Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan, back on the lower calorie plan, and weight is holding.

Nobody ate the soup in last weeks mealplan so I am having large bowls of it for breakfast to finish it up. It feels like a healthy start to the day.

Beth, credit for sticking to plan, and excellent that dh is willing to make some changes to make things easier for you.

Maryann, kudos for day 3 op. You've got this!

Karen, that's great you can cut down the heat with the instant pot. I saw there was some rain in Phoenix yesterday.

Joy, food at home is always a good idea. Credit for planning ahead.

Bill, kudos for missing out on fries. Dgd is a good diet support!

Good morning coaches,

The good news is that I have written my plan and I'm ready to be back at it. Actually I was on pretty close to on plan yesterday too. Sometimes when I have an off day or two I think I'll just be gaining weight and gaining weight. I really do know better by now. I usually rein it back in pretty quickly. I think the best thing I do for myself anymore is to just not beat myself up for a little off plan eating. I'm listening to a FB live for my Phit n Phat group and I'll be heading to the gym as soon as it's over. I'm listening to a book that is not very good, but I will listen while I'm on the elliptical.

Penny Yes, we finally had some thunder, lightning and rain last night. I think we had close to an inch of rain. They're calling it the "Nonsoon" this year because there has been so little rain. It's hot and humid here this morning.
Maryann I hope your streak is just beginning. Good job!
Bill I'm not sure I'd have the energy to take care of a little one day after day.
Beth Thank goodness some days are easy.

I have a bunch of writing to today, some of it unexpected. That's the sort of thing that makes me hungry in a "let's procrastinate" sort of way. I'll avoid that with a generous plan that I follow completely and lots of water. And, by getting some support in the form of beta-readers along the way. There are plenty of people who can help me with this and I'm going to let them.

Exercise: +40, 1000/1100 minutes for August

Diet Coaches/Buddies - The third day this week with the (3.5 yo) DGD. She's a happy kid. Happy with us when she's consuming two full-time adults as her servants. Spent several hours at the Discovery Museum. It's an upscale place; doesn't show the wear that museums in the city show. Everything worked beautifully and with precision. Then we viewed all the animals at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary. It's a working farm. The animals leave "to market." Kids aren't told what that means, LOL. We bought two perfect watermelons and tried to buy their harvested-today eggs. The eggs were sold out, "They go quickly to the folks around here." Then an hour at a playground near her home to finish wearing her out. We dropped her home with a stack of drawings, paintings, and colleges - all on poster sized paper. Not my problem what her mom does with it all. I clearly remember accumulating that from my two kids.

Eating was OK, CREDIT moi. Not much opportunity to snack when on the move. Dinner of gazpacho on the patio. We're slowly working down our windowsill full of tomatoes from our garden. Big surprise: the CD that I ordered on Tuesday morning to replace the one she stuck into the dashboard of our car arrived in the mail on Wednesday. That's less than 48 hours. Sometimes the USPS works wonders.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - I recognize that hunger from procrastination. Kudos for knowing that you can get help with your task.

maryann - Kudos for using a Louise Penny mystery instead of food.

Karen (karenrn) - LOL that you'll listen to a book on the elliptical since it's not very good. There's a good story that you might appreciate of use of a PLB (personal locator beacon) with an SOS button while hiking in a post over on the Living Maintenance Forum.

Penny. - Love the notion of soup for breakfast. When we visited China, breakfast had many veggies.

Readers -

I’m back home after a lovely break. I stayed at a place in Maine that was right on the beach. A friend from years ago joined me and we had a great time laughing and catching up. The food was buffet and I way overdid it; the last evening was homemade baklava, which is a treat. I definitely got into that “getting my money’s worth” mentality. Ah well, its over and now I can return to sensible eating.
It does feel like fall (which I am ready for!) and my skin is already getting dry. Do any of you ladies have a good face moisturizer without fragrance? I use neutrogena but I think I need something better.
Maryann- I love Louise Penny! I think I liked the first few books the best.
Karen- I signed up for a few PnP emails. I do like her talking style, very fun.

Credit for another day OP. Excited about the weekend even though today’s tests will have to be graded.

Hypnotist did some work around secret eating shame as a kid. I am interested to see if the practice helps. Plus I have acupuncturist today.

Welcome back Curleyjax: So far the book is a disappointment but I am only 20% in. I’ll let you know.

Good morning coaches,

Yesterday was an on plan day in every way and I am going to do the same today. My plan is written and I'll be heading for the gym soon. Otis even decided to take a nice walk this morning. He only put the brakes on once when he heard a garbage truck in the distance. I swear his hearing is so good. I'm going to see the movie Brittany Runs a Marathon. It looks like it will be good. Our weather continues to be hot, but when I looked at the 10 day forecast there is finally a low temp that is under 80. I told dh I will get out and hike again once it is under 80 in the early morning. I do look forward to that. Going to the gym helps, but I would rather be outside for sure.

Curlyjax I like the PNP. If you can get over the swearing and some of the grammar she is really helpful. I like the fact that it isn't any special food plan, just what we choose. As we all know our problems are in our heads and our thoughts can be changed.
Bill I read the story in the Maintenance Forum. I actually do read that forum occasionally and even posted there once in a while years ago, but there are so few folks anymore. She has the same In-reach device I have. It really does ease my mind to have it and dh's as well.
What a nice day you had with dgd. You are all fortunate to have each other.
GardenerJoy Oh yes how well I know that procrastination eating. How did it go?

Waving to Penny and Maryann!

