Reading through past posts I find common threads - sloppy food with hints of depression. I raise my hand for both. I use Beck's term "Oh Well" and keep trudging through to solutions. The professional development offered yesterday was outrageously bad. I was ordered time and again to "engage," "interact," "motivate" all the while being read to from power points by people using monotone voices. Infuriating hypocrisy. So what I know is I am faced with a very tricky goal and most people aren't willing to put the time in to do it right. I don't mind the time prt. I hope I can come up with the creativity part.

Food has got to be better today. There was an endless list of mistakes I made, but here are the credits - I stopped before 7 p.m. I stayed away from sugar. I added many of my diet tweaks. I took a walk.

I plan to go see Mom today. It is a bit of a drive but she will appreciate it.

Wave to all.

Sunday - Dmitri Shostakovich's 7th Symphony performed (1942, Leningrad)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Macy's sent an email: "The summer shorts and Polo shirts you ordered will arrive in 12 days." Yikes! Reminds me, once again, why Amazon is putting all the classic stores out of business. It'll still be August - what's my complaint? Am I spoiled: me me me now now now.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. I continue to be disappointed with the scale readings. Even though I've reached the goal weight that I set at the beginning of the year, I now expect - for the exact same eating plan - for the scale to just drop and drop. Dinner on the patio included cukes and cherry tomatoes from our garden. A Milkweed that DW had started from seed showed a caterpillar. Apparently, a Monarch Butterfly had found it and placed an egg. It's a tiny plant - quite possibly not large enough to feed a caterpillar all the way to its cocoon stage. It sat on the patio table having dinner with us. Kinda neat.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - A food plan is such a solid Beck idea.

maryann - Sharing your frustration listening to a speaker encouraging you to "engage," "interact," "motivate" all the while being while reading Powerpoint slides using a monotone voice. Kudos for giving yourself credits even for an imperfect day.

Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for tending your MyFitnessPal food lists to make logging easier.

Readers -

Good morning!

Yesterday included five trips to the kitchen for food I didn't phyisically need and weight is back up in the decade I don't want. I look and feel puffy. Time to put the brakes on!

The house is all torn up from us playing musical rooms. I have one more day of work and then hope to get things organized.

Have a great day, everyone!

Back in Tahoe for a few days. Beautiful day. We have a hike and lunch planned with SIL. She is buying a place up here.

Food remains sloppy. Standing while eating has crept back in. I know some of this is anxiety about school starting and DS leaving.

As we have said time and again, extra food to does not cure anything.

Penny: it is always super tough when my house is not organized. Glad you have just one day left of work until you can put yr mind to straightening things out.

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday and weight is a tiny bit lower. Today I did a walk, without Otis, for exercise. I listened to a podcast and enjoyed it being a little cooler (82) and with it not being very strenuous 82 feels pretty darned good. I came home and had one of my regular breakfasts which is a pumpkin waffle. I put measured peanut butter on it and you can not believe how little 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter is. The food plan I'm following is not supposed to require calorie counting or measuring, but I think I have been deluding myself a bit. For me I think it will be helpful to remind myself how many calories I'm eating. My food plan is made for the day and no big plans except to go in the pool later on.

Maryann Time in Tahoe sounds great and so does the fact that sil will have a place too. I can imagine that school starting and ds leaving can be contributing to anxiety.
Penny I'm sure it will feel good to have the house organized again.
Bill We are used to getting things very quickly aren't we. Do you want to lose more weight, or are you just surprised it doesn't continue to come off? I only had one time in my life that weight kept coming off and it didn't last long for sure.

Well, I stepped away from this to take a phone call and I'm glad it didn't disappear. I hope you all have a great day!

Food was slightly improved. I'm writing a plan, a bit late, to make sure that it stays that way today. Today is being helped by less hunger, so far. I'm grateful when that happens.

It's warmer here than where karenrn is -- although that may be comparing her early morning to my mid-afternoon. And, always, more humid. I just decided that I'm going to weed instead of walk for exercise. The weedy bed that I want to clear has been taken over by invasive honeysuckle shrubs. The roots umbrella out, so this will be functional exercise that will use some of the muscles that I've been developing this year

Exercise +35, 345/1400 minutes for July

Monday - Ruth Bader Ginsburg sworn in as the 2nd female Supreme Court justice (1993)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Walked, CREDIT moi, with DW and DS around a local reservation - properly masked and socially distanced. Got Kudos from DS because of the "good" parking fee I'd gotten last week in a part of Boston that he knows. "$25 is a dollar cheaper than the best that I've gotten," he told me. The important triumphs of life. Discovered a guy removing knotweed from one of the older trees around. "It'll kill it if I don't," he explained. His equipment: a pocket knife. Wasn't authorized; just a nature guy on a mission.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Just the three of us for dinner on the patio: DW, the caterpillar of the Monarch Butterfly, and me. DW plans to keep supplementing the sparse Milkweed as it grows since it's on a tiny plant. I learned that the fifth generation of the Monarch Butterfly is the one that migrates the long distance. The first four generations make short jumps during their short lives. Each thing that I learn about the Monarch makes it more fascinating.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for less hunger - a helpful boost. Good luck with those weeds.

maryann - Once again, thanks for "extra food does not cure anything."

