Uh oh.. My wife is calling another woman sexy... I'm not sure how to take that..
Hi everyone.. sorry I haven't been posting consistantly, but being busy and under the gun at work will do that...
We're up to the last weekend of the fair (Thank GOD!!)... I'm barely clinging to a mostly healthy state, but my asthma is kicking in thanks to constant exposure to animals, dust and a recent bout of wet weather... The sad fact is that I have absolutely no time to get to the doctor for new prescriptions.. I think I may go slightly mad...
I have a confession.. I had a doughnut today... But I figure that since I'm actually below my goal now (192), it's not going to kill me to have one freakin' doughnut, especially since I haven't had one in months...
Brittany - In case you didn't get the answer yet on the low sodium turkey, look for "Boar's Head" brand.. They have about the lowest, most natural turkey I've found...
Nicole, Could you wear your sexy sophisticated tops with the jeans? That way you feel sexy, but no one can say hey you are too dressed up when you are wearing jeans. I also might take the kind of dressier capris and pair it up with a more casual top. Maybe a tshirt and the cardigan would be a look that is a little dressed up, but still a little relaxed and casual, if you have something that went well together. For people who work every day and have to dress professionally, that is often times considered casual.
Thanks girls......you see, my view is a little distorted as I have not been out in the work environment for so long.......omg, almost 20 years now. How did I go and get that old? I remember hearing my mother say, "oh, I remember 20 years ago we used to wear that stuff......" and all I could think was, 'man......she is OLD to beable to have memories that are 20 years old..' How time flies.
Felicia – Your weekend sounds exhausting. I love your plan of cooking/chopping on Saturday for the following week. I have done this a couple of times in the past, and it does make it sooo much easier to make meals for the next week – haven’t done that in quite a while though, I should get back into it.
Amy – Have fun in DC! Sounds like you’re well prepared mentally for the challenge of eating out. My only recommendation for breakfast is to try for carb cravers, or most places also have fruit and yogurt as well.
Nicole – to me “casual” would define khakis as well. However, since that it not a choice, I have found that usually a pair of jeans are acceptable for touring. For other times your capris and tops/sweater combinations sound lovely. I don’t know about you, but I know I usually feel better when I am slightly overdressed as opposed to be underdressed. Don’t hide in your “baggy” clothes though. Your on vacation – live it up, you’re a beautiful woman – show it off!
Dan, yes... let us live vicariously.... Since I don't see any donuts in my future any time soon.
I went to WI today and despite doing another TO I was up another 2 pounds!!!! I've been so good too, and actually eating below blue plan on most days (every day since Saturday when I went to a cookout and was a bit over, but still below the maintenance amount that I was supposed to be losing on if I just cut back on a bar). I know it is due to the fact that I went back to the gym and hit it hard... as last week I was up a couple pounds higher than this, but stilll.. and I had the b&tch counselor too. She told me to stop working out for a couple of weeks if I wanted to see my weight drop.... that sounds like bad advice to me... Since then I would just have another blip up when I went back to the gym again, and I'm starting to get over this one already. Anyway, so I'm going to start weighing and measuring things, just to be sure I'm totolly 100% POP... and I'm not going to let myself be over just because it is the weekend and I'm going to stick to the WL Blue plan... and trying to stick to really low things today after coming off a TO, although I have to say, I don't think I lost much on it.
Nicole: My definition of casual would be whatever is comfortable for you. Khakis would be more business casual (I Think). We wear jeans at work when we get a casual day.
Here is Websters definition: appropriate for wear or use on informal occasions; not dressy.
Thanks for the advice Val. My concern is that the fruit and yogurt are not available or not LF for the yogurt, so I was going to do FF which would allow me to be on some kind of structure while out.
I wish I could have a doughnut. But then I wouldn't stop until I had ate 6. I LOVE THEM! Hot out of the oven/microwave. Yum! You deserved it Dan. All those Fair People and Fair Food. One doughnut should be considered a major NSV given the circumstance.
I'm here...just lurking. I'm swamped with budget this week and next so I probably won't be posting much until after the 28th...that's when everything is due.
Nicole - get packing.
Here are my suggestions for your exciting Germany trip. Actually, I left for Europe on Sept 29th last year with a group and we visited northern Italy (Lake Como area) and Lucerne Switzerland so I am tailoring my answer to you based on the weather, etc I encountered during that trip. Your concern is what is casual dress? I agree with jeans and tops. You will, on many days, need a light weight jacket so what you are wearing underneath the jacket may not show that much. Make sure you have a sweater and think about dressing in layers. Some of the days will be cooler especially if you are taking bus trips or cruising on a lake. Bus drivers can never please all of the people all of the time so the temperatures can vary. Think of Wisconsin weather near Lake Michigan in Fall. You will undoubtedly be walking a lot so make sure you have comfortable shoes. Sneakers for during the day. Bring an umbrella. Bring along sexy tops for special dinners out. Again you will need a jacket especially at night. The theme here should be casual, comfortable clothes during the day and up one notch or two at night if you are going to a nice restaurant.
