Hi Everyone, and happy mothers' day to all those celebrating. I had a terrible sleep last night - just couldn't sleep and kept waking at the slightest noise. I'm not stressed by it as I didn't have anything I needed to be on top form for today, but I'm very sleepy and craving sweet things. We did manage to go out and walk along the local canal for an hour in the sunlight though - it's been bright and sunny but very chilly and there has been snow in the north of the country. Looking forward to a good sleep tonight and hopefully a run in the morning.
maryann That sounds like a lovely lazy day, and good for the soul! Your chicken meals all sound lovely. Congratulations to your son! Our schools finish for summer at the end of June, and go back mid August- usually 6 weeks out, but sometimes 7. So you have less than a month to go - wow, that must feel good!
karenrn, sorry to hear about the annoying walk - well done for keeping your own counsel. Also kudos for recognising that stepping on the scale right now might be counterproductive.
BillBlueEyes, I'm looking at one of my two Lilac bushes right norm and it's just starting to properly flower. One of the nicest things about being forced to spend so much time at home is that I've so enjoyed watching the garden move from winter to spring, and I'm so very grateful to have that outdoor space to use. Well done on getting the jigsaw puzzle - they're like hen's teeth round here, so hard to get a hold of.
Penny, sounds like my shopping experience was a bit better than yours, although I had to queue outside for the first time since I've been going at 8AM on a Sunday. A man decided I looked in need of a chat while standing in the queue - I'm a bit anti-social at the best of times, and sleep deprived in a cold queue is not really ideal for striking up conversation but I did my best to be polite, as I think he really needed someone to talk to and had a sad story about being made redundant as a result of Covid 19 one year shy of retiring.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday everyone!

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Belgians are being asked to eat more French fries. Their potato industry is being destroyed because much less food is being consumed out of the home where most French fries are sold. Now I have to feel guilty that I'm staying my plan instead of helping Belgium farmers with their potato problem. Plan to spend my day NOT thinking about a huge platter of hot French fries. Otherwise, eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi.

My intention to ignore DW's jigsaw puzzle, Votes for Women, lasted a few hours. She put it on a square board on the dining room table. She quickly did the outer circle. I continued to ignore it. Then she completed the centerpiece of Inez Milholland Boissevain (1886-1916) who I'd never heard of. This drove me to complete Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) who I admire and felt needed to be completed to take her rightful place. Sojourner contributed so much and now she needed me. I stepped up. While DW did Clara Shortridge Foltz (1849-1934) because her blouse and background were distinctive, I rescued Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) - the only man in the collection. After dinner, DW set a timer for 30 minutes and we mutually pledged to play that long then, mutually, move on to the rest of our life. Warning: a 500-piece puzzle can sneak into your life.


maryann - Yep, Kudos for logging it all and being self-aware. Neat that you can visit your mom on the patio.

Karen (karenrn) - Love your story of weaving crowns using lilacs and miniature roses. Congrats for keeping up with your life using online options.

Penny. - Ouch for encountering an unprotected shopping experience. Hope that you did get your white flour after all that.

ariadnestar - Hope that loss of sleep was just a one-night stand. Walking your local canal in the sunlight sounds marvelous.

Readers -

I've been feeling a bit glum and aim to pull myself out of it. I was getting very stressed out by my tire needing air and my neighbor came over and dealt with it for me. Then we spent a little time discussing the tree branch that is starting to crush his fence, and he said he would come over with a chain saw and cut it down. Mind you he is 70 and needs a knee replacement. He and his wife are so lovely and have been so wonderful thru my husband's illness and beyond. That really cheered me up to remember i am not alone.
I'm thinking of putting in an effort and having some pretty plants or light landscaping this year. Once I get back to working outside the home I'll be more tired, but it does me good to get outside and I should enjoy the yard more.
Ariadnestar: I have the same feeling at the grocery store; suddenly I am spending way more money here, especially with kid number one home! hope you slept better last night- that is hugely important to me.
Bill- one of my goals is to get the tv room picked up enough that I can have a puzzle set up and leave it there, its a nice thing to putz around with at leisure.