Karen (karenrn) - Yep, 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter seems so very small. Kudos for measuring. [I don't have a thought-out plan now that I've reached this first goal. Have fears of drifting down lower than I'm willing/able to sustain. The hang-up for me is that I keep wanting to get to a weight where my body looks svelte - or at least trim. I'm probably past the age where that's possible.]

Penny. - It's hard to live sanely in the midst of chaos. Good luck in getting everyone into bedrooms with all their furniture. Ouch for trips to the kitchen.

Readers -

I bought a few dresses on sales at Kohls, brought them home to try on and realized I look very different in reality than I think I will. At some point the scale gets so high you think, what is the point, I will never be able to do anything about it. I hit 179 which is really a lot for my 5'2 frame. I can't blame the pandemic, depression or stress with DD, it is just me being lazy and not addressing it. I do well for a few days and then backtrack. doom scrolling
Time to get a grip and make a plan. It will be easier with both kids at college in a few weeks since I won't have to worry about anyone else's food, and will get rid of all the junk in the house.
I read an article in the NYT about doomscrolling which is defined as "obsessively checking the internet for news about a bad situation, especially in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic." I need to make a plan how to stop that too.
I'm with you Penny and Maryann- I feel more rattled when the house is a mess, which again will dissipate in a few weeks. Onwards!

Today's plan is very doable and slightly less generous that what I ate yesterday. Gradual usually works for me. The tricky word there is "usually." Sometimes quick and dramatic works better. It's never easy to tell which is the better approach at any given moment. "I contain multitudes."

Exercise +60, 405/1400 minutes for August

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is holding.

Despite the pandemic, my husband and I are already talking to other people since we've separated. I've been on two socially distanced dates and he is getting hot and heavy over text with a woman he plans to meet up with this weekend. That was fast! :lol:

Now I am appreciating Curly's insecurity over her grey hair. I feel it is making me look older, and I'm considering a temporary color. My second date told me I should dye it and it pissed me off, but then it sticks in my head. :(

I have my own room now and today will be spent cleaning, organizing, and making it my own.

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday and weight is down a pound. I think using MFP, even for a bit, is going to be a good thing to help me get on track and stay there. This morning I hiked Gateway Pass and my food plan is made for the day. I was using up some older planning sheets and today I started the new planning sheet which has lots more questions including 3 goals and why they are important, 3 things I'm grateful for and 3 things I like about myself. A couple of other things too and although it takes more time it also gives me more time to think about it. I am remembering my why and reinforcing it. I certainly have more than enough time to do it. I think the friend I've been hiking with and I may go to Flagstaff in a couple of weeks for a few days. It's about 30 degrees cooler there which would be a wonderful break. No big plans for today but I may sign up for that Master Class thing I've been seeing advertised. It's more time on the computer, or I could AirPlay it to my television. I'm interested in the dog training and the instructor is the guy who is on the Lucky Dog program that we watch on Saturday mornings.

Penny Enjoy organizing your room. It sounds kind of fun being able to make a room just how you want it. I will say I think I am going to look older with grey hair. My hair is a darker brown, but I've had a ton of blond highlights in it for years so it has pretty much been light. The front has quite a bit of grey, but the back is still dark brown with only a little grey. I'm soon to be 67 and my husband still isn't crazy about me having it grey, but I have so many friends who have gone with their natural hair color it is easier for me to do that. It is just hair and can be changed at any time, so that's the good thing.
Curlyjax I don't agree that weight gets so high that there is no point. It may get high enough that we say, well this is going to take awhile. I always try to remember though that we don't just feel and look better when we get to the goal weight, we feel better all along the way. I am a good bit older than you are, so at this point there is still some vanity involved, but mainly I want to be healthy so that I feel up to doing what I want and can be independent as long as possible. It will be easier when you don't have to keep foods that are for the kids, but are tempting for you. It won't be long now.
Bill Yes finding a weight that is healthy and maintainable is not so easy. I have always told myself that I'm a volume eater, so that's a tune I need to change if I'm going to get closer to goal. I will say that a few years ago when I was going to Crossfit I was much firmer and that helped, but it sure was a lot of work.
GardenerJoy It's good to know what strategies we need at what time. I hope your plan for the day is great for today.

