So I caught the flu. Good thing about this is I dont want to eat. Bad thing.. I also dont want to move from the couch.

This is NOT fun!

Perfect .....poor you! Flu is rotten look after yourself my lovely.
Thanks for the explanation re chex !
Toby is doing so well bless him....what breed is he?
One of our Jack Russells is nearly a year and we still get the odd accident in the cage she sleeps in over night. It makes meso mad as our 5 month old is clean and has been since we had her at 7....yes 7 weeks!

I had an interesting experience this morning. I weighed myself and due to the rather wonky floor in our bathroom varied from 21stone 2 to 23 stone 3!!
I took it down to a concrete floor and registered a much more senisble 23 stone 1 and a quarter. So 223 and a quarter lbs which is down so am pleased with that as I too was tempted to say " I will start again in the New Year. But I am over 20lbs up on this time last year so needed to get a grip before year end!
Have a great day...it's very wet n windy here ( no change there!)

Good morning!
notperfect, hope it is a 24 hour bug and you are well soon.
mountain, my old scale could be off 3-4 pounds depending on its attitude. I am so glad I got a new one that is consistent. Good job making it move down!
Where is Betsy with all her Christmas cheer??? I need it. I am in a bah humbug mood. Who invented Christmas cards???
Today I am going to a fundraiser bake sale. I am going to make a cash donation and ask them to give my share to someone who needs it. I have been eating too many sweets lately and need to stop until Sunday.
How is everyone doing?

Hello Everyone.

I am sipping some organic apple cinnamon donut coffee as I type away on my laptop. I received the coffee as an xmas gift from my DH's Aunt and Uncle. They brought it back from their trip to New Jersey and I think it is from Trader Joe's. I really wish we had a Trader Joe's here but with American prices. The coffee is quite good. I roasted red potatoes in the oven and had a serving with one egg on top. Very yummy.

I have been very off plan for two days and am back to be accountable and to commit to getting back on plan as of now. I went to see my Dr. and he said there may be a tear in my heart or something that may be a clogged artery. He said not to worry about it as it is borderline only. I am not sure what this means. He said that when they do the radioactive imaging it is blurry and hard to read and I will see a cardiologist to follow up. I have an appointment for mid January. So I got stressed and then with the chance I have to get radioactive iodine treatment to be sure I have no more traces of thyroid cancer I am stressed. I came home that day and had a huge fight with DH. He is stressed with my health issues and he is trying to get his gall bladder removed. His current Dr. is inept but he is in the midst of waiting for blood results and getting an ultrasound on Thursday so no point in switching Dr.'s now until he gets results. He just needs referral to surgeon etc. then will dump this Dr. and get another GP. Those of you who stuck with this rant thanks.

Fi So glad you are finding something that works for you and you inspire me with your overcoming of binges.

[B][imnotperfect24/B] I could not imagine having the energy to work at cleaning in a restaurant. I cannot stand for too long or my knees complain very loudly. That must be hard work. Feel better soon.

Betsy Yeah, so great that Toby is learning to be on his own and to ask to go outside.

Yesterday I went out to have a nice day to de-stress. I went to Swill Chalet for lunch, had a skinny latte at Starbucks and then saw the movie Philomena. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2431286/

I really enjoyed the movie and spending the day with my sister.
Today I have a long Board meeting tonight (3 hours) and will have to run errands then make a quinoa salad to take to a potluck I am having tomorrow night. I will pick up a couple of gift cards to finish off my Christmas shopping today. I still need to pick up butternut squash, sweet potatoes, asparagus and stuffing for Xmas dinner. My DH wants stuffing and I don't want to make it. He will be the only one eating it so he gets boxed stuffing. Oh well!

Have a good day and I will check in later today.

Good morning all. In spite of it being an overcast, rainy day, I'm the sunshine in the day. The twinkle toes of the season. The ambassador of cheer and smiles and giggles. OK, Ubee, that's about all the happiness I can muster while I'm still in my bed clothes and am still on the first caraffe of coffee -- hope it helped or at least gave you a smile thinking of someone my size as being twinkle toes!

Ubee -- I, too, have Nextyearitis -- a serious disease where there's no diet that can't be put off until tomorrow or even better, next year. OK, gang, we all need to focus on getting through today. I can relate on getting on the elliptical. The first time I tried one, I was on for literally 45 seconds, got off and wondered if I'd ever breathe normally again. Now I do 20 minutes every day. It's on level 1, but I can do 20 minutes. Good for you on the bake sale donation.