Amy and everyone else that travels. I know Amy you have constraints when you travel on business especially to D.C. This is what I base my travel food on if I have the flexibility to bring along or buy food when I get to my destination. If any are helpful to you great.
Food for travel
Here are suggestions for food that you can take along when you travel or purchase when you arrive at the place where you are staying overnight. If you are traveling by car, it is easier to bring along a bag with food items. I have found that bringing along a duffel bag and a small cooler is a good way to do it when you travel by car.
If you are traveling by air, you can bring some things along if you can put them in your checked luggage or you can purchase some of the items when you arrive. You, of course, have more flexibility with leisure travel especially if you are renting a car. If you are traveling for business to a big city, you may still be able to use some of these suggestions.
Part of my plan to stay as close to being on plan when I travel is to eat breakfast in my hotel room.
For lunch and dinner I use up my proteins, remaining starches and remaining vegetables.
Non food items – plastic utensils, small bowls, straws, napkins.
Breakfast
I pre-package ¾ cups of fiber one in zip lock bags. Add low fat yogurt and fruit. Buy low fat yogurt when you arrive at destination or put some in cooler if it will stay cool.
Pre packaged servings of oatmeal – just add hot water. I often heat water in the coffee maker. Sometimes the hotel will have hot water available in the lobby.
Hard-boiled egg purchased at super market
Fruit – I buy ½ cup servings sizes of fruit (pineapple, peaches).
Grapes, small apple, small plums
.
Snacks – lites or whatever substitute you normally use
Fruits see above
Fats – almonds or pecans
Vegetables – carrots or celery
Dairy – fat free, sugar free pudding cups
Breakfast or Lunch
Slimfast or Slimdown
Starches
Are easier to transport, bring along your favorites if you have the space.
Water – bottled water if you have room for it.
Note: Some of the pre-packaged items I would not normally use if I were eating at home, but I feel it is the lesser of two evils to use them rather than to have to depend on eating out for each meal.
If you are making your hotel reservations, see if a room with a microwave and a refrigerator is available. Recently, I booked a room and paid only $5 more a night for the microwave/refrigerator. It was well worth the additional price given the price of a breakfast out.
That is a good suggestion. I took a small cooler with some yogurt and fruit with me traveling before, works well if you are driving to your destination as there is usually ice available so it stays cold. Don't pack pears, as a couple of days in a cooler makes for one nasty pear. Oranges pack well this way, since you peel off the part that might be soaking in water. I also have used the fruit cups. Costco sells some good ones. I like the mandarin oranges. I've packed these on hikes where any other fruit would look really quite awful after a few miles in the back pack.
You can also pack dried fruit. There are great banana chips and I had some really great dried granny smith apples. If you decide to do the oat meal thing, that dried granny smith apples are just delicious in the oat meal. They sell them at Trader Joes here. Of course there are dried apricots and I've had dried cherries or blue berries. They aren't even liquid so you don't have to put them in the stupid plastic bag at the air port so they can check for bombs (they wanted even your lip stick in there last time I flew). They seem to like to confiscate tooth paste. Dried fruit isn't the first choice most would make for being OP, but it still counts and you get your fruit in, which that is often the hardest thing on the road.
I always take the bars. My company seems to like to have junk food infested training sessions, so you need the bar to avoid the giant cookies that are going to be outside of the conference room when the break happens.
Nicole- are you traveling with a group? Which cities? I've been to Europe twice, and both times was always amazed at the good (and bad) fashion. They are years ahead of us, so it's impossible to completely blend in, but overall I found most European cities to be much more dressy than the US. Of course if you are traveling all day, dress comfortably. As Lynn said you will need lots of sweaters and jackets. Jeans and tshirt are totally fine, maybe bring some cute scarves or fun hats to accessorize. The shoes in Europe are always funky. For my second trip I bought the funkiest pair of sneakers I could find that I still would actually wear. It was fun bc I felt like they didn't scream out 'tourist'. Not matter what you are going to have so much fun!
Felicia-you are busy busy! I hope w/i goes well tomorrow!
Here it is friday and I think when I last posted it was the first of the week. I thought this week would not be as busy as the last two but I was wrong. Chaos hit again on wednesday so I have been working 12-14 hour days since and I am working all weekend too. By then end of sunday in the last 21 days - 187 hours worked. No wonder I am pooped!!
But I wanted to check in here tonight before going to bed and see how everyone was doing. Hopefully soon a few things will die down and I can be around more. I miss it when I don't check in each day but some nights it has literally been come home and go to bed and get up and do it all over again.
This kinda short and sweet - but I will check in again over the weekend. Theoretically I am done at 5 tomorrow but that might change - you never know.