As it turned out, procrastination wasn't my problem yesterday -- it was fatigue. My generous plan got over-generous. The worst part was that it impacted my sleep last night, which sets me up for more fatigue today. Sigh.

To get out of that vicious cycle before it takes hold, I've got a reasonable plan today and I'm reminding myself that food doesn't fix tired.

Exercise: +30, 1030/1100 minutes for August

curlyjax: I buy skin care products from a boutique in the next town downriver from where I grew up. Fortunately, they do mail order. Here's the facial moisturizer I use: https://www.beenaturals.com/product/...facial-nectar/

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is down a micro-smidge.

Joy, I hope the writing tasks were not too much trouble.

Karen, excellent that you get to the gym regularly. I need to get back for some strength training.

Bill, I bet today will be a low key, relaxing day for both you/dw and DGD, to recover.

Curly, I'm glad it was a nice vacation, and you still get a couple days off at home to recover.

Maryann, credit for staying on plan. You broke the three day record!

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Standard trip to the supermarket. CREDIT moi for just doing what has to be done. I bought too many blueberries. Later, DW went to another supermarket and found blueberries at a very good price. So she bought too many, also. I'll have a full pint with my cereal this morning. A glorious way to end August.

Tomato sandwich for lunch. Grilled salmon on the patio for dinner - wearing only a Polo shirt. Life is good.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yep, gotta get out of the fatigue cycle. Especially remembering, "food doesn't fix tired."

maryann - Welcome to the weekend - even with tests to be graded.

Karen (karenrn) - I get such a kick hearing Otis stories. Hard to imagine having hearing as good as a dog.

curlyjax - Neat to be on the beach in Maine. Did you do lobsters?

Penny. - Yep, DW and I spent the day recovering from the DGD. Makes me appreciate you parents who don't get to send them home.

Readers -

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is down another micro-smidge. Dh, the 12yo and I walked to the store with the dogs in the dog stroller. Dh waited out front with the dogs and we used the too small basket on the stroller for a few bags of groceries.

Today I plan on trying out sourdough bread making for the second time with newly purchased banneton proofing baskets. And I'm going to try making simit, a Turkish bagel.

Too bad I blew most of my calories with breakfast! Lol

Bill, trying not to imagine you eating dinner on the patio in just your polo.

quick wave. i had a lovely massage to start the day- the rest will be work! errands to help get DD packed up for college, clean up house etc, then tomorrow moving her in. maybe i'll see that movie on Monday Karen, it sounds really fun. I wouldn't know the movies that are out if it weren't for you!
Penny- you are making me laugh with that vision of Bill! He must be blushing

I have a question mark for my lunch plan today. I want to leave some options open about where I eat and who I eat with. The what, though, will be a salad if it's a possibility or a veggie-rich plate if that's the best option.

Credit for getting myself in easy reach of my exercise goal for the month.

Exercise: +40, 1070/1100 minutes for August

Good Morning, Coaches.

I have the luxury of posting with my laptop today. Weekday mornings are too rushed so I post from my iphone.

Another OP day in the books. Weight is at ticker. This is where I was at the beginning of last weekend. I now have the opportunity to "microsmidge down" as Penny would say. Once through the weekend, I seem to be able to lose a pound or two. It helps to be so distracted and busy. That is the good and bad of teaching. We don't hang around and chat. We barely have enough time between classes to use the restroom.

I had the acupuncturist treatment yesterday for plantars fasciitis and sugar addiction. The needles in the ear lobes and feet did prick but I was able to rest comfortably for about 45 minutes. I do think the heel pain felt better when I left. We will see about the sugar cravings. I will play my hypnosis tape everyday until Thursday as suggested. If I am going to invest my money I want to make it worthwhile. The acupuncturist is free through my insurance.

Exercise will be the gym today. I should head up to the mountains and hike but I don't want to get into the three day traffic. I will totally hang out today. That could mean anything from doing a little mending to working on my book to watching a video. I love having no plans.

BBE: I have two big blueberry containers in my fridge. They are super sweet. Still working on the nectarines. Plus I have two watermelon to cut that grew from some forgotten seeds on the corner of one of our fields. We do not take our fresh fruit for granted.
Curleyjax: good look with your errands. I bet it feels good when you get them done.
Gardenerjoy: veggies are always the right choices.
Penny: Super fun to grocery shop without a car. I have always wanted to live in a place where I could do it.

Good afternoon coaches,

Not very often that I post in the afternoon. I have had a couple of good on plan days and today is another one. I got together with a few others who are in Phit n Phat this morning. It's a regular Saturday morning thing and I find it much more helpful than the WW meetings used to be. We actually each speak and there is a loose format for giving ourselves credit for our wins, naming our struggles and then our goals for the coming week. Sometimes I need less to stay focused and sometimes I need more. After that I did some grocery shopping and then dh and I spent a little time in the pool and visiting to catch up on the week.

Maryann I hope to micro smidge down with you and Penny. Enjoy your day of having no plans. I don't blame you for not wanting to head out in Labor Day weekend traffic. I'm not crazy about the gym, but it's great to have it available.
GardenerJoy Yep, your exercise goal is a done deal. You are so good about setting a goal and following through.
Curlyjax DD's summer vacation went quickly for me. How is she liking school? Is she looking forward to going back?
Penny I can't wait to hear how the sourdough bread turns out. I love sourdough bread.
Bill I am envious of weather that is comfortable enough to sit outside for dinner. Soon . . . well in a couple of months.