Food was manageable but not logged - just laziness on my part. I didn't leave the cabin all day. I dusted and vacuumed several rooms. I patched the holes in the window casements from the terrible blinds. I read a bit and took my chess lessons. It was first day off physical exercise for six days.
Food this morning was a homemade yogurt parfait. Lunch will be a bowl of chili on the slopes. Dinner is chicken Ceasar salad.
Today is absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining.
Monday - Maine Statehood and Missouri Compromise (1820)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Splendid in-person string quartet concert at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum including Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and Schubert. Felt like we'd moved forward from the Baroque, LOL. The venue is oddly shaped. We were in the 3rd balcony - a single row of 60 seats on all four sides. It's above identical 1st and 2nd tier balconies. Like being in a pipe. But its relatively new with tuned acoustics. Exercise, CREDIT moi, was climbing nine sections of stairs to get up there and then again back down. Was just remarking that the dress was rather casual when a woman I didn't know walked up to tell me, "Nice shirt," while holding out her arm wearing the identical L. L. Bean plaid flannel shirt.
Saw many young folks wearing Irish green walking back from Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade. It's a big deal in Boston where it's fashionable to declare one to be Irish.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was the second dip into vat of chili, paired with Bok Choy, baguette, and my green salad. We're still talking about a friend with back surgery who is recovering slowly. DW is now reading my book of the diaries of women who rode their wagons out West on the Oregon trail. She's as moved by the courage and stamina that it took to make that trip. Again we had the thought to never complain about difficulties of cooking in our kitchen if we think of riding behind an ox-cart all day then stopping in the rain to make a fire out of buffalo chips to make dinner for hungry, tired children.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Good news that you have all-weather food and exercise plans given the predictions of powerful storm on its way to your area. Even though it was yesterday, I noted the Maine Statehood and Missouri Compromise above because the Missouri Compromise figures so prominently in my book on the efforts to plan a railroad to California. All the tensions of the entire nation fell on Missouri. Might have been a difficult time to live there.
maryann – Good sunshine when there's snow on the ground is the best sight in the world. Congrats on those six days of strong exercise.
curlyjax – Super Kudos for skipping that bacon. Glad that your one day mini-vacation worked so well. From what I observed, your DD wasn't going to be alone watching the St. Patrick's Day parade.
Readers -
Quote:
day 6Find a Diet Coach
What to Discuss with Your Coach
Your coach can help you in many ways. Ideally, schedule a regular time to talk (face-to-face if possible), at least once a week and then in between by phone or by e-mail on as as-needed basis - daily, if necessary.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 87
I start my day with an early morning meeting. CREDIT for getting up a little early so I can eat breakfast at home and not be tempted by avocado toast or, worse, something from the bakery display. Instead, I’ll place my usual order of “Earl Gray, hot” which amuses the cashier.
Exercise: 60, 880/1800 minutes for March
BillBlueEyes: Heather Cox Richardson’s post yesterday was about Maine statehood where Missouri featured as the bad guys. Of course, I was taught a much more apologist version. I’ve only recently learned that might have given me an unhelpful bias.
I got a lot done yesterday., food prep wise. After groceries I did three loads of laundry in between cooking. I cooked up ground turkey to use for the week and portioned out some of it into 4 ounces. I cooked salmon to put in my lunch salad with leftovers for DD. I put cuke and cut up cauliflower in see through containers in the fridge to remind myself its there. I grated parmesan cheese, froze most and put some in with panko bread crumbs to make a lovely crust for a baked cod. My breakfast and lunch is prepped for the day as well as DD's food for work (which I do at times especially when she works nights). Many dishes done, more left to do. While I worked I listened to a nonfiction audiobook about a man who decided to walk to various golf courses in Ireland. Very interesting although I could care less about golf. Then I went into the rabbit hole of looking at Ireland, Rick Steves tours etc. I would love to spend a month in Europe when I retire, on tours and on my own.
I picked up DD at the train station at 9:15 without grumbling she had a great time with friends and I was happy to see she wasn't sloshed. I woke up at 4:00 am so hungry-I had stuffed myself with the cod but apparently that wasn't enough food-and had a snack which I never do, but I didn't think i'd get back to sleep without it.
It's pouring rain out today ugh. Good for the water table anyhow.
Gardenerjoy-wow, that is strange weather. Can't wait to see the daffodils here.
Maryann-sounds like a peaceful day.
Bill-what a lovely venue for a concert.
Food was food. Maintenance at best. I called my Dad wishing him happy 95th birthday.