Good Morning, Coaches.

Yesterday was a great day. Mom looked wonderful and she had pulled out the china for the occasion. She also made me a sugar free cranberry pie for the occasion using the ingredients she had at hand since she hasn't been out of the house for three months. ( I do the shopping.) It was very cute. She loved visiting with DS.

Yesterday was still OP even though I experimented with the crust of the pie which was made of walnuts from our coop Diamond. It had a small amount of sugar (4th and 5th on the list) as did the sugar free cool whip. Many people in OA are fanatical about fifth on the list sugar or absolutely none (including any of the many names of sugar like dextrose, fructose, etc. . . ) They also eschew artificial sweetener. For me, though, and for now I am happy to experiment with what I can eat that does not start the cravings that have tormented me for so many years. Yesterday's food did not. The point of me refraining from compulsive overeating is to get back into the mainstream of life, not to switch compulsions. That being said, I will do what it takes to continue to find peace with food.

Karen: My current favorite frugal blog is the Prudent Homemaker; The best part of it is the people commenting on Monday's post. That is where I get many tips.

Off to school, so to speak.

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is holding.

I've got a bit of the blues sneaking in and my brain is too mush to engage properly.

Have a great day everyone!

Glad to have had a better sleep last night. Work was very busy today - I usually have plenty of time to complete all the tasks on my list but today the list defeated me - still, I stopped working at the usual time and returned to family life - there will be time to catch up tomorrow. It meant I spent a LOT of time sitting to day, but I did manage a run this morning, and still had time for Yoga afterwards, so felt ok about being a bit more sedentary than usual.

BillBlueEyes, I love the description of you trying to resist the jigsaw! Better to succumb to that than the (hypothetical) plate of French Fries though!
curlyjax, hooray for your lovely neighbour, and I'm glad he was able to cheer you up a little.
maryann, so glad to hear yesterday was a good day. That's interesting about the OA approach to food labels, and I think your take on it sounds very sensible. The pie sounds very interesting!
Penny, well done for an OP day, and hope your brain demushifies soon!

Have a good day!

Good afternoon coaches,

It's been a wonderful day. My friend and I drove to Prescott again today and hiked the 9 1/2 mile Groom Creek Loop Trail. It was very pretty much of the time in the trees and some of the time with soft trails like Washington has. It wasn't particularly strenuous as the elevation gain was 1500 feet over a long ways, but since it started at over 6300 feet elevation it was great not to have a ton of elevation gain. There was a nice breeze and about 20 degrees cooler than the Phoenix area. If I could just do that everyday I would be a very happy camper. Actually our weather is a bit cooler this week so I can get out for longer hike and still get home to take Otis before it gets too hot. Food was on plan yesterday and today too. Weight is inching down, but my shorts still feel snug, which I hate. I bought several new pair on sale from REI that are exactly like some I have, including the same size, but the new ones feel smaller. I really want to get to the point they are all loose and very comfortable. I will continue to work on it . . forever. My thumb is looking better today, even though I was holding my poles during the hike. I'm not looping the loop around my wrist because I think that may have contributed to the injury. I guess it's called skiers thumb and one of you may have said it. It actually is getting some wrinkles in it whereas for the last week it has been so swollen that the skin has been tight.

Ariadnestar It sounds like you're getting plenty of exercise even with a sedentary spell in the middle.
Penny I'm sorry the blues are sneaking in and I hope they sneak back out soon. I find it is more work to keep my spirits up for sure.
Maryann I'm glad you had such a nice day yesterday and that your Mom is looking so good. Thanks for the name of the site.
Curlyjax It's so nice that your sweet neighbor could help out. There are so many good people in the world. I agree getting out in the yard is good for the soul.
Bill I never met a potato that I didn't like. I don't eat fries often, but I sure have been eating more baked potatoes lately (really just half). I could really help the Belgians. I really liked the puzzle. The last one I tried to put together had such small pieces that I gave up.

