BelovedSpirit - the most true thing I've ever heard about weight loss is that it is simple, but not easy. One quote that helps me is: "Whatever happens in one moment, doesn't have to affect the next moment."

Results of getting my head in the game: I'm at 153.4.

It's not a coincidence that there has been visible progress on my apartment, and that yesterday, I heard about a potentially interesting job opening up in my company related to the new product that I've been working on. I do better if I think I'm moving forward; I have a fear of being trapped on a treadmill. The feeling of stagnation makes me want to eat.

Great thought and quote JayZeeJay.

Glad you are moving forward, Saef. Do they have an estimate when the repairs might be finished?

I decided Monday to focus on one good thing each day to see if it will help to keep me in a better mental place. On Monday, one of my teacher friends told us she had gotten engaged over the break. I am thrilled for her as she has been dating bf for 6 years. She is petsitting for us in two weeks when we go to see dd graduate. Yesterday, I went to bikram yoga and a teacher I love was teaching. He had said he was going to go overseas for several months and I hadn't seen him in at least a month so I thought he'd already gone. He hadn't, so I had a great class. Tried to focus on that when I got home and Ellie promptly starting throwing up. I thought she might have just choked on something so after cleaning up the huge mess, I fed her a small amount with pumpkin. Big mistake. That ended up being an even bigger mess to clean. I was texting dh (in China) that it would just be easier for us to move rather than clean it all up..... She seemed okay this morning so who knows?? I gave her a small breakfast with pepto mixed in and instead of a peanut butter stuffed bone I usually give her when I leave, she got one with a little pumpkin in it. I pray I don't go home to a huge mess today.

I'm trying to keep positive despite my weight being up a little today. I told myself that you can't expect the stock market to go up every day even when it's doing well, so I can't be bummed if my weight goes down several days running and then is up one. I'm just hoping it isn't up further tomorrow. I haven't been to the chiropractor in months but my back is acting up so I made an appointment this evening. The challenge will be to get to the gym and clean up before the appointment. I'll have to not waste a minute if that is to happen.

JayZeeJay, you put it perfectly regarding weight loss. It applies to so many other things too. Anything that requires long-term commitment.

Saef, I'm happy to see you headed in the right direction once again. I wish there were as many excuses for us to under-eat as over-eat.

Michele, I hope your back feels better quickly. We have a couple of cats that throw up occasionally. Much better when they do it on a smooth surface than carpet or their bed. Yuck.

I looked my weight from a year ago. I was about 1.5 pounds lower at the same time last year. 125 now, 123.5 then. That's not too bad, but I want to get back to the slightly lower weight. I'm sleeping more than I used to, which is great for my overall health. When I worked, I was usually averaging less than 6 hours a night. Now my weekly average is always over 6, most of the time over 6.5 hours, and many times over 7 hours a night. Last night I got 8.5 hours. Of course, more hours asleep means fewer active hours which makes it harder to keep up my calorie burn. I know I can never make up for the sleep that I missed -- one of my few regrets.

It's about getting one's head in the game, as saef has indicated above.

I've had a good breakfast and lunch. There is an outline plan for tea but I think more veg are required. Luckily, I'm about to go out to hunt and gather so it should be OK. (Becky - are you reading?) This afternoon will also involve lugging things around from pillar to post which will add up to some good weight training. I've already done all my formal exercises today and planned the way the next few days are going to look.

No fire-fighting of crises on the horizon but then, by definition, they never are, I suppose.

I'm going to give myself part of the evening off.

Thursday, and right back up to 154.8.

Head may be in the game but that salty hummus at lunch and the mustard greens at dinner did not help the body,

No exercise here, as per doctor's orders. Perhaps Saturday I can start back up. Eating has been good and the weight is down from Thanksgiving, so that much is good.

Alice Your comments about sleeping more since you retired give me hope of eventually doing the same.

Dagmar

This has been a long week for me. My stitches came out last night and this morning, but my lip is still puffy and has some scar tissue. Probably still some healing to do, too. My dentist appt to cap or fill my teeth is tomorrow. I've been sore and achey all week, and there is a good chance that my nose might actually be broken. Not clean broken, just a hairline fracture in there somewhere. Started to hurt like heck on Friday, and both of my eyes blacked. My boss saw me for the first time since the fall yesterday and told me how terrible I looked. Well, I look like a new person compared to last week.

I've been taking a lot of Tylenol and Advil, and feel pretty bloated and yucky. I'm hopeful to wean down some from that today or tomorrow.

Still Headspacing. Got back to yoga and exercise this week. Food is almost back on track. Still not drinking enough water. Weight SO FAR up I can't even think about it right now. I'll weigh again on Monday and start from there.

Shannon,
I FINALLY did the first headspace last night! I had a chiropractic massage and adjustment and the masseuse couldn't stop telling me how horribly tight and tense my back and neck are. She kept asking what did you do?! And then she said I need to do something to relax-- she suggested yoga or walks-- I already do both. So, I decided to give headspace a try. I had to laugh because the first one talks about finding the right space and ignoring noises around you. I went to my room upstairs thinking that would be the quietest place. The cats wouldn't get off me-- when I pushed them off, they started hacking up a lung. At the same time, Dewey is downstairs crying miserably because I didn't bring him with me and he thought it was bedtime. I'll have my work cut out for me.

Weight is down a bit but I HURT from the chiropractor so I'm debating what exercise to do tonight. I'll see how I feel later. I have recently been doing hot pilates on Thursdays but that might not be good with my back and my friend that teaches is on vacation so I won't know the teacher. I could do bikram or the gym also....

My good things from yesterday? Went to a different grocery store and found some yummy finds and I (mostly) enjoyed my massage.

Michele - I'm snickering about the pets messing with your headspace. The first week I was doing it I would leave the bedroom door open if I was the only one one. One day, Gracie came in quietly and I didn't hear her. I realized she was there when she leaped from the floor to the back of my chair, missed, and whapped into my head. Definitely distracting. I have started closing the door now, and can mostly tune out the noise outside the door. How was it otherwise?

Shannon-- I'd say it was good but too soon to tell. I need to do a few more days to see if I like it and will stick to it. I know that ideally I should do it in the morning but I already get up at 5 and I don't want to get up any earlier to add one more thing to my morning routine. I did it at 9:30 last night which I'll try to replicate, which will maybe help me sleep better at night.

It's Friday and I'm at 154.9. So call it 155.

I'm reminding myself that this is all down to portion control, since my only snack is a small apple or orange.

'Tis the season. Sat in my car yesterday afternoon binge-eating mini gingerbread men. The first 4 were really tasty and a holiday treat. The next 10 or so weren't. I was sad over the loss of Big Tex and eating has always been my substitute for human condolence.

Doesn't work so well any more. The really weird thing about this incident is that I couldn't finish the mini men. In the past I'd gag down whatever I'd bought and feel grossly ill for days. Yesterday I got out of the car and threw the remaining cookies into a nearby garbage can.

Win, loss, or draw? Hard to say.

Dagmar

WIN, Dagmar, definitely! Taking control like that, taking action in getting out of the car and throwing them away is quite clearly a WIN. Well done. (I am sorry about Big Tex. Of course you're sad. It's a big loss.)

OK-ish here. I've decided to cruise through the 11.30am hunger towards lunch. (This hunger is fairly new and turns up very promptly. Strange, really, as I haven't changed my breakfast.) I'm going to watch out to see what happens in the late afternoon. I might not have eaten enough food by then.