Wonderful day with DH. Talked with DS who told his Dad, "You sound way too happy." Good. DH needs it. He is beginning his radiation this week. Helping him will be my big focus for the next six weeks or so. I am nervous about it.
I will ski today and then pick up my ordered curtain panel from Ikea in West Sacramento. It was $14.99. I will modify it to work in my window at the cabin. I can't buy fabric for that price. I hope the color works. I couldn't really tell if it was sage or a terrible mint chip.
Gardenerjoy: The chess game is killing me. I have really gotten myself into a pickle. Curly: Great job with food prep. It is such a great tool of success. BBE: There was a reality show I think in Britain that had a family living as if on the prairie . It was the women who suffered from great depression because of the workload and the mores of dress and culture which kept them from exercising properly and forced task choices upon them. Interesting.
Tuesday - St. Patrick's Day (first parade, 1601, St. Augustine, Florida)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Both trips out of the house managed to slip between the periods of rain. Felt like Moses parting the rain for my trips. In my class on going out West, I learned that rampant greed of men with money is not a new idea. Despite the overwhelming national desire for a coast-to-coast railroad, a group of four men with deep pockets placed themselves between all construction and the money flowing to allow it. Fortunes were made. Sound engineering decisions were changed for marketing advantages. Wild times.
Talked to a friend who is headed to Paris to see the restored Notre Dame Cathedral. Then to some museums in Nice. I'm green with envy.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was salmon grilled on the back porch with sauteed spinach, sweet potato, and my green salad. Conversation was more positive as seeds were discussed. I noted that my calendar says that peas should be going in the ground. The gardener noted that they would be if the late snow hadn't made that impossible. Evening snack was blueberries and the planned two Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Pretty fancy meeting to feature avocado toast. If you ever figure out how to unbias all the history and un-history that's crept into our brains, let me know. I repeatedly discover 'facts' from the fourth grade still sitting prominently as a barricade against more balanced new information.
maryann – "Way too happy" sounds just right. If there's an IKEA in Sacramento, I'm going to presume that the railroad has gotten there despite the travails of the Sierra Nevada's. LOL at trying to figure out a color from a catalog. May whatever the surprise be withing working range of your needs.
curlyjax – Love the notion of a month long tour of Europe. Yes, our water table needs some boosting right now.
Readers -
Quote:
day 6Find a Diet Coach
What to Discuss with Your Coach
During your scheduled weekly meeting, you should talk about: . . .
Your change in weight during the past week. You don't have to state our actual weight, just how much the scale went up or down.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 87
Good day at work including a meeting with some of my favorite folks. I was a bit miffed at one of my colleagues from something that happened friday but managed to work through it. I did my workout with only 6 of us which was great; the instructor can really see what we're doing and corrected me on a move I was doing wrong. I definitely see more muscle in my arms which I love. I was OP all day but over my calories a bit and ended up eating cottage cheese right before bed as I was quite hungry. I need to get fruits in and more vegetables but according to loseit app I'm doing good with fiber and protein. I'll have to think of a different staple for next week but i'm repeating my ground turkey as a base for this week.
I'm waiting on DD for her W2 to hand in my taxes; I'm already past when the accountant said to hand it in and i've been fretting over that since I know I will owe money. This even showed up in my dreams, sheesh. Once that's done I can focus on the next admin task-there are always more!
Gardenerjoy-I'm a huge admirer of HCR also.
Maryann-lovely to have a wonderful day with DH.
Bill-The show The Golden Age had quite a bit about railroads, ruthlessness, greed etc. History is brutal but fascinating.
It is time to get serious and get out of food maintenance. I am investing a lot of money and time into a trainer and I need to take advantage of it. Ski season is over. I will not be traveling the rest of the month. Calorie deficit is my priority. I will prepare myself to start going to bed a little hungry. I can do it. I have plenty of appropriate food. Now that it is warmer, a smoothie a day as a replacement meal makes sense.
The cleaning zone this week is bathrooms. Easy enough to clean the toilets today.
BBE: I have an image of the wagons coming over the ridge and finding an IKEA. I imagine they would think it a place of worship and maybe they are correct. The curtain panel is a subdued green. Fine. I picked up a plush orange pillow casing to go with the guest room at the cabin for $2.00. That just isn't right. Curly: Great job working through the miff. I am unreasonably cranky these past few days. I have to keep biting my tongue. I am not sure what is up.
Today is starting slow. The original plan was an early-morning visit to my brother’s for hot tub and chess. But we declared 14 degrees a bit cold for the first activity. My brother described it as possible but hardcore. We’re planning on Friday instead.
