[nationalparker]

A long day - I'm waking up earlier than usual but did get seven hours of sleep so no complaints there. Got out on the trail for a good walk this morning before DH was up. I'm glad I didn't wait for him as that wouldn't have happened. My doctor's office called re: the labs that were done had results that indicated Hashimoto's disease and they're scheduling me with a specialist. I was able to say any day, and any time of day works for me, and that is definitely a blessing/privilege. I am not familiar with this at all, but maybe it's a reason for some issues I've had that thought were unrelated or due to having covid early in its run (Hair loss, joint pain, tiredness, brain fog ... actually also blamed menopause too!).

We headed out to do more clearing out and spent about five-plus hours ... I worked in the house wrapping up dishes and knickknacks for the yard sale in two months and also cleared in a storage room, so up and down the stairs about 30 times. Not a lot of stairs, only 12 but carrying boxes down every time. DH needs to rip the carpeting off as it's ripped on each stair, and hanging in pockets. With sneakers on, I'm not as apt to hook my foot in them coming down, but it's an accident waiting to happen. OMG I sound like my Mom. I talked to DH this evening about him being more upset that his brother isn't helping than he is appreciative of my help and that it just wasn't right to look at the negative. Not sure it registered but I got it off my chest. Honestly I don't care if his brother doesn't help with the pack up, as long as he hauls away the boxes we DO pack so we have more room. He's storing in his girlfriend's garage for their tag sale.

Home late and dinner was this and that and then some more. I was stressed and kept eating but hadn't eaten that much today. Did have a lot of grapes on the way home. I try to wash them and bring with us for easy snack on the road for the hour-plus drive home. After my smallish dinner I decided on a cup of hot tea. And ... toast. I'm torn between beating myself up and just rolling with it tonight.

I do know that I need sleep, though. Enjoy this full (near full?) moon!

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - More playground dynamics between the (6 yo) DGD and her friends. Watched a small girl try over and over again to get our DGD's attention. But the DGD was too busy conducting all the kids in a complex routine of going down the enclosed-tube slide while she blocked it at the end so they were all trapped inside. Did this over and over. If I were a parent of one of the other kids, I'd have called the police. They all loved it. The small girl kept trying to be close to the DGD but couldn't quite make it. Finally, the last two boys were dragged away by their grandmother (for spitting and not stopping). The small girl made contact; they ran around together holding hands. And the girl's mother invited the DGD to their house on Friday. That small girl is one determined human being.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Made serious progress on collecting the tax data. Some numbers look suspicious to me because they are EXACTLY the same as last year. The excise tax on our cars, for example. Did they depreciate in value precisely the same as the tax rate went up? If I were the IRS, and awake, I'd be suspicious. However, it's a small amount of money and it draws my attention so that I don't have to focus on the larger, harder numbers. CREDIT moi for doing what's required in life.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Thanks for the link for COVID home tests. Wish that I had a well thought out notion of when I should be using them. Folks are beginning to not use mask indoors; we'll be in the group that continues to wear them. My DD's doctor recently told her, "I don't mind the mask; I haven't had a cold in two years."

maryann - Wow! The Purge looks like one tough movie - not sure I'd be able to take that. Congrats for bringing tough ideas into your classroom to engage teen brains. Love reading your pursuit of travel bargains.

nationalparker – Sorry to hear the results of the lab tests even though it comes with satisfaction that it explains a bunch of symptoms. Googling suggests that treatment for return to normal is common - a great prognosis. Congrats for keeping your perspective that you just want your BIL to take boxes away even if you have to pack them.

Karen (karenrn) - Glad that you're giving your niece a trip to the supermarket to stock up on whatever she needs that doesn't fit your current food plan. Does Sir Otis tolerate a stranger in his house?

Penny. - Kudos for a plan and Congrats for not having to cook.

Ann (AnnC123) - Thanks for the insight, "sometimes when I am craving something I don't eat it in a rational manner." Sometimes I notice that I'm not craving a cookie, but a whole sleeve of cookies. Not rational.

Readers -

Chapter 5 Stage 2 - The Think Thin Initial Eating Plan

Dinner Guidelines

tip:
If you're tempted to nibble as you store leftovers, ask family members to plate their food and then store the leftovers before you eat.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 118.

