Becky - that makes sense about breakfast. I've done the two meals starting later in the day, too. Good call.

Jessica - I used to keep a box of Kashi Go Lean for that exact reason.

Birchie - get some rest. It will help.

Becky -- I also do ok skipping breakfast if the 2 other meals are large enough and satisfying. Even when I run in the morning (I don't like to run with food on my stomach anyway). Sometimes that even works out better for me. And even when I do eat three meals I may not have breakfast until close to 11 am anyway.

Birch -- I hope a nap will set you to rights!

Silverbirch, the name came about back in 2008/9, when I was looking forlornly in the mirror and really wishing I didn't have those extra 25#. At some point, something clicked and it occurred to me that wishing wasn't going to make it happen. So it's an acknowledgment - "I see you wishing" and a reminder that wishing can't create a reality. Other mental tools and especially ACTIONS, can.

Thank you, Becky, for spelling it out to me. I can see it so clearly now. Yes, action is what's required.

"If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride", as I used to read when I was a child but I don't think anyone's ever said to me.

Thank you all for urging me to rest. I did, a bit, and now I'm going to turn out the light. Keep warm, you people in the path of the storm. See you in the morning.

Weigh myself. Done. Daily fluctuation -0.75lb

Make food plan for the day. Done.
B=muesli, cc, banana, semi-skimmed milk, wheatgerm.
MS= blood orange, hb egg.
L=mackerel, carrot, apple, 4 oatcakes
AS= some dried fruit and nuts (kept at the office)
T= something with leftover chicken (SO i/c of this)

Exercise. A bit of walking – say a mile in all.

Keep to food plan as far as I can, and as appropriate. Yes. Modifications have already been made as the day is not going as I thought it was going to. I had planned dried fruit and nuts for the afternoon, thinking I was going to be at the office all day. In fact, I’m going to be taking the DB for a haircut. Frustrating as I’m trying to finish a small work project which is taking too long. Other morning ventures have also taken up too much time, not getting what I wanted but, on the positive side, offering me a nice walk. And I’ve eaten both the morning and afternoon snacks already. I’ll just have to miss out this afternoon then.

I'm glad I got a grip when I did, because in the last two days I've dropped another pound.

For me, it seems more and more clear that restricting carbs are the key--plus keeping up my daily mild exercise. I don't mean eliminating carbs completely, but just strategies like skipping bread. And not eating candy. It seems to me that when simple carbs get into my stomach, they call out to other carbs to come join them.

ICU, by "attention," I mean staying aware in general. My strategy doesn't have a lot of details. But I can sometimes "forget" what I'm doing.

paperclippy, I'm sorry to hear that you're afraid of hunger. If I felt hungry all the time, it wouldn't be a good situation. For me, having some protein with any snack is better at holding off hunger. A couple of string cheeses, or a Laughing Cow wedge or two with half an apple or a few crackers, stuff like that.

silverbirch, mackerel must be an acquired taste that I haven't acquired...

I hope everyone is staying warm. Bill, how's the shoveling?

The first foot of snow is on the ground. It's falling heavily. The winds are fierce.

I'm sitting warmly in my house drinking coffee with snow shovels at the ready waiting for it to be over.

Bill, when I lived in Mass. I found that for a really long Nor'easter, it wouldn't do to wait until it was over before I began shoveling. I had to keep ahead of it or I'd never get things unburied. So, a couple times a day I'd be out there in the blizzard tossing snow downwind. It's fun the first time...

We had a medical situation with DH last night that ended in us calling an ambulance. All is okay, but I really wasn't sure at the time. As a result, I ate leftover pizza from the Sunday night meal with DSS - it was thin crust with lots of vegetables and very light cheese, the 'skinny option' so not as bad for me if I'd controlled it like I did Sunday night when I had two slices and put the rest in the fridge. NO. Last night I ended up with four slices followed by a handful of candy. Like Jay, sugar carbs seem to call every other carb in my system to stand up and dance. I could feel myself getting bloated as soon as I ate it. Meh.

I failed my first major stressor test. Have to recover from that today.

Shannon, I'm sorry for the medical situation that happened and I hope DH is doing OK.

Another perspective about the food: I don't know about considering what you ate a failure. Food is sometimes very comforting -- and so you had a little extra food and some sugar right when you needed an emotional bump. That's just as valid a reason to eat as "celebrating", which is when many people eat extra stuff plus dessert. And while it was more than you might have liked to eat (when you look at it critically later), it is hardly a huge, unrecoverable thing, and if you just continue making more moderate choices today I think it is totally ok in the big picture.

In other words, don't think of it as failure, think of it as just a moment when you wanted something more, you had something more, it is totally fine, it wasn't a failure, it was a choice and it's OK. Some days we have more, for various reasons, some days we have less for various reasons, and then we just keep going on. Outlier days are normal and to be expected.

It doesn't mean you can't try and direct yourself to find other choices that will be just as comforting to you in moments of stress in the future (choices that maybe won't make you feel bloated), but it also means you don't have to judge these particular choices you made quite so harshly.

<<<<hugs>>>>

Thanks Michelle.

Shannon, I hope you and DH recover from the scare ASAP! I thought Michelle's post was awesome (happens a lot!) and I can't add anything that would make it even better.

Bill, sounds like you may have a quiet day while you wait this one out. Could be one heck of a lot of coffee!

I'm hanging on and getting used to a higher level of vigilance. This week, post-TOM, the daily data points are very encouraging. It's always easier with positive feedback.

My sleep report on my Fitbit says I had interrupted sleep 27 times last night. I can't say that surprises me as I woke up feeling like I hadn't slept. I suspect there is a nap in store today rather than exercise. We have DSS tonight as his mom is taking a class, and he was a little sick this weekend as well. Could be a stressful night in mi casa. I don't need to feel groggy for it.

Shannon, hope all is well with DH.

I did okay at my twins club meeting last night. Limited myself to some herbal tea and a few bites of bread, and did NOT eat any donuts or crackers or dip or anything like that. Doing okay today so far although I did have some hot cocoa just now to satisfy the carb craving (lunch was a taco salad, so I didn't have any grains there to fill me up).

Someone asked me if I was pregnant this morning. Just in case I needed another kick in the pants!

Someone last week asked about my recipe for the lemon chicken orzo soup. I used this: http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/25/...ken-orzo-soup/
with chicken breast rather than thigh and threw it in the crockpot, just waited to put the orzo and lemon juice in at the end and served with some fresh lemon slices.