Hello everyone!
Just hanging in there.
Love the new "welcome" greetings!

Hmmph. Got on the scale today and it has not BUDGED, not an ounce. I lose 12 lbs, come back here and nada...that isn't how it's supposed to work!! Whatever...I'm too stubborn to give up now.

anagram, what is pumpkin ice cream like? It sounds revolting (sorry), but I'm not a big pumpkin-anything flavor fan. There has been a whole pumpkin pie in my fridge for a week now and I'm not even tempted to smell it, never mind eat it. I bought it for DH for Thanksgiving dinner, and he hasn't had any yet. If it's still there on Wednesday, it'll go out with the trash. If I was going to cheat with ice cream it would be filled with chocolate pieces and peanut butter and caramel swirl...so I think we can call your pumpkin ice cream a good choice.

Arabella, I figured you would be on a tight schedule while here, visiting family and birthday partying. One of these years I do plan on getting back to PEI for a week-long beach vacation. Perhaps you and I and any other queens could book a cabin and spend a week on a real patio, sipping real tea and solving the world's problems.

Amarantha, I simply must insist on one thing for this challenge. This lovely blond towel boy assigned to me just won't do. I've never been a fan of blonds; my towel boy MUST be tall, handsome, and Irish. (It's in my contract...fine print at the bottom.) Here's to bikinis or at least being brave enough to venture into the dressing room with the scary mirrors and an armful of swimsuits to try on.

Eydie, you're such an adventurous eater! I look at your menus and think I wouldn't have the nerve to even TRY half of the things you eat on a regular basis. You sugar-free gals are awesome!

Hi aria!

Cripes...it's heading for 9pm and I'm just starting my "second job"...doing books for a cousin's business. No wonder I'm always tired.

coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2
1 egg, 3 egg whites, scrambled w/ 1 oz. cheddar
strawberries

2 serv. lentil soup
whole grain crackers
apple

smoothie [orange juice, mango, flax seed, whey protein]

veg. "chicken" patty
green beans
mashed cauliflower
2 whey protein 'truffles'

water: 4 glasses
calories: 1315
exercise: 3 miles treadmill
30 min. upper body weights

The mashed cauliflower is pretty amazing--so much like mashed potatoes. Just steam cauli. till it's very tender, add milk, butter, sour cream, or whatever you'd add to mashed potatoes and blend in food processor till smooth and the consistency of mashed potatoes. A friend told me that a hand mixer works well too.

Wildfire, we posted at the same time. I'm weighing tomorow and I'm afraid I won't see any difference either. I have the kind of body that hangs onto every ounce. What's up with that?
I know what you mean about blonds; not my first choice, but if I must.......

"Hey, don't forget about me......"
she called after them, nimbly highstepping over her parcels and bags that the footmen had dropped as they started slack jawed at the "Welcome sign"...

"But your majesty,"the Butler stuttered..." You have not been announced".....
but then he decided he best begin his own highstepping as the nimble as the Q Kaylets was down the hall, and turning the corner to climb the stairs to the basement.....
"Majesty, " he called after the Q Kaylets breathlessly, " let me announce you.'

The Queen turned for a moment and felt compassion for the butler as he was trying valiantly to keep up but he wasn't used to stairclimbing as she was...
She stood for a moment on the 2nd landing and looked up as he cautiously looked around before putting his foot down.
"Majesty, you don't know who's been keeping an eye on the doors to the basement... This time of year, all sorts of wildlife try to come inside to find a place for the winter"...

But the Queen just laughed and said," Then we best be along and see exactly what things look like ! Besides, if you move quickly, we might not miss the evening songfest the Towel Boys are so well known."

With this the Butler just shook his head and said under his breath... "First she forbids any of us to use the elevator unless we are carrying something heavy, and now she thinks Towel Boys singing Karoke is not to be missed."

But the Queen could hear and laughed out loud....

**********

So anyway....

I'm on my way.....

My goal.... hmmm... I believe it was to get off the sugar and get some time inbtwn the last binge .... which I managed to do albeit I have been waking up to use the facilities at night and having to have an apple or two so I can go back to sleep....

Oh my, apples and sweet potatoes sound divine... OH MY....

I am wondering ...

I too, would love to get a poound or two off so I am not so close to the top end of my goal weight. Its nervewracking....

so...

that's it....2lbs...

take care all!

I weighed in at 141 pounds this morning, I was soooo hoping to be at 139 this AM.
I'm feeling pretty bad right now; I mean I've really been working it. I want to scream to heaven, "WHAT MORE CAN I DO?"

