Hey. It's next Tuesday... I will definitely let you guys know how it goes.

I threw a party tonight. It's the 10-year anniversary of my dissertation defense. I had friends over, cooked IP food, and didn't really feed people many carbs. They were all eating corn chips by the end of the night. Addicts... Anyway, I had a tiny bit of champagne to celebrate.

We are doing some interior painting tomorrow and I hope to have some time to hit the pool again. Have a great Sunday everyone!

Your post stopped me in my tracks. I had to check the date and remembered that I had defended on Bastille Day. the 14th. Except it was 39 years ago.

I'm here. On my 3rd computer in a month -- with a German keyboard! -- and my internet service has also been down all over Germany for a week, off and on. I emptied my mail box and I apologize. The last 2 months have been a bit raw. My father died, at 100, and I'm still struggling with German insurance companies, to get health insurance -- so my visa will continue to be good. Thanks for asking; i really appreciate it. And I'll stack my glitches up against yours. On second though, perhaps not. Might bowl you over.

Oh, Linden, I'm so glad to hear from you... I've been wondering about you for, seems like, ages... I'm so sorry to learn of your loss... I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your dealings with the insurance companies...

btw, I checked out your cute pic on your profile page!.. so nice to have a face to go with your wonderful personality!.. (did that make sense?..)

Thanks darbs... this is day 2 of bootcamp... I did great yesterday except for a little hunger about 9:00 last night... I satisfied it with an egg... today I feel great!..

hugs

Glad to be back and eating healthy....wow tons of martinis the last 10 days. I think I am in ketosis (today is day 3).

I am not eating any packets....my exercise routine is too intense...doing the personal training sessions.

I am eating 2 eggs and 2 oz of lean meat for breakfast and following exact phase 2 for the rest of the day.

Check out my new advatar....we kayaked 13 miles down the Colorado River and we had put in at the Hoover Dam.....so fun

DAWNMAD Thank you so much! I just realized that I've screamed by (well just just passed) 80% of goal and could change to Ph2 but am going to stick with Ph1 sto 90%. Your words (those of your doc/friend) have really encouraged me. My body has changed so much but I'm still seeing some (amazing less than I thought I would) cellulite. I have about 18 more pounds to go and still see the equivalent of a large roasting chicken at my tummy area. I know that has to go and I'm now hoping that much of the rest of the 19 will be cellulite and refining. What a journey this is.

I have been so pure in what I've eaten with the IP foods... never mixing packs together or using them in recipes (except for my famous meatballs.. ha ha). I've just started following these threads for mixing-it-up ideas and am having a whole new experience. YAY. I am enjoying a wonderful Cappuccino right now having combined the two recipes I could find with:
prepared IP Cappuccino
8 oz. prepared coffee
1 pack of Nescafe Instant Coffee (single serving packet)
3 packets of Stevia... I know that brings me to some significant carbs but I'm avoiding the restricted foods today.
1 shaker full of crushed ice.
Pour into my VitaMix and let it rip! OH MY! I'm Frothy Bubbly Delight! Smile.

I hope you will celebrate!

Welcome back. Sounds like you had a great time. I love your new photo. You look downright skinny!

Linden - sorry for your loss, hope everything works out with the insurance company. It is nice to put a picture to your name. Thank you.

Darbs - welcome back, your new avatar is awesome, you are so slim and healthy looking. Hope you had a great time in Vegas.

Mary - can't wait to hear of the dropped jaws. Always fun to read about others that are doing awesome things and going places... the farthest I will be going this year is the off leash... sigh maybe next year I will be able to go on a real vacation instead of a stayvacation. Have a great vacation and visit with your DH.

It sounds like we are all doing great! Darbs, great new avatar! Love those pegs!

Linden, welcome back, sorry to hear of your troubles. You had your dad 26 years longer than I had mine. I'm sure you celebrate the time you had with him.

RRC, what can I say, I don't leave for another 20 days, so I'm going to swim a lot of hard laps every day until I leave. I'll be seeing my mom, both of my boys and my husband and friends. It will be so fun to see their reactions.
I'm having a contest with a friend to see who can lose the most in the next 20 days. If I lose I have to paint a graphic on her concrete studio floor, and if she loses she has to paint my sunroom. I can't lose this one!

Hi Linden,
So sorry for the loss of your father, may your memories, friends, family, and the dear Lord help you through this. I miss my mom and dad pretty much every day, and one of the things that keeps me smilin is that they would want nothing less for me than to get on with life as they did when they lost their parents, as we will want for our kids when we are gone..... again may you find peace in your memories and comfort with those closest to you. You have been a special person to a lot of people on this site and we all grieve with you in our own way. Love, Carol

Thanks to you -- all of you. And funny about the picture. I took it with my computer camera the day after I started IP and hadn't looked at it since.

Here\s an interesting article from today's NYTimes. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com...s-simple-cook/

Linden - so sorry for your loss. I wish you all the best with your health insurance.

What a great contest! I certainly hope that you rock it and win!

Starting a new spreadsheet challenge to keep myself honest as I focus in on my goal...

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spre...1WdGc&hl=en_US

and you are the best at creating them for the rest of us...Thank you... I hope to be down to 3/4 of my weight by my birthday the last week of July... then the last 25 lbs I am going to stress on those ones...