Okay I'd better hop in the shower before dh gets home.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - I managed to stiff the Belgian potato farmers and stay on plan without daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Gotta admit that the image of French fries stayed with me all day. Not the image of a couple of fries snitched from DW's plate, but images of a platter of way-too-many fries that I'd eat from continuously. It's not clear to me that all of my brain is fully onboard with the notions of a healthy lifestyle.

Excitement was some time on the Votes for Women jigsaw puzzle. The joy of finding a sought after piece is pure hormonal rush - maybe the equivalent of a drug hit. It takes me a few minutes for my brain to get focused; before that it's just one big blur of a puzzle. Then I see an individual portrait, distinct colors, and unique shapes. And the game is on.

Participated in a Zoom meeting for two and a half hours in the evening that previously was held over a coffee table laden with top shelf cheeses and other goodies. Eating nothing while sitting at my barren office computer wasn't that much of a challenge. I did miss the physical contact and side conversations of the human meeting.

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maryann - Wow! That's a super-mom who will make a sugarless pie and serve it on the good china, even. Kudos for being realistic about your food plan.

Karen (karenrn) - Congrats for buying new shorts from REI to motivate you to get yourself into comfortable fitting size.

curlyjax - Yay for a good neighbor of the old-fashioned type. What a gift.ariadnestar - Both a run and yoga isn't a bad exercise day - Kudos.

Readers -

I am wayyyy too close to 180. Yesterday I wrote am instructions to myself to use one Beck card today at least- no choice- and to start my work day doing the stupid calls I've been putting off. My supervisor assigned me a project which just seems dumb and i've been growling about it, but i'm going to tackle part of it in the morning when i'm at my best, and get it done.
DD keeps asking for homemade cookies and they are way too much of a temptation to have around. For today- no choice!
Penny- I hear you on the blues. i am pulling myself out of it. I hope mine is situational and not hormonal, I feel like I don't have any control over myself when its hormonal.
Bill- It is so satisfying to find that sought after piece.
Maryann- glad you had a nice time with your mom. Sugar free cranberry pie- that must have been tart!
Ariadnestar- yay for a better nights sleep. I know what you mean about sitting too much during the day!
Karen- that hike sounds lovely. Glad your thumb is doing better. Those ski poles sound like a good idea for sure.

I joined Penny and Curleyjax with the blues yesterday. I had no sense of proportion over slights and hindrances. I cried to DH over the phone by afternoon. He did a good job with reassurances.

Food was OP but scale refuses to slip over the border to the 60s. I redouble my effort today. A beautiful rain gave me an excuse not to walk. That won’t happen today.

I took a lovely three-day break from social media. Today, I'm back to receive all the birthday wishes on my Facebook timeline. My birthday supper will be what I asked for -- grilled chicken, coleslaw, and potato salad. DH will bake brownies (he baked brownies for my birthday the year that we met), but his brownies are whole wheat, heavy on cocoa, and light on sugar.

Weigh-in: N/A kgs Exercise: +60, 535/1400 minutes for May

BillBlueEyes: My dad used to mostly ignore the jigsaw puzzles that we put on a card table for family holidays. But he had a knack for walking by, picking up the piece that you gave up trying to find twenty minutes ago, and snapping it in place.

Hi All. The scale was down a bit today, but I fear I may be on my way to undoing the good work today - I did a top-up grocery shop and there are now too many tempting treats in the kitchen! I've done all my exercise though, so that's something. I'm trying to get a hold of a spinning bike, as my folding bike is no longer challenging enough on the top resistance level, so I'm making progress there. Impossible to find a spinning bike for less than a small fortune at the minute though - I'm bidding on one on eBay, but I'm not hopeful.

BillBlueEyes Well done for staying on plan! Hope good progress is being made on the jigsaw.
curlyjax I hear you with the 'no choice' mantra - I've got to get better at using that card.
maryann, sorry to hear the blues have been hitting you too. I hope things look up soon.
gardenerjoy Happy birthday! That birthday dinner sounds a delight!

