the book via Amazon late yesterday, so I'll begin to read it. I'm glad I like to exercise even if it says it doesn't help weight loss. My body looks a lot better when I get exercise and I'm sure my heart and lungs are happier too.
Curlyjax I was so hoping for an injection, not for arthritis, but for inflammation . . . but that didn't happen. Your daughter wouldn't be cold here. It's supposed to be 109 today.
Bill Don't you hate when the scale jiggles up. I honestly didn't get on it today in case it did that after it was down yesterday and I was perfect. You have been so diligent, so I'm sure it will jiggle back down.
Penny I hope you're having a great day.

[Penny.]

Good afternoon!

Yesterday finished the pizza, so another higher maintenance day. Weight is holding.

I read an article about accepting the virus is here to stay and the longterm changes. It made me feel better about spending money on expensive lab coats to act as washable ppe gowns. Today I bought fabric for homemade surgical caps.

Also, I want to make more masks so we can have a larger pool of clean masks to pull from and not be so rushed to get it through the laundry.

I wish I could donate n95 masks to those protesters. I worry about them in more ways than one.

Karen, I'm glad you are getting your thumb fixed. Dh had the same surgery and it took him a while to get his full range of motion back. He had the ring finger done.