This is my official "hello" to SUMMER! I will use this new season to concentrate on my weight loss program. There's always been something needing me first that was "more important" ... but this summer will be all about me.

In this journal I will record my daily food and exercise as well as any other thoughts that strike me as important. I want to see how much change I can bring about by following a dedicated program for 3 months. My goals are to stay between 1200 and 1500 calories per day with no more than 30 grams of fat per day. The first two weeks I will walk a minimum of 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

Here are today's food totals. I did not walk today.

Total Calories = 1273
Fat Grams = 23

Breakfast - 8 AM
1/2 cantaloupe
4 oz egg white
mixed veggies stirred into the egg whites
1 slice Italian bread

Lunch - 12 Noon
3 oz grilled chicken breast
4 cups popcorn
Diet Coke

Snack - 3 PM
1 slice Whole Wheat toast
1 oz turkey breast
mustard
small peach

Dinner - 6 PM
4 oz center cut loin pork chop
1 small baked potato
broccoli with lemon juice
Turkey Hill ff sf chocolate ice cream
Lite Cool Whip

:o

Hi Jean,

Just stopped by to make sure I was able to read about your SUMMER SUCCESSES .... have and make it a great evening. I am as always, Monica

Love your new title Jean and you deserve to make every day about yourself first, we all do. I'm so glad you're dedicating three months to health, you'll build a good foundation for the rest of the year. And we could all learn a bit from you with meals like you ate today. Wow! Heck, I'm gonna start planning my next week's meals based on what you eat this week, lol. Congratulations and good luck, my friend.

Thank you Monica and Sue for your visits ... I appreciate the company!

Sue, I'm glad you like my menus. I tend to eat simple foods and many of the same foods day after day. The sameness does not bother me.

I walked this morning with the kids for about half an hour. Weather was beautiful. Demetri found every little stick and stone fascinating so our progress was slow ... but at least we were out and moving.

Here is my food for today ... again it went well.

Total Calories = 1183
Fat Grams = 26

Breakfast - 8 AM
1/2 cantaloupe
4 oz egg white
1 oz part-skim mozz string cheese
1 slice whole wheat bread

Snack - 10:30 AM
3/4 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup cheerios

Lunch - 1 PM
1.5 oz turkey breast
1 slice Italian bread
mustard
small peach
Diet Coke

Dinner - 6 PM
4 oz center cut loin pork chop
1 small baked potato
steamed broccoli
Turkey Hill ff sf chocolate ice cream
Lite Cool Whip

:o

Nice new journal, Sweet Jean. Just take it all a day at a time, and enjoy life along the way.

Today was another great day! I went to bed early last night and was up earlier than usual ... so I took my walk by myself as soon as I was dressed. It was so cool out and breezy. I loved it.

Here is my food for today:

Total calories = 1327
Fat grams = 24

Breakfast - 8 AM
2 cups Watermelon
4 oz egg white omelet with mixed veggies
1 slice whole wheat toast

Snack - 10:30 AM
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup cheerios

Lunch - 12:30 PM
1 slice whole wheat toast
1.5 oz turkey breast
mustard
2 cups fresh fruit cup with cantaloupe, banana, and
nectarine

Dinner - 6 PM
5 oz roast chicken ... no skin
1 cup couscous with small amt of olive oil
1 Tablespoon cranberry sauce
2 Diet Cokes

JoJo, thanks for stopping in for a visit. You are a wonderful example of how to enjoy life day by day ... I am trying to do as you do!

See you all tomorrow. PS ... my scale is once again at 170! For many weeks gone by, with all my bad eating, it had been going back up. Once again I am back DOWN a full TEN pounds. Now I'm working on my SECOND TEN POUNDS!!

:o

Love your new journal Jean... Love your menus..In fact I think I may have found a new diet called "Sweet Jean" i love couscous and watermelon and cantaloupe.
Nice day here today too and breezy, yesterday too...

You are doing so well...I love the name of your new journal too....

Take care
Louise

Jean!!! Congratulations on getting to 170! That's fantastic! You're eating right and moving, have a great attitude, and are posting regularly--all things that will keep you on track as you head toward 160! I'm very happy for you! Sue

Today was my granddaughter's first birthday (even though we had her big party 2 weeks ago). We did go to my daughter's tonight for a light supper, cake and coffee and my numbers are not as good tonight as I'd like. But a birthday like this doesn't happen every day and I did well considering the choices I had.

Here is my food for today:

Total calories = 2075
Fat grams = 45

Breakfast - 8 AM
1/3 of medium cantaloupe
1 small banana
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 oz lean roast beef
1 Tablespoon Lite Mayo

Lunch - 12:00 Noon
4 oz roast chicken breast
4 cups lite popcorn
1 diet coke

Snack - 3 PM
1 cup Cheerios
1 cup milk
1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt


Supper - 6 PM (at my daughter's house)
Large green salad
Lite dressing
4 Large Shrimp
2 slices Italian bread
Fruit as follows: 3 cups watermelon
1 slice pineapple
bunch green grapes
2 large strawberries
Water to drink

Dessert - 8 PM
Coffee (decaf)
2 small brownies**
a good portion of gumdrops that were in bowls on the table ... I wasn't going to have any ... but ....

**NOW ... I had these two tiny little brownies (like miniature cupcakes) because they looked so light. Later I checked their container and I was shocked ... 140 calories EACH with 8 grams of fat EACH. My day would have been perfect if I had stopped before dessert ... but .... (I did pass up the heavily iced birthday cake with chocolate mousse filling, creme puffs, and the sausage and pepper dinner).

The rest of my day went well ... I was up early again and took my morning walk. Before going to the birthday party tonight I had a full day with the kids and they kept me on the go all day. One more week of babysitting and then I have my summer off.

Tomorrow morning I'm leaving to go to my mother's for the weekend. I'll be back Sunday afternoon. I'll keep my food and exercise information in a small notebook while I'm away and update my journal when I return.

****************
Thank you Louise for visiting my new journal. I'm glad you like the title I picked. Feel free to borrow any ideas you like from my menus ... nothing fancy ... just lots of simple fresh foods. I want to tell you something I do with my couscous sometimes ... instead of using water for cooking, I use broth ... chicken or beef. Then when the couscous is ready, I stir in some grated parmesian or pecorina romano cheese. It changes the texture and the flavor slightly. Maybe you'd like to try that sometime.

Sue, glad to see you too. Yes, getting back to 170 is a real thrill. I promise to be patient and not expect huge changes week by week ... but I'm glad to see the scale going down. For the last five years all I did was watch it go UP! My new "positive attitude" tells me that I'm going to do this.

See you again on Sunday.

:o

Hello sweet Jean!!
GOOD for you! Getting your journal going, getting back to 170! Hooray! I think I'll dance in celebration! :dn
I'm going to be following your example as well....3 months at a time..keep it simple and I'll probably snitch some menu ideas as well. I too, do the simple foods and have my favorites. Like you...I'm ready to see the scale nudge downward again!
Have a wonderful, blessed day........every day!
Bren

You did just fine, Jean, and now you're more aware. I hope your weekend goes well and you enjoy the time with your mom. Sue

Hello Journal, I'm back. It's been almost three days since I've been here and they've been a very long three days! It is hard to stay on program away from home but I did good compared to past performances at my mother's house (where I usually overdose on sweets and desserts).

