The governor released his plan for slowly opening the state, and it does include hair salons starting next week, yay! I know what you mean about curly hair Gardenerjoy but I am going to try to get my hair hair colored/highlighted when I can. I have enjoyed the different look even though i'm setting myself up for pricey maintenance for a bit.
I'm also very happy to hear about churches re-opening, although I think ours is going to take its time as we have a lot of elders. Plus the idea of opening up at 40% occupancy-I don't know how well that is going to fly if you're the type of church that only meets once a week, or how to reinforce that; seems very unchurchy.
I got my tire fixed yesterday- there was a nail in it. Very relieved to have that dealt with.
Karen- I was so glad to hear about vaccine progressing too. Yesterday I was in such a good mood, hearing about re-opening. We all just need a little boost now.
Bill- I confess I have nice memories of the Babar books when I was little: its the illustrations I remember, and the foreign ness of it as the creator was French.
Penny-rain every day is where we were for awhile. Now it is gorgeous for a few day, and my lawn does look good from all the rain.
Maryann-yay for scale in the 60s and continued no sugar, that is great!

Walked in the rain yesterday evening. Since California is officially in a drought I thought it might be my only chance. It was delightful. Next week starts the 90 plus degrees which are much less delightful.

OP yesterday. I am grateful. I am listening to a new book, How Not to Diet. I think a few of you have mentioned it. Just my kind of book with lots of research and little hype.

Wave to all.

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday and I forgot to get on the scale today until after I had coffee so it will be tomorrow. I didn't feel like getting out for a hike this morning, but I did take Otis for a walk. He did well and we saw some friendly dogs he could say hello to. Now I've got some laundry going, caught up the last couple of days on the paperwork/checkbook and I'll do a little planning including a to do list for the day. One of the things I'm doing is washing all the indoor shutters. My goal is just one room a day so that it doesn't take long. I've done three sets so far. They are white painted plantation shutters and it's embarrassing to say that I can see the difference after they've been washed. I'll figure out some other housework to do also and I plan to get going on some reading.

Curlyjax I'm so glad the tire was an easy fix. The church I attend (although sporadically) has a Saturday evening and two Sunday morning services at 3 campuses. This last bit while they've been closed they've had online church. I'm thinking that is probably a lot less time consuming for them as they can tape it on Saturday evening and then be done for all campuses. That is probably not their goal though. I think they were going to make an announcement this week about how they will handle reopening.
Bill That is an interesting Zoom meeting. Was it just informal with a group of friends? I feel the same way you do about feeling too young to have this apply to me, but I sure want things ready for my family.
GardenerJoy I'm amazed at how long you can go between grocery visits. I was worried about how it would be at our stores too, especially being in the wild west with a Republican governor, but people have been very good about masks and distancing.
Penny If there was any way I could send some sunshine and warmth to you I would. Would you send a little rain and cool my way?
Maryann Sushi sounds wonderful. It has been too long since I've had some. I'm glad you had a good weekend with your Mom and your avoidance of sugar is terrific. Sedona was beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our hike and gave ourselves a lot of credit for working hard so we can continue the tough hikes. We drove through Cottonwood and around the back way cause Sedona has gotten so commercialized and busy. It might not have been bad during this time though. The blue skies and red rocks really contribute to some nice photos too.

I'm going to make savory bread pudding today, using various ends and pieces that I froze. We're at the season of the year where fresh bread can only stay in the bread box for three or four days after its baked. In the winter, it just dries out (and makes good toast). In the spring and summer, it molds (and makes disgusting compost).

I'm planning to put a little more energy into exercise today. I got to the half-way point around mid-month, but I have had a couple of light days and I'm falling behind schedule. Also, my sleep and mood improve when I get more exercise during the day. For me, it seems to work especially well if some of that exercise happens in the late afternoon.

Weigh-in: N/A kgs Exercise: +25, 775/1400 minutes for May

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Walked, CREDIT moi, around some back streets to see what I could see. Found an old house in need of paint with a much loved small garden in the front yard. No obvious signs of money spent, just time and care. Also found the condo that I'd seen the ad for $2.8M. Only attractive part was a 40 amp Juicebox electric vehicle charging station for each of the two condos in the building. Kinda upscale charging station by my (electric vehicle owner's) taste, but an outrageous price for the condo.

