Iris,I have a bank account, I do not tell people how much money I have in it,likewise I count calories and I don't tell anyone how many I can spend. No matter how many calories we eat or don't eat,someone will have some kind of a comment to make.

Sorry Iris. I think it's just a matter of him picturing himself eating the same amount as you and thinking that he would be starving like that. But the fact is that he is #1 a man, #2 bigger than you, and therefore needs a lot more food to survive. I've worked things out with my DH since he has been with me through thick and thin (pun intended), but still sometimes he is surprised when he realizes how little I eat compared to him. We eat similar breakfasts (mine a little smaller), at dinner he eats about twice what I do, but the biggest difference is the one he doesn't usually see because we're at work -- he eats about six times as much as me for lunch. A "weight loss" calorie level for him is 2200-2400, whereas for me it's 1400. Perhaps you should point your BF toward some calorie calculators that show him that it's normal for him to eat way more than you.

Becky, congrats to your DS!

So today I had my lunchtime yoga class, but it was just me so I had a one-on-one session. We decided to go outside and do it in the grass behind the parking lot. When we finished, all of a sudden I hear applause -- there was this group of like ten guys eating their lunch across the street who had apparently been watching our yoga session.

Chiming in on the guys need to eat more topic: when DH and I did Medifast, his protein shakes were higher in calories. On Nutrisystem, he is allowed an extra dessert/snack each day. And I'm technically taller than him, but he weighs about 10 pounds more than me.

Too funny on having an audience for yoga, Jessica! I think if I'd known beforehand, I'd have been embarrassed!

Jessica - I love your yoga audience!

Iris - Ack. Definitely send him to some calorie calculators so he can see the differences per gender, he is just going by the whole 2000 calorie recommendation on the back of food labels I bet.

Saef - I'm excited to hear about your review of Travelodge. LOL

I planted more plants! My garden is going to take over the world.


I relocated the zucchini and the squash, have a trellis for the squash and have the zucchini closer to the corner. Some people say I can trellis train it even if it is a bush type, one recommendation is to put an upside down tomato cage on it. We'll see. I may just let it spill into the yard. I put in some lettuces and spinach, popped in a few herbs that got good reviews for growing amidst other things without interfering with the roots. Now I'm done but for the watering and potential pest control. And I need to get two more stakes to hold up my bird net on the back - right now it is on the tomato cages in the back. Eventually that won't work.

Jessica I hope you both took a bow after the yoga applause.

Becky Just listened to Carmina Burana. Congrats to your son - sounds awesome!

Iris Take your boyfriend's jeans and shirt, put them on and show that result to him. It's a very graphic way to illustrate how much bigger than you he is. Bigger body = more cals to sustain its weight.

bargoo Nice comparison re bank account/calories.

I had a really nice day today. Dogs were all reasonably good, people who owed me money paid, sun was shining, people were at the beach in shorts (!) etc.

I had this insane urge to eat ice cream after I finished work. Almost gave in but held firm. I will make a slushie with frozen blueberries, almond milk, and yogurt instead.

Good evening all!

Dagmar

Too funny Jessica! I would have died.... but you must have been good!

Dagmar-- congrats to you and dh. When will he start? Glad you had a good day too....

I am so unbelievably freaking tired. I think I've completely exhausted and stressed myself out. I'm going on two weeks with dh gone. During that time, I've worked my two jobs, done a book fair, dealt with tons of other school stuff-- today alone I had organized an author assembly (I was so paranoid he wouldn't show or find us but he did) and after school I went to a student's house for "Bedtime Stories" (it was an auction item that was won). I read to the boy and his twin for 1.5 hours while their mom went to Safeway (I was surprised she left). Now I'm just wiped out. Plus I've dealt with our fence falling down, and dd having a school crisis (she is a senior in AP Calculus and struggling-- she didn't need the class to graduate but since she is in it she has to pass and she currently has a low D). My plans were to go to the gym and then cooking an easy dinner. At this point, we are going out to eat (and to the mall for dd to get a shirt for the Hunger Games premier tomorrow) and then I'm probably going to bed. Sigh.....

I'm so ready for dh to come home. He was in two different places in China, then Thailand, and now Manila. He returns Saturday.

I saw my friend today that lost her husband in January. It just made me think that even though my dh travels, there is always an end date. For my friend-- that never happens. She is doing pretty well overall. She just bought a house and will be moving back near family in May. She is ready not to be in the apartment with so many memories.

Can someone tell me what this "Hunger Games" business is about?

Are males allowed to know?

Bill, my understanding is that it's about a girl who kills people in a reality TV show.