On Friday I walked early in the morning at home before I left for the shore. I also had breakfast at home. Here is my food for Friday:

Total Calories = 1375
Total Fat = 36 grams

Breakfast - 8 AM
Small banana
4 oz egg white omelet
2 slices whole wheat toast

Afternoon Snack at my mother's - 3 PM
Popcorn
1 teaspoon peanut butter
Diet Coke

Dinner - 6 PM
6 oz broiled salmon
Steamed broccoli rabe
with olive oil and garlic
Brown rice
1 slice Italian bread
Water
Peach

Saturday we got up early and went out immediately to find my mother a pair of shoes before traffic got heavy and the day got hot. We found her a pair she liked, stopped at a grocery store, and came home in time for lunch. We had an early dinner, talked, and then had a DELICIOUS SUMMER SNACK. Here is my food for Saturday:

Total Calories = 1625
Total Fat = 58 grams

Breakfast - 8 AM
3 oz Salmon
1 slice Italian Bread

Lunch - 12:30 PM
1 whole grain English Muffin
1.5 oz Alpine Lace cheese
Half ounce turkey breast
Half Tablespoon lite mayo
Diet Coke

Dinner - 4 PM
1.33 cups brown rice
2 cups steams mustard greens
with olive oil and garlic
1 slice Italian bread
Water

Snack - 8 PM
Peach Slices
Pineapple slices
Low Carb Chocolate Ice Cream
Lite Cool Whip

Today we woke up very early, talked some more, had breakfast, and then I headed home. Here is my food for today, Sunday:

Total Calories = 1329
Total Fat = 32 grams

Breakfast - 8 AM
Coffee and 2% Milk
Bran Flakes with Raisins and 2% Milk
1 small banana

Lunch - 1 PM (at home)
Half small cantaloupe
1 slice whole wheat toast
3 oz roast sliced chicken breast
Half tablespoon lite mayo
Lite Popcorn
Diet Coke

Dinner - 5:30 PM
4 oz lean hamburger grilled
1 low fat hamburger bun
onion, ketchup
Diet Coke

***************
Thanks Bren for stopping in at my journal. So nice to see your happy face! I love the celebration dance you're doing here. THANK YOU!! :) Please come again.

Thanks to you too Sue for visiting. My "positive thinker." You're right, next time I'll be more aware. That's a good way of thinking about my two "evil" brownies. Today at my mother's I had a similar problem with the milk ... normally my mother buys fat free milk and after I poured the milk into my cereal bowl I saw the milk was 2%. But it will all work out in the end, right?

OK ... I'm off to get ready for my week. I am falling asleep already. Tomorrow I babysit and then tomorrow night we have ANOTHER BIRTHDAY PARTY ... MY DAUGHTER'S BROTHER-IN-LAW IS TURNING 30. After this party our social schedule will quiet down for a while ...

See you tomorrow night.

:o

You did it Jean! All weekend long! I can't tell you how happy I am for you. I'll be thinking of you at tonight's shindig. Sue

Hi Jean. You're on my heart and mind today. I read Zen Cat again and came upon this quote:

"You could search the world over and never find anyone more deserving of your love than yourself." --Budda

Love, Sue

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Sue, thank you for checking in on me and thinking of me. I like the quote you sent ... and I wholeheartedly agree. Loving ourselves is the our first order of business and I work on that every day.

I couldn't write last night ... it was too late by the time we got home and I went right to bed. The birthday party went well but I did not stay on my program AT ALL. Maybe I let go because it was the last of our parties. I even had drinks ... one strong Bloody Mary and then a few glasses of Sangria.

The party was fun and the birthday boy was surprised. It was a nice group of people ... about 22 of us at the back of a local restaurant. You had your choice of dinners ... I had a steak plus I tasted all the appetizers. Oh well ... good bye to that kind of eating from now on ....

Here is my food for yesterday:

Breakfast - 9 AM
3 hard boiled egg whites
1 tablespoon lite mayo
1 slice whole wheat toast

Snack - 10:30 AM
1 small banana
2 walnuts

Lunch - 1 PM
1 cup pasta
olive oil and grated cheese
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1 cup cheerios

Snack - 3 PM
half small cantaloupe
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt

Dinner - 7 PM (out at restaurant)
Bloody Mary
Dinner Roll with pat butter
Appetizers ... assorted (about 500 calories)
3 small glasses of Sangria
Cup of lentil soup
Steak
Broccoli
Spanish Rice
Coffee
Birthday Cake (made with whipped cream)

Today I purposely picked low calorie foods and drank lots of water. I didn't weigh myself and I won't for a few days. As much as I tell myself the number on the scale won't bother me, it will.

Here is my food for today:

Total Calories = 1271
Total Fat = 21 grams


Breakfast - 8:30 AM
Small cantaloupe - half

Later - 10:30 AM
4 oz egg white omelet
Quarter cup of couscous mixed into egg whites

Lunch - 1 PM
1.5 cup pasta
olive oil and grated cheese
Half cup lowfat plain yogurt
Diet Coke

Dinner - 6 PM
Diet Coke
2 cups pasta
4 oz chicken breast
medium bowl of green salad
olive oil and vinegar dressing
Cherries

It was raining when I woke up this morning and I didn't walk. But I did find out today, by surprise, that my babysitting is over for this school year. My husband and I expected to work through this Thursday. I can jump right in tomorrow with an extra long morning walk and weight resistance exercises tomorrow afternoon. This is the schedule I promised myself for the summer and without any further thinking, that is what I will begin tomorrow.

stopping by to say "hi" :wave:

Beth :dance:

Mmm, Bloody Mary’s, my favorite! And I love trying a little bit of everything too. I like to experience new foods or foods I’m not used to eating. Ok, so maybe they’re not always as healthy as we’d like them, but it’s nice to enjoy stuff like that once in a while. I love that you’re still writing what you eat. You’re eating really very well. I am excited to see all the progress you will be making this summer!

Hello Journal, Beth, Sue ...

Nice to see all of us here together.

Today was another HOT AND HUMID day in New Jersey. Right now we're having thunderstorms.

I enjoyed my official "first day off" today ... but I still got up at 6:30 AM, got dressed, and went for my walk. I was able to walk longer because the children weren't coming and I managed 45 minutes and 3500 steps. I saw a guy on a treadmill working out in his garage. That couldn't have been too much fun this morning! If the weather were more comfortable I'd walk longer and further. Before I left for my walk I also did some yoga stretches.

Later in the morning I helped my husband take off the pool cover ... that was the extent of my physical work for the day. I did a load of laundry and some paperwork, sorted through old newspapers, and threw out some old craft projects that died a long long time ago. All in all a good start to my summer.

Here is my food for today:

Total Calories = 1403
Total Fat = 13 grams

Breakfast - 8:30 AM
15 sweet cherries
4 oz egg white omelet
couscous - half cup
nectarine

Lunch - 12:00 Noon
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 oz Alpine Lace cheese (low fat, low sodium)
sliced onion
lettuce leaves
1 tablespoon lite mayo
banana
1 diet coke

Snack - 4 PM
2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
half medium sized cantaloupe
water

Evening Snack - 7 PM
half medium sized cantaloupe
1.5 cups vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt (sugar-free)
cool whip lite topping
water

I didn't eat dinner ... I had my afternoon snack too late. I took an oatmeal bath instead because I had a bad mosquito bite on my arm and another on my leg. I couldn't stop itching. Now I feel good ... I took an antihistamine ... I'm sleepy because of it ... and now I'm heading off to bed.

I'll see you all tomorrow.

:o

Yay Jean!!! 45 min plus yoga! You go girl! How do you make an oatmeal bath?

Hello Journal, Hello Sue ...

Sue, an oatmeal bath is something I buy at the drugstore. It comes in prepared packages, one per bath, and is a bath treatment made with natural colloidal oatmeal. It's recommended for people with eczema (like me!). The most popular brand is called Aveeno although they have generic forms of it at lower prices. It offers great relief for itchy and irritated skin.

My day went differently than I expected ... I had to babysit after all! My daughter got her husband's schedule mixed up and he couldn't watch the children like she thought. They only stayed with me until 1 PM but it changed the whole nature of my day.

I didn't do my walk this morning thinking I'd do it "later" ... that's never a good idea.

As it turned out, I didn't exercise at all today. :(

I did play a new Playstation game with Demetri that had Homer Simpson driving cars and running over everything (and everybody) in his path ... the game was called "Hit and Run." I did enjoy my time with Demetri ... ten years from now he may not want to play with ME!

My food was a little on the high side today but after adding everything up at FitDay I don't feel so awful (I thought I had gone way overboard).