Have a good day everyone.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Made my weekly journey to the supermarket, CREDIT moi. Waited only twelve minutes outside. All but one person wore a mask. I had to wipe the shopping cart handle myself - using the spray jar and roll of paper towels sitting there for that purpose. Then felt really foolish and immediately used the sanitizer on my hand that had touched the very same bottle touched by every visitor to the store. I'm a long way from being a sterile-field nurse, LOL. Most items on my list were there. The canola oil/butter that DW likes was out in the 8 oz. size that we use; only had the 16 oz. size and olive oil/sea salt butter in the 8 oz. size. Looking like the distribution system is hitting everything in small bits and pieces. Faced abundance of bananas, strawberries, blueberries, arugula, lettuce, English cukes, baby carrots, canned pumpkin, milk, and soy milk. Meats and fish are never on my list; DW gets those on her weekly trip to Whole Foods. I thanked the checker and bagger ladies for being there; both were slightly embarrassed but acknowledged my statement. About half of my groceries get into plastic bags before I could stop them. I transfer them to my canvas bags in the trunk of my car in their parking lot. The seven plastic bags join our overflowing collection.

My contribution to the Votes for Women jigsaw puzzle was to complete Helen Keller. Don't know why she's included in a group of forty suffragettes; gotta go learn a little history.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. At lunch I served myself the right amount of tortilla chips for my cheese and carrots. However many chips I grab, I make it work out. Yesterday, I decided that I could use the minimum volume of chips and leave the rest. Almost like a magic trick from my perspective. I did that; later returned the rest to the bag. Was so impressed with my skill that I left some brown rice on my dinner plate (that was then donated to the compost). CREDIT moi for leaving food - one of Beck harder strategies for me.

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Joy (gardenerjoy) - Happy Birthday! Love that your DH made sentimental brownies for it.

maryann - Maintaining a "sense of proportion" is such a challenge.

curlyjax - Kudos for choosing NO CHOICE as your Beck card for the day and for attacking those "stupid calls."

ariadnestar - Kudos for seeking a more challenging exercise bike.

Readers -

I didn't do so well on the eating front yesterday- finished off the rest of the cookies which was emotional eating- but I did tackle some of the work calls.I have more to do but will spread them out a bit. I definitely had a day of "I'm so tired of this!!!!!" It's hard to feel grateful for what I do have all the time.
I contacted a landscaper so we'll see how long it takes for him to get back to me. And I left a message with a friend to walk on the weekend.
I am watching for the millionth time the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth. I'm not sure how true to the book's words it is, but it is visually a very fun adaptation.
Gardenerjoy- happy birthday! The birthday dinner sounds good.
Ariadnestar- that is great that your bike is no longer challenging enough! I ordered one from Amazon a year ago to use more for hip range of motion than resistance, but it definitely has that too.
Maryann and Penny- hope you're feeling better today. My blues are starting to turn towards being pissed, which isn't a great state of mind either.
Bill-yay for fresh produce. I have an abundance of paper bags- I tend to forget to bring my recylable bags in my car, i should do that.
Wave to Karen- hope you went hiking yesterday!

Good Morning, Coaches.

Yesterday was a much easier day. DH favorite saying is the sun always comes up tomorrow. True enough. I felt productive at work and not overwhelmed. Also, the virtual baby shower I have been hosting for a niece has turned a corner and received some participation. i think there are some old rivalries that were in play. Now everyone is posting their baby pictures and many have said they will join the Zoom call on Saturday. Sounds like a war not baby shower. Proportion, again, and my sponsor's old saying, "there is no excuse for bad manners" keeps running through my head. In any case, projects are getting done.

These past few days have been "below budget" as Penny would say. I excitedly ticked my counter down 1 more pound. Right on track for 57 days abstinent from sugar. I can not take for granted my time in the morning putting my food into MFP. I have begun to sit while I eat. Before, I thought by sitting while I eat, I would control my food, but it seems it is the other way around. The planning means I am not making on the fly decisions while standing. Simple ideas that I have known for years but very difficult for me to master. Credit for 3 mile walk yesterday.

Ariadnester. My friend just received her Peloton bike. She loves it but what a price tag.
BBE: Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew Helen was a suffragette.
Curleyjax: I have always heard depression is anger toward inward. Simplistic but makes sense to me. Better for me to face the outward anger than turn it on myself.
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