Lil: I have 2 of them to go to. Ugh! Can you offer to bring a big salad to yours and your green beans? I took a salad to my iLs last year and I was the only one who ate it. I love sweet potatoes however my FIL likes to cook and doctor foods w lots of butter and other like it -sweets etc. When I had gestational diabetes I was able to request a watchful eye when we were invited to meals - however since I’m not pregnant I can’t get away w/ asking that right now. So my plan is to load up on veg, take a salad and have some turkey. My family’s meal has been soups and sandwiches and pies but my sibling will be home and the spouse has a tizzy if they don’t get a full dinner - they feel cheated if they only get soup “ITS NOT THANKSGIVNG” always exclaimed so overly dramatic we all roll our eyes and say pleazzzzzze. But most of us are coming from our ILS meals which are all big and thats why we’ve kept it lighter since everyone’s married plus my mom loathes the leftovers. Hang in there and make some good choices. It sounds like you find enjoyment with the whole day.

Diane: how’d class go today? We’re you successful in getting there? How’s the cold?

Toasted: did you make it through all your projects this week?

Hello all!

Am: got the grocerying done and kept my list small and found out my DH pay schedule is different this month which meant I didn’t have to keep it as tight as I did. Oh well - life goes on doesn’t it?

Stopped by hoblob and got some wrap for Christmas. I wish they had nicer designs and not the same-o yearly. I mean they had some new designs but none I was leaping At to get - so I just got polka dots. Boring I know. I’ve got a few gifts to send home w people at turkey time as I won’t see at Christmas and I don’t want to pay shipping. Yuck.

I was nicely surprised w the scale this am. Oh it’s all love hate with it in general but if I see some downward change it gives me a bit of a smile. I’m not one of those that can loose a pound a day generally and keep up w that. Might I see 229 next week? Oh I can hope but the darn 0 number seems to Make it’s appearance at the end of the week often enough in this journey and is always short lived. Argh. And coming into a big weekend makes me worry! Well I just need to be more vigilant.

So my other goals for today are to finish the church project and get the messy project done and out for approval and then commence work on Christmas gifts.

Ok gals - let’s shake this weight so tired of it!

Lemonthyme: You're getting close to breaking through! Yay! As for Thanksgiving, I don't really try to be too strict. It is a relaxing day and I don't like messing it up with thoughts of weight loss and dieting. That said, I don't purposely try to overeat either. I will eat whatever I want to eat, but the portion size is smaller. I don't like the feeling of being so full you can't move, so I try to keep it in check. But, I will have those sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie! It is easier for me, though, because it is just my family and my parents.

Lilion: Wow, you have it much tougher with all of the family and food. UGH! That would make me crazy. Hope you can hang in there and just move on after it is all over. We should all make sure we aren't beating ourselves up either way.

For me, I did not go to the gym this morning. I was so tired, I called it a rest day and stayed in bed. However, since coming to work, I don't think I want to skip all of today. So, I think I'll go to the gym after work and run a little, just to get back into doing that. I'm sure it will be ugly, but I think I'll go anyway. Then, I still need to do the lifting, so I hope to go to the gym tomorrow to do that. I don't think a rest day is a bad thing, but I also don't feel like I had to have it today.

Food was ok yesterday. I had a bigger lunch, so I was careful at dinner. I think it worked out ok overall. I was a little over on my calories, but not too bad. I checked the scale this morning and was the same as yesterday.

Yes...my in-laws are eaters. As am I and hubby, which is why we're pretty much all fat. In addition my FIL and at least 1, perhaps 2, of my SIL are diabetic! My husband has been diagnosed too, but so far no need for anything but Metformin and I'm still considered pre, but also on Metformin, which became the driving force for weight loss. I grew up the same way...lots of food. My mom made a whole huge Thanksgiving meal for my family of 4 every year! Yep. We're eaters.

