today, will finish up with regular exercise plus some extra back stretches; so far 2 out of 3 meals were small, healthy portions with no dessert/sugar; and plan the same for 3rd. still have to do meditation tape. definitely always good to be reminded we can do anything for just one day, amarantha! kaylets-what great bargains. arabella-that idea of yogurt treat, stevia-sweetened does sound good. i sound like i cook and know what i'm talking about when i say that, though (lol!), and i really don't. only make very basic, simple kinds of meals, actually. eydie-your cooking ideas always sound so delicious too. i actually do have some good cookbooks so don't have too much of an excuse not to get more adventurous. maybe i will just break down after all and try to make a few items which have sounded good to me. i will experiment on some brave friends, and see how things go. one other element which i plan to add to my food plan in general, in addition to remaining as sugar-free as possible, is to eat less red meat. i don't eat that much of it as it is, but i lean more towards vegetarian meals automatically anyway, and now plan to make more of a concerted effort in that direction.

Hello all!
The dreaded Monday after the holiday is upon us....
Trying to ignore the clutching stomach feeling .... Its worse for DH than me anyway, he took the entire week off ( but really how much damage could be done in 3 days) and for me.... its just the idea that I had 4 days in a row and didnt get as much done as could have..... but ....

Its FORWARD! FORWARD! FORWARD! I say... not to look back, not to feel guilt, not to dwell and wonder!!

*******
This is a classic that most of you might have seen but is perfect for Monday after the holiday.....


Thought of the day:

Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure.

Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, "I love you and I wish you enough". The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom".

They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?". "Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?".

"I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?". She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone".

She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough', we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them".

Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

'I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.'

She then began to cry and walked away. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Send this to the people you will never forget. If you don't send it to anyone it may mean that you are in such a hurry that you have forgotten your friends.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE.....

To all my friends and loved ones,

I WISH YOU ENOUGH

**********


HERE WE GO MONDAY!


Just today, all we have to do is today! I like that Empress!

Hello to all!

KETTLE IS ON!

"Just today, all we have to do is today! I like that Empress!" ~ Queen Kaylets!!!!!

Too right, Kaylets! I like your Thought o' the Day story and your 'HERE WE GO MONDAY' attitude! Thanks for the reminder that we can DO ANYTHING ONE DAY AT A TIME!

MONDAY Emergency Challenge!!! A GIFT to myself!
 

Yo, or should I say, "Ho!" As in "ho, ho, ho" ... it's almost Christmas ... or Winter Solstice, whichever floats thy boat. Jolly Elf Empress Amarantha hath been ruminatin' that this EMERGENCY DAY AT A TIME CHALLENGE was begun with only the long weekend in mind, but the thought now, for Elf Amarantha, is that, well, the DAY-BY-DAY reversal o' this state o' physical emergencyness (Will Robinson) has to go on if the Winter Solstice, to be followed by Santa Day, to be followed by, you guessed it, 2006, is appropriate.

So, reminding meself that this is the first day o' the rest o' my life in 2005 and that I don't WANT any depressin' weight/mind/bod surprises come the first day o' 2006, here's my FIRST DAY O' THE REST O' MY LIFE MONDAY CHALLENGE, one day only, and I can do anything for one day, right!

TODAY, FOR ONE DAY ONLY, I WILL PLEDGE TO EAT IN THE 1600s AND I WILL EAT NO REFINED SUGAR (except orange juice).

I will return to this thread to report on the results of this challenge.

This is my one-day Monday gift to myself. I don't need a reward.

Anyone else with a gift to themselves of a ONE DAY MONDAY CHALLENGE?

:gift2: :gift2: :gift2: :gift2: :gift2: :gift2: :gift2:

Fly-by report: Did almost perfectly yesterday (ate sitting on couch watching movie, but first contracted with self to legislate eating only same amount as would eat at table). Today's challenge (getting a sloooow start) is to walk to gym and do weights, do yoga, either tai chi or qi qong. Meditate. Same food/water plan.

Let's hit it!

Originally Posted by Arabella:
Fly-by report: Did almost perfectly yesterday (ate sitting on couch watching movie, but first contracted with self to legislate eating only same amount as would eat at table). Today's challenge (getting a sloooow start) is to walk to gym and do weights, do yoga, either tai chi or qi qong. Meditate. Same food/water plan.

Let's hit it!

Great work, Arabella!!! Love the way you contract and legislate with self!!!

Yeppers, we're hittin' the ground running, here, pards!!!

A day at a time! :carrot:

Sunday--November 27
 

coffee w/ 1/2 and 1/2
ww tortilla w/ spinach and cheese
whipped cauliflower

chocolate-spirulina patty
1 rice ball

4 ww crackers w/ cashew butter
seitan-veg. stew
2 ww fruit-sweet. fig bars

2 ww / horseradish cheddar and ff cheese
clementine

water: 7 glasses
calories: 1485
exercise: 20 min. yoga
15 min. Pilates

finished up challenge yesterday on target, and today as well. no sugar/dessert; small healthy portions, exercised, and meditation tape. lost 2 lbs. this past week--finally!

HEllo all!

Dragged myself sheepish and full of excuses to the monthly weighin....
Couldnt force myself to stay for the meeting... officially at 150 lbs per their scale, evening, fully dressed.... translation.... at the most I;m really 3lbs less....which is still up above my goal weight...

SO>>>>

JUST FOR TODAY!!!

Here we go Tuesday, here we go!!


****

Thought of the day :

"Luck effects everything. Let your hook always be cast;
In the stream where you least expect it there will be a fish."
Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)


Question of the day :

"What's more important, skill or luck?"

****

KETTLE IS ON!

will keep same goals for today. for now, i'm keeping it as simple as possible. amarantha, hope that nasty flu is now a thing of the past for you! have a good morning, all.

:balloons: Hello everyone!
Is this challenge (that I just found, by the way!) still going?
Count me in:
Yesterday ~ 1705 calories (anything below 2000 is a victory :lol:
Today ~ I plan to eat only when hungry and I have a difficult day so far (stress!) and it is not getting better!