Had a peanut butter and banana on toasted whole wheat bread ends sandwich for lunch, CREDIT moi for eating well. Was all done when I finally remembered that I'd forgotten the toasted pecans. Will have to have another real soon now. On plan eating day with no daytime snacks.

Shopping went well at 7:15am. No line to get in the store. When I left at 7:45am there was about a ten-minute line. The store had everything on my list. In current times, there are less displays blocking the aisles with junk food; makes shopping much easier for me.
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Joy (gardenerjoy) - We have that same moldy bread issue around here. I'm the family hero since I like toasted bread - even toasted, previously frozen, not-so-fresh bread.

maryann - Walking in the rain is just the best. How Not to Diet looks interesting. Same author, Michael Greger, has a book How Not to Die. Confusing.

Karen (karenrn) - Neat when a chore has visible results. The group of friends know each other from a different context where the conversation had started without time to complete it. So we just had a plans discussion. Never done that before.

curlyjax - Yep, Governor Baker's plan to open Massachusetts in phases is very welcomed: sane, rational, makes sense, gives lots of responsibility to the businesses to follow guidelines. The way government should work. Also agree, "seems very unchurchy" even if you've added a word to the vocabulary.

Penny. - Waving. Sending cheerful thoughts.

Readers -

Quote:
chapter 1 Begin a New Way of Life

On the Beck Diet for Life Program . . .

Many dieters tell me that they can't lose weight because they have a slow metabolism, that they eat relatively little but still can't lose weight. As it turns out, they rarely have a medical problem that impedes weight loss. But they do have thinking problems. For example, they think they should restrict themselves severely to lose weight quickly (not realizing that their bodies will rebel and that they will then overeat). Dieters think that somehow calories don't count if they eat while standing up, cooking, or clearing the table, or when no one is watching.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 16.

Another beautiful sunny day here; cool nights and mornings, just how the weather should be. The sun gets me instantly happy when I wake up, probably because we had so much rain and gloom for awhile. Hope the weather is better where you are Penny!
I called the landscape folks and hope to hear back from them soon. I resolve to spend more time outside this summer and doing some kind of gardening. My supervisor said I shouldn't plan on seeing my older folks in person until at least July, so at least I'll have more time at home during the day.
I'm not doing a good job eating but I am getting a walk in every day as well as my morning stretches, so there is that.
Bill- that is a crazy price for a condo, it must be huge and full of the latest gizmos.
Gardenerjoy- smart to freeze the leftover pieces of bread. home made bread is so good, you don't want to waste any of it.
Maryann- rain is delightful when you don't get much of it for sure. Woo, I would not be ready for 90 degrees!
Karen-ah yes, white shows up dirt and dust so much. I haven't washed my windows in eons, but the last time I did, I discovered it was the screens were rusty and really need to be replaced. It's on the list! Glad Otis has some friendly doggie friends around

OP yesterday. Weight is down another pound. I am very grateful. Credit for buying lots of fruits and veggies at the store yesterday. I have to go to another store today to fill in a few things( such is the life of shopping at Sam’s)

I finished Indigo Girl with book club. It was ok. Interesting historical fiction. Just ok plot. We are starting The Book of Longing which I am excited about. In between chewing on a little “junk food” Jame Rollins. If I don’t eat it, I can read it

Karen: looking forward to hiking in Tahoe as soon as the snow clears. We were going to check it out next Sunday.

Have a good Wednesday.

My bread pudding turned out well. I was inspired by pizza flavors--red pepper flakes, oregano, a little more salt than usual, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes. DH really appreciated it since pizza is no longer on our menu because he gave up dairy. We've been a little bored with our food (a downside to shopping every two weeks from, essentially, the same grocery list for the same repertoire of meals), so it was nice to have something with a different flavor profile for a change.

Oh, I forgot to report on our successful use of the dough kneading machine. It works! I figured out that DH was putting off the first use because he had it in his head that the first loaf had to be worth the price. Ha! I helped him re-frame that it was the 1000th loaf and beyond that started making it worth the price and he got on board with making the first of 1000. We still have lots to learn about making good bread structure, but that sourdough flavor is another excellent addition to our shelter-in-place taste profile.