Here’s my newest deal with weight and what I am hoping to get back to. My wedding ring. I haven’t been able to set it comfortably the past years. Usually if I was 235 it began to fit - I could wear for a while but then it would feel tight. I’d like to wait until my weight is a bit lower before I try again. I’m too stubborn to have it sized up and I’d rather get back to my size 6.5 again. So it’s my ongoing goal. It’s been a bit of a challenge and something I am striving for in the short term. Maybe for thanksgiving I can begin wearing it full time again.

Funny how something like that can help in thought.

Lil: enjoy your meal! I think our families all mean well some show their love with food - I’m one of them too! I do hope tomorrow’s weigh in surprises you with nice numbers. How is your friend doing?

Diane: some days you need a rest it helps heal a body and it sounds like you are willing to get it moving tonight. Good luck with your goal!

Am: it’s cold today, no snow yet! But cold and it makes my joints achy. Ugh. It may be a long winter!

Got my salad greens to go back to that with my lunches for a while. I was able to grab a few rough and tumble pieces in the reduced bin. And why is cauliflower now almost $3 a head again? Avocados are bought and sitting on my counter ripening. I’m glad produce can make me giddy with anticipation that maybe weight will go down the scale with it added back into my day.

Alrighty - hang onto your hats with the festivities in the future. I think we’ll all do fine! Just take it slow and keep it off as we go as best we can.

Hey guys, this week has been pretty hectic and the weekend is looking like it’s going to continue that way. The workshop went okay but so much to do pre-production and scripts for one program aren’t ready yet arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! I’m trying not to be freaked out. Oh well. I’ve not had a formal workout this week in the sense of doing a DVD or going running. But I’ve been walking the hallway when I get home from work for an hour till I do 4-6km so I am getting some movement in. It could get boring walking back and forth in a hallway of a house but I use the time to catch up on my correspondence and social media. Yesterday was the last day of Whole30 so today I’m allowed all the things. I think I’ll make it a Whole31 day except I’m going to have tea with Splenda in it- “Treat of Treatssss!!!!” Tomorrow is my dad’s birthday but I’m pretty set except for wrapping paper. I’ve ordered a cake and sorted his present a month ago. Hopefully, it’s all low key and I can get work done around the festivities.

Lillion: I hope you can get some rest soon. I can’t imagine how tired you must be but I know tiredness and exhaustion make life feel soooooo much harder and more difficult. I hope you can sort that schedule out with your husband alternating responsibility for care of the dogs. Also that $100 seems TOTALLY worth it for a full day of sleep and relaxation- only if you do it, make sure you say NO to all the things for that day. Please try not to take on so much. You also need time to look after yourself and think your thoughts and just rest, for the sake of your peace and mental health.

Diane: I’m glad you’re feeling a lot better and are back to working out. Did you go for your post-work run in the end? I totally feel you about relaxing on Thanksgiving diet-wise. I’m the same at Christmas. I usually weigh all my food for every meal every day but certainly not on Christmas Day- the last thing I want to be thinking about that day. Boxing Day is another day and an opportunity to begin to get back on track. I hope you have a really great thanksgiving with all the yummy things.

Lemonthyme: heyyyy!!! Yay being so touchable close to the 220s. I hope the scale continues to cooperate with you in that.I laughed at produce making you giddy with excitement. I know the feeling. Especially when one is anticipating making something in particular with it. I love that you post the good and bad and highs and lows so please don’t feel some kind of way about ranting. If you can’t rant here where can you rant. Many times family and friends don’t “get” this journey and can feel a certain kind of way about how overwhelming this whole journey can be especially added to the stresses of everyday life. Hopefully, you feel wayyyy more highs and opportunities for happiness than lows as we approach the end of the year.

Alright guys, I hope you all have a great weekend. My goals are to finish everything to do with scripts by Sunday so let’s see how that goes and also to go running or do some other exercise today and tomorrow.

231.0

It was the muffin. The darn muffin.

But it was good, and I didn’t eat it all at once. I broke it up over the day but it was loaded w calories I didn’t need I’m sure.

