Giv, Just read your post but time does not allow me to respond as I should. I promise that I will after work, but know that my heart goes out to you.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

Giv- i'm sorry you've gone through struggles and painful situations, and have more to face...but we must go on. (hugs) I understand hibernating and isolating, but it doesn't help anyone - even you. Get out for just a tiny bit, do things with your boys - make yourself move - it will help you stay in a better place. Find things to celebrate, and try not to look at only the difficult times- because sometimes those tiny victories and thigns we're thankful for can offer us so much strength in teh moments we need them most.

Ran last night - weight steady - otherwise not much going no. I have work to do, since i get to play next week in Florida...will check back later to catch up with everyone

hydra: sorry to hear about your bf, hope he gets to come home soon! good job eating healthy while you deal with that : )

giv: wow, so sorry you've had all that to deal with : ( will keep you and your family in my prayers!

missed my bus so I'm back home briefly. appointment with my endocrinologis tomorrow, see what she says about how I'm managing my prediabetes.

Giv - Wow, that's a plateful. Thanks for letting us help share a tiny bit of the burden, and if it feels better to write it, you know we are here. It is incredibly difficult to focus on yourself during times like these, and it even may seem wrong or selfish. However, it's imperative to treat your body as well as you possibly can, because it will help nourish your spirit. And as you said, your boys need you. You are their role model and they will see your strength as you navigate these choppy waters. Don't give in to the desire to retreat - get as much bright sunlight as you can, feed yourself with the foods you were designed to eat, and acknowledge the moods. Write about them, cry, and FEEL. Get some 3rd party support if it seems right. YOU WILL BE OK!!!

Hydra - Glad to hear your bf is coming home soon, and that you were able to make the good choices. Missed you!

wlw - good luck with the endo tomorrow!

Back to my eating plan, and did the planned swim last night. Pleasantly surprised not to be dogged by "food hangover" from the less-than-stellar choices made recently. Instead, I just feel good and in the groove again.

Hi, everyone. Checking in... I've been busy, just hamster-wheel stuff.

Giv so sorry to read about all of the hardships you have faced with your family...

Marie the thing that is so great about that final pic where the dogs go crazy is that you can sort of feel the stress building to it in all the previous pictures. I loved it! And I can't believe the snowshoeing... I am so not ready to be thinking about winter...

Here, I just finished working and paying bills, so I'm on my way down to the basement and the elliptical. The weather has been great here lately, and we went on a nice 6-mile family bike ride on Sunday. Nothing too strenuous, but DH and I are just so glad to be able to get the whole family out doing something that we all enjoy... We've even gotten my MIL to join in!

Giv, many hugs to you. I am so sorry about the loss of your mother. I can only imagine how much you miss her. And your father, a double whammy. You are doing so excellent in spite of the stress and pain in your life. I love that you're looking to the future for you children and that you need to be healthy. You are a strong, loving person.
Marie

Petra, that’s a great idea to have a friend take your monthly pictures. I don’t have hardly any pics of before since I was quite sure the camera lens would shatter.

WLW, snow is pretty – just not when driving on a pile of it that’s built up on glare ice.

Cassie, actually my asthma wasn’t bothering me – DH was worried that it would since the snow as 16” deep. I have exercise, illness, allergy, cold air and elevation induced asthma. With the cold, exercise and elevation, DH wouldn’t take a chance so he led all but maybe ¼ mile.

Giv, my favorite (by far) WATP video is the 1 mile jog. When I first got it I didn’t think I could do it but I tried and it quickly became my top favorite. I bring it on vacations so I have something that elevates my heartrate a little. You should give it a try. BTW, I love, adore, worship summer. To live through winters without depression taking over my life (I’m bipolar) I had to adjust my thinking. I love downhill skiing and so I put it back into my life. And snowshoeing is like a summer hike in the snow. Adding the outdoor activities makes winter actually fun. I cannot believe I actually wrote winter and fun in the same sentence. AND Way to go on the 2.2 pounds and moving into the healthier BMI!!!!!!

Hydra, congrats on picking healthy foods during a stressful time. I hope BF recovers quickly.

Lamb, great job on the run. You are doing awesome.

ICU, I really like food hangover. I’m with you on the not so stellar choices. I’m staying in my calorie range but the dark chocolate monster has inhabited my body for nearly a month. Yesterday I chose my 100 cal portion of M&Ms instead of a 100 calorie apple. Bad me. Today I’m trying to make better choices. Since the choco monster is lurking loudly in my ear, I need to be strong.

Newleaf, enjoy those excellent times with your family. Your bike ride sounds so inviting and fun.