Here is what I ate today ... bite for bite:

Total Calories = 1599
Total Fat = 36 grams

Breakfast - 8:30 AM
1 cup Total cereal
1 banana
1 cup nf milk

Snack - 9:30 AM
7 cups lite popcorn

Lunch - 1:30 PM
1.5 cups nf, sf vanilla frozen yogurt
Lite Cool Whip ... 1/2 cup

Snack - 3 PM
1 nectarine

Dinner - 6 PM
Pork Chop - grilled
Steamed broccoli
1 ear corn with butter
6 pieces of fat free candy
Diet Coke

That's it for me tonight. I feel very sleepy and I might go to bed. I have a nail appointment at 10:30 tomorrow morning and then I'd like to do some grocery shopping for the weekend. I don't know how to act ... I haven't been on a normal schedule in so long ... the kids coming back today confused me. Doesn't take much to do that! LOL.

:o

Hi there!

I've gotten some great food ideas from your journal!

I went out and bought lite cool whip today and had it on some sf pudding for dessert tonight... yummy!!

THanks! Keep up all of your great work!

-- Chrissy

Hello Journal, Hello Chrissy ...

Chrissy, thanks for visiting. I'm glad you found something you liked in my journal. Visit anytime.

Today was a lazy day ... both my husband and I overslept. Maybe it was psychological ... today is our wedding anniversary ... 19 years. Once I was up and showered and dressed the last thing I felt like doing was exercising so I lied to myself and said I'd do it later. LOL. I went and had my nails done and then went grocery shopping. Usually my husband likes to shop for us but today I wanted to look over the shelves and see if I could find anything new. I picked up some "skinny cow" ice cream treats and I found a cottage cheese by Light and Lively that has no fat! I also bought a granola-like cereal called Start Smart and it only has 1.5 grams of fat per 1 cup serving. I love something crunchy on top of my yogurt and cottage cheese ... this will be nice now and then. I also picked up some nice steaks for our anniversary dinner.

I didn't exercise at all even when I got home from the store ... I got lazier and lazier as the day moved on. I will forgive myself.

Here is my food for today:

Breakfast - 9:30 AM
1 peach
1 cup sweet cherries
4 oz egg white omelet
4 oz couscous cooked in omelet

Snack - 10:30 AM
Diet Coke

Lunch - 2:00 PM
1 cup nf cottage cheese (Light n Lively)
1/2 cup Smart Start cereal mixed into cottage cheese
1 Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich (lowfat - 140 calories)

Dinner - 6:30 PM
4 oz shell steak - grilled
Steamed veggies
1 baked potato with butter
1 cup sf, nf ice cream (140 calories)
topped with lite cool whip
Diet Coke

That's it for me today. Tomorrow the weather promises to be warm but not humid and I hope to get my walk done first thing in the morning. That should set the mood for a good day and a good weekend.

:o

Happy Wedding Anniversary ! :rose:


:balloons: :cheers:

Beth :dance:

Congratulations, Jean, on 19 years of marriage. In my book, anyone who can make it past 3 years has my admiration! Danny's a good man and he has a terrific wife!

I was glad to see you went grocery shopping so you could pick out some really healthy food items. Good for you! Are you planning a cookout with the family this weekend? Hope you will get to enjoy a beautiful walk this morning. Sue

Hello Journal ... and Hello Beth and Sue. You girls both make me feel great with your encouragement and your support. Thank you so much. Thank you too for your Happy Anniversary Wishes. Our whole day was fun.

Today I went right out for my walk and it was wonderful. I did 4000 steps.

My daughter and the kids did not come over to the pool today because my grandson had a sore throat ... that made me want to spend the day doing "nothing" again. Thankfully my better sense won and I did some laundry and started to deep clean my kitchen. Then I made dinner which took longer than usual (I bought a whole piece of salmon the other day and it had to be scaled and prepared for cooking ... haven't done that in a while). It felt good to be cooking and dinner turned out to be delicious ... plus we have lots of great leftovers for the days ahead!

I thought about doing weights tonight but that didn't happen ... I'm trying to figure out where that kind of exercise fits into my day. It will come, it will come.

I ate over 1500 calories today and fat grams were 36-40. I want to eat a lot less than that this summer in order to trim "my sails" ... lol. Anyway. here is my food for today:

Breakfast - 8:30 AM
1 cup coffee with skim milk
4 oz egg white omelet with veggies
Sweet cherries

Snack - 10:30 AM
1 portion pretzels

Lunch - 12:30 PM
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 oz turkey breast
Lite mayo
1 scoop low-carb ice cream

Snack - 3 PM
1 cup nf plain yogurt
1/4 cup nf cottage cheese
1 banana


Dinner - 6 PM
Broiled salmon (marinated with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice)
Steamed broccoli
Mashed potatoes with olive oil
Crystal Light Iced Tea
1 cup nf, sf chocolate ice cream
Lite Cool Whip

So there you go ... that was my day. I wanted to start my strict food program on July 1 ... with weight training ... but two days have gone by already with neither goal met. Tomorrow is a new day and a new beginning.

:ex:

Hi, Sweet Jean! :wave: I lurk in your journal a lot and wanted to say hello. You are doing a great job! I love your positive, cheerful attitude! Have a good Fourth of July!

You're right, Jean, your weight training will come, you're still getting rested up! Nothing wrong with "doing nothing," when that's what your body and mind needs to do. Maybe you haven't started your "strict" eating yet because your body's telling you you just need to eat sensibly, not strict. I think your food looks great and I don't see any binging on candy, which is fabulous. It looks like you're eating healthy food, eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full, and you're doing terrific with your walking! 4000 steps? WOW! I'm glad you had a nice anniversary celebration and that salmon sounds delicious! You're doing great Jean!

Hello Journal ... and Hello Athletea and Sue ...

Didn't know you were there lurking Athletea ... I see you so often around DT. Now I will have to come over and lurk at your place ... lol. You have such an inventive mind ... I've read some of your writing and I love it. Thanks for visiting.

I hope you're right, Sue, that my eating is OK. Writing out my food menus every day is showing me where I can trim and what I can change. Today I like the way I ate but FitDay shows me to let go of the butter on my corn and to pick a different kind of fish. Both choices add too many fat grams to my day. I'll learn.

This morning I woke up full of aches and pains (I sound just like my mother here ... lol). My knees didn't want to work and my back was sore. I ate a small breakfast and then took a warm bath with epsom salts. I felt much better after my bath and the rest of the day I didn't press myself to exercise. I believe that my first line of attack is my food plan ... exercise is an enhancement. I hope my fellow DT members don't throw bombs at me for saying that.

My daughter and her children came over to swim today ... I hung out in the house. That sun just fries me to a crisp. The garden is looking great and soon we will be picking zucchini and cucumbers. No, tomatoes won't be here until August ... :(

Anyway, here is my food for today:

Total Calories = 1316
Total Fat = 39 grams

Breakfast - 7:30 AM
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese

Second Breakfast - 9:30 AM
1/4 large cantaloupe
5 oz leftover salmon
1/2 tablespoon lite mayo

Snack - 11:30 PM
4 cups lite popcorn

Snack - 4:30 PM
1 hard boiled egg

Dinner - 6:30 PM
3 oz lean beef
Steamed broccoli - half cup
1 ear corn with butter
1.5 cups nf, sf chocolate ice cream <==== TOO MUCH!
1/4 cup lite Cool Whip
Crystal Light Iced Tea


See you all tomorrow. Happy 4th of July to everyone!

:sam:

Hi Jean. It's great that you're really looking at what you eat and analyzing where it may need to be adjusted. Awareness is a wonderful thing.

I also think it's great that you're going to focus your attention first on your food and increase your exercise when the time is right. I bet when you feel like you have more control over what you eat that you'll feel more in control over your exercise as well. Eating right should also give you more energy so you'll WANT to exercise. Just don't wait until your eating is "perfect" before you try to increase your exercise, lol.

Keep going! :)

Hello Journal, Hello Sue ...

Yuuuucccckkkkk, I've got a tummy ache. I ate too much candy. Yup, candy!