Weigh-in: N/A kgs Exercise: +50, 825/1400 minutes for May

BillBlueEyes: On our walk yesterday, we saw a yard crew clearing weedy shrubs and mulching the front beds of a house that just went on the market for $1M. We figure the dark fresh mulch was enough curb appeal to account for $100K of that asking price and wondered if the yard crew underbid the job in those circumstances.

maryann: I definitely use "junky" reading to counteract desires for "junky" food. I can devour J.D. Robb books like I used to eat potato chips and feel good that it's so much healthier for me.

curlyjax: Very little sun in my part of the midwest, yet, but I'm glad you're getting some! I managed to catch the few minutes of weak sunshine that we had yesterday so I could look out the window and appreciate how green the landscape is given all the rain we've been getting. DH looks out and notices he needs to mow again -- LOL!

Good morning!

Yesterday was way off plan. My son's birthday food choices were waffles for breakfast and lasagna for dinner. I was going to stick with my 15 bean soup but a small tasting portion of lasagna lead to a large food addict portion.

Good afternoon coaches,

I had a sweet yesterday that I hadn't planned for, but so far the scale didn't notice too much. Today has been fine and my friend and I did a 9+ mile hike here in the preserve this morning. It was cooler today again so we could do a long one, but we did start before 5:30. The desert isn't pretty anymore. It's very brown. The only thing still pretty are the blooming saguaro and I really like the big rocks in some of the areas, like the area where we hiked today. I tried to walk Otis when I got home, but I think he's still tired from the groomer's and the first time we went out the street sweeper was coming down the street, which meant a big fat no. Anyway, I decided to let him take the day off. I woke up at 2 a.m. myself, so I took a short nap with him.

Penny I would have been right with you having a big piece of lasagna. I love it and consider it a huge treat.
GardenerJoy Your bread pudding sounds delicious too. Dh and I watched a little too much of the food channel last weekend and I think I might need some Italian type food. I'm glad the kneading machine did a good job.
Maryann Hiking in the Tahoe area sounds great. I will always remember my hike to Mt. Rose and the woman who told me not to worry about if I ran into a Mountain Lion, I would be gone before I knew it. I actually have Dr. Greger's other book, How Not to Die and listened to How Not to Diet. I also like to listen to some of his podcasts on Nutritionfacts.
Curlyjax I'm glad you're enjoying the sunshine. Getting some walks and your stretches are both good things.
Bill What is the size of the expensive condo? I'm just amazed at the cost of real estate and there are some very pricey places around here, but most of them are very large. It amazes me that some people can afford these homes, up to $10 or more million and from what I hear most of them have a number of other homes too. Crazy!

Well, I hear our governor speaking on tv, so I guess I'd better go take a listen. Take care all of you.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - The $2.8M Condo (with a bunch of pictures) is 3726 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, on three floors and a full basement. The full basement is counted in the square feet; there is no space allocated to collect junk or flower pots or outdoor furniture over the winter. It's bigger than I had thought but counting the (about) 800 square feet of basement exaggerates the size - the size of unfinished basements is never counted around here.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was fresh scallops sautéed with parmesan-cheese Panko bread crumbs - a new recipe. DW got them on a super sale of $12 per pound; she refuses to pay the $30+ per pound that they can cost here. Walked, CREDIT moi, around a small section of town where the old working-class two-families are all being upgraded to pricy condos. Guess that's happening a bunch and I need to quit grousing about it.
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Joy (gardenerjoy) - So funny to think of $100K of the house price due to curb appeal of dark bark mulch. Around here, the professional landscapers put tons of dark mulch everywhere. Looks neat the first couple of times it's encountered; then looks like a coverup. At Harvard University, just before graduation weekend, they spray a green "fertilizer" over all the bare or poorly grassed areas. It looks like a coverup to be sure, but gives the impression of plush. Congrats on moving forward with your bread dough mixer.

maryann - LOL at “junk food” reading - good phrase.

