I didn't want to exercise today but finally got it together and did it anyway. Credit!

WI: +0.15kgs, Exercise:+45 445/1300 minutes for February, Food: 90%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

onebyone: congrats on the prints! Love the description of the Sheriff's farm.

Hugs for Beverlyjoy and anyone else who is struggling.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating on planish, CREDIT moi with the only exercise going by subway to opera which entailed a bit of walking (CREDIT moi) in the cold.

Feeling sheepish that I'm running through a list of Whitney Houston songs this morning, with relish, when I was somewhat baffled by the music of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies last night. The performance of The Lighthouse was performed at the JFK Library in a room with a huge glass wall behind the stage overlooking Boston Harbor to simulate being in the Orkney Islands off Scotland. Visually stunning.


onebyone – Walking to OA is just the best. Had to google "So. American cavie" - Beware! Animals that cute tend to get adopted and taken home.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – I could use more of your "did it anyway."

Erika (eusebius) – Waving. I'm trying, but I didn't leave last night's performance humming any melodies - no earworms. I'll keep going believing that it'll soon seep into my soul.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – I couldn't go to a dessert auction - my bidding hand would just raise itself over and over. Now I've got a "Five Nut Tart" mouth worm.

Beverlyjoy – Monster Kudos for "I have not eaten any chocolate" - since the chocolate ear worm is insidious.

silverbirch – Waving. He's one of you guys; would you kindly send him to Italy for a spell to learn to compose like Madame Butterfly?

maryann - Thanks for the reminder that going to bed with a "slight concave stomach" is just fine. Slightly Concave is Not an Emergency.

Donamari (fyreflie24) – Tea is such a good diversion when food is calling.

Readers -

Bill, Peter Maxwell Davies is indeed one of us but I have no influence over him. Ask Her Maj to intervene as I think he's Master of the Queen's Music at the moment. Orkney is a fabulous place which I think you'd like for the birdlife. I heard woodpeckers drumming this morning when I was out on a walk. We have run out of milk but it's five miles to the shop. I thought I was flexible and all that but this has skewed my day. If someone could drop by with a pint I'd be grateful!

Hi coaches

We are freezing here in Key West today! It was only 69 and tonight we are at 57F? 53F? Lest you mock me, and many are as I am now getting "aren't you from Up North? How can you be cold??" Indeed. How can I be cold? I've only been here 13 days... but I am freezing as if it wa below zero. What's up wiht that? i actually turned the heat on in my cottage and the temperature dropped by a degree--so I'm layering and getting under covers asap. I would never have believed it had I not experienced it.

And yes, I can hear the tiny violins playing for me...

*credit* for being open to the possibilities. It looks like I may have a buyer for my spare portrait print. My subject talked about my print of him to his collector friend who came by to see it hanging on the clothesline and said if I were willing to sell he'd be willing to buy and for me to come up wiht a price.

That is the tough part. But I'll try. *credit for trying new things*

Foodwise, I ate well today. I declined dinner out for two good reasons 1) need to work as much as I can before exhibit set up on Wed/Thurs
and 2) weigh-in is Tuesday night and I don't want to blow it so better to stay home right now. *Credit* for prioritizing.

Off to bed. My feet are freezing.

Survived a community pot luck. It helped that no one brought dessert! I ate lots of my own cabbage salad and little tastes of other yummy things.

WI: NC in kgs, Exercise:+65 510/1300 minutes for February, Food: 90%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Diet Coaches/Buddies - I was pleased that I didn't take any grocery-store cookies when offered, CREDIT moi, then found my hand repeatedly dipping into a bowl of dark chocolate covered roasted almonds. Big Ouch. I'm aware there's a theme to my diversions.

Great walking, CREDIT moi, with DW and a friend to a concert and dinner in the low 20-something degrees F. I love walking in the cold when I'm properly dressed.


onebyone – Yep, count me as one playing tiny violins as you suffer in 69 degrees F - some 59 degrees warmer than here. Kudos for skipping dinner to pursue your art. (Make it a steep price. You don't have to sell and a good price would help boost your art mojo.)

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Pot lucks are such a challenge. Smart to have brought a cabbage salad that you were happy to consume.

silverbirch – If I've got the math(s) right, 5 miles to the shop and 5 miles back would be about 2.5 hours walking - just right to clear the mind and skip a meal in the process. Thanks for the tip about Orkney - I'm adding it to my Bucket List.

Readers -

Good Morning, Coaches.
Back from Tahoe last nite in snowy conditions. Credit exercise the last four days straight. Credit food tracking although I still have yet to eat ONLY my daily food allotment and not dip into my weekly allowance. If I am to lose I must have days when I eat to the lower calorie end. I am better about sitting down and eating. Today's skill will be to watch the clock like I use to and say - I will be eating in an hour anyway. I have got to flex those muscles again.


gardenerjoy: I was just thinking about cabbage. It will soon be on sale for St. Patrick's Day. I don't make it enough at home.
BBE: Credit a walk in 20 degrees. This is boggling to my California mentality.
Onebyone: Terrific to say no to dinner. I was doing that kind of thing when I was losing. I seem to not be doing it maintaining. this could be an important pattern.

GD everyone!

For the time being, I am only reporting in on Mondays, as I mentioned last Monday. I have read all of your posts for the past week. I do want to keep up with what is happening with all of you.