I was obsessing about food all day trying to be good but after dinner I broke down. If I analyze my day I see that I started my day with cereal ... that's usually a poor idea for me. During the day I didn't have any protein ... another poor idea! Dinner was supposed to be a plain hamburger but Danny misunderstood me and thought I was having leftover salmon ... so I had a tiny bit of it ... and the baked beans had sugar in them so that probably triggered my sweet tooth. I could have had fat free ice cream after dinner (I COULD HAVE HAD NO ICE CREAM AFTER DINNER) but I had it last night and it did not satisfy me ... so I purposely had the good stuff tonight. Then I still wanted more "sweet stuff" ... so I had the gummy worms.

Now my tummy hurts and I feel about 6 years old!

Tomorrow I should drink nothing but water and eat egg whites!

I refuse to total up the days calories and fat grams ... I feel bad enough as it is ... but here's my food for today:


Breakfast - 8:00 AM
1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup lite Cool Whip
1 cup Start Smart Cereal

Snack - 10:30 PM
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 of large cantaloupe

Snack - 12:30 PM
Diet Coke
4 cups lite popcorn
1 Skinny Cow Chocolate Ice Pop <=== TASTELESS!!!

Dinner - 5:30 PM
Tossed green salad
Olive oil and vinegar dressing
2 oz salmon
1/3 cup vegetarian baked beans
1 ear corn with butter
1 cup sf chocolate ice cream (NOT LOW FAT!!!)
1/4 cup lite Cool Whip with candy sprinkles
Diet Coke
Gummy candies ... about 780 calories

I DID THIS TO MYSELF. NOW TO FIGURE OUT "WHY" ?????

ANYWAY, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!

:sam:

Okay, so you had a sweets attack. The rest of your day looks good. Don't worry about it. Just learn from it, what worked, what didn't work, what you can try different next time. And eat normal tomorrow. :) Occupy your mind and body with something interesting to get your mind off any residual after effects. Progress, not perfection, and you've been making terrific progress!

Awww...hugs to 6 year old sweetJean.......and the wonderful woman she is now!! the tummy ache will pass and so will the guilt associated with an indulgence. Overall, your food for the day looked GOOD! I think it's great you write it all down, good- bad and indifferent! Oh I am lusting for salmon now!

Today is a new day with new choices to be made and you will be fine! I like your comment "trimming my sails".....I want to do that too this summer. No time like the present to start!

Bren

Hi Jean,

One thing that I really love about reading your journal is how you forgive yourself for mistakes and stay positive.

I realize that it's often my negative self talk that causes small mistakes to turn into big ones. For instance: "I already messed up, I might as well eat this too" or "I didn't even lose what I though I would, might as well eat this..."

I always see that you say, tomorrow's another day, or I will firgive myself. I love that! I am going to try to do that more.

Keep up the excellent work! You are doing so wonderfully!! Firgive yourself for the sweets and start fresh :console:

-- Chrissy

Hello Journal ... and hello Sue, Bren, Chrissy, and all my other friends here at DT.

WOW you guys are great cheerleaders. I couldn't get depressed around here if I tried. You guys take my slips and stumbles and tell me I'm doing a new dance! LOL. I always feel better after I visit my friends here at DT.

OK ... today was better. I didn't exercise today but I had it in the back of my mind to let that go this week. It is hot and humid again and this afternoon I felt like someone put drugs in my water. By 3 PM I had to give in and flop on the couch ... I think when I fight my exhaustion that's when I tend to overeat. A short nap later and I did feel better and I was able to get stuff done tonight.

My daughter, her kids and I are driving to the Jersey shore tomorrow morning to visit my mother for a few days. I will be away from my journal until Saturday ... but I will be back. I don't know if I will report all my food for the time I am away but I will let you know if the days away were good (and I am planning for them to be good). Meanwhile here is my food for today:

Breakfast - 9:30 AM (ate breakfast late)
2 cups watermelon
1 large slice Italian bread toasted
3 oz lean roast beef
1/2 tablespoon lite mayo


Lunch - 1:30 PM
Diet Coke
1 cup Start Smart cereal
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 banana

Snack - 3:00 PM
1 cup sweet cherries

Dinner - 6:00 PM
Crystal Lite Iced Tea
4 oz lean hamburger
1 lowfat hamburger bun
Lettuce leaves on burger
ketchup and lite mayo
vegetarian baked beans
1 ear of corn with butter

Snack - 8:00 PM
1 Skinny Cow no-fat ice cream sandwich (140 calories)

:o

Where are you Jean?? I miss you :(

I hope you are doing OK.

-- Chrissy

Hi Jean. Did you enjoy your weekend on the Jersey Shore? I'm hoping you got some more family history stories from your mother. Have a great weekend and a great upcoming week. Sue

Hello Journal, Hello Chrissy, Hello Sue ...

Nice to be back. Our trip went well and we had lots of laughs but it wasn't an easy trip and it wasn't diet friendly.

First of all, my little granddaughter now has the habit of "yelling" when she's in the car ... or you could call it screeching. It's horrible, whatever you call it. We tried everything to keep her happy but with little success. Maybe she doesn't like looking out the window at endless trees because once we got off the parkway she stopped.

When we got to my mother's it started to rain and it rained practically the whole time we were there. We didn't have much to do except EAT and we did a good job of that. We got home late last night and my bad eating continued. I think we all know how these things go ... you're eating wrong and you keep eating wrong. I do plan to put the brakes on tomorrow ... today is already a lost cause.

BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BE UPSET ABOUT IT ... IT'S DONE AND IT'S OVER. PLUS IT WASN'T THE WORSE EATING SPREE I'VE EVER HAD. I'LL JUST MOVE ON FROM HERE. WHEN I GET UP TOMORROW MORNING I WILL BE A NEW PERSON.

By the way, my granddaughter yelled and screeched her whole way home too! I told my daughter that someday we would remember this road trip and laugh. She did not look like she believed me ... lol.

See you all tomorrow when I will be back ready to begin working on my NEW BODY, MIND, and SOUL.

:o

I can't wait for tomorrow! Glad you're back. :)

We all slip up now and then-- and we have to take time off of the diet to enjoy special occasions too :D

I'm glad you're back, and I'm looking forward to your fresh start!

--Chrissy

Hello Journal and Hello Sue and Chrissy ... thanks for the visits.

I don't know what happened to my day yesterday ... I slept late, read the papers, watched some TV ... somehow the day just disappeared. I think I had to recover from all that time I spent in the car with my granddaughter ... lol.

Anyway ... today was a back to normal day ... thank goodness. May the rest of the summer be filled with "normal" days. Here is my food for today:

Total Calories = 1336
Total Fat = 37 grams

Breakfast - 9:00 AM
2 cups cantaloupe
4 oz egg white omelet

Snack - 12:00 Noon
1 banana
handful of walnut pieces

Lunch - 2:30 PM
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 oz lowfat swiss cheese
1 oz provolone
1/2 tablespoon lite mayo
Diet Coke

Snack - 4:30 PM
6 cups lite popcorn

Dinner - 6:00 PM
3 chicken drumsticks - no skin
1/2 cup grilled zuchinni
Diet Coke
Frozen Chocolate Fudge Pop - no fat, no sugar

We are once again being killed by a heat wave so I think I will start each day with a weight lifting routine (I have video tapes I follow) ... I can do that IN MY AIR-CONDITIONED BASEMENT!!!!! I'll do my walking whenever the weather permits ... my emphasis will now be on the weights.

I saw my doctor today and I kept worrying what he would say when I weighed in at a HIGHER weight than last month (thanks to my recent eating spree). Well, we talked about everything and he never asked me to get on the scale. I almost skipped out of his office! Now I am determined to lose this "spree weight" plus a little extra so I look good at my next visit.

So that's my story for tonight. Today is the first day I'm eating right in more than a week and it's hard to stick to it. I know after about 3 days of eating right the little devil on my shoulder will "fall off" ... lol.

See you all tomorrow.

:o

Hello Journal ...

This is doctor week and today was the GYN ... hooray, hooray. This might just be my very last visit to such a specialist ... I had a complete hysterectomy 3 years ago and I am now officially "released" by my surgeon (plus there's nothing left to examine ... lol).

Tomorrow my daughter needs to see her dermatologist in New York City and I'm going to keep her company. The heat is supposed to let up so that will help.

