[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday and bump up in weight is now a bump down. Today's plan is to stay home and do some housework. I have a long podcast and a book on tape to listen to while I do the housework. It feels good not to have any plans to meet anyone after four days of that. Dh continues to do well and cut down on the med from three times a day to two times a day. We'll see how that works.

Curlyjax When I worked at the hospital there were always so many goodies at this time of year. Most of the time I just had a rule that I didn't eat it, but of course that didn't always work. When I look at the weather all over the US I'm very grateful for ours. My db and Sil may not be able to drive to Seattle to see all of their children and grandchildren for Christmas if the pass doesn't get better. They are having the coldest temps I've ever seen in Wenatchee.

Bill I'm glad you were all spiffed up for your phone calls. That is too funny.

Maryann I hope you had a very happy birthday! It sounds like you had a very fun day. My youngest brother had a birthday yesterday and several friends too. Must be a very popular day for birthdays.

GardenerJoySounds like a good idea to split up the errands. Looks like you will be having some very cold weather too.

VertOlive I agree with you and Beck, hunger seems to wax and wane. Sometimes my stomach feels so hungry and I try to remind myself that it will pass and it does. Sorry you continue to have password issues.

Time to get moving. I will get that podcast on as soon as I'm dressed and try to complete my to do list.

[gardenerjoy]

I'm glad to be done with errands. I got out as early as I could this morning and still stood in line at Whole Foods for 20 minutes. That was longer than I spent shopping since I bought most of my groceries yesterday at our local store.

The weather service issued an official Winter Storm Warning in the middle of the night for all day tomorrow. The snow may be less of an issue than the wind which may blow up enough snow to impact visibility. Plus, the wind will turn already record-breaking low temperatures into dangerous wind chills.

So, lots of people, like me, were out doing both their pre-snow and pre-holiday final shopping trips.

Twenty minutes in line meant that I had more time than usual to contemplate tempting things. Fortunately, I was able to talk myself into believing that sparkling cider would go flat before we drank it all and that mint-chocolate-caramel popcorn would just be gross.

Exercise +55, 1095/1700 minutes for December

maryann: Happy Birthday!

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

I am a little embarrassed to say I slept until 10:00 this morning. I was beat after yesterday. DH in the city can be exhausting. He is always tense and then picking DS up at a "big" airport made it worse. I would like to know on average how many marriages end as a result of driver/navigator communication. Sheesh. Anyway, this morning I can acknowledge how hard he tried to not say negative things about the museum and the city as a whole. I love the city. The Ramses Display was good but very crowded even on a Tuesday. I was amazed at the tag on "virtual experience" with each of us in individual pods for 10 mins. Super cool. I saw my favorite painting in real life. https://artsandculture.google.com/as...2Lt9aDKA?hl=en. it was on my wall for a long time growing up as a child.

Target met for exercise. I drank too much coffee and tea. I ate rare and unusual desserts but did have soup and salad which is a win.

My goals for today are to log healthy habits for the week so far. Meet exercise and motion goals. Log carbs and drink water. I will do my neck stretches.

I hope everyone stays safe in the ice and snow. I am enjoying the perks of central valley which is no ice. I hope to hop up to Tahoe to ski.

[VertOlive]

Getting the yard and potted plants ready for the freeze. Back in February 2020 we lost 22 fruit trees but that featured freezing rain which I'm told NOT to expect this year. We'll see. The Texans all around me are dressing like Inuit and the temps are still in the high 50's. Being from Michigan this makes me smile! I have covered my newly planted bamboo glade with a tarp which the Great Scot thinks is a spiffy bolt hole from which to surprise the other dogs.

Yesterday I ate within calorie limits and came closer to my goal to swim a whole mile. I did 30 laps and will slowly add to that to get to the 36 laps which in our pool is the mile mark. I pushed a bit too hard for it yesterday and couldn't sleep most of the night because of it. When I over-do exercise I get all-night bouts of restless leg, even in my arms and shoulders. A nap today seems to have put me right.

Today is another fast (trying on MWF as a schedule) and am having some chicken broth for the salts that make it so much easier. Like with everyone here, there are dozens of Holiday foods around at work but I simply can't make myself eat them as I watch people who have not washed their hands dig into them. I even saw some of the cleaning staff partake wearing the latex gloves they work in. Not going there, not even for the mini-cheese cakes!

All the best to everyone--enjoy the day!