But she's still a Nice Girl, in spite of that, because has to do it, because it's a kill or be killed situation -- and there's the welfare of a loved one involved.

She's a girlpower kind of role model.

And there are lot of stressed-out girls & women out there who can relate to her extreme stress over being in this unpleasant position.

(See many posts above from our fellow female 3FC members.)

Or anyway that's my simplistic take on it, without having read the books or seen the movie.

Bill The "Hunger Games" is a book trilogy that is aimed at the adolescent girl market. I read most of it while dogsitting and found it very entertaining "keep-turning-the pages" reading. I must confess I don't remember much of what I read (that happens with most of my reading these days) but the heroine is an adolsecent girl named Katniss who has to participate in a survival test called "the hunger games". The winner, by killing all the other participants, gets enough to eat for their family and district.

If you know any 11-14 year old girls they probably can give you a much better synopsis than this. I am going to the movie (probably 3 movies when done) with my cousin's two daughters, aged 11 and 14, and they and their mom are excited beyond belief. The 11 year old has had the opening date circled on her calendar for months. Mom and auntie Dagmar have to work this weekend so we are going the following weekend, when we can get seats!

Dagmar

BILL all I can tell you about it is this....

nothing!

of substance....

But I can tell you the movie comes out tomorrow...

my step-daughter loves the trilogy...

Angie is in the second book right now and has mentioned over the years her middle school students love the books...

Michele, are you familiar with Khan Academy? It's an education website where you can watch videos and do practice problems for free. Might be useful free tutoring for your DD.

It was such a beautiful spring day yesterday. I had a crab louie for dinner, it just seemed time to get away from winter food, stews and chilis and the like. Tasted great and was not too bad, calorie wise the worst culprit beibg the louie dressing.

Hunger Games isn't just for girls. My DS is stoked to go see it. He and his friends all read the trilogy (and then I did). They have already bought their tickets for a Friday night show. And then he'll go again with us on Sunday. DH just finished the book.

Don't let yourself get too run down, Michele. My MIL must have done so as she was diagnosed with pneumonia yesterday.

Michele - give your daughter a hug for me. I was a 16-year old HS senior in AP Calc (a loooooong time ago) with straight A's. AP Calc caused me a nervous breakdown because I was getting a D in it - it was the first time I'd ever hit a concept I simply could not grasp, despite 4 hours of work a night on it. I wound myself up to the point where I was suicidal. Between the school, the summoned psychologist, and my math teacher - they decided that my brain was simply not mature enough to process it (although I had no issues with AP Physics, English, or History!). I was allowed to audit the class - I did the work, went to class ... but the grade was wiped. And a year later, in college, calculus went much, much better.

I second Khanacademy ... and I also dearly love The Teaching Company's "Demystifying Calculus" lecture series. I just wanted to put my experience out there because there really are some things that can only be fixed with time. Sometimes, it's just biology.

I'm not, but I just sent the info to her. Thanks!

ICUwishing-- thanks for sharing your experience. My dd can get herself incredibly stressed and anxious about things. School (and math) have always come easy to her and her study skills aren't great as a result. She is also a young senior, having just turned 17 a month ago. I think she realizes we are supporting her and don't really care if she gets a D at this point-- she's already been accepted to college-- but she just needs to pass. She said there will be some "projects" later in the semester so hopefully they will allow her to bring her grade up.

Allison-- I'm trying not to get overloaded and stressed. I skipped the gym again which isn't like me. Not surprisingly my weight has been going up each day, after being low earlier in the week. I'm hoping to go to the gym today as I do feel more rested. I hope your MIL feels better. Pneumonia is nothing to sneeze at (pun intended). Dh will be home in 2 more days-- I can make it!

Last night, dd dragged me to the mall for her Hunger Games shirt. That shirt ended up being quite expensive. We ate at PF Changs, bought the shirt, then ended up each buying boots, and a few things at Nordstrom. That's what happens when I'm exhausted-- my decisions aren't always what they would normally be. I was sorely tempted to buy chocolates or cookies and I didn't do that-- would have been cheaper though! I was annoyed this morning when I put on my new cute skirt and saw the saleslady forgot to take off the security tag. Guess I'll be going back. I was stoked about the boots though. I've NEVER bought boots that go above the ankle because I've always had large calves-- even when not very heavy as I was a swimmer and dancer/gymnast as a child. DD found some cute boots on clearance so I decided to try some on. They look cute! So, I bought them-- I realize the makers probably make the calf openings larger now-- but I don't care! Only problem is my shoes yesterday rubbed one of my toes funny (I may have an ingrown nail), so I have a sore blister on my toe. Wearing new boots may not have been the wisest-- I hope it doesn't affect my gym going/zumba later!