So funny about the Delta problems--DH swears by them. It's United that messed us all up on our latest trip and we booked a flight in January on United--it was supposed to be Palm Springs to Ft. Lauderdale via Houston (what I thought seemed like a good connecting city in the dead of winter). A week after I purchased it, United emailed us stating that the flight was cancelled and to call to rebook--our only alternative was to connect in Denver. In January. If anyone has ever flown there in the winter you KNOW it is a snow hazard. I hope it doesn't ruin THIS cruise!

First day of sugarfree gum and powdered drink avoidance still ended with my feet swollen ... and this morning, the highest weigh-in I've seen since winter. I was horrified and it subtly influenced the rest of my day & not in a good way.

Okay.

I have to go back and find out who posted recommending that I put a teabag into my cold water bottle for a bit of flavor. Thank you, whoever that was: That worked really well. I had some Stash Green Chai and the flavor is excellent, even though I did not think the tea had diffused because the water looked really clear.

I hear you on the pitfalls of trying to be good when traveling. It is hard. You make great choices but the calories are still way higher than what you are used to. I try to do that as often as possible and get in as much exercise as possible-- it usually works pretty well-- when I'm not feeling sorry for myself.

Here is a description of Tough Mudder from their website:

Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses, half a million inspiring participants, and more than $3 million raised for the Wounded Warrior Project, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world.

I hadn't heard of it either before a co-worker suggested I do it. We have formed a small "team"-- we have 5 people on our team-- ideally we all go together and help each other finish. It isn't a race but more of a camaraderie event with the funds going to the Wounded Warrior Project. My dh was sold when I told him you get a beer at the end. You can also get a tattoo if you want! I don't think I'll do the tattoo but you never know!

Sheesh Saturday = 2160

12000
-1977.3
-1264.7
-1619
-1448.8
-1762.9
-1712.5
-2160
=52 I didn't mean to go that far overboard but we went out to dinner. OMG this is shy we don't do that.

Michele, good luck on the Tough Mudder ! I will be with you in spirit. A worthy project , I hope they raise a lot of money.

Michele, I already know you are one tough mudder, but it's events like this, when we get to try something new that calls on our training, that show us how far we've really come. I think you may surprise yourself and you are going to get comments from people that will give you a warm feeling & a sense of pride.

The day after my high weigh-in, I'm back down, even though my feet swelled up yesterday from walking around the city for a good part of the day in ill-fitting shoes. Really, I know better. My one rule regarding attire in the city is that one MUST pay attention to one's shoes. No big puffy white sneakers -- those are beyond the pale -- but anything else that is slim, dark, fairly stylish and above all, comfortable is the right choice. I made the wrong choice.

About the swollen legs and feet, I am starting to wonder if the stuff I ingest is only one part of the equation, and if the other part is the hours & hours I spend on my job seated in front of my laptop, puzzling over analysts' writing. My new desk, an early 19th century butler's desk, would work just as well standing, so I may think about standing intervals. And also, now my feet dangle, because my chair is jacked up high to reach this work surface, so I need some kind of foot-rest underneath them.

Saef-- dangling feet sound like a bad idea-- poor circulation??? Try something underneath and see if that helps. Hope your tootsies feel better today!

Anyone else's weight get "stuck"? Mine seems to do that often. I've been "stuck" at 124.6 for days. Yesterday I ate like a saint, did a 60 minute boot camp and a 90 minute bikram yoga class. Was hoping for a whoosh but nope. Today's plan is a zumba class and more bikram yoga-- it's gotta move eventually. It's like my body knows my "red line" is 125 and it is sticking its tongue out at me.

I'm getting used to being an empty nester I think. I miss dd but she is definitely making friends now. Yesterday was their first football game and I haven't heard how it went but she was excited to go! Dh being gone overseas is allowing me to focus on my food, exercise, and stuff I need to get done around the house. It's funny how busy I can make myself. I need to make a Costco run but I'm not sure if I can fit it in today-- wonder if they're open tomorrow?

I'm also surprised more classes aren't cancelled at the gym tomorrow. Really-- who is going to be going to Body Pump at 4:30 on Labor Day besides me? I may be getting a private class!

Our gym has canceled all classes tomorrow but it's open. It will be opening two hours later than usual on a regular Monday and closing three hours earlier.

Michele, last time I experienced what you mentioned, I found out it wasn't me, it was my scale. My scale will give the same weight it gave the day before if the change is just .1 pound - .3 pounds. I have to reset it to see my true weight. You'll laugh, but the way I do this is to hold plank pose with my hands on the scale, making it register something around 90 pounds. Then, if I get on it again, I get a real weight rather than what it gave me the day before.

After reading the directions for my scale I discovered it has memory. When you step on it the first thing in AM it will show the weight from yesterday or the last time I weighed. If I don't get off but just stand there for a second or so the new true weight will show,

VICTORY. My weight was 1/2 pound less this morning than when I left for CA.

My scale's favorite trick is to show me 2 different weights when I stand on the scale twice in quick succession, and then always opt for the higher weight when I recheck it 3 more times. I don't understand how this happens (and I don't usually stand on the scale twice; only if the first reading is different from the day before by more than ~1.5 pounds). It's not just me- the same thing happens to DH. I don't understand it.

I get no tricks from my scale. I can weight myself 10 times in succession and get the same answer each time.

Tough day on calories yesterday. I'm not sure yet where I came in. BFF from SLC came for dinner and we ended up ordering pizza. It was good pizza--very thin crust with mushrooms, artichokes a little sausage. But the slices were huge--well the pizzas were huge. I'll calculate later.

I shouldn't have complained about being stuck at 124.6. Today I'm 125.2. Sigh.

My computer isn't getting Internet this morning. I have no idea why as my iPad is. Double sigh.

I'm really glad to be back and controlling my own food. No matter how carefully I scanned the menus I still got too many carbs last week. And they don't really "do" salad well at all in smaller places. Still only 2 lbs. damage is not bad.

DH is again making noises about shaping up - long story - so I'm taking him on a long walk tonite. Tomorrow nite I will encourage him to go again. I saw an ad for an interesting Bowflex combo stepper, treadmill, and elliptical on TV but I'm really hesitant to purchase anything like that (even used which is the way I'd have to go). DH has a history of using these things for 2-3 weeks and then tapering off. I have no need of one.

Good walking shoes (which I did buy him last spring) are a much cheaper alternative and he has used those. I just have to keep at him to turn off the TV and go walk instead.

I have major stress coming up this weekend but will eat on plan until then.

Dagmar

There is a really good restorative yoga pose if your feet are swollen.

http://www.restorativeyogaposes.com/...s-up-the-wall/

I love to do this after work for about 20 minutes.

Dagmar

Dagmar, thanks for the reminder. You know, I learned this pose when I was taking yoga Upstate last fall. I also learned to do shoulder stands, a major triumph, as I could not do them at all a year ago. Now I know that I need to use it.

I'm back from a one-night treat to myself at a Hyatt in Connecticut. This place is where my company puts up visitors and employees from away. I have gotten some of the best sleep of my life in their atrium-facing rooms. They have a gorgeous gym, a breakfast buffet with plain oatmeal, custom-made omelets (mine was all whites, all veggies, no cheese) and yogurt & fruit, and some kind of pervasive scent throughout the place which smells like rosemary and something else I can't identify. All I did there was read a Hilary Mantel novel in bed and have a wonderful sleep, ate, then used the gym and swam. I will do this again sometime. I have no idea what my weight is, but I feel pretty good today now that I am back in the apartment. I'm roasting veggies for the week to come. I'll check on the scale tomorrow.