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Brought out the tree. My exercise was to carry it on my back from its comfortable resting place behind the house to the front door. From there, we've finally learned the trick. I place it on a large blue tarp and we carry it inside with nary a needle dropped. We both resent the years we've spent cleaning up the mess we made bringing it in. Take great pleasure in pulling out the heavy metal stand that we've used for forty years. Admire the price tag still visible on the box, "$9.99" - the good old days.

Best news story of the year: two graduate students collected a FREE Christmas tree from a tree-selling lot because it was so ugly it couldn't be sold. No one would want it. Unless you were a broke graduate student with eclectic taste. They installed it and hung empty beer cans for ornaments. I just loved the notion that the scrawny, ugly trees get a chance to be the center of someone's Christmas. Reminds me of the divorced gentleman I know whose daughter would get shipped to him for a few days AFTER Christmas. He'd go out on Boxing Day and simply scoop up a tree from the curb. "Use my money on gifts for her," he explained, frugal to the core.

Out tree is up. DW asked, "Do you want all white lights this year?" "Naw," I replied, "grandparents are supposed to have an old-fashioned looking tree." So there it stands, a full six and a half feet with multi-colored lights. When the (adult) kids come over Saturday, they'll add their favorite ornaments. "You do know that our DD will complain that our DS insists on adding his much-loved Styrofoam Santa's boot. She always does. It's a tradition." Much loved family ornaments are just the ugliest things around, LOL.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - LOL that "mint-chocolate-caramel popcorn would just be gross." Drooling over just how gross.

maryann - Fun to look at your link to Rainy Season in the Tropics by Frederic Edwin Church. Finally spotted the two people at the bottom right. I do know about "driver/navigator communication" issues.

Karen (karenrn) - So neat that you listen to a book on tape while doing housework.

curlyjax - Love the notion that your DS imitates the way his dad used to cut the fudge to make it last.

VertOlive - So funny to picture "Texans dressing like Inuit." The notion of using tongs to pick up community food seems to be more and more ignored.

Readers -

Chapter 6 Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan

Confidently Follow Your Plan at Extended Family Dinners

You will need to be really good at saying no to food pushers, too, as some families have strong beliefs about food and eating. For example, your family members may comment on the foods you are eating or not eating, complain that you are eating differently from them, or try to ply you with alcohol.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 154.

[curlyjax]

We had a cookie decorating party at work yesterday where I decorated and then promptly ate a cookie with homemade frosting. I have store bought frosting for our cutouts I will make today or tomorrow-I can stay out of that kind a lot easier. I'm kind of giving up on reining it in, which isn't good. I'm disgusted with how fat I am. At least I had some greens last night at dinner, and salad for lunch. I finished paying bills, zipped to the store for a few items, filled out a long term care insurance form that i need to have my dad and his pcp sign, and talked with a family friend who visited my dad-talking her thru printing something on his computer. Today I need to figure out when I can get more groceries delivered to my dad with both the storm and holiday grocery madness to plan around. I may leave work early and get some last minute stocking stuff done. I'm tired and cranky already from staying up late. Grumble. I wish there was another adult here to figure out something to eat for dinner, I don't seem to be planning anything. Thanks for letting me vent.
Bill-so nice to have those family traditions of tree decorating and adult children complaining
VertOlive-that is true, treats are a lot less tempting when folks have their hands all over them.
Maryann-that is so true about marriages and driving!
Gardenerjoy- yay for talking yourself out of temptations.
Karen- i'm sure you are ready for a break from company. I love books on tape for company.

[gardenerjoy]

I have all the jumpy energy of a Snow Day. Although, they keep moving the forecast for snow later and with less accumulation. That's good since DH plows the street for us and our neighbors. We already warned them that he wasn't going to do it in single digits. At this rate, he may not need to at all. Also, we're getting a lot of wind so any snow that we do get may blow off the flat surfaces.

The temperature is already dropping. It was 33 when I got up. It's already 24. It will be -2 at bedtime.

Here's my reminder that food doesn't make me warmer, but a hoodie does.

Exercise +40, 1135/1700 minutes for December

[maryann]

Good morning, Coaches.

Up went the tree last night. Christmas was up in a half an hour. We watched two favorite Xmas movies: Family Man and Love Actually. My college friend sent me See's Candy for my bday and I broke into the bliss point food. Sigh. Weight is back to 180. Still, a wonderful night snuggling with the boys. I did exercise and get my water in.

I am declaring an abstinent day today. I will reach my targets of water, motion, exercise and also track my carbs. I will attend an OA zoom meeting.