Well on with the day.

Tuesday - The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar used by the Mayans begins (3114 BC)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner on the patio was gazpacho and green salad. Absolutely divine, but felt like a rabbit. Lunch was the real thing: peanut butter, pecans, and banana on toasted whole wheat bread crusts. My favorite that tends not to happen because it takes a minute longer to prepare than the alternatives. So, I'm a vegetarian for the day.

Excitement was to make an appointment to make an appointment with a plumber today, LOL. Yep, appointment for appointment. They will call me this morning to schedule a time to clear the drain that's blocking the washing machine from draining rapidly. I cleaned up the spaces in the basement that the plumber will need to access. Yuck! Basements accumulate dust and grime that'd never be tolerated above ground. Turns out that we aren't using a filter on the exit water from the washer. Means that we're responsible for dumping enough clothing into the drains to clog them. I immediately ordered some washing machine lint trap filters. Will be an expensive mistake to resolve. Plumbers around here get big bucks.

​​​​
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Keep reminding us, "I contain multitudes." Just love that notion.

Karen (karenrn) - Super neat that your planning sheet has "3 goals and why they are important, 3 things I'm grateful for and 3 things I like about myself." Sounds so Beck.

curlyjax - Interesting concept, doomscrolling. Feel like I'm caught up in that. Good luck getting your eating plan together even for these next few weeks with your house full of young folks and their dorm stuff.

Penny. - Ouch for having to face the gratuitous opinions of others about how you present yourself. I'm a fan of gray hair, myself.

Readers -

Now my son's school pulled the plug, they're not allowed to live on campus anymore. I understand why these decisions are being made, but the timing is just appalling, we just picked a move in day on. And why aren't all universities closing, why just a few here and there? I know there are worse things happening in the world, but really. DS seems okay about it so far. I told him he is going to need to find a job, and learn to cook, I can't keep doing everything, which he understood. Some of his friends are renting a family owned house and living together, maybe he'll join them instead. At least DD is living off campus thank goodness!!
I was REALLY looking forward to having the house to myself and lots of reflection time, and being able to make noise whenever i wanted, for a few months. BIG SIGH. I am very glad we are all healthy and safe etc but this is what I have been looking forward to for eons, the baby birds are supposed to leave the nest.
Karen- you're right, its definitely worth it along the way to lose weight. I did lose some before the pandemic when DS was here, I can do it again. I like your planning sheets too, sounds very motivating. Dog training sounds fun.
Penny-woo, you portlandiers! My hair was actually looking a bit white in photos, so that was the last straw. I am very glad I dyed it, I have been getting lots of compliments and I feel I do look my age now, not 10 years older, although the grey worked fine with my curly hair. But ouch for your date's words.

I'm trying to work out exercise for today. Rain this afternoon. DH isn't too sure about a walk because he's baking sourdough bread today. It stormed last night so the ground's all wet. Maybe weeding? But I also haven't done my yoga / strength-training for a few days. Maybe that? Maybe both? If I'm going to weed, it pretty much needs to happen now. So, yeah, I think I'll go do that and figure out the rest of my exercise later.

Exercise +55, 460/1400 minutes for August

Penny: I was coloring my hair, or rather my hair stylist was, up until covid. It's now very fluffy and very pale. I'm 58, so I've been gradually going lighter with the intention of trying out my natural color at some point before I turned 60. This was quicker than I planned. I still can't decide if I like it or not. There's still some color on the ends -- maybe left from March or maybe just what my hair does with some sunshine. I have a feeling that if all that were cut off, I wouldn't like what's left. Fortunately, hair choices aren't permanent. So, I'm going to try to have some fun with trying different things. Right now, I'm letting it go all natural and just playing with some of the hair products that my stylist sells -- that's my way of supporting her, a little, while I'm unwilling to go in for an appointment. It's really soft, today, because I tried a "hair mask" a couple of nights ago.

Good morning!

Yesterday was another overbudget day and weight is holding. I'm in that evening compulsive eating cycle and need to stop.

Thanks for the hair talk. My hair is also thin and falls out easily with stress, so I have also resisted just out of fear it would damage it even further. But, I am going to give it a whirl with the wash out stuff, but done professionally this time.

Curly, so sorry about your son's college. What a bummer. This pandemic is taking such a toll.

Joy, plenty of time to walk while making sourdough, but if he needs an excuse...:lol:

Bill, I am loving the monarch butterfly caterpillar on the table.

Karen, I need to get back to using some of those tools. Good for you!