Morning all,

Just popping in to plan my meals. Feeling low and stressed and worrying how all the details are going to come together in the coming weeks.

B-I will take bread, cheese and an apple to work with me, there will be additional food at the staff meeting.
S-Apple and cheese
L-black bean tacos
S-Smoothie
D-Spaghetti with lots of veggies.
Ds-Sorbet or ice cream

Sounds like a great class Slim CB.

Hang in there, Georgette. I feel the same...

And sooooo very tired..... Ellie is sleeping better-- but only till about 4:30 and then she's up.... I hope that gradually moves back a little later....

Already feeling hungry and it's 7:20. That's what happens when I have breakfast at 5:00. Hope my coffee kicks in soon so I can get my mind off of food....

I have moved out of that supposedly "charmed" phase of being stressed, where I under-eat, and into the phase where I overeat by just enough to gain. This is the story of maintenance.

My former manager, who'll be giving notice soon, has connected me with a job opportunity. I need to get my resume together. The question is, would it be a rebound job, which might only make me feel good temporarily, for "punishing" my current employer, or is it a chance to grow? I need to find out more, but I have to say, I like feeling I have options, rather than feeling someone can move me about at will.

Weigh-in: 141.6. My feeling last night of having eaten too much was accurate, and I'm up a pound and a half. Back to where I was on Tuesday morning, with a little extra.

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: Banana prune muffin; broccoli & spinach egg bake; blackberries & yogurt
Snack: Two fresh apricots
Lunch: Baby kale salad, asparagus, roasted vegetables, half an avocado, goat cheese, almonds, sundried tomatoes
Snack: About 100 calories of Bare Fruit Granny Smith apple chips
Dinner: Thai chicken thighs with a frozen Asian stir fry vegetable mix
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Today's Exercise:

30 minutes on the recumbent bike, doing hills. Then did some chin-ups.

60 minutes Pilates mat class in the evening.

My leg was painful today. I'm told that the barometer & humidity leads to swelling, which makes the internal plate & screws hurt.

So pleased to read this. There are other opportunities out there too.

I hope the opportunity proves to be a great one, Saef.

Yesterday was my dh's 18th anniversary with his company. We reflected on what a good move it was when he changed jobs and where we have been since-- figuratively and literally-- including living in South Africa....

My weight is slightly lower but still over red line. I would just coast until school gets out and work on it then, but I am leaving on my cruise right after school is out, so I won't have time and I don't want to pile more on top. I'm hoping I can chip away at it next week when dh goes to Arizona to get dd. I always think that and it is easier said than done when I have to work, have full-time puppy duty, etc.

Saef, what great news about a new opportunity. Even if you don't take it, it's a good reminder that you don't have to be stuck in your current job forever.

I've been hungry all week even though I'm eating at maintenance. At least I'm back down to 126 which is my okay weight. As Birchie said in the Losing A Lot thread, sleep is so important to weight control. I haven't been getting enough this week and I'm pretty sure that's why I'm hungry. I'll try again tonight to get to bed on time.

Oh, and when I am talking about all the metal in my leg, this is what I mean.

I took this picture in early May, at my last appointment with the orthopedic surgeon, once he put my x-rays up to show me.

He says I have 10 screws in the leg. I count eight. Some must be at a head-on angle or not otherwise visible.

Saef, yeesh that's impressive- I've never seen a prosthesis that goes all the way over the knee. It also looks like there's still a fracture line about half-way down (between the lowest 2 screws). Did the orthopedist comment on it? And what's the band around your ankle?

I continue to be stressed and preoccupied with food every day. Many days, I succeed in the battle with myself and keep cals under ~1600; today I did not thanks to a combination of the kids ordering pizza and me having to give a presentation to my entire department tomorrow morning, which was not finished until just now. Overall, weight remains between 129 and 132, well above my red line and even further from where I'd like it to be. I so badly want a treatment that will make me stop obsessing (about food, about work, about family stressors).

Andrea, I know, it's like I've got a portion of an erector set inside my leg. It's a lateral plate through which a lot of horizontal screws have been inserted. Now you've given me some questions to ask at my next appointment & x-ray, in two weeks' time. I don't know. These appointments are incredibly speedy. And I'm not sure about that hairline fracture because it also goes through the plate, and how could it? -- I wonder if it is a thing with the imaging.

Weigh in: 140.4, on Friday I'm back to Tuesday.

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: Banana prune muffin with almond butter; cherries & yogurt
Snack: Three fresh apricots
Lunch: Spring mix salad with roasted vegetables, pecans, guacamole and chipotle hummus
Dinner: Salmon with steamed, seasoned broccoli
Dessert: Cookies n' cream Quest bar

Today's Exercise:

At the gym: 30 minutes walking on treadmill at 12.5 incline, at about 2.1 mphs.

At physical therapy: 12 minutes on Cybex elliptical, interval program, 4x12 squats with pair of 10-lb weights, walking lunges !!!!!!!!! (which I wasn't able to do a couple months back), 4x12 hamstring curls & 4x12 quad raises, 4x12 abductor/adductor, 12 minutes walking flat at 1.9 mph

saef Isn't medicine awesome though in some ways? Probably 20 years ago they wouldn't have been able to save your leg or make it work well enough for you to use.

I'm looking forward to replacement parts when I'm old - starting with my left hip, right shoulder, and both wrists. By then I figure they should have joints they can pop in and out and they will be made of some kind of miracle silicone/plastic mix. (cue Twilight Zone music - dee dee dee dee)


Dagmar

I can't see the photo at work, Saef, but now I'm extremely curious!!

Dagmar-- I'm hoping replacement parts continue to improve. Dh keeps waiting for his knee replacement because he needs to be "as old as possible" so that he won't need it replaced again. I've been talking to him about quality of life-- if he gets it replaced now, maybe in 20-25 years when he needs a new one-- it will be easy peasy! Now he's saying "maybe" he'll do it after Thanksgiving. It is such a chore to get him to schedule doctor appointments and heaven help me if I suggest doing it for him. I noticed the other night some weird patches on top of his bald head (I usually can't see the top of his head as he is taller than me but he was on the floor with Ellie). I googled it and it looks pre-cancerous to me so now I'm also hounding him to see the dermatologist.

Anyone else's spouses get annoyed if you remind them to do things but they don't do them?!? One of the only frustrating things about my otherwise amazing hubby.

Michele I have tired (obvious Freudian slip ) everything I can think of to get DH to co-operate with stuff. Now I leave a list on the table - all not specific time related tasks - and he'll usually get through most of them if I remind him a couple of times. SIGH - it is a "man" thing.

Dagmar

I'm thinking about buying an ice cream maker that makes 2 quarts at a time. We tend to break down and buy ice cream once a week or so in summer and I think making our own might greatly reduce sugar and fat calories. Plus we will have to plan ahead so it will seem more of a "treat/splurge" this way.

Of course the ice cream maker might start to gather dust in the basement and we'll still go to the grocery store to buy premade.

Any comments?

Dagmar

Possibly crazy.

The SO and the DB used to make it when the DB was little. It seemed fantastically rich. They didn't use a machine, just chopped it up in a plastic box every now and then, I seem to remember. The marmalade version was good. That phase passed and I don't think I've had any ice-cream since.

How well does planning food ahead work in your household? Would it be a lot more work for you?

1 quart is 8 1/2-cup servings. That would mean 16 servings of ice cream sitting in your freezer. Would you and DH have the resolve to portion it out that carefully? Or alternatively, to make ice milk/low fat frozen yogurt? Do you normally buy your ice cream by the quart, or the pint? To me, a quart of ice cream is asking for trouble...