It’s a Friday and it just is. Though I did make soup and salad last night I put rice in it and we all know rice continues to puff up in our bellies and soak up fluids (well that’s my reasoning for it). So I’m still about 17% hopeful that the elusive 229 shows up but I won’t be opposed if it’s bypassed totally.

I have to bake today as I usually send cookies up for the hunters to gnosh on when they come in from the woods. I don’t help at all these two weeks - I don’t drag, gut or butcher. In fact I stay away as none of that interest me. My DH is ok w me declining - he asks yearly if I’d like to join him.

So today will find me doing house cleaning and it won’t stay clean until the kids go this afternoon and always laundry. What else on my daily nonsense - I didn’t get my water in yesterday unless you count coffee. I was cold and it was warming. Today I will try to be better.

I am armed with my salad makings and I may roast myself some squash to have for lunches. Maybe that will help me.

On top of it all - I aggravated the body w the cycling. Yeah for crazy body parts that don’t want to behave and ones you really shouldn’t have knowledge of them being a problem EVER.

Toasted: I don’t think walking your hall is crazy. When money was even tighter and winter made it too cold to use a sidewalk, I’d go walk in a square around the perimeter of my basement. I’d do that now except my basement looks like a bomb went off due to all of us just dumping stuff down there and is not finishing the cleaning the last time we down to do it. I need to get it cleaned and piles for goodwill but it’s the bottom of my list right now. I’d walk 45 mins and get in a few miles.

Happy bday to your dad - that should be fun to celebrate with all. Do you live fairly close by? Do you have siblings? Enjoy your time together!

Is it autumn in your part of the world? I know you said it’s forever humid so maybe you don’t have the change of seasons we do. Do you have seasonal produce?

Lil: did you get your dog sitter hired? What’s on the menu for fellowship this weekend?

Diane: how was all the exercise you planned? I’ll exercise this week vicariously through you all. Oh and for your holiday challenge I’m fighting to get there and hold onto this bit of loss.

Laurie: how was your trip? Did you survive the supplied foodstuffs?

Vlad: where did you go?

For fall produce: what’s your favorite one and how do you prepare it diet friendly. Right now I’m loving squash and sweet potatoes. And for breakfast in the cold months what do you do? I discovered this plate of sunshine last year as I can salsa and have a bunch: a cut up hard boiled egg, salsa, string cheese and an avocado half. Let me tell you it reminds me when the world is bleak and gray and all bitterly cold and white outside - that a pop of color will start your day wonderfully.

Well gals - I hope all is well for you and you have grand weekends of rest planned before the next week crazy’s. I’m off to go work on those ornaments and laundry and everything else I need to do today. Find goodness in your day! I’m sure going to try.

LOL Lemon - fellowship was LAST weekend for me. No more for a few months. The next folks may just buy donuts or cookies. There's really only a few of us that really kind of do "brunch".

Lemon and Toasted, I didn't hire anyone to dog sit. I'm being a bit selfish even considering it. After all, we won't have her much longer. You can't ship off a kid...as much as you might want to at times, believe me...so I guess I can wait. I DID tell hubby last night that when hunting is over I expect him to start pitching in again! He did take a couple mornings off this week and got the dogs out, etc., so I could just NOT for a change. That helped quite a bit with my mood. But I told him, when he's not hunting...which better be soon (archery season lasts until January - he best get his last deer soon!) I fully intend for us to take turns and one day he can sleep in and I'll get up...and the next time I get to sleep in! Lemon, I don't help with the hunting either. I'll happily cook it, but doing the other stuff??? Ew. (And I grew up on a farm!) Maybe, when we have our cabin completely done, I may go with and keep the home fires burning, as it were. But for now...I'll just stay home...and watch the dogs.

I'll live. Getting to bed earlier helps.

Anyway---I managed, somehow, to show a 1 lb drop. Down to 270.5. The 260's are calling my name.

Toasted, you walk that hall! Go girl! I'm seriously impressed. Exercise is not my thing. I can actually go a whole day at work and not exceed 2000 steps if I get a good parking spot. I do miss my weekday walks at lunch time.