Perfect (I like that better than I'm Not Perfect) -- hope that the flu is short lived and not too bad. Unfortunately 'tis the season for both yuletide cheer and the crud in many variations. Feel better.

MountainWalker -- Toby is a Golden Doodle which is a fancy way of saying he's a mutt with known parentage; i.e., he's a mix of a Golden Retriever and a standard Poodle. Fluffy hair, doesn't shed (much), smart, and great with kids. Sounds like you're doing well on getting some pounds off during the holiday season -- good for you!

Andrea -- your coffee sounds wonderful -- what a thoughtful present! I'm glad that the doctor doesn't sound too worried, and is taking the precaution of sending you to a cardiologist. But I'd be stressed, too. You have been through so much this year and have stayed so upbeat -- hard to do. And your husband having gall bladder issues just adds to the stress. Your Christmas dinner sounds like it will be great. On the stuffing front, I used boxed stuffing when I make it. But I saute onion, green pepper, and cubed apples, throw in some walnuts after a while, then add the prepared stuffing, usually add in a little more stock, cover it, and let it sit on a very low flame until everything else is ready. This can also just be put in a crock pot to keep it warm. My mom always added oysters for my dad and a lot of the time I'll brown a pound of Italian sausage and use the drippings to saute the onion, pepper, and apple. By the time it's been doctored up, it's pretty good.

Is anyone else suffering from being stuck in a dieting rut? By that I mean that you fix the same things day in and day out? I have a big salad pretty much every day for lunch, and then a meat and a veggie for dinner with a piece of fruit for dessert. So, I'm going to try spicing things up -- make some different kinds of salads and definitely have some different meats, fish, and seafood. It's definitely a challenge to make myself cook for just one person, but I need to do a better job of making the meals something to look forward to. Off to the gym and then home to begin wrapping.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhh!!! Fresh wholemeal loaf.........very hungry.......need I say more?
Pluckypear you have such lot of stress in your life especially wth health issues.When can your DH get his op? I hope that you get full answers about your new health problems.
I am afraid I am of the belief that coffee should taste of coffee much to my daughter's disgust!
On the up side of my dieting day, I took my knee swimming to see how it coped after Monday's injury........and I coped really well, doing 16 lengths with only an ache afterwards. Hooray.......no serious injury.
Now I am determined to haul myself back on plan for the rest of the day......I may need an early night!!!

Good afternoon!
Andrea, do you like the coffee? It sounds good but...?
I really feel for you and your husband going through such a stressful time. I'm so happy you are here. Rant all you want, I just wish I could send you a genie in a bottle.
Betsy, thanks your posts always brighten my day! You are correct I need to focus on today! Didn't Fi just tell me that a few pages back? Don't I tell my kid that everyday? Your stuffing sounds really good. I am with Andrea and going to box it if we have it. As for the diet rut, I am pretty successful if I stay in a rut. When I start getting fancy I add a little of this, a little of that, and a whole bunch of calories later...
mountain so glad your swim went well and it is motivating you! Nope you don't need to say anymore about your wholemeal loaf. Been there.
Have a focused day!

Hey guys, no personals today, I am alive but sick, this time stomach flu-like symptoms. Can I just feel better soon? lol

Just an update.

So went to the ER today. I have Viral and bacterial pharyngitis. Just means inflammation of the pharynx—the back of the throat. Which is made worse by the flu.

I had a good day: 'made the second of two collages for this week. It's always a good week when I make at least two collages. I'm slower in my productivity than some of my fellow collage artists, but I try my best to keep a steady pace.

Y'all want to see them? Gee, I thought you'd never ask... =laugh= Here they are: trois absurdi-poissons and three times three equals nine. If you scroll down a bit, there's a little descriptive info under each one.

imnotperfect— Oooo, that pharyngitis thing sounds painful. You poor kid! I hope that now you're on high-powered antibiotics, and it will soon be a thing of the past.

silentarctic— Oh no—not another bug! I'm sorry to hear that. We seem to have a lot of health issues goin' on. Did everyone get a flu shot this fall? If not, will ya get one next fall? Sometimes you get the flu even if you had the shot, but your immune system is forewarned and forearmed, so it usually doesn't last very long.

Ubee— Good for you on the bake sale contribution! No point in having even more temptations sitting around...I'm with you on the advantages of being in a diet rut. I like the routine, and the fact that it's kind of boring means I focus on other things in my life besides food. I like the subtitle of Bill Cashell's Emotional Diet book: "How To Love Food Less and Your Life More." I think about that often when I'm tempted to eat more than I should: "You have other things going on besides food, so let's get busy on those instead."