Now today I have big news ... I did an exercise set with my weights this morning. It was such a short "set" it was comical but at least I did "something" and that's a big deal for me. Tomorrow when we get back from the city I will do another set. I must force myself to do this ... and hopefully it will make me feel so good that a year from now I will be telling everyone that they have to try it.

So that's my story for today. Plus my food went well ... here is what I had:

Total Calories = 1066
Total Fat = 33 grams

Breakfast - 11:00 AM (slept late)
2 grilled chicken legs - no skin
1 Skinny Cow Fudge Bar - 100 cal, no fat

Lunch - 2:30 PM
1 hard-boiled egg white
2 cups watermelon

Snack - 5:00 PM
1 banana

Dinner - 6:00 PM

3 oz lean pork tenderloin
1 ear of corn with butter (less than usual)
cucumber salad - vinegrette dressing
grilled zuchinni
1 Skinny Cow Fudge Bar


See you again tomorrow.

:o

Excellent two days Jean!!! You kept your cals in check and started exercising! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm impressed!!

You are so right about that devil. I have to be careful because one slip-up and I have to have a few perfect days before he disappears!

Here's to 3 days in a row of healthy eating!!!

-- Chrissy

You're doing great Jean. When you go to the "city" tomorrow, think of me. I'd give anything to be able to go to NYC.

Well, I'm back from New York City and it was a long, long day. It took us so long to get to the doctor's office ... first the train and then a cab ... we waited almost an hour for one of those yellow beauties (it was raining at that point). Then we got to the doctor's and we still had to wait another hour. We got back to NJ later than we expected so I'll have to save my serious chatting for tomorrow.

After my daughter's appointment, we did go to a neat place for lunch and had their special ... I had a drink too.

Sue, we'll have to talk about getting you out here to see this big, big city. I live right next door to it and frankly, it scares me to death!

Chrissy, thanks for your visit too. It's so nice to have company.

OK ... here's my food for today, New Jersey - New York Style:

Total Calories = 1560
Total Fat = 40 grams

Breakfast - 8:00 AM
1 cup Total cereal
1 cup skim milk
1 banana

[YES IT WAS THIS LONG BETWEEN MEALS!]

Lunch - 3:30 PM
Bloody Mary
1 cup lobster bisque
1.5 lb stuffed lobster with butter sauce
2 tablespoons mashed potato side dish
1 cup coffee
small dish of rasberry sorbet

Snack - 7:00 PM (at T's house)
1 cup watermelon

Snack - 8:00 PM (at home)

1 Skinny Cow Fudge Bar
1 Diet Coke
Lite Lite popcorn

Oh geez, I'll bet that lunch out was expensive! But it sounds delicious!

I was thinking about going to NYC several years ago with my son, getting there only by train and bus and traveling very light (backpack) so we could stop a lot on the way and do the tourist thing. I was going to stay in a decent hotel though. We decided against it due to the safety factor and me being nearly 300#. What I want to do is take the bus tours to Chinatown, Little Italy, the "authentic" places, do the statue of liberty, take in a show, go to Wall Street, all the usual tourist things. Then go over to DC for a week and do all the museums. I'd like to tour the entire state of California as well. One day I'll do these things, as well as some overseas travel too. Oh boy, look at me go on in your journal!

You're doing great Jean!

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Well today was a much calmer day for me ... did chores and the grocery store. Ummmmm ... the grocery store again ... is this becoming a habit? I hope so. I bought fresh fish for dinner tonight and Weight Watcher's Frozen Fudge Pops. These I liked very much ... 1 point each or 110 calories. While I was out I met a friend I haven't seen in about 6 months and at that time her husband was in the hospital. I was happy to hear that he is now fine. We talked for so long we should have gone to a coffee shop. We made plans to see each other soon ... she wants me to come sit with her on her deck. You could tell we were mothers ... eventually our cell phones rang ... our families were looking for us ... "WHERE ARE YOU?" It felt good ... like old times when the "kids" were in school.

The bad Iraqi headlines today filled my head with somber thoughts. I also heard from my nephew that he is once again returning ... by choice ... for some kind of mission in Iraq. My nephew, the Army Captain. My sister wouldn't let him play with guns when he was a little boy ... they lived in Florida and I didn't know about her rule. One Christmas I sent him a cap gun. He has loved me truly ever since ... lol. Now that he's a man he's in charge of real guns ... this world makes me sad.

Sue ... was my lunch yesterday expensive? EVERYTHING in NYC is expensive. But I thought for what we had and where we had it $28 for the three-course lobster special was great. They only offer it until 3:30 PM ... the doctor told us to go there. Then tonight on the news they showed us how a building collapsed and fell on people walking on a New York City sidewalk. I thought ... now what if that happened to us yesterday (we were nowhere near this place ... but my mind is very imaginative)! Yes, I know these things can happen anywhere ... but believe me ... the odds of that happening in Union, NJ are slim to none. New York is best if you're bold.

OK ... back to reality ... I was much too tired today to exercise. I'm dragging around today "recovering" ... and tomorrow I can sleep as late as I want. So I'm counting on a weekend filled with lots of exercise. We'll see if I'm as good as my word.

Here is the food I had today:

Total Calories = 926
Total Fat = 27 grams

Breakfast - 8:30 AM
4 oz egg white omelet
Diet Coke

Lunch - 2:30 PM
2 oz lean pork
3/4 cup baked beans (vegetarian style)
1 plum

Dinner - 6:30 PM
Cucumber Salad with Olive Oil and Vinegar
Grilled Zucchini
Grilled Fish (Tilapia in Olive Oil, lemon juice, garlic)
1/2 baked potato ... pat of butter
1 WW frozen fudge pop (110 calories)
Water

See you again tomorrow ....

:1stprize: ps ... the cucumber and the zucchini are from our garden!

Wow, Jean, your food is still looking really good. I'm very impressed. And I'm so glad you enjoyed talking to your friend. What a nice little enjoyable time for you! Your nephew...ah, I wish him safety and protection and a peace for you and the rest of his family. Jean, try to enjoy your free time, the luxury of sleeping in, of just relaxing, getting recuperated. When you're rested up without pressure of having to do anything else, you'll want to do those other things, and will have the energy to do them. I think certain foods are natural energy boosters. Funny I should be giving advice on relaxing! I know it's good advice, but I also know it's easier said than done. Anhow, enjoy the present. You're doing just fine. :) Love, Sue BTW, I'll bet those fresh veggies tasted GREAT! One of my 14 tomatoes is half red now. I'm looking at it with great anticipation!

Your NY event sounds like it was fun - tiring but fun :)

Recover well :D

I went to Chinatown once in college and still have great memories from the trip and the food lol

Beth :dance:

Hello Journal ... and Hello Sue and Beth.

Stop reading right here if you're looking for energy and inspiration. An intense case of laziness has gotten hold of me and I love it. I'm not even thinking of fighting it.

I slept late and probably would have slept later but my aunt called about our visit next week. Got up and had breakfast and then proceeded to do nothing. Had light foods all day and am now going to go have something else to eat and then I'm going back to bed ... would you believe?!

Here is my food for today:

Total Calories = 961
Total Fat = 14 grams

Breakfast (Brunch?) - 10:30 AM
1 cup eggwhite omelet
1 tablespoon grated cheese and chunks of zucchini
1 Diet Coke
1 cup of red and green grapes

Later - 2:00 PM
1/4 large cantaloupe (tasteless)
1 plum
1 banana
1/4 cup lite cool whip
1 WW frozen fudge pop

Later - 4:30 PM
Large bowl lite popcorn with butter spray
1 WW frozen fudge pop

I've been very thirsty and drinking lots of water and now I feel like having something to eat. I'm on my way downstairs to scout out a snack. I won't be back online tonight because I plan to read and then go back to bed. Oh yes, I am an expert at this "doing nothing" thing! Tomorrow I have both of the children while my daughter and her husband go out to buy a car. Maybe subconsciously I'm storing up my energy ... lol.

:o

Enjoy!

