Allison, maybe Chico will find my Annie across the rainbow bridge. I'm sure they would bond over their common three legged status. I hope you're doing okay today.

I've calorie counted for one day and on my second day of no grapes. The scale was down 2 pounds today! I wish it was this easy! Probably helped that I did a double workout yesterday too!

Congrats Michele! How are you keeping track of calories, and are you also tracking carbs, fats, protein?

Allinnell, thinking of you all today.

Allison, my condolences too. Now that I'm a dog owner, I can empathize at a whole new level with your loss.

Still over the 130 pounds that I swore I would never see again, but at least the scale is finally trending downward on a steady 1500-1700 cal/day. I'm just hoping that this isn't yet another false hope, where I painfully lose 2 pounds ounce by ounce over 3 weeks, then bounce right back up the entire weight loss 3 days later, only to start the interminably slow slog back down again.

On a happier note, I was able to back-squat more than my body weight (did 135 pounds) for 5x5 reps, and bench 95 pounds for the same. Proud of myself for that.

Oh, Allison. Words aren't adequate for moments like this. You gave him wonderful care, devoted hours to thinking what would make him happier, and he loved you, too. I think you made the right decision to ensure that he was spared reaching the point of being dull-eyed, foggy in his mind and in great pain.

Filing away old Day Timers from 2009, 2010 and 2011, I see that my lowest weight was in 2011, before menopause hit and my period faded away, when I was more rigid in my eating habits, and also before I started taking weight training really seriously. Them's the trade-offs, apparently. My daily journal entries tell me it was once easier to cut back, re-set, and lose a temporary three-pound gain from a slight deviation in my routine meals & exercise schedule. Is that physical or is it a mental fatigue at having done this for so many years? Hard to tell.

My trip Upstate's been postponed till Monday. I'm watching weather reports all along. The Thruway tomorrow does not look like the best bet, due to the forecast of lake effect squalls; probably I'll take Route 17 up through the Southern Tier.

Meantime, I feel like I've run out of gas today. I'm not even sure I'll make it to the grocery store to unload returnable deposit bottles & cans. This is one of my periodic crashes that seem to occur when I've been busy for too long and it sends me into a near-hibernating state.

saef, for what it's worth, I'm 60, almost 7yrs since menopause, and at the lowest weight in my adult life. Back when I yo-yo dieted, I used to be able to get the weight off pretty quickly, though never quite managed to get to ideal weight. I added more and more weight after menopause and felt ever hungrier. Finally, Ideal protein taught me that my body can still melt weight away pretty fast if I pay attention to my carbs. That's what works for my metabolism but we're all experiments of one.

That's my TMI longwinded way to say that it isn't as hard as we've been led to think to get weight off as years add on. Cautiously optimistic that the same hold true for maintaining.

Enjoy your well-earned rest if you can--your muscles are probably at work regenerating & repairing themselves.

No butter or peanut butter on Saturday. Streak is 25.

A terribly busy day with little opportunity to eat. Well, I did manage three meals and two snacks but they weren't big.

I've started wondering whether I should have another streak when I reach a month or so. (Cakes, biscuits and pastries is also going just fine.) If so, what? I've found that the butter and peanut butter streak has really made all my other foibles toe the line* so perhaps I should just keep going with it.

* Don't you think this sounds like some kind of musical?

Sort of like Wizard of Oz, maybe? Cakes, biscuits, & pastries oh my!
That's an impressive streak. It sounds as if you are hitting a positive feedback loop for withstanding cravings. I'm going to give it a try--just need to decide which foible. I think you're on to something!

It's the lose it app and website. The app does keep track of those but I'm not sure what I should be aiming for? Yesterday I ate 39 g of fat, 183 g of carbs, and 71 g of protein supposedly. We ate sushi for dinner so it was a rough estimate.

I had a rough weekend - thought we were going to lose Mudpie (my cat) but she rallied. I drowned my sorrows, rather than eating. But drink gives me the munchies so there was some of that too.

Weight is 137.2 - not bad considering. This winter is proving to be the hardest of my life in a long time - thought it'd be happier but I will muddle through somehow. I am not aiming for any kind of loss now - just struggling to stay under 138.

Dagmar

allison, late . You couldn't have done any more to make that last year better for him. I know that doesn't help a bit right now.

andrea - WOW on the weights!

saef - I get the same crash after too many days of having to be full "on". I used to try to push through it but I found that the world rolls on without me if I need a day or two. It's why tea, fuzzy throws, and good books were made.

dagmar - sorry to hear Mud had a rough spell! I would have needed a drink too. This winter is taking a toll on everybody. Let's keep our eyes ahead to the renewal of spring. I was just looking at my credit card that has the highest limit and wondering how far south it could take me ... the escapist fantasies are beginning to set in.

Starting off my calorie-counting today, at 152.0. It's ON! And 2 days complete on my chips/pretzels/crackers (CPC) avoidance. Had to move my scale (along with EVERYTHING else) to the basement bathroom. I'm going from carpet to vinyl floor, and have no idea what that will do to tomorrow's reading.

Dagmar~I'm so sorry Magpie is having a hard time. I hope she continues to rally.

DH and I went to our wine women dinner last night. I think I did a good job. No appetizers (none looked too intriguing), a very yummy salad (field greens, candied walnuts, blue cheese stuffed dates and a persimmon vinaigrette), salmon for the main course (with chive mashed potatoes--too salty and baby carrots). Dessert was a lemon tart which was very good. Yes, I drank wine, but the pours were only 2-3 ounces so I didn't over do it at all, but my weight is back up. I'm blaming the salt.

I started on Saturday. I was down 2 pounds yesterday but up .2 today. Today will be day three sans grapes. I agree.... It's on!

Alinnell - continued hugs to you following your loss. Good job at the wine women dinner - for me it's incredibly hard to stay in control during times of emotional stress but you did it.

Dagmar - hang in there and hugs to you too. Sending my very best wishes for Mudpie's improvement.

Speaking of cats, my own cat (Tinker) has been fussing with her mouth recently and not wanting her dry food, though she screams for the dog's wet food until I give her some. She is a very sweet cat but now she doesn't want me examining her mouth. I managed to get a quick look and there is definitely gingivitis on the lower right, so she's going in Wednesday. Now she's eating baby food and enjoying it.

On a non-pet related note, I'm down to 137 finally. It took all month to lose less than 3 pounds with strict calorie restriction and as much exercise as I could squeeze in... but why would I be surprised? It took me 8 years to lose the initial 25 pounds -