Donna— That's great you went swimming—excellent rehab for your knee! I'm impressed. =smile=

Betsy— I'm impressed with you, too, that you're getting to the gym so often! And I've been meaning to say: I was relieved to hear you opted out of baking all those cookies. Your posting in which you listed them literally made my mouth get wet...snickerdoodles, peanut butter, thumbprint...I think you just about listed all my favorite kinds. When I go by the unavoidable Christmas cookie displays in the Co-op, I mutter, "Evil! Evil!" (quietly, so people won't overhear me and think I've lost my mind)...I think cookies for me are like green kryptonite is for Superman.

Andrea— I'm afraid coffee that tastes (or smells) like donuts would be a no-no for me, because one whiff and I'd be, "Let's get some donuts!" Have you ever seen "The Simpsons," and Homer's response to donuts? I'm just like Homer. And I'm so sorry to hear about yours and your husband's health issues. I will say one thing about gallbladder surgery: I had to have mine out a few years ago, and I was amazed by how non-invasive it is these days. I had one invisible scar inside my navel, and just a couple of other teensy scars elsewhere (for the light? camera? I don't know). The whole thing was very slick & easy, and I only had pain for a few days. It took me a few weeks to get back to normal energy levels and normal BM's, but other than that, it was a piece of cake.

What happened to SMSDreamer and watchoutforthatcar? And Jane, too. I hope they all return after the holidays.

Meanwhile, I still have another Yule present to buy for Bob, and Yule is Saturday—eek! We're pagans, so we don't celebrate Christmas. Where most people say "Merry Christmas!", pagans say to each other, "Have a Cool Yule!" =laugh= Yule is on the Winter Solstice, which is Saturday, so I'd better get a move on...

Fi, I am always super envious of people with a creative bent! I think my creative bone was removed at birth! I do write and I sing......does that count??At the risk of sounding like an ignoramous what is a pagan? Is that a rude question? Don't answer if you feel I am being nosy!
Perfect....you poor thing how nasty....have you lost your voice? You must feel totally pants....big Welsh Hugs .
Arctic (makes me feel cold just typing it!) I hope you get better soon too!
Honestly what a bunch of crocks we are!!!
Betsy......my toes are twinkling as I type! My Molly is a golden retriever black cocker spaniel cross ......or a Mutt in other words! She has the loopiness of a spaniel with the loving, soppy nature of a retriever!
I did something today I haven't done for ages as I have felt like a big ugly fat bag of poop.........I painted my nails!!!!! Fingernails that is......can't comfortably paint the toes yet...that's my short term aim...won't be long!Have lovely day ladies xxxx

Good morning!
Silent and notperfect, stay warm and I hope you are better soon.
Nice collages Fi! Thanks for providing a link. So what is your Yule tradition? Is it gifts and special foods?
Donna, I think writing and singing definately count! I hope your pretty nails make you feel less poopy.
I am such a crab. No reason. Maybe I just want to eat or not do my work. I feel like a spoiled brat. I feel better just typing that out. Thanks.
How is everyone doing?

Thanks everyone. I'm feeling a LOT better. The antibiotics are doing their job. I no longer have a fever and feel like I HAVE to be laying on the couch sleeping. Though I do have to be careful because if I do to much my cough will flair up and i'll cough for like 5 mins (which HURTS).

Since I haven't been able to eat anything expect Popsicles.. I lost 5lbs (Which i'm sure will come back as soon as I do eat again. lol.. I still put it in my ticker because I haven't been below 340 in a very long time and it makes me feel good.)

Anywho i'm not doing a whole lot of talking because it hurts to talk so I'll probably be around the form posting quite a bit.

And to everyone who said they hope I get better: Thank you!

Do I dare say I am human again?

imnotperfect - keep on recovering, i find the silver lining in being sick is when I feel better I appreciate feeling "normal" oh so much more! Also glad you got to "See" below 340. Who knows it might stick!

Ubee - Thanks for the well wishes sweety! Hope your mood improves!

MW- feeling AWESOME today (in contrast to the past two weeks, still a little cough but I feel like ME and not Zombie-me... such a difference!)

Fi! - Darkest Day of the Year here! At least you have something to celebrate, well I guess I will cheer that it only gets brighter there in on out.

betsy - have you checked out the "hungry girl" website. It has some pretty awesome looking recipes I haven't really tried most of them because here in the arctic its kinda hard to round up specialized ingredients but I think its totally worth investigating there seems to be a lot of meals for one, type of recipe which is good for us folks that sadly have to cook for 1 a lot of the time!