I made reservations today for the David in Florence when we go in Feb. I also booked a private tour guide in Rome for a full day including the sistine chapel. a friend recommended doing it through toursbylocals.com. I am getting excited for the trip.

Curly: I hear you about frustration with food. I tell you as I tell myself. Hating myself for my weight only causes me to spiral more. I may not change what I eat today, but I will treat myself with gentleness and Grace.
Vert Olive: Great way to think about all the communal food. I have several buffets ahead. I will think of all the germs and let things pass.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Our other car is gasoline engine which implies that it needs oil changes. Yesterday was the day. Even before my morning shower, I pulled on clothes to pickup up DW who drove the gasoline car to the local place that does that for us. After lunch, drove her there to pick it up. Remembered fondly when we had a garage close enough that either of us would walk to drop off or pick up our car. Feels like last generation's thing to do.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi with an unneeded snack. The simple task of ordering a gift card for the DSIL became complicated because I wanted it delivered by email to me to give to him. They are set up to deliver it to him by email. Had to get a supervisor to pull it off. But I got it. Printed out the secret code which I'll put in a card under the tree for Christmas Eve here. A bit awkward to give someone a sixteen digit hexadecimal number as a gift. Made my last trip to a supermarket to get the gifts for the kids' cats and dogs. My tradition is to have a wrapped 'gift' for their beloved pets to be opened with a smirk. It contains a food item that the adults, magnanimously, volunteer to eat to spare the pets. So it's corny, but it's my corny addition to our tradition.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Thanks, once again, for keeping perspective, "food doesn't make me warmer, but a hoodie does."

maryann - You made me go peek at David in Florence. It never fails to take my breath away. Smart to do Rome with a guide. We found that a paid guide was the secret to avoiding astronomically-long lines at the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. Felt a little sleazy that a few Euro got us in immediately through the back door while nuns in their habits and other devoted had to wait.

curlyjax - Always Kudos for squeezing in greens and salad. Congrats for being a long-distance computer assistant - maybe your next career.

Readers -

Chapter 6 Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan

Create a Family Dinner Mindset

When adults spend time with their families, they sometimes revert to old patterns of thinking and behaving - and sometimes start feeling like children again.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 154.

[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday. Weight is one pound under the start of the year and my intention is to keep it that way or lower. I did a nice hike in the morning which seemed more strenuous to both of us for some unknown reason. Some days are like that. In the afternoon I did a Costco run and a trip to the regular grocery store. We should be pretty much set for a week. Dh is off work until next Tuesday. My plans for today are mainly a bunch of food prep. I like having a bunch of different things in the fridge ready to put together.

I'll get back to personals later today. I wanted to get a post in though since I didn't yesterday.

[curlyjax]

I left work early and took a few hours of vacation to get things done. I finished shopping for the kids and got some groceries, all on a bad nights sleep. Then I went out and got more groceries at a different store. I took a break and watched a show while I ate dinner, then got into a tussle with DD. I had asked for liquor for Christmas; she wants to give me the gift of cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. That is not what I want, she could just do that anyway if it bothers her because it doesn't bother me. I ordered groceries for my dad and baked some ready made pillsbury type cookies, which burned. Later we had a family meeting where I broke down. It has been very challenging with being a calm support for DD while she studied for her finals, managing my dad and responding to the folks who are helping my aunt, and a minor financial situation that I won't get into. i am not in the Christmas spirit at all. hopefully we get to leave early today, and I will calmly make cookies and pray we don't lose power from the winds, or have any damage to house, cars etc. I feel for folks who want to travel to see family in this weather, I remember those days.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer. It is hard this year. And this weather does not help, powerful winds are scary!
Gardenerjoy-I keep forgetting you get really cold temps there too. hoodies are the best.
Maryann- thanks for your words. What a great idea to get a private tour; its so great you have that to look forward to.
Bill-yay for pulling off a technology gift. Your traditions sound so fun.

[gardenerjoy]

It was -5 when I woke up this morning and my office was 59 degrees. Fortunately, the main house furnace kept up a lot better than the upstairs unit, so I'm set up at the workstation that we share in a warmer space until my usual workspace is tolerable.

We have ice on the insides of some windows and everywhere there is a metal frame -- including a strip on the front door. We know from experience that can cause drips, so that will be something to keep an eye on today. Some of it will sublimate, so it's kind of unpredictable where we'll need towels.

