Well, I ruined my streak and didn't check in yesterday. Booooooooo!!!

I am fighting temptation hard right now. There is an ice cream bar here in the freezer at work that is calling my name! But if I resisted apple cider doughnuts yesterday, I think I can resist the ice cream bar tonight. *fingers crossed* I've been making myself a fruit slushie every morning when I get home and it's been helping with sweet cravings.

Tonight is my first night working with my new partner. We were hired together and both have prior experience in the South. I personally think he could be a little less vocal about things he dislikes about our new place of employment (he doesn't like being held over on what we call a "mando" (mandatory) shift), but he seems to be doing a decent job.

I haven't stepped on the scale this week b/c it's been TOM and I know how badly it affects the scales. I'll wait a few more days and then weigh in. I can feel that my clothes are looser, though. Amazing what happens when you stay on plan, huh? LOL

Just gotta get through today and Friday and then it's time for the weekend, chicks! Lexxiss, do we have a baby yet???

I wish I still got TOM and could avoid the scale. Been trying to cut carbs a bit but got attacked by frozen fries last night when Karen came over and stayed for dinner. The scale was not kind on this last day of July! So much for my July weightloss goal. However, I still have today.

There doesn't seem to be anything on my calendar today except to put out the trash. How did that happen? I could go out and garden but it's raining again - so sick of the wet. Everyone's tomato plants in the back field are brown and dying from whatever blight they get when they are wet all the time. My huge crop of yellow beans are getting rust spots. We may as well just switch to winter and get it over with! Maybe August will be sunny.

Do I sound old and grumpy? Another coffee may help. So would a vacation!

Natasha, did you resist the ice cream bar?! The apple cider donut would've been way more enticing to me too!

Ruth, that's amazing for your day, let's see how it turns out. You know how it goes with those nasty carbs showing up, just pick yourself up today and keep going!

I skipped my walk again, my shoulder spasms pretty bad the first mile or two, and I'd *really* like it to feel better! On a good note though, I made confetti salad last night for our staff meeting today. Those ladies are Way more open to different salads than my last place...and yet another reason I'm more comfortable here!

I also made a PB banana smoothie yesterday (the fruit smoothies don't hold me long) and it was stinkin' amazing, and did hold me pretty well. So guess what I'm having for breakfast today?!

Cyndi - glad Tim is okay! What a long stressful day for you, hope today lets you relax a bit.

Good morning, chicks!
Natasha, good job on the donuts and keep on checking in. My sister and I always joked that TOM was the best time to start a diet since you were guaranteed to drop a couple pounds right away. Of course, Phase I tends to do essentially the same thing.
Ruth, we are all entitled to be grumpy every so often!! My kids are referring to this as the "summer that never was" since we have had so little hot weather. So far my tomatoes are doing ok but I live on a sand bar which has good drainage. (like really a sand bar. There's a pit where they dig sand commercially a couple miles from me and I'm on the same ridge) And um, can we not go straight to winter? At least have some fall color first?
Tammy, I had the PB smoothie (no banana) for a snack yesterday. I LOVE them. Recipes like that make Phase I pretty easy.

Today I am hoping to play outside in the gardens a bit before the rain comes mid-day. Other than that, it will be more indoor niggles.

Have a good day!

Good morning.

Linda - Have a great time.

Cyndi - Glad to hear he's okay.

I have a busy day. PT this morning. Then a short conference call early afternoon with the new rep for the online program we use for our charitable foundation. Then I am going into work for a few hours. Our district manager is in town which always puts me on edge when I'm around her. Pressure to be perfect

Have a great day.

Hi Ladies:
I'm preparing to start Phase 1 again on Monday. This time around, I'm going to be more on top of eating my 2 servings of dairy and one serving of beans each day. Cheese is not something I have to be on top of myself to eat :-).

Question about beans though: I've heard that some beans interfere with thyroid function. Anyone know anything about this? Since my iodine experience, I have realized I need to stay away from those foods big time. Especially soy.

Have a great day everyone...just work and child pick up for me. Tomorrow is a summer friday (my last for this year) so I'm taking Ander into the city to see Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. in Times Square. I got a $5 off each ticket plus a free photo since I used Amex to pay. Love to get a discount!