[curlyjax]

Sorry to have been absent. It was a little rough with DD and then I emotionally eat but things have smoothed out.
I finally got my review at work. My boss handed me the paper and stated she wrote this a month ago but feels like things are much better now, which I appreciate. I do feel like she has an unfair, inaccurate representation of me which is based on one incident, and is now in my record- but I can’t do anything about this so I’m letting it go. I know my colleagues and clientele like me and I'm frankly very knowledgeable so I have that on my side.
I'm enjoying my bellydance class but feel like i'm falling behind. I've always been coordinated so its a bit of a hit to my ego but its also good for my brain to have a challenge like this. It's killing my left hip (the one that didn't have the surgery) but the movement is good for it too.
I look so awful in my clothes these days, ugh a little beating myself up. I did go to the grocery store last night and ignored the siren call of Easter candy so yay for that.
Today is a St. Patricks day party at work which will be fun, and not the type of food I'm apt to overindulge in.
Wave to all, thanks for being here, and personals soon!

[Penny.]

Good morning!


One on plan day down, and I got some exercise in too. A "lazy seven minute workout" video was what I used to lure myself into exercising when I wanted to continue not exercising.

nationalparker, sorry about the Hashimotos diagnosis. I hope you can get your symptoms managed now that it is known.

​​​​​​​Have a great day, everyone.

[gardenerjoy]

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today's going to be edging toward hot with a high in the upper 70s. I'm going to enjoy a walk and do a grocery run because tomorrow is going to be rainy and cool. I'll try to remember to put on a green shirt.

Exercise +60, 835/1500 minutes for March

BillBlueEyes: DH's urologist is campaigning for masks to be permanent in medical settings. He hasn't had a cold in two years and is happy that he's not a conduit for passing colds between his patients.

nationalparker: Sorry for the unexpected diagnosis and hoping that it leads to an effective treatment for the annoying symptoms.

[AnnC123]

Hello Coaches,
It is such a beautiful day out. I was out and about exploring the area. I think this walking habit is a good one. I logged my food yesterday, walked, posted here and wrote in my gratitude journal.
Yesterday was such a fun day. It was beautiful outside and DGDs love being outdoors. The youngest one got wet right away. She then put on her rain suit and all was good. When they were done playing they went inside and had hot chocolate in cups that change color with the heat. They were amazed. It is so fun to go exploring with them. They are so curios.
I did have a piece of cake as my treat. It is called Earthquake Cake. It was a small piece and I ate it like a rational person would eat the cake. It was in my eating plan so that was good.

BillBlueEyes - How fun your DGD's play is. She sounds like one of those children people want to play with. Yay for collecting tax data.

Gardenerjoy - Great plan to do grocery run and thanks for being my inspiration for walkig.

Maryann - You rock on getting travel deals. Way to go. You are an amazing teacher. You will have students who learn to be critical thinkers. Thank you for being so invested in the teens at your school.

Nationalparker – Sending supportive thoughts to you as you deal with your diagnosis.

Karen - Enjoy your visit with your niece.

Penny. - Yay for getting exercise and being on plan.

Curlyjax - Have a great day at work. Enjoy the St Patrick's Day party. .

I am off for another walk while the weather is good.
Waving hello to everyone and have a great day.

[karenrn]

Good afternoon coaches,

I had some non dairy ice cream that was on sale but not on plan yesterday. It tasted pretty good but was certainly not low calorie. Today dn and a friend and I hiked Flatiron and up to Superstition Peak 5024. It's a fabulous and strenuous hike and climb that I like to do every year to be sure I still can. The weather was perfect and it wasn't too busy so we loved it. A couple from Wisconsin followed us because they hadn't done the hike before and it's a little tricky. They were heading up the wrong way when we stopped them and they asked if they could follow. My niece told my friend (71) and me (68) that we are badasses. Of course we already know this, but it's nice to hear from a young super athletic gal.

Ann You're doing great with your habits. Sounds like a good time with the dgds and the cake sounds nummy.

GardenerJoy Your temps are the same as ours today.

Penny Any exercise is good exercise. Good for finding something to get yourself to do it.

CurlyjaxI sure don't think it would have been too much to ask for your supervisor to write a current review. That's just me I guess. You know you do a good job, thank goodness you have some confidence.

Bill That dgd is something else. What a little social butterfly. Not bossy though. ha ha

Nationalparker I have a friend who has Hashimoto's. I don't know what the difference is in that and any other kind of hypothyroidism. I believe they are all autoimmune things. I looked on Nutritionfacts.org cause I really like Dr. Michael Greger and it sounds like your food plan is a good one for it so that's good. I hope you get in to the doctor soon so you can get things figured out.

