Oh... I had to laugh at my scale this morning. It had a "break" while I was gone from my obsessive compulsive weighing. This morning I hopped on and saw the number (not at all good but could have been worse after my long indulgent weekend). I wanted to verify the number to write it down and I hopped on again-- nothing. Not even a low battery signal that I usually get. Just dead. Hopefully a new battery will bring it back to life or I'll be completely lost! More incentive to get right back into my losing routine. I was up 4 pounds from where I like to be when I left, and up at least another 2 more after my trip. Definitely feeling "poochy"!

bargoo, I'll bet that was one fun shopping trip! :D I haven't thought much about maintenance "range" yet and where my yo-yo's short string starts and stops. I'd call where I'm at now a "very red" line - goal is still somewhere down the road in the fuzzy future of "better than this". :shrug: It can't be easy to face a calorie drop, but I see the value in letting your wardrobe dictate the process - the decision is sort of made for you.

michele, I was surprised (and pleased) to see the nutrition card in with the berries. They were really good, but still full of a lot of preservatives. Give me a flat of fresh-picked, ripe, local berries with a tiny drizzle of melted vanilla ice cream instead! :drool: I shudder to think how many flats of berries could have been purchased with the money they spent ... of course, I didn't say a word about that! ;)

Happy Birthday Shannon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Becky, I'm glad the concert went well. The topic strikes a chord with me as I participated in many children's choirs, a cappella groups, high school theatre, etc. It was (is? I still do community theatre!) a ton of fun, but I can imagine it may be a bit more difficult for a male who shows the interest. However, he will have his pick of girlfriends!

Mmmm, berries. How I love thee. I must report I bought my first watermelon of the season. Delicious and refreshing!

Long day in the sun today. 3 more ahead. To bed I go. Night all.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I'm sorry I've been scarce the last few days, had to volunteer at a golf tournament that my company is a sponsor of yesterday, then took today off work and was mostly lazy all day. I'll be back and replying tomorrow, I swear. :)

I am finally down under :dance: my red line - 134 lbs. this morning. First time on a weigh-in since Feb. 20.

I think having a salad every evening and not drinking more than one diet cola per day has done a lot to change my eating patterns over the last month.

Now to conquer the "before bed trying to stay awake" munchies and get down to as close to goal as I can. 16 days 'til the end of May. Can I lose 2 lbs. by then?

Yeah - totally doable.

Dagmar :goodscale:

yay, Dagmar! Congrats on reaching your target range again! I'm going to adopt the heavy-on-the-salad dinner routine too, and see where it takes me. We have way too much free (relatively), fresh, organic produce right outside the back door to not take advantage of it. :)

Of course, that will have to start tomorrow, as tonight, we will face an 8-course meal dedicated to celebrating the incredible Morel mushroom. I consider this meal one of the privileges of living in Michigan. :D It will be two hours of gustatory ecstasy. They do a great job with keeping the portions controlled and small, fortunately! There's only a five day window of time where it's available; due to the crazy spring it just happens to fall the week of my birthday this year. :woohoo:

Becky, I love those mushrooms ! Morels grow in Minnesota, too, my home state. Becky, did you know there are people that don't like mushrooms ? I just don't understand them at all.

Ok, I'm trying not to stress out about some stuff going on at work this morning. It is frustrating, but... it is what it is. Definitely need that yoga tonight.

Dagmar, yes, do-able! Congrats on getting in your preferred range. Way to eat salads and limit the soda, too.

Becky, Bargoo, I must admit when I was a kid I didn't like mushrooms. They are definitely growing on me though! I like them cooked, and the more ways I try them cooked the more I like them.

Shannon, I hope you got a little relaxation in on your day off.

Have a good day, OP all. ;)

bargoo, I cannot fathom those that have no passion for the fungus. It's one of the few things I adore that have minimal calories, are chock full of nutrition, and have a huge range of flavors and textures. Best snack on the planet: Big portobello mushroom cap, spread with some nice pizza sauce, sprinkled with mozzarella, and tucked under the broiler for a few til the cheese is bubbly. MMMMM!!!

Food porn alert for mushroom fans - stop now! Tonight we will see things like Morel bisque with toasted almond crema, spring green salad with roasted garlic-morel dressing, red perch in a morel and cracker crust with morel quinoa, and even chocolate sorbet with candied morels. Entrees will be a choice of Morel Wellington, or braised lamb with a morel brandy sauce. Heaven!

I will go with a clear conscience, and while I will avoid the bread basket and too many glasses of wine, tonight I shall live through my tongue. Tomorrow, back to plan. :)

Morels ... and cherries ... and agates washed up on the shoreline. What a great place to live, eh, Becky?

I'm thrilled to be able to witness the emergence of an artist through your various posts on your son as he continues to learn, practice and perform. You already know how I love seeing someone do something when they're really good at it and have a passion for it. I hope he holds onto this passion despite the peer pressure (those idiots, who would disparage something someone loves & is gifted at?) and guards it closely. You know, there are people who have never made the discovery your son has, or don't make it until very late in life, and wander through their days, kind of wistfully looking for a purpose other than going to work & coming home, or wondering if they have a hidden talent for something. He's very fortunate to find this out early. The thing is, though, even if he moves onto something else, he'll have had this experience of working to be good and then even better at something, and that is so very transferable to all parts of life.

Me, I'm doing my vestigial bingeing this morning, chewing stick after stick of Extra gum (which won't agree with me later this afternoon) while trying to keep up with the demands of my life. I did go to the gym and now I've got a tray of vegetables roasting in the oven for lunch today & tomorrow. If I can just stop this mindless chewing, out of tension, with a speeded-up to-do list constantly scrolling through my head, I might just be okay.

I'm one of those who can take a mushroom or leave it. If the recipe calls for them, fine, and I do eat them. I remember when the kids were little and I'd make turkey tetrazzini, which is loaded with mushrooms, the kids would eat the mushrooms and skip the turkey! But you won't find me ordering a portobello burger. It just doesn't appeal to me at all.

Becky-- that sounds fascinating! I've never heard of such a meal but I know I would love it!

Put a new battery in the scale and was down 2.2 pounds from yesterday. I wish the next couple of days would be the same (ha!) and I'd be back to where I want to be. Quite stressful having both girls in the house though. Dh was saying how stress free it will be next year when younger dd leaves for college. I said that parenting shouldn't be like that! We should love when our girls are home, but unfortunately there is always tension. Sigh.

Younger dd has Senior Ball (Prom) this Saturday. That coupled with her TOM is making her oh so fun to live with! She didn't have a date so she asked a guy. He said Yes, and then later backed out (said his parents couldn't afford the tux). She scrambled and asked another guy who seems excited about going. He is younger so he wouldn't be going otherwise. Very sweet family. They are Mormon, and he is not quite 16 (like next month). They don't allow dating until they are 16 (in his family) so it was touch and go as to whether or not he could go. They said he could as long as they don't exchange flowers and he doesn't kiss her. How sweet-- they are just friends. They will be going out in a group.

Off topic, but what flavor of extra gum do you chew? I love the Mint Chocolate Chip! I can't chew for long or my TMJ flares up, but I chew it often! Does it bother your stomach if you have too much?

I love mushrooms!

My weight has been going steadily down for no apparent reason. I think it's because I've found things to distract me in the evening enough that I don't think about eating seconds of dinner. Down at 134 now.