Diane, I envy your rest day. Though, you probably do more on a rest day than I do on a workout day.

I'm starting to just piecemeal this post. I guess I don't have much to say. So for now, I'll say, "Have a great weekend!"

267.2

Lilion: Glad that you had a couple of days of better rest. You know, sometimes you just need to tell someone about feeling frustrated and exhausted, and we're all here for you!!

Lemon: Yeah, I need to do a lot of that cleaning stuff this weekend. Not looking forward to it, but with my parents coming, it needs to look better than it does now. As for fall veggies, I do like squash a lot! But I also go with some frozen veggies going into the winter. Things get kind of expensive for fresh, so we just adjust. Always love some potatoes, too.

Toasted: Wow, you are still so busy!! Hope you can get it done soon! I think just getting some activity is good. Even if it is hallway walking!! Just moving around is a good thing.

For me, I did go running last night. It wasn't awesome, but I was glad I went. I didn't go to the gym this morning though. I just felt that I'm done for the week for gym work anyway. I've done better this week than past weeks, so I guess that's a plus! I'm planning for next week to go Monday - Wednesday, and then that will be all until maybe the weekend.

My weight went down a little bit this morning. I am hoping to hold on to that throughout the weekend, and maybe Monday will be a better weigh in than what I've had lately. I know that December will be busy and all, but I'm really going to try to keep on a good routine through the month and hopefully reach my 5 pound goal.

No weigh in

I took today off from the scale. Just to put my mind in a happy spot and not worry about what a digital number says to me tomindkuence my thoughts of a day. Maybe unwise but who knows.

The whole family is gone. DH is in the woods and it’s still dark I think first shots can be fired by about 655 or so. I expect to hear that down the street. My street backs into farmland and it’s not uncommon to hear a few first thing.

I’ve got west side story on as I wake up. Why don’t they do movies that are kind of like that anymore? Kind of arty and bringing broadway and modern dance to the masses. Instead a lot of times it’s just sameo sameo on the big screen. Sorry l, I like old films and musicals. So I watch when I see one of them on tv.

I hope the weekend doesn’t fly like they have been doing. I’d prefer it to be a bit slower. However. It may not be and just breeze right on by. Never what I want I suspect. It just is.

Well first light is here so I suspect I will hear rallies of shots.

Happy day all - keep up good thoughts. Weekends are hard for lots of us with our foods. We can do this! My goals are to stick to my calories which is always a huge challenge for me with days that start with S. Here’s hoping.

Totally fell off the wagon

Will try and fight the ship today into tomorrow. All I know is that sitting around with cookies in the house is never wise for me.

It’s always something on the weekends for me and my weight. Nothing new but maybe one fine moment I’ll find an answer how to deal with it all. Until I come up with the magic answer I’ll have to work my way back down a scale.

Happy Sunday all!

No W/I - late for the bus hurried to get clothes on to fly out the door

Oh goodness I’m so far behind. I know I’ve mentioned thanksgiving but evidently did not let it register I have all these projects to get done to coincide with it, thus all of a sudden I’m in a panic! Baking, cleaning and packing. Oh and throw in a change of plans and we now have Christmas decorating next weekend as we’ll be out of town the following weekend too and DH can’t take time off right now to do reduced staff w new babies. Will I get this done? I’ll try my best.

Hope all is well for you each. I promise to get on the scale at some point this week so I have an idea of what damage I’m doing. Hahahahaha. I remember having the thought I could get down to 200 before the trip:
it was a doable thought in July/August. It’s not reality. My body and my mind do not want to leave the 230s so here I sit. Well I’m still almost 35 lbs lighter then I was when I last went on this type of trip - as I was heavy and had just gone through my 3rd miscarriage. So I might look thinner than last time but still heavy I’m sure as I look at current pictures of myself with a hyper critical eye. Even if I can get to 225 by January I’d be happy - but that means I need to pick up the pace and figure something out w my body and diet quickly!