Like Newleaf, nothing new here – just the rat race of the work week. I so need to find a way to become independently wealthy so I can play all day. Work, how I hate it, I’d much rather play (I believe my favorite saying is Horton Hatches the Egg from Dr. Seuss, my favorite author).
Marie

Wow. A lot going on here today. I had a very stressful day and I'm glad its over.

Giv-congrats on the 2.2 lbs. Sorry to hear about all the difficulties you've had in the past year or so. I don't know what your situation is but there may be some grief support groups in your area or it might be helpful for you to see someone individually for some counselling if you have insurance for that.

Cassie-welcome and good for you for getting your mojo back.

Good evening friends! Another rainy wet day here in the midwest. Keep trying to remind myself that last week we had beautiful fall weather, but it's not easy!
I'm in a good mindset and routine and have done well following my plan since the beginning of the month. DH had a meeting tonight, DD had swim practice so DS20 and went out to dinner. It was nice to spend time with just him, we don't get to do that often. I am very blessed to have a great relationship with him and we had a good evening together.

Giv, Your post really touched me this am. I lost both of my parents very close together. It is never easy to say goodbye to someone you love but you will find it in yourself to get through it. Taking care of yourself, eating right and exercising is the best thing you can do for yourself. I am also not a winter person, I don't like the cold or the dark that comes with winter but exercising regularly can sure help beat the winter blahs.

lambchop, I'm a bit jealous of your trip to FL. Hope you have fun!

WLW, hope your DR. appt goes well tomorrow!

ICU, glad to hear you've found your groove. It's a great feeling isn't it?

Newleaf, you bike ride sounded like fun. Great that MIL could join you!

Marie, when you figure out how to be independently wealthy, please share it with all of us! I'm also not a big fan of work, but I realize I need some of the structure that it provides.

Petra, Hope tomorrow is a better, less stressful day for you!

Hydra, Hope BF is feeling better.

Hi to anyone I may have missed!

I got in a good workout at the gym last night after work. Tonight, I went FOOD SHOPPING! Finally got my pantry stocked with lots of healthy goodies so I can prepare my own meals and snacks instead of going to the cafeteria and being seduced by unhealthy stuff :-) Great way to start off my weekend! Anybody who suffers from the winter blahs is welcome to come down to Charleston for a visit, I'd be happy to have company.

ICU- glad you got your swimming in and the "food hangovers" are gone

NL - that's great about the family biking together - what a great way to spend an afternoon

Marie - hope the work week is going by quickly for you, and you'll soon be playing over the weekend

OnMyWay- glad your plan is working for you - and glad you had a nice evening with your DH

WLW- good job on healthy food shopping and stocking the pantry

-------

Went to the DR yesterday, and this week burned muscle not fat. BOOOooo...so we're changing things up, and switching one of my shakes to cottage cheese and a piece of multigrain bread - since the endurance of my running is increasing, we want to feed the muscle, and not let the muscle fibers burn up

Other than that -- everything is the same. We'll only make one change at a time so we can closely watch changes - what works for me, what doesn't

Getting antsy - I leave for vacation next Tuesday -- oooh, I'm ready now!

Giv, we must have posted at the same time - glad you enjoyed adding music, and so happy you had a better day

newleaf - sounds like you're sticking with it and keeping active! Me too, with the busy ... I spent most of last night picking up a bunch of clutter, and began to think about how much time I have to devote to "stuff" that doesn't advance my goals. (More cave-thinking) I've been piling a lot of it in a future garage-sale area, but now I'm just thinking I'm going to rev up my posting on Freecycle and let it go. It's sunk costs anyway, and then I won't have to spend hours on a garage sale next summer.

Marie - I'm with you on the "befores". I can't believe how few pictures I have, and of those, how good I got at hiding behind things and people! My technique with the chocolate demon is to stick to 85% cocoa or higher. It's almost as if I have some sort of a threshold of cocoa that I "need" to be satisfied irrespective of all the fillers around it. Going as pure as possible seems to satisfy me quickly and then the demon goes away. Yeah on the independent wealth! My biggest gripe seems to be the commute time - I am wasting at least 7.5 hours a week getting back and forth to work. Sure, I can fill that time with other stuff like audio books or learning a language ... but nothing that's a priority to me. Ugh!

petra - hope today goes better for you!

OMW - yup, there's serenity in the groove! Almost like autopilot - no thinking, just doing. And I've lost the 3lbs of bad-food puff in 2 days. The plan works - work the plan!

wlw - it really does help to have good stuff readily available at home. I've heard nothing but great things about Charleston, so be careful what you wish for!

Giv - keep up the good days! Cleaning and fresh air ... and yes, tunes! Music is the great mood-changer of all time.

lambchop - doing great!

Nothing much to report. Spouse returns from hunting tonight, DS has choir and swimming, and I will be back in the pool myself. Just groovin'!