Maryann Wow are you working the deals. Good job. I can't be any help for Thailand beaches. I've never gone and I'm just not a beach person. I'm sure you'll figure out something fun to do.

Well back to visiting.

[maryann]

Good Evening, Coaches.

A longer day than expected. Mom called and needed tech help with mac book pro, printer and tv. Yeah! I was able to help. She really asks for so little. At 86, her calendar is always full and she is always trying new things. I left as she was going out to a St. Patrick's Day party. I am so grateful.

I continue to work on travel things. There is so much to learn. I was offered bonuses with both new cards to buy more points at 100% bonus rate. I needed BBE to help me figure out cost per point ( it turned out to be ,o5 cent per point. I only figured that out because I looked up the blogs who had vetted the promotions. ) Turns out buying the points even at a good rate is only good if it works for an immediate plan. Otherwise hotels can always deflate "point currency." Learning so much. I ave been struggling with DH about New York. He can never commit because of the farm and therefore never lets himself get excited. I finally called DS who talked me through his feelings along with his appreciation for all my attempts. It is exactly what i need to here. We must have done something right with that kid. Anyway, I am going to put some more time in to figure out a trip to take in Feb using the points I have now and if I need more, than buy them. The deal ends tomorrow. I will force DH to go on this one It is slow season.

Day four in the bag of fast. Looking forward to finishing up tomorrow.

Ann: What a lovely time with dgds.
nationalparker: good luck working through all the ifs and ands with your diagnosis. That can be scary.
Karen: Of course you are a badass. You are my hero.

Wave to all.

[nationalparker]

Another brief check-in and hopefully able to relax in a hot bath. Day was productive with oddball things, and finished with game night with my sister that was moved from yesterday to this evening. A friend had asked if I'd possibly be able to let their dog out late afternoon/early evening and I said no problem. Fun to have a dog to walk again. I'd only met the dog once, but all went great. They live 25 minutes away, so ran a few errands that I needed to on their side of town. Breakfast for dinner with some fruit, Kodiak plant-based waffles and morningstar veggie sausage (spicy) - we like that now and again. I haven't made an involved dinner all week, I don't think. It's been a bit of a rush.

The earliest I can get in to an endocrinologist is late May, moving up two weeks after I called to check, from the initial appt they gave me in June. I guess there is no urgency, so there's that I'll keep on keeping on and keep working to add in more veggies. That's always my goal. But none at dinner tonight.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Worked on tax information again. CREDIT moi for doing that which is needed. Collecting tax info always causes tension between DW and I - possibly because it's a tension issue trying to be sure we've found all the data. I hate the thought that we send off the package to our accountant and find one more item that should have been included.

Had a Zoom class which is always fun. When data in inconclusive, the mathematicians tend to say that the sample size was too small. Kinda hard to sample all 8 billion folks on the planet to get it right. Such interesting information comes out of studies of twins - those raised together vs those raised apart. I'm surprised at the similarities, in large studies, of twins raised apart. And I learned a new phrase, "non-adopted children." I suppose that's what I raised, LOL, just never thought of them that way.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - A temperature of upper 70's is just outrageous. Enjoy it. Methinks that your DH's doctor has a great idea that masks should continue to be worn in medical settings.

maryann - Terrific that you're now providing tech support. Neat that you continue to unravel the secrets of the travel industry.

nationalparker – Yes, "oddball things" constitutes many a day. BTDT. Neat to be a dog walker for a friend.

Karen (Badass) - Yay for leading your troop up Superstition Peak. Sounds like a great hike. I'm already a fan of your DN.

curlyjax - Ouch for a review that's acknowledged to be outdated. You deserve better than that. Congrats for continuing to enjoy your belly dance classes.

Penny. - Neat title, "lazy seven minute workout". The word lazy makes it sound easy.

Ann (AnnC123) - Love the image of your younger DGD getting wet right away. That Earthquake Cake looks over the top.

Readers -

Chapter 5 Stage 2 - The Think Thin Initial Eating Plan

Your Think Thin Add-On Options

You will select Add-On foods or ingredients from the list for lunches and dinners. Choosing foods that contain fats will help you minimize hunger.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 119.