Alrighty gals - I am off to go clean some more. My house looks like a bomb went off as everyone including myself just dropped things wherever and whenever all weekend long. It’s a mess. But I did get the tub done and it’s looking good! Small steps right?!

Happy day for the start to a crazy week for most of us!

Toasted: how was dads birthday? Did you enjoy the cake?

Hello all! More later w the next break.

Hello everyone - happy short work-week! Well, at least for me, it's a 3 day work week and a 4 day weekend. Always good.

The scale is 3 1/2 lbs UP today after the weekend, but that's not surprising really. Food was weird and not nearly enough water was drunk. Saturday was Toys for Tots. Did I mention the Society for Creative Anachronism? Medieval reenactment? Well our tournament to raise toys was Saturday and we raised 2,371 toys and more than $1,300 cash for TFT! This event is my favorite part of being in the SCA.

Yesterday was really just church and laundry and sleep! I was SO tired after the long day Saturday that after church I told hubby I was taking a nap - and DID! I slept for about 90 minutes and it felt so good! Granted, I had planned on doing a lot of other things that day, specifically cleaning up my sewing/exercise room so I could actually DO some sewing and exercising, and that didn't get done, but I mostly got a lazy day finally and it was a good thing.

Of course, being out all day necessitates eating out too. Not great. In fact, I pretty much just gave up on the whole weekend. Back on track today just in time for turkey day.

268.4

Lemonthyme: Sorry you've had an off plan weekend. I am with you that the weekends are just so difficult. I lack so much on discipline over the weekend. Maybe we can work on that as we get past the holidays. I got a lot done over the weekend for cleaning, but I still have a few things to do before my parents get here! Time flies....

Lilion: Sorry you had the upswing on your scale. That's no fun! But it sounds like it might come off easily as you get back on a normal day... at least before the not-so-normal time of Thanksgiving! By the way, that is awesome to have that much success for Toys for Tots! You should feel great about that!!

For me, I did have a little loss since last Monday, although I was lower during the week. Weekends.... I guess just keeping some kind of loss is ok. I'm not sure what will happen by next Monday. I'm not going to try to overstuff myself, but I'm also not giving up on having the holiday food!! Just going to try to work on portion control, without sending myself off the edge.

I had been planning to workout this week, but I had a bit of a flare up with the plantar fasciitis. It was pretty dang sore this morning. So, not today, but maybe tomorrow.

I don't know if I'll be able to make my goal for the end of the year. It seems like I don't do as well when I don't workout. Maybe by next week I'll be back to normal. I do know that I want to stay on track for the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Hope all is well with you guys! Missing you Laurie!!

Diane: when it’s cold and dark out your desire to exercise flies out the window. Mine does - I’d rather stay snuggled in my house all warm and nice and not schlep on out to the car and go. So in these next two weeks maybe I to can get better and get those numbers down. So much tug of war. Ugh.

Lil: yeah for you on successful toy drive! That’s got to be a nice feeling. Keep up the good work! Sorry food found you too! It’s hard - I hear you and know too well. My DH belongs to sca too. Glad you find enjoyment with it all.

Hello all!

Am: trying my best today but haven’t had any water yet. Coffee yes water no. Food wise I had some breakfast early on. And I’m eating thawing blueberries - fabulous! However I need to do better and think it all through and tomorrow make a grand attempt to weigh in. Keeps me honest and helps with being mindful.

And reading everyone’s comments - we all seem to struggle with weekends. Is there something we can do to help each other with that? I don’t know what that’d be - but I’m willing to help in someway.

Happy afternoon all! Hope all gets better in your worlds and turkey day readying doesn’t drive everyone too nuts.

Lemon! Your hubby is a Scadian? How funny! I so seldom find anyone who knows what I'm talking about on a non-SCA site. North-Shield or Eldormere?

You say HE does it...so I take it you are an SCA widow during event weekends? I actually do know several people who play but their spouses don't. I think it's more fun with the spouse along...but it does take a certain personality. LOL It's certainly not for everyone.