Karen (karenrn) - Glad to hear that Otis is trimmed. Did you get your own appointment? I always laugh at your poor pup being afraid of the street sweeper.

curlyjax - Sure hope the summer has good weather for gardening since folks might not have many other places to go. Your old folks customers must be feeling a bit lonely without your in-person visits.

Penny. - Kudos for taking care of your son's birthday eating wishes. Pasta is certainly a challenge. Sending supportive thoughts for getting back on your own plan.

Readers -

Good Morning, Coaches.

Thanks BBE for putting the real estate link in. I love looking at those things. I wonder why it is called a townhome if it is not attached to another residence? Or is it and I didn't see it. Is it close to the subway?
Karen: I am enjoying the How Not To Diet. I was thinking of you keeping so physically active during retirement. You make such a conscience effort. It is terrific. Yesterday I did my work until 3:00 and then watched tv reruns all night. It was not a shining decision. I don't want that to be my retirement. My physical therapist says people with desk jobs lose years off their lives from sitting around. I am grateful for not having one of those - until these last two months off course.
gardenerjoy: About 17 years ago I bought the most outrageously priced rice cooker EVER! I think is was $134. It was sleek and smallish. I have used it once or twice a week and love it every time. It was less than the price of two sushi dinners for us. A good appliance is worth its weight in gold. I feel the same about my Vitamix.
Penny: I hear you about those remorseful morning afters.Food addiction is demoralizing. I just listen to the research that polled a 57 formerly morbidly obese people who would chose any other disability (amputation, cancer, blindness) rather than not being normal weight.

Today, I will exercise. I must move more. It has been two days of no exercise. Yesterday's fun was to select every type of apple at the store. I am going to taste test for the best this week. So far, a newcomer is winner - the "sugarbee" has beaten the "envy"

I didn't weigh around my birthday because I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself and, as usual, it took a while to get back to it. Turns out, things are going fine and I might be better off collecting this data more often so that I fret less.

A big exercise day probably helped.

Weigh-in: -0.75 kgs (since May 5) Exercise: +80, 905/1400 minutes for May

Good morning coaches,

I took my first hike with 20 pounds in my backpack this morning up to Bell Pass and back which is about 7 1/2 miles. It was just fine and the main thing I thought of is that it sure is easier without the 20 pounds. My weight is currently in the high 140's and I would like it to be in the mid 130's. That would make a difference for backpacking. Of course it would make a difference in my clothing too. I know what I need to do to get there which is mainly to reduce my portions sizes. I have almost 3 months until my backpacking trip and my hope is to wear the backpack at least twice a week and increase the weight a bit every two weeks. I'll let you know how it goes.

GardenerJoy That's super that you are seeing lower numbers on the scale.
Maryann It is easy to do the hiking since I love it, have plenty of time and most of the year very good weather as well. I feel certain that you will continue to stay active, especially once you are retired. I know how easy it is to think that won't be the case though with a couple of days off.
Thanks for sharing the name of your new favorite apple.
Bill I enjoyed the photos of the condo too. Yes, where will they be storing things? The scallops sounds delicious. Dh doesn't really like fish or shellfish even though he practically lived on the Washington coast growing up. I need to remember that I do and buy it for myself sometimes.
Waving to Penny!

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan. I forgot to stop and weigh but I'm sure it is holding.

My son has an eye appointment today for new glasses and it will be his first outing in more than two months. He's my depressed kid (16) who has refused all my attempts to get him to go out for a bike ride or anything. He hasn't really spoken to me since starting and then quitting college. It's been tough and wearing me down.

We will wear our homemade masks and I'm curious how they will deal with trying on glasses.

Maryann, interesting about the desk job. That would be my dh. We are both very sedentary. I've never heard of either of those types of apples, there must be so many types.

Karen, credit for hiking with the weighted back pack. You'll be ready in no time!

Bill, that is a surprising condo. I expect an apartment in a large building when I read condo. It looks like a house. Credit for continuing your on plan eating and avoiding the snacks.

Joy, I'm glad to know the mixer works well! That thing looks so cool.

Curly, how is your dad doing? I don't know why I am suddenly wondering about your dad,but I am. Lol

Waving at Millie and Ariadnestar!