God morning, it's so nice to see old faces popping up Everyone is catching up on sleep around here. I'm the first one up this morning. I'm also the only one heading to the coffee. Tim had a pretty good day. We spent a lot of time researching both the gastritis issue and treatments and anti-inflammatory diet. We are sure the ibuprofen caused this and the coffee aggravated it so some diet change ahead. First I'm making juice this morning - beet, carrot, parsley, and ginger. I was about to sell the juicer but those are all supposed to help settle the irritated stomach lining so we will give it a shot. I think I'll move mine to the blender and turn it into a smoothie.

Natasha -Nice to see your updates and all the good stuff going on for you.

Ruth Sorry about all the rain. We haven't had as much but it's been hard. My giant loaded tomatillo split right down the middle last time and there's no salvaging it. Hope today brightens up

Twynn - It's so nice to work with people you can share food with Sounds like the new job is really a better fit for you.

Beth - We live on sand too but the plants don't love it. I hate how often we have to water when it's hot. Is there a perfect gardening location/soil/weather?!

Karen - Hope the manager has other places to be today

Mmckellen - I've been dealing with thyroid issues for years, up and down. I have nodules so even though I also have Hashimotos my thyroid actually ran super hot two years ago. My endo wanted to do radiation but I asked her to wait. My numbers are now back in the normal range and I have no symptoms. She says she's never seen that happen. I can't claim any real expertise but I cut out all the processed soy in my diet (and there was a lot) and most of the whole soy, switched from a vegetarian diet to an ethical, locally sourced omnivore diet, and went mostly gluten free. I've created a South Beach/anti-inflammatory/paleo hybrid, not all that hard actually. I also keep an eye on my stress levels as much as possible. Not sure if any of that is useful for you. Good luck.

Okay, time to get the day moving. It was supposed to be our Women's Weekend camp-out but three people baled and then Tim got sick. Looks like it will be Just one or two good friend and me, Tim, and Cricket. I'm not up to being away with no cell service. That's probably not his health, more my own issue. Life seems to enjoy throwing my fears in front of me and forcing me to face them. Obviously that will require at least one more cup of coffee!

Good morning

just dropping in to say hello. Lots on my plate this week. Hope everyone has a nice day. Off to plug in my tablet before battery runs out
take care sophie

Cyndi, as far as gardening in our sandlot goes, the veggies survive with lots of watering. I tend to plant each one in a depression and fill a little "pool" around them with the watering can.
The perennials, I plant more of anything that lives. That means tons of daylilies (especially the fancy and re-blooming ones), yarrow, sedum, that sort of thing. If it can't take abuse, I let it die. I don't have time to baby my flowers.

Good afternoon! Monica and I just got back from a 3 mile walk by the lake across from Caite's apartment, and I thought I'd check in before we head out to meet up with Caite and Carley. Caite took Carley to work with her at her yoga studio, and we're meeting them at a coffee shop for lunch after. Madison is a delightful city, and there's so much to see and do, and it's so people friendly!

Cyndi, I'm sorry about Tim and glad he's feeling better!

Linda, I've been in Madison several times and agree that it's a friendly city.

It has rained all day again but it seems to be just in Delta. Maybe I'm imagining it?

Just registered Millie (and I) for an obedience training class starting Sunday afternoon - should be interesting!

No baby! I got the call this afternoon that I need to work tomorrow. Kirk has his TBI a summer picnic and will leave right afterwards. I'm going to try for a 10 minute nap before the picnic starts.

Cyndi, I thought I remembered you were a vegetarian before. I think a combination of stress, poor eating, and excessive soy intake (I decided to "fight" perimenopause with soy) caused me to become iodine deficient. Now that I'm inching back toward the SBD way, I need to be really careful about cruciferous vegetables, beans & legumes, and I've totally cut out soy. You probably could not pay me to eat tofu now. I'm totally comfortable eating meat and real dairy; I'm just really trying to get grass fed when I can (both milk and meat) because I've found I'm just very sensitive to hormones in food. Even naturally occuring ones, like the phytoestrogens in soy.

Good evening,

Didn't get a chance to check in today first day back of work had a ton of email to catch up.

Good to see some old faces on here.

Cyndi sorry to hear about Tim hope he is doing better today.