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

I was right to rest yesterday ... both my grandchildren kept me busy today. My daughter didn't get back to our house until after 4 PM so I had a full day. But it was fun and my grandson told me he missed me. That was so cute.

Here is my food for today:

Total Calories = 1352
Total Fat = 54 grams

Breakfast - 9:30 AM
4 oz. eggwhite omelet
1 Diet Coke
1 plum

Lunch - 12:30 PM
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
chopped walnuts 1/2 oz.
1/4 cup lite cool whip

Snack - 4:00 PM
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon grape jam
1 glass skim milk

Dinner - 6:00 PM
2 broiled chicken wings (7 grams fat each wing!)
3 oz broiled chicken breast (with skin)
1 ear corn with butter
1 long slice grilled zucchini
1 WW frozen fudge pop
2 Diet Cokes

I haven't broiled chicken in a while and I couldn't resist the wings and the crispy skin ... so my fat grams for the day are high.

Nothing else to talk about tonight except that I have a lot of housework waiting for me tomorrow. I need to get up in the morning ready to work on this house AND ready to WORK OUT.

No more lazy days. :lift:

Hello Journal ...

It's late to be entering Sunday's post ... but everything I've done today has been late. It's been a lazy Sunday and apparently that's just what I needed. By this afternoon I actually began to feel some true energy running through my body. No, I didn't jump up and take a walk or do any weight lifting ... lol ... I just relaxed and enjoyed the good feeling. In fact, I watched a great movie on TV this afternoon.

Here is my food for today ... only two meals. I don't know the exact calorie count, Fitday was not cooperating with me, but somewhere in the 1400 category:

Brunch - 1:00 PM
1 cup grapes
8 oz leftover tilapia
1 ear corn with butter
1 WW frozen fudge pop
1 Diet Coke

Dinner - 6:00 PM
grilled hamburger
on large kaiser roll
1 slice "store-bought" tasteless tomato
little bit of ketchup
half dozen slices panfried potatoes (DELICIOUS!!!)
1/3 cup vegetarian baked beans (Heinz)
cucumber salad in vinegrette dressing
bit of grilled zucchini
1 WW frozen fudge pop
Water

Now I'm heading off to bed and tomorrow starts a new week. I hope everyone had a nice weekend ....

:o

Hi Jean. Sounds like you had a combo of a busy and relaxing weekend! What movie did you watch?

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Sue, I should have known you'd want to know what the movie was! LOL. It was "A Polish Wedding" with Lena Olin (I love her). A quirky interpretation of life. It hit the spot.

Writing down what I eat every day is an interesting exercise ... tonight I didn't want to do it. We had a friend over for dinner and I was afraid to see the numbers. But I did it and the numbers were OK.

Here is my food for today:

Breakfast - 8:30 AM (half asleep)
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
sweetener and cinnamon
some lite cool whip (to satisfy a sweet craving)
pieces of walnuts ... too many!!! 200 calories, 21 grams of fat!
red grapes ... about a cup and a half


~o) cup of coffee (trying to wake up) with skim milk


Lunch - 1:30 PM (home from dermatologist's appt)
leftover chicken ... no skin
1 drumstick and 1 thigh
1 black plum
Water

Snack before dinner - 5:30 PM (with girlfriend)
3 cups lite popcorn
Diet Coke

Dinner - 7:00 PM
Grilled boneless chicken thigh about 3 oz
1/2 baked potato with pat butter
grilled garden zucchini slices
2 GARDEN CHERRY TOMATOES!!!!!!
1 GRILLED FRYING PEPPER FROM GARDEN!!!!!
WW One Crust Apple Crumb Pie made by girlfriend
with "FREE" Cool Whip ... it was great (200 calories)
Diet Coke
TONS OF CONVERSATION

PLUS ONE VERY CONSIDERATE HUSBAND WHO DID THE COOKING AND CLEARED THE TABLE SO WE COULD LOOK AT VACATION PICTURES.

Total Calories = 1406
Total Fat = 55 grams (mainly from the walnuts!)

What is interesting about dinner and dessert tonight is that I could have eaten so much more but we were talking so much it was physically impossible! During dessert my girlfriend started watching the clock and because she is very disciplined, she started getting ready to go home. She covered up the pie and the Cool Whip and put everything away! If I had been alone ... that Cool Whip would have hit my plate at least two more times. Now that tells me a lot. And once the food was out of my sight and we were busy talking again all my thoughts of food were out of my head.

I did ask my friend take most of her pie home with her ... she has a nice big husband at home who isn't on any diet ... lol ... let him enjoy it instead of leaving it here to tempt me to death.

Now I'm tired and must get ready for bed ... it's late and tomorrow's another day.

ps ... I do need to point out that another summer day has slipped by without any exercise on my part ... I need to work on this!

:lift:

I knew you'd pick up on that!

Your food looks very good and very scrumptious, especially those garden-fresh veggies. I'm so glad you've been spending time with friends and that you're enjoying their company so much that food is starting to go down in importance.

Good for you on having her take home the desert. My theory is out of sight, out of mind, otherwise it just sits there and tempts you and it's really hard not to give in when it's so darn good.

Do you think any of these friends of yours would enjoy a brisk walk or whatever a couple times a week?

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Sue, when I take my walks I love my solitude. I don't mind walking with my friends every now and then but none live close enough to make it a habit. Anyway making a schedule with someone would feel like a ball and chain. That I can be social at all is still a shock to me.

Today at my aunt's was very nice ... but my granddaughter (Ariana) was sick during the night and Tiffany took her to the doctor's this morning. She has coxsackie ... a virus that takes about 3 days to run through a baby's system. There's nothing to do but keep her comfortable with Motrin.

Ariana spent most of her day sleeping while we visited and my grandson (Demetri) was very sweet with my aunt. We called my mother on our way home and my sister (from Florida) got to my mother's safely. Now they will be working to get ready for my nephew and his family who will arrive from Detroit on Thursday. I have two sweet days to get myself ready for our trip to the shore on Friday.

The weather they say will be beautiful. I hope, I hope. I'm bringing plenty of sunscreen and hats and if Tiffany goes to the beach I'll walk with or without the baby on the boardwalk. That's my "idealized" version of this coming weekend. I may even go on the beach myself !!!!!!!!! HEAVENS.

I'll need to stay pretty far away from my mother and my sister because they are both overly emotional about my nephew's visit. I don't think we know how to be together as a group. My daughter is determined not to get "trapped" in her grandmother's house eating elaborate lunches and dinners ... in the beginning my mother was talking about cooking a leg o'lamb dinner for everyone, her classic "favorite" dinner. We'll see what happens because now it's my sister who will be in charge ... my daughter and I have our own room in a nearby motel (not enough room in my mother's home) ... and with my sister we all do "as we're told." Things always work best that way.

OK ... so what did I eat today. Hard to reconstruct my day but I will give it a try:

Breakfast - 9:00 AM
1.5 cups fat free cottage cheese
1/3 cup fat free cool whip
3/4 cup South Beach Diet Whole Wheat Crunch Cereal
3 walnuts chopped up
all this was mixed up together into a sort of whip
Diet Coke (this is my morning caffeine ... it's too hot for coffee!)

Lunch - 1:30 PM (at my aunt's house)
(my husband prepared the food to take with us)
1 grilled boneless skinless chicken thigh
1/2 baked potato with Smart Beat
Grilled Zucchini
Salad with cucumbers with olive oil and vinegar dressing
raw strips of green pepper
1 piece Italian bread

Snacks during the afternoon
4 peanut M&Ms
6 dried apricots
4 walnuts

Dessert Hour - 7:00 PM (too hot to eat real food)
1 cup low fat ice cream
1 large slice angel food cake

Snack - 8:30 PM (at home)
1 cup red grapes
1 WW frozen fudge pop (100 calories)
1 cup small pretzel twists ... I'm craving salt

I'll enter this into Fitday tomorrow but I'm too tired to do it now. Certainly not the worse day in my life. I would have been better off without the angel food cake ... but my aunt cut Tiffany a huge chunk of it and Tiffany asked me to please share it with her, heck ... I wanted a piece!