[curlyjax]

Great time at work with St. Patricks' day party. I was given a great hat to wear and it was very fun, the first party they've had in two years. A few of us staff helped direct the flow of traffic, hand out dessert, etc but fortunately there were volunteers to help because there were 100 people. Hopefully we weren't spreading covid but elders tend to be vaccinated population, as least were I live. Later that day I got the bad news that my aunt still isn't able to go home (in assisted living) and while she seems happy now, figuring out everything for the future is going to be a nightmare. she doesn't realize how limited she is cognitively and how much is being done for her now, that she would have to deal with at home. She's 4 1/2 hours away and I really can't go back much. Plus my hip is killing me, I'm lonely, I really miss talking to my husband and my mom. So I had a good sob session and did some emotional eating.
But I feel better this morning as always. It's friday, a light day, and will be 70 out,hooray!
Nationalparker-its a good sign indeed your appt isn't for awhile. Great that you have been eating so healthily anyhow, maybe it won't be so hard to adjust your diet if needed.

[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday. I picked up pizza, salad and a pizza cookie with ice cream for dn and dh and I ate leftover Buddha bowl things which I just love. I won't say the pizza didn't smell really good, but it was no problem passing on it. I had a leg cramp when I went to bed and got up and took an extra Endurolyte tablet, some magnesium and calcium. Luckily no more cramps. The hike yesterday is the most strenuous one I do all year and I didn't want to have more cramps in the night. It worked, but I did wake up at 12:45 and got up for almost two hours. My shoulders were sore from the climbing so I took a couple of Ibuprofen. I sat in the office and listened to a podcast and then came back to bed and sleep for a little more than two hours, so now I'm feeling good.

This morning we're heading out to hike Tom's Thumb. A friend who is in town from WA will join us. She and her husband (dh's friend) often stay with us, but they asked after we already had dn on the books and I said no. Dh thought we could have both but of course he heads off to work and I am here to do the entertaining, so they are staying in a hotel. I have another friend in town but clear on the other side of town an hour away. She has a new guy that she wants us to meet and maybe we'll meet them for lunch or something on Sunday. It's that feast time of the year as opposed to the summer famine time. After not having so many people for a couple of years, I'm not used to it.

Curlyjax I bet the folks enjoyed the St. Paddy's Day party. I'm sorry your aunt is unable to go home, but it would only be a worse nightmare to get her there and find it doesn't work. Hopefully she will adjust to the idea. I'm sure it is so hard since she is so far away.

Nationalparker You are a busy gal. I'm glad you have an appointment with the endocrinologist. May will be here soon.

Maryann It is so nice that your Mom is doing well at 86. Super that you were able to be her tech support. There are certainly some things I can do but not quickly. Glad the fast is going well. I watched a You Tube of the Plant Chompers I think it was that showed the fast and all. I like the guy that does that program.

Okay, it's later than I thought. Gotta run

[Penny.]

Good morning!

Yesterday went well and I got some exercise in again.

I have to drop some paperwork off at the elementary school for my youngest to start after spring break, and I'm going to have to ask what time school starts and what she should bring. I have no idea, I'm so out of the school loop.

My 15yo has to have a virtual meeting with the admissions counselor first. I'm worried it's going to be a very rough transition for her, and hope she's not too far behind. It's been like pulling teeth to get her to do anything and commucation is very difficult. We tried therapy recently and the therapist suggested she might be neurodivergent.

Have a great day, everyone!

[gardenerjoy]

The library catalog came back on-line yesterday so I requested a couple of the decluttering books that were recently mentioned here. That made me think of a book that I've been meaning to read -- wasn't sure if I'd like it or not -- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. It turned out that I could borrow the ebook immediately, so I started reading it last night and I'm having a hard time putting it down. That's unusual for nonfiction!

Part of it may be that I just finished a novel that I was completely absorbed in, and the energy carried over. If the idea of reading a novel set in March 2020, just as the pandemic crashed into New York City, doesn't freak you out, I can recommend Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult.

Exercise +35, 870/1500 minutes for March

karenrn: I can confirm that there's nothing much better than being called a badass by a young woman. In my case, it was about talking to a school board candidate who was known to have problematic attitudes about teachers and students.

[maryann]

Joy: Love "The Magic" book. It is very engaging. It help me really thing a materialism in a different way.
Penny: Good Luck with your 15 year old. We definitely do students assessment and IEPs for special need students. It is a mixed bag though I think whether it is helpful to be identified and singled out. There are so many different kinds of kids in the programs and they often do more harm than good. But the resources are there and I have seen lots of different kinds of kids finds lots of ways to be successful.
nationalparker: I love simple dinners. It is my thing right now.
Karen: Credit for being a great hostess. It is not really in my skill set.

Last day of fast. I did have a donut in the teacher's lounge. Don't know how that happened. but i am ignoring it and finishing the last few meal items. Down 5 pounds and now in the 60s. YES!!!!!