Thanks, everyone. I'd just got a blind spot about it and I don't do protein drinks (can't stomach the taste).

Silver, string cheese is my favorite easy protein snack, and it always comes in individual servings. Another favorite is yogurt (the fruit at the bottom kind is my fave).

Ugh, I have been just about POP (only over by 50 calories two days) this whole week, and the scale is going up. I'm telling myself it's water retention from my sore muscles and hoping that I'm right. Taking a rest day today since my legs are pretty sore.

Sorry about being AWOL - I've been fairly good so far this year and getting better, but still haven't quite recovered the "loss mindset". Although I got out of the habit of logging everything over the holidays, I was more diligent and didn't gain (except for a blooper with artificial color saga again). So there wasn't any negative reinforcement to not logging ... which I sort of internalized as a reward ... y'all see where this goes.

I share the bad habit of walking in the door after work and nibbling prior to dinner being served. My faves to derail the "need" part (still working on the head-hunger) are the string cheese, 25 pistachios, or 10-17 whole almonds.

Going off to the chiro this afternoon to re-tweak the annoyingly fragile C7/T1 that masquerades as shoulder problems. Something moved on Monday while I was swimming - and the sooner I get it put back where it belongs, the less time I have to spend on the ice bag. grrrr.

ICU, I know what you mean about that C7-T1! Hope you get it set right and feel better.

Jay

Oooh, ICU, I hope that gets better. I have a weird knot in my lower shoulder blade that kind of cropped up while weight training yesterday. I thought that maybe I slept on it funny. The scale is deflating, 134 today...

That coming home "snack" was my downfall. I have to be really strict and mindful about it. My afterwork "snacks" got me close to 200 lbs last time! I too like some cheese or a slice of meat, almonds are good too. Sometimes a sliced apple with a big glass of water does the trick.

Losermom - great new pic! Didn't recognise you!

Jay, losermom - thanks for the good wishes! He was able to get about 60% of it resolved last night. The angry muscles have loosened up so hopefully the rest will slip back where it belongs with tonight's adjustment. Knew I was in trouble when my ring and little fingers starting going cold and numb again... I spent a lot of years chasing those symptoms instead of the root cause.

losermom - what a lovely picture! You remind me of Reese Witherspoon. Scales don't deflate, ma'am ... YOU do!

Currently in tastebud heaven: January is Rio Star Red Grapefruit month! Happy, happy, joy, joy!

ICU & Silverbirch, thanks! I got a new camera as an early Christmas gift and have been trying it out. I was trying to document the cute stylings of my hairdresser. Tonight my DD22, girlfriend and I are adding blonde highlights! After looking at older pics of myself I realize that I do look better as a blonde. Reese Witherspoon, that's a new one. I usually get Kate Gosselin (ugh). When I look at older photos of her, and compare them to me at that age, there is a distinct resemblance. Kate, check it out--here's your future!

My current tastebud heaven--oranges and steel-cut oatmeal! I cannot get enough. Oatmeal for breakfast every morning and I get pissed if DH eats all of the leftovers! It's mine, all mine. This morning I added a sliced banana to it--delish! I bring an orange everyday for a snack at work and often have another at home later.

I used to get that a lot, too--especially when my hair was short. Now that it's shoulder length the comparisons have stopped (thank goodness!).

And blond highlights are a must for me! I think the darker my hair is the darker my mood is!

ICU, don't forget to ice your upper back/lower neck!

Yeah, good old C8 nerve, ulnar branch... (I happen to be editing an anatomy/physiology text at the moment--the nerve chapter! Ha!) I more often have trouble with the vertebra right above that, the one where people think it's carpal tunnel, only it's not necessarily so...

LoserMom, cool photo!

Jay

Jay - you speak my language! I fought "tendonitis" in both shoulders, so severe that DH had to help me get my shirts on, for 7 years. You name it - steroid shots, physical therapy ... and I finally demanded an MRI. Came back totally normal. Out of desperate anger, I went to a local chiro who was doing free exams and Xrays. When he put up the Xray of my neck, even I, an utterly untrained layperson, went, "WTF????" and he went, "Oh my God." It took about 8 months, and it did get even worse before it got better, but I've been salvaged. It certainly makes getting more active a lot easier!

allinel and loser, I think I look better with lighter hair ... but DH, after a few drinks to get his courage up (apparently) made it very clear that he did not find it at all attractive. It would be counterproductive to continue. Heck, he even preferred my 100% gray to the blonde. Who'da thunk? Glad he said something though!

You're a Hot Mama, losermama!

Losermom, you look great!

Becky, about your DH and the light hair. My mom stopped dying her hair a few years back (she just dyed it to cover the gray, but a little lighter than her natural color). We were all shocked to find out that she actually was not completely gray! Turns out the only really gray areas she had were at her roots and sideburn area, which is where it always showed despite the dying.

That is pretty fascinating about the chiropractors. My similar story (though not diagnosed by a chiropractor and not related to my spine) is that I suffered from tendinitis in my wrists and forearms for years, went through all sorts of repetitive stress injury treatments, had no improvement, and finally got diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I have had massive improvement since then, but I still have some wrist pain. I attribute it to RSI since I do type all day, but now I'm wondering if I should check out my spine!

Thanks guys, you are making me blush!

Still struggling to get fully back on the wagon and back in the groove here. I have finally gotten my butt to the gym for an hour of light-moderate cardio for the last 2 nights after rehearsals, and it's time to start getting strength training and higher intensity back in there! The good news is that a few days of "rest" (er, laziness) seem to have really helped whatever weird hip pain I was having and I haven't felt it at all. If I'm going to do this my food plan will be kind of weird - lots of snacks and either a split dinner or light dinner late, but it will only be for a few weeks.

Food is spotty. Come on Megan, quick f!@#$&* around. I had a pretty good night last night. I was at a football game and wasn't hungry, so I... didn't eat. I need to add up a few more moments like that each day. I also need to get a few more veggies ready for the upcoming week. By the end of the week I'd run out of prepared things in the fridge, and was too lazy to make/prepare more. I'm down to eating whole carrots out of the bag, washed but unpeeled. Next week I'll try to be better prepped.

Yes, losermom, you do look awesome! I've got a good citrus stock right now too. I brought big bags of grapefruit and tangerines back from the holidays. My sis's in-laws have trees in their yard in south Florida! I picked them myself (with invitation, of course). They are delicious.

I'm proud I know so many women who will fight for a correct diagnosis when they know something's wrong. Way to be strong, ladies!