I did not have a good week this past week. It went fine until Wednesday where it seemed everything that I usually do on "auto pilot" up to this point in my journey failed to work for me. I detached, trying to analyze the root cause and I even followed through on solving the problem as Dr. Beck mentions in the pink book. Still, my off planned eating continued. I detached once again, examining why I was overriding all good common sense but emotions are not logical. I am hoping that all of that ran its course but I feel bushwhacked by what happened and bruised by the whole ordeal. Today is a clean slate and I move forward.

Have a good week everyone!

Pam

Hi coaches/friends - Today I went to the ortho and got a cortizone shot in my painful lower back. Am hoping it will do the trick.

I had asked my family doctor if I could take some nsaids (I take an old one, Daypro) She said no... not so close to surgery. When the surgery nurse called today to get more info... I told her how I wished I could have used the Daypro. She said I could have taken up to two days before the surgery. Grrrrr That would have nipped this back pain in the bud...so to speak. It's frustrating. Hopefully, the shot will help.

I've been struggling with my food. It's hard for me when I am feeling pain or very stressed out. I'll keep trying.


thanks for your support & wisdom and caring. I'll post again before surgery on
Wed. morning.

Hello coaches

Very very short check in...
*credits*

Forgot to eat dinner then ate something very light, tracked everything, went out for a walk to take a break from my work, took time to talk to people and am feeling good about the upcoming exhibit which will be smaller in scale space-wise than I originally thought. This has lessened the pressure but I still need to keep going. I have three key pieces to produce yet and two days.

Official weighin tomorrow night.

Time for bed. G'night.

We celebrated Valentine's Day a day early. I had a generous plan that included bubbly wine and two pieces of chocolate, but I followed it to a T.

WI: +0.25kgs, Exercise:+15 525/1300 minutes for February, Food: 100%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

maryann: Here's the recipe for the cabbage salad I took to my potluck: http://www.joyweesemoll.com/2011/01/...meals-for-two/
It's my favorite way to fix cabbage in the winter. For the potluck, I used a mix of green and red cabbage -- it was really pretty.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Happy Valentine's Day to all of you who celebrate, and Happy Pre-Ides of February to those who don't, LOL.

At a movie with friends, I didn't overeat the shared pizza, CREDIT moi, but had more homemade cookies than I had planned - Ouch. My day had gotten jumbled when a routine checkup at the eye doctor took an extra-long time, so my exercise didn't happen - Ouch again.


onebyone – Kudos for being in the place where "a walk" is how you take a break from work.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for chocolate and Double Yay for chocolate on plan. Thanks for the cabbage salad recipe.

Beverlyjoy – Yay for cortisone when that's what's needed. One more sleep until surgery - keep the faith.

Pam (pamaga) – Yep, "emotions are not logical" - would like to invite mine to stay out of the issues of eating and exercise. Kudos for "Today is a clean slate and I move forward."

maryann - "I have got to flex those muscles again" - you and me both.

Readers -

Happy V Day, Coaches.
Still trying to flex muscles. DS wanted to cook his first V day dinner for Daddy which made me dangerously close to sugar cookies. Like Beck says, Environment is key. Credit for getting back OP and exercise. Tracked all my food and need to stay within point limits the next two days.
gardenerjoy: I book marked that recipe and am going to try it when I get to the store. Thanks.

Two weeks into Project 333 - 33 pieces of clothing for 3 months. I did my first laundry and it was great to have so few pieces. I haven't struggled at all with what to wear. I feel things are getting simpler in my life and I am glad.

BBE: We share a common cookie tragedy. Credit for us posting it here and moving on . Oh Well.
Beverleyjoy: So sorry about your back. I always want to eat when I am in pain. It is an extra challenge you are facing.
Pamataga: I am in the same space regarding discipline. Mine is not extreme overeating but I can not seem to break out of maintenance. It is baffling and frustrating. The only answer I know is "Keep Coming Back."

Hi Coaches/Buddies/Friends!

I just got home from work and was hoping to pop in but now DH is coming downstairs from his nap. I had a nice surprise awaiting...flowers, a card and a beautiful cutting board he finished for me. It's original maple from my childhood refinished with an addition of walnut and cherry on the ends. I guess I'd better go have some family time....

I weighed this am (up) and brought my bread/almond butter to work. Drooled over a few items but ordered fruit instead. *credit* Dinner is planned but I think I'll rest a bit first.

Beverlyjoy, I hope you're finding some relief.

everyone else!

For You: A Valentine for Anyone who sees this.
Hi Coaches

One more day until my exhibition opens.

I have my priorities set as to what I absolutely must have and then down from there. My two multi-colour prints are still wet. Wonder if they will be dry in two weeks when I need to go back home?

*credit for getting to WW for my weigh-in. Down 2.2 =266.4. Getting there. I may reach my 10% goal while I am here, and since this is an evening weigh-in and my home meeting is a morning weigh-in I expect to lose a few more just cause of that shift, so I may well also reach returning home weighing less than 260. I just have to keep going, keep tracking, keep planning, and keep avoiding food focused outings.

So very tired. I was paranoid that I had caught the other artist's heavy duty flu. We were having great chats the past few evenings but he was pretty sick. He left early this morning as he had arrived a week before I did. I hear another artist will join me in a week or so. I also hear he is quite a character. I am *really* enjoying my time here. It has totally focused my year.

Have a great night.