The snow didn't amount to much. We'll have a White Christmas, but it's not really the greeting card kind of snow -- it doesn't even fully cover the fallen leaves and it didn't stick to the tree branches at all. The snow was very dry and it was really windy. The good news is that there isn't enough to worry about plowing.

We canceled Saturday's vigil due to the predicted cold, so I may not leave the house until Tuesday -- except to fetch a package. I expect to get freeze-dried cranberries via UPS today. They sometimes bring it to the house, but often leave it out by the mailboxes at the end of our road. I can't decide if dried cranberries will suffer from being deeply frozen a second time. If I decide they will, I'll have to bundle up and get out to fetch them. Fortunately, the package is being tracked, so I'll know when they're delivered. Maybe I can manage to go out at our high temperature for today -- 7 degrees.

Exercise +80, 1215/1700 minutes for December

curlyjax: I definitely sympathize. Fretting about the weather the last few days added a layer of stress over everything -- and I currently have less going on than you do. Even factoring in some family stuff that cropped up recently and I haven't been able to process enough to write about here.

[VertOlive]

Greetings coaches!

Last night was scary. Besides the expected drop in temperatures 26 deg F this morning, and the attendant power outages (5 since I got up this morning), there was a grasslands fire on our island and families had to be evacuated. The coyote and javelina population was in a panic racing through our yards. We were a street away upwind from the grasslands and thankfully got to stay. We could see the flames from the mainland driving home last night. Thank Heaven for the many fire departments that came together to fight the fires! The combination of high winds, dry and dead grasslands, and a sparking power line were to blame.

Yesterday I ate within limits and can claim ~13,000 steps as exercise. I’ll swim today and chase that mile some more, fasting until the end of the day.

The freeze will set off a Sea Turtle stun event and we all have our 1-866-TURTLES rescue line on speed dial.

Looking forward to a treat of homemade hot chocolate when I break my fast.

[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

We are blessed with good weather so no worries about that here. However, one db and Sil live in Wenatchee WA and their kids live in Seattle. Yesterday they started the drive and did fine over the first pass, Blewett, but Snoqualmie was closed due to accidents. They decided to turn around and go home and try again tomorrow.

Christmas is peaceful here but boring. We have travelled to see family, but that wouldn't have been possible this year with the weather. There doesn't seem to be a best plan.

GardenerJoy Be careful in that freezing weather. I'm sure glad your vigil was cancelled.

Curlyjax I'm sorry things are so overwhelming. I can sure understand it is though with all you have going on. I can't tell you how long it has been since I've been in the Christmas spirit. I just don't even expect it anymore. Just think, by next year dd will be finished with school.

Bill You have a lot of nice traditions and I'm sure Christmas will be fun, especially with the children for some added entertainment.

Maryann I would be powerless with a box of See's candy in the house. A birthday is a good reason to have them though. It sounds fun to be doing the last minute planning for your trip to Italy. We had a private tour one of the times we went to Rome and it was great. It was actually by an American professor who had lived there for quite a few years. I just love Rome. One of my favorite places is the Borghese Gallery. I agree with you on not beating yourself up when the food isn't on plan. It seems to only make it worse for me. I just turn the page and get back on a doable plan.

VertOlive I hope your weather isn't so cold as you expected. It's really crazy all over the US right now.

Waving to Penny!

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

I still can't seem to make it out of bed before 9:00. Oh Well. Maybe the school year took it out of me. I am planning to cut down on one medication today. That might get me back to 9 hours of sleep.

There were definite victories yesterday although the scale remained the same:
I tracked everything I ate. That has been a long time coming.
I attended and OA zoom meeting
I did NOT eat See's candy although I battled it all day.
I had some box checkers from Dr. Greger.

Last night's meal got derailed because I took my Mom to the heart doctor. Between the travel and getting her new prescriptions, I ate dinner at Starbucks. (Sigh)

Today: I will attend an OA meeting on Zoom.
I will exercise at the gym.
I will track all my food.
I will get my water in.

I have some packages to wrap and then I am going to try and combine all my hardcopy recipes.

VertOlive: What a day!!! It sounds like you are in the middle of an adventure novel.
BBE: Kudos for challenging the tech world. It is crazy how things are delivered so quickly now but the downside is that efficiency requires a lack of flexibility.
Curly: Hang in there. Christmas is a time to strengthen family ties and communication. That is not always joyful in the moment. Your adult children will benefit from seeing their mother struggle and persevere. that is the best gift we can give our children.
Karen: Yeah for DH vacation. Quiet Christmases are very ice.
Joy: I appreciate the irony of double freeze dried cranberries.