So that's it for today on my end. There was a huge rain storm while we were there ... my aunt's town had power outages all over the place because of fallen trees and downed electrical lines. We saw some big trees that went down on our way home. But it all passed in less than an hour and our ride home was fine ... except for Ariana crying a little. She became uncomfortable but settled down after a little while. You can tell she just isn't herself. In my day I wouldn't have made this trip but mothers today are different. When Tiffany first had her son she would say to me, "Mom, my son will adapt." And he did. So with great relief I leave all these decisions to her.

I'll let you know today's totals when I get back tomorrow.

:o

Hello Journal ...

It dawned on me late this afternoon that I don't have much time left to get things done before we leave Friday morning. As you can see by the time of this post I'm burning the midnight oil. 8-|

I counted up the calories from yesterday and I did overeat ... here are the numbers:

Total Calories = 1789
Total Fat = 50 grams

Here is my food for today ... I started off so heavy with carbs this morning that I hardly left myself any room for the rest of the day's calories. I did do better with fat grams.

Breakfast - 7:00 AM - woke up starving
big bowl of cereal ... about 1.5 cups
1 cup nonfat milk
1/2 serving WW one crust apple pie
1/3 cup FAT FREE Cool Whip

Lunch - 11:00 AM -- VERY HUNGRY
1.5 cups South Beach Whole Grain Crunch Cereal
4 walnuts chopped
1 cup nonfat milk

Snack - 3:00 PM - STILL HUNGRY!!
1 serving WW one crust apple pie
1/2 cup FAT FREE Cool Whip
Black Coffee

Dinner - 6 PM
1 cup egg white omelet
1.5 cups grilled zucchini
1 Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich (140 calories)

Snack - 11:00 PM
1 banana
1 serving pretzels
water

Total Calories = 1702
Total Fat = 30 grams

I'm sure the Angel Food cake I had at my aunt's last night with it's big "sugar rush" was the problem. After my snack today I entered all my food at Fitday and saw my day's totals up to that point. That's when I knew where I was heading and

I SAID "NO" ... I HAD TO STOP THE SUGAR (A.K.A. CARBS) PLUS IT ONLY LEFT ME WANTING MORE.

I SWITCHED AT THAT POINT TO A HEAVY PROTEIN MEAL AND THAT HELPED PUT THE BRAKES ON MY DAY. I NEED TO MAKE PROTEIN THE MAINSTAY OF EVERY ONE OF MY MEALS.

I'm on my way to bed now ... I have a list made out for tomorrow of the things I need to do. By tomorrow night I want everything packed and ready to go.

:o

Dear Journal ...

Just a quick note before I leave ... I've been working non-stop to get ready for this little weekend getaway. I don't know how to do this! LOL.

Anyway ... see you when I get back.

:o

How'd your weekend go?

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

We got home Monday night around 10 PM and I spent most of yesterday getting settled back in. I am not a good traveler and will not try this again too soon. I loved seeing my sister, my nephew and his family but I didn't go to the beach or the boardwalk when they did ... I was either at my mother's or in our motel room. I slept a lot and helped my daughter with her children ... other than that I could have been home. I was so glad to get home.

Today my daughter has her school teacher friends over for a swim party ... and it is so hot out that even being in the pool doesn't help. Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to lower to the 80s ... that will be nice. My daughter is having another friend over tomorrow ... I think they will have a nicer day of it.

I ate nicely while I was away ... I drank a lot of water and ate lightly. My scale is now firmly back at 170 so now I want it to start moving into the 160s. I don't have much ambition to start exercising right now so I'm trying to watch what I eat. I need to do something right.

That's all my news for now. I won't be reporting my food for today but it's 1500 calories or less. I'm sorry to say it but the heat takes the heart right out of me. I will try to post a vacation picture in the next few days. Bye for now.

:o

Hey, good for you, lots of water and eating lightly at a Sweet Jean Family Gathering! I imagine that wasn't an easy feat as I'm sure all that yummy food must have been tempting. I LOVE it that you're at 170 and haven't gained. You ARE doing something right!

How do you feel about the cold of winter, lol? What is your favorite season?

Hello Journal, Hello Sue ...

Sue, you are such a faithful friend. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate your friendship and support. What do I think of the cold of winter? Well, like all good complainers, I don't like rotten winter weather when the wind is ripping around corners and making our eyes tear. My favorite season would be spring but for the last few years the seasons have been unpredictable. When we have that classic spring weather with the sun feeling warmer and the ground getting softer, that's my favorite. I get most energetic in September ... I think that's a leftover from school days when we'd get new clothes and school supplies. I like the cool autumn days too. Still, spring is my favorite.

Today was a mixed up food day ... I didn't record my food but I stayed under 1500 calories, I'm sure. My choices weren't the best ... watermelon for breakfast, hamburger and hot dog for lunch on real buns (!!), and then some gummy worms (get those things out of my house, please), and then more watermelon. Rather haphazard eating. And now tomorrow my daughter and I are heading back to my mother's. My sister is only here until Tuesday and we want to see her one more time. We don't have any time free except for tomorrow so off we go again. I'm to be ready by 9 AM so I must go to bed NOW.

I will try to write tomorrow night but cannot make any promises. I am behind in reading everyone else's journals and I have a headache. I hope I wake up feeling better.

To all my friends at DT, I hope you're doing well with your eating and exercising ... this summertime living is a true test of our intentions. I'll be back here as soon as I can.

:o

Hello Journal ...

This needs to be a short post as I must get back to bed. I got home from the shore last night after 10 PM. We had a nice visit but I returned with a migraine headache that is one of my worst ... lights and sound bother me. So I'll say goodnight for now ... I'll try and get back as soon as possible ... my stomach is upset too.

I called my doctor this morning but he is on his vacation. If I am still this bad tomorrow, I will call the covering doctor.

Later.

:(

Hello Journal ...

My migraine is improving ... the first part of today was still not good but now I feel a definite improvement. The prognosis is that I will live. During a migraine that doesn't feel possible.

Tomorrow my daughter and her husband are leaving for a three-day holiday by themselves and my husband and I are watching the kids for them. Relatives are taking the baby tomorrow and Tuesday but Demetri will be with us the whole time. I think I will stay off the computer during their vacation and just give my head a rest. I want to rest my eyes as much as possible. Light bothered me a lot during this migraine and that is not usually one of my symptoms.

I wish everyone good luck and good dieting while I'm gone ... I will be trying to eat lightly these next few days so I can report back a weight BELOW 170 ... maybe. Not the most important thing, but it would be nice.

Stay well ....

:o

Hi Jean. I was just wondering why you haven't been in your journal and then I read that not only are you recuperating from a migraine but you've got the GKs over too. Well, that 'splains it. Hopefully, by the time your headache is gone and the kids are back home, I'll have extra time as well and we can start having our morning coffee together again. You take care and know that I'm always thinking about you. Sue

Hello Journal, Hello Sue ...

The grandchildren have been delivered back to their parents and I don't know how anyone agrees to have children. It has to be the hardest job in the world.

Tuesday night we got the baby and later that evening I had to ask my husband if we had dinner ... he said he was wondering the same thing. It was a whirlwind of baby stuff, Demetri asking me a million questions, then putting the baby to sleep, then putting Demetri to bed, then putting Demetri to bed, then putting Demetri to bed .... then letting Demetri get up and watch TV with his grandfather until he wanted to come back to bed. Oh my goodness ... the things that go on when Mommy and Daddy are away!

Demetri by himself is now so easy to be with I understand why I never had a second baby. That's how I was with his mother ... all my attention was always on her ... she loved it and I could handle it. After the baby joined our party last night, I got so nervous I had to keep talking to myself that "I can do this" ... I had to explain to Demetri over and over that there were things I wanted (and needed) to do with the baby. He came up with clever alternatives ... let her feed herself, let Pop-Pop do it, leave her alone, she'll be fine. No matter what I told him it always came back to "but I want you to do THIS with me." Nothing got him to understand that I had other things I needed to do for the baby. Then at one point ... joking around ... I told the baby that she was making too much noise. He came running in and told me not to talk to his sister like that. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

So I kept talking to myself.