Nothing to do but soldier on, I guess......

How come when I eat less, after a few days I weigh more?!! I've been seriously counting my cals over the weekend and into monday as a little experiment. Nothing over 2000 a day. (I eat WAY to many calories for sedentary life). Yesterday I only topped off at 1400. I weighed this morning, I've gained 3 lbs in the last week. Maybe my scale is wrong....

Anyway, nothing so far this morning...No coffee no breakie..Not in the mood to nosh.

Be back later when I'm in a better mood.

Well, I had way too many calories (mostly in the evening) but it was all of a more healthy variety than I had been choosing. So no applause but no real bad negative either.

Was feeling a tad sorry for myself, I think, and more than a bit isolated. Strange it hit me on a day when 3 of my family had been here to visit. Dh out of it though and I think it's his company I really miss.

New aide here today and I'm happy with her so far. Won't be long until I'm out running a bit again.

My self (ish or sustaining) thing I did today was get in my walk. It wasn't fast - it was more savoring and it was just around the block but it was great. Therapist coming again tomorrow so I'll do it again. Thursday I'll have the aide for three hours and will either walk again or go running around doing errands like I have all the time in the world. Actually I won't be able to be gone long - depends on when I do DHs IVs. But that's the day scheduled to be the last of them unless yesterday's tests show differently.

Again, too much food but not as bad choices. Not enough water yet though more than I had been doing. I need a few good days under my belt before I want to hit the scale as well. And I need a serious talk with me about why I've been sabotaging ME. Yes, there's incredible stress but the last three plus months have had that and I lost. It must have something to do with being here constantly with food about the only diversion from the stress plus feeling the need for energy to keep on going - oops forgot about the prednisone which screams to be fed.

Well, anyway, sort of content this evening - one step at a time - just need to be pointed in right direction. Nice to see you, Ceara.

Hello all!

Dh and I went to bed very early, he woke up rested at 3pm, I followed about 4:30am but we now I am hot and flashing, and feeling rushed ..... amazing how we still find time to kill !!!


************
Thought of the day :

"A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us."
---Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French writer and aviator, 1900-1944
__________________________________________________

Question of the day :

"What event has changed you ?"
_______________
*************



Anagram-- that was exactly my goal for the week--
Not to look backwards, not to look too far forward, to focus on this moment, savoring details, BEING in the moment.....

To everyone, HERE WE GO WEDNESDAY! HERE WE GO!

KETTLE IS ON!

Hello everyone!
1460 calories yesterday

Good morning, Queenlies!

Arrived home late last night and have a miserable cold (almost predictable, given the activity and stress levels over the last couple of weeks). THAT's not even the bad news -- get this: I weighed in this morning SIX pounds up from last week. I don't believe it for a second. I did have one run-in with cookies and birthday cake day before yesterday and that's probably to blame, but not going to make me gain six real pounds when I've been walking hours a day (yesterday 1.5 hours aerobic walking, plus 1.5 hours wandering through a science exhibit plus all the airport walking) and eating lightly. I'm not going to change my ticker, uh-uh. It just can't be so! Still keeping same Halloween goal and dedicating self to task. Looking to the GI index for guidance.

Anagram, if you weren't turning to food, it would be a miracle! What else is so comforting, so readily available and convenient, so socially acceptable? And when our options are limited, we turn to the familiar. It's hard for you to get out to do other things. However, your self-nurturing is exactly what the doctor ordered. I'm trying to get myself focused on non-food treats and hobbies. Because my hobby of going to the kitchen for a "break" never did work out very well. I know food has been my drug of choice For me, extreme stress isn't what makes me look foodward but "coping" stress.

Think I must limit computer time as possible today. Love to all!

Morning, Queenies! Nice day here today. Taking dh to yet another doctor so will be out and about a bit and looking forward to my afternoon walk when therapist comes.
Physical therapist coming this morning but no call yet from provided bath aide. Good thing I had the additional one yesterday and scheduled for tomorrow as well.

Calories again not good. Choices not great but better than last week. Working on fruits, veggies. Nothing I'm REALLY craving. figuring out stuff dh will eat is whacking out my brain. Started a med again today to increase his appetite. We'll see.

Sleep going to be a problem. He called me at 3:00 a.m. again this morning. And of course what sleep I got after that was pretty minimal. A lot of similarities here with bringing a new baby home....................

Break time over - time to leave the virtual palace and see what I can get done here at the reality palace.