The daffodils that I rescued glow in the sunlight on my kitchen counter.
I’m determined to get this day on track and this note is my ‘go’ signal.
Wednesday- 13 works of art stolen from Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (1990, Boston)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - The kitchen table was covered with seedlings in small pots. The gardener is waking for Spring.
Trip to the supermarket was good boring. Easter candy is abundant; I walked by - only noting that there was a BOGO 50% off on jelly beans. If there was an omnipotent eating plan judge, they'd wonder why I so often note the prices of foods that aren't on my plan and aren't healthy. I bought nothing off plan, CREDIT moi for preemptive avoidance of off plan stuff.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was another dip into the pot of chili served with Bok Choy, tortilla chips, and my green salad. Joyful conversation was a report of the gardener's work to fill a bin of the detritus covering the yard from the winter. The yard looks sad with nothing growing but had looked sadder with fallen branches, leaves, and whatnot that got removed. I won the conversation with the news from my class that seaweed, that has been called an algae for decades despite doing photosynthesis, has very recently been reclassified as a plant (green and red; brown remains algae) by those in charge of such things. For centuries biologists have classified life by noting external features. With the advent of rapid, cheap DNA analysis, they're juggling the tree of life. Hard to keep up.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for the joy of rescued daffodils being spared 14 deg F outside. You were my inspiration last night when I had a monster salad because I needed to reduce the volume of lettuce in the fridge. Overeating salad isn't a crime on my food plan.
maryann – RIP skiing for the season. LMAO at a wagon train cresting the Sierra Nevada's to discover an IKEA. Place of worship, indeed.
curlyjax – It's so easy to get pulled down by a little "miffed" - terrific that you could work through it. I'm with you in needing to get tax information done.
Readers -
Quote:
day 6Find a Diet Coach
What to Discuss with Your Coach
During your scheduled weekly meeting, you should talk about: . . .
The successes you've had during the past week. Use the to-do lists at the end of each day to report on what you've done. Mention anything else that you deserve credit for, so you diet coach can positively reinforce what you've done.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 87
Successful OP day although I'm still eating over my calorie range, but not crazily so. The day included one zoom meeting with my younger brother who looked very happy which was awesome, a zoom meeting with my older brother and a new employee in regard to my younger brother who lives in a group home, and a phone meeting with my older brother about financial stuff. Plus I dropped off my taxes and my new accountant gently reminded me my kids weren't kids anymore and yes I would need to pay more for doing their taxes. It occurred to me this is the first tax year where they're both out of school and are fully functioning young adults with jobs. I felt mortified on the way home about this and sent me an email apologizing plus some other info. Phew lots of adulting. I rewarded myself with tv instead of sweets credit me. The house remains a disgusting mess but one thing at a time.
Bill-how lovely to have spring seeds and spring talk. I'm so ready to be immersed in full fledged spring.
Gardenerjoy-14 degrees is indeed a bit cold for a hot tub session.
Maryann-I hear you about crankiness. We're all a bit cranky at work right now and I need to bite my tongue at times as well.
I have written an advantage card today. I have only 14 days to show progress on the scale before next weigh in. I can do this. " I will feel hungry today because I am eating at a calorie deficit. The hunger is a sign of great success." Tonite is dinner with Mom and my sister from Annapolis. I am bringing the chicken. She is doing the sides. I have a very reasonable plan of eating. Today is a reset so I will only have smoothies before I get to that last meal.
I sold the Yeti cooler finally on EBAY. I was tired of people haggling the price on Facebook. I set the price lowish and I will have to pay for a commission but it is done. Life is too short. So I will mail it off and do Today's bathroom chores: shower and bathtub. I bought Mr. Clean sponges they are my favorite cleaner for these least favorite jobs.
Summer is here. It was 92 degrees yesterday. I wore sandals. This is not good for the farmers.
Joy: Yes posting here begins a new day. Curly: I am glad your younger brother seemed happy. You have many in your life that rely on you. You are really of service to so many. it is impressive. BBE: Nothing unique or precious about chemical recipes for food that harms my body and destroys my goals even if it is prettily packaged for Easter. ( I remind myself.)
Things here have been cold. Winter is back. My two ceramic classes are both over though each class has one more obligatory meet-up. The guild class will meet next Tuesday to pick up their glazed pots. While the makerspace class will informally meet me on Sunday to complete their pots as some still need to be glazed.
I finally succeeded wrangling that Mounjaro medication down. It's been approved and it's covered almost completely. I went to the pharmacy to pick it up but they didn't have enough for me and asked me to go there today to get it. I'm going to go tomorrow as DH had the car today and will also need it tomorrow but I'll go wherever he gets back.
What's on my mind is my bumpy scalp. My melanoma was just a bump on my scalp for me until it was tested and then it wasn't just that. Now I get a lot of bumps and it seems I have several around my scalp's surgical site which healed wide open as the stitches gave out. Turns out my skin likes to make a big scar. Anyway I have several bumps and I am anxious about them. On Monday I will see the dermatologist at Sunnybrook when I go there for my infusion once more. I still haven't read the CT scan report from a month ago. My oncologist never asked to see me or to talk about it so I be take that as a good sign. I'll get it all from the horse's mouth on Monday. I am definitely distracted by this though.
I'm good health news I now hover around 310. This is excellent. Although today was a bad good day. I ate a lot of heavy food and there was no sign from my body that I had over eaten at all. Nothing. Today there was no off switch. Mounjaro is supposed to give me one as I understand it. Other good news is that my knee has healed some more. Much less pain. Almost no pain actually. Way more stamina before it does hurt. Yeah it's better. Could be helped by a weight that's now 16lbs less that when I injured it too. Credits galore here.
Decluttering -wise: thwo garbage bags of clothing are waiting for pickup. #3 is halfway done. I may end up with four bags. I have 2:small boxes of books ready to go. I also released two garbage bags to the sanitation worker today. Credits!
And I cooked from scratch. I made lazy man cabbage rolls in the instant pot finally using up my cabbage. I found this recipe which is really close to my grandmother's recipe. I omitted the egg, the pork bones/ smoked rib replacing that with smoked kolbassa and cutting up the cabbage to layer it all in the instant pot. The taste was spot on but the cabbage was undercooked and the meat on the bottom burnt a bit. The recipe is a stovetop recipe so I was freestyling it here. I ended up cooking it for 55 min in total. And I had to remove some cabbage and I had to stir it all up when I be discovered the areas that were burning. Still an A++ success!.
Thursday - Certified Nurses Day (since 2008 by the ANCC and ANN)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Worked on taxes. When I get to be czar, no one will have to file tax returns. (Presumably, I'll just take their money without paperwork, LOL.) I alternate getting up and moving about to remain sane.
Fun was picking up the lively (10 yo) DGD from Fourth Grade. She spent the time at her house working with her pencils to sketch one eyeball. Amazing concentration trying to learn to draw a difficult part of human anatomy. Actually, I didn't ask. Maybe it was a monster's eyeball - she's capable of imagining that.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Feels good to be on a stretch of not snacking away during the day. Dinner was grilled salmon, brown rice, sauteed spinach, and my green salad. The lettuce box used 30% less plastic by having a "resealable" flex lid instead of a firm lid like the rest of the box. Took both of us a spell to figure out how to open it without tearing it to bits. I do feel 30% more virtuous for buying this version but also feel rather incompetent for struggling with the simple task of operating it.
onebyone - Congrats for that Mounjaro victory. What a struggle. And the knee, and the continued scale reading, and the decluttering success. You're on a roll.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for a walk, offered meekly from a guy still facing below freezing temps.
maryann – When I have to do cleaning, it's always the kind that Mr. Clean sponges solve. I love those things. Thanks for reminding me that it's chemical recipes for food that I'm drooling over. By-the-by, David Protein Bar is in the news because it's being sued for having about twice its advertised calories (150 vs 275) and seven times its advertised grams of fat (2 vs 13.5). Apparently, there are some disappointed folks gaining weight gobbling them down.
curlyjax – Such good news that your younger brother looked very happy. Big Congrats for your life milestone of having both kids out of school and fully functioning young adults with jobs.
Readers -
Quote:
day 6Find a Diet Coach
What to Discuss with Your Coach
During your scheduled weekly meeting, you should talk about: . . .
The struggles you had in the past week. Talk about your cravings, slipups, or life stressors Mention anything that might interfere with executing the steps of this program. Ask your coach to help you find ways to deal with setbacks and challenges in the future. Report your sabotaging thoughts and ask for help with how to respond to them.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 87
Monday - Maine Statehood and Missouri Compromise (1820)
she had a great time with friends and I was happy to see she wasn't sloshed. I woke up at 4:00 am so hungry-I had stuffed myself with the cod but apparently that wasn't enough food-and had a snack which I never do, but I didn't think i'd get back to sleep without it. 