Then my daughter and her husband walked in and they both looked gorgeous with tans ... all relaxed and happy. That made it all worthwhile.

Now what did I eat while all this was going on? Stuff ... but I can't remember for sure. Yesterday I didn't have lunch because we were at the movies. Dinner was that baby business I described earlier. Later I drank a real Coke just for kicks. I have no real reason why I drank it.

This morning I had coffee for breakfast ... then later I had some cantaloupe. Later some dutch apple pie. Dinner was a Bacon Lettuce and GARDEN tomato sandwich with Fat Free Frozen yogurt for dessert ... oh yes, a well-balanced nutritional diet. I decided that if I were a young mother I'd need to eat all frozen meals to control calories ... otherwise I'd graze all day long and eat about 3000 calories a day.

Just to keep me further confused, my daughter has developed a new "strange" rash on her face and upper arm so we are going back to New York City tomorrow to see her doctor again. I told her that her strange illnesses need to stop ... they've been going on since she turned 12 ... we've seen more doctors than I can remember and even the doctors are impressed with what she finds to come up with. I told her in the "olden days" all these things would stop after a young woman had children ... so far her ailments have continued. So the saga continues.

Finally on Friday, I think I have a day to myself and Saturday too. Sunday afternoon I'm going to a friend's 50th birthday party ... I haven't seen this friend in about 2 years. Time is flying ... and my summer only has two more weeks to go.

I'll be back tomorrow night ....

:o

I know it's not funny, but your post had me cracking up and feeling sorry for you all at the same time! Oh dear, I sure hope my son waits awhile before he has children and I'm going through the same scenario, or maybe it should happen now while I still have the energy! I can NOT believe you only have 2 weeks of summer left. Seems like it just started. Two weeks, two weeks. Hope you got rested up a little. And I hope your daughter will be ok. Now, go take a nap, lol. Sue

Hello Journal, Hello Sue ...

LOL ... Sue, I'm glad you could see the humor in what I wrote ... children make me laugh a lot ... but I often get nervous with them too. This week was a challenge for me but now that it is done I am happy that I did it. Thank goodness my daughter's husband's family is available too ... three days with the two children would have been too much for me.

Well, today my daughter and I went and did the New York City doctor thing again and luck was with us the whole way. No waiting for trains, taxis OR the doctor! The whole round trip took less than 3 hours and it was air-conditioned most of the way. When we were outside the temperature didn't feel too awful (even though it was about 95).

The doctor was cautious with his remarks about my daughter's new rash but seems to think it is related to my granddaughter's recent viral infection. My daughter will have blood tests done tomorrow and we should know something by Monday.

We got home a little after 6 and I ate a grilled hamburger and an ear of corn with butter. I also had a piece of dutch apple pie with cool whip. I felt so tired before but fooling around on the computer sort of woke me up. I'm giving up now and heading to bed. I am tired, tired, tired and so glad that I can sleep late tomorrow morning. Maybe I can get some quiet time for myself these next few days ... that would do me a world of good.

See you tomorrow.

:o

Let us know what the doctor says. And how did your mole-thing removal go awhile back? Here's wishing you lots of quiet peaceful days. Hugs, Sue

Hello Journal, Hello Sue ...

I'm sorry to talk about the weather again but it's still hot in NJ. I don't remember days being this hot all in a row week after week after week. I cannot imagine what will be next. It would be nice to have a cool breezy autumn ... I hope, I hope.

I've had the most exciting of weekends ... in the laundry room! I suddenly realized that I had tons of laundry to do, so I settled in downstairs and did load after load and got most of it done. After all that excitement I am exhausted and am now on my way to bed. Tomorrow I'm going to a birthday luncheon for a girlfriend of mine. We live 15 minutes apart but haven't seen each other in two years ... we both know that is a shame. I'm looking forward to seeing her tomorrow.

Foodwise I'm not counting anything or watching stuff carefully. It's so hot that most of my choices have been fruit, chicken, coffee in the mornings sometimes with cold cereal. We've had Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwiches twice for dinner ... OUR GARDEN TOMATOES ... THAT'S A TREAT. We make them with turkey bacon. My husband made some of his fresh pickles. I'm guilty of having frozen yogurt in the evening ... fat free ... with cool whip. I don't feel like I'm eating too much but I haven't been motivated to keep track. My scale has not been working right so I cannot trust what it is telling me but I think my 170 number is going down. Who knows ... maybe I'm sweating off a pound here and there and it will come back when I drink my next glass of water <==== that was a joke.

See, the heat is getting to my brain ... the dog days of August have been here since May and I just want it to snow!

I'll write again tomorrow if I can after I come home from the party.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

:o

ps ... Sue, about the mole on my leg ... the doctor said it is fine and I can leave it alone or have it removed ... my choice. I'd like to leave it alone if possible. He gave me a cream to keep it from being itchy. We'll find out about my daughter on Monday. Most of all, she should stay OUT OF THE SUN but she refuses to listen. The doctors have been telling her that for years ... and that is their advice FOR EVERYONE in case anyone would like some free medical advice. :laugh:

Hey Jean. Tiffany must have inherited her mother's sensitive skin when it comes to the sun. Thanks for the update on the mole, glad it's not serious.

I've noticed a change in the weather also. I bet it has something to do with our pollution eating away at the ozone. I think the world's in for some big trouble in the decades ahead if we don't start doing something now to retard the progress of pollution. The astronauts said the other day that they were concerned the "shell" surrounding earth was so very very thin. Oh boy, now you got me started on the environment, lol.

Ah yes, laundry. I sat for an hour (surprisingly shorter than I anticipated) at the laundromat this morning as my washer is leaking buckets. Now, THAT'S not a happy experience. I have vowed that I will have a different washer by the next time I have to wash clothes. Hmmm, how many days in a row can I wear the same clothes before they have to be washed? JK.

I hope you and your friend have a wonderful time tomorrow and that you'll start seeing each other more frequently.

Your BLTs sound really good. I haven't had one of those in years. Question for you...tell me what I did wrong with my tomato plants. The skins are thick!

Here's to seeing 160. Sue

Hi Jean !!!!!!! :wave:

Is your washer down the basement where you can keep cooler at?

My MIL is washing everything in sight so she has a reason to stay in her cool basement lol - Oh I just thought of something - she can do MY washing lol :laugh:

You sound good, busy but good :D

PS: sue what kind are they? Some are made to be thick skinned.

Beth :dn

Hello Journal, Hello Sue, and Hello Beth.

I never expected to take this long to get back to my journal. I went to my girlfriend's birthday party on August 7 ... visited with her afterwards until almost midnight ... then came home and had to sleep, get up and rush and pack for another trip to my mother's.

This time it took longer to get ready ... I had banking to do, bills to pay, paperwork to file, laundry to finish ... the list went on and on. I finally got into the car with my daughter and her kids and I never had a chance to jump on here and tell you all good-bye and take care.

Our visit at my mother's went well ... we took my daughter's mother-in-law and aunt with us and we did have a great time. They are such nice women. They couldn't get over how my mother had everything ready and waiting for us ... dinner table set, beds ready, fresh linen in the bathrooms. They asked her who does her housecleaning and she said she does it all. She's 88. They were complimenting her and telling her how great it was. My mother said, "Well, I don't do it all in one day!" That got a good laugh from everyone.

The ladies went home on Tuesday but my daughter and I stayed until Wednesday ... my daughter and her son had a birthday party to go to on the boardwalk. My mother and I babysat the baby during the afternoon. If my mother could, she'd eat that baby up with a spoon.

Yesterday (Wednesday) we got home early (6 PM) but I was so tired I went right to bed and I stayed in bed most of today. I was flat-out exhausted after being away from home. My daughter and her family left this morning for Hershey, Pennsylvania for two days. Maybe something is wrong with me, but I cannot keep up a busy time schedule. I need lots and lots of down time in order to feel good. I cannot go and go and go.

This weekend I might go shopping and buy a new scale. Or I may wait until next week. Every time I get on my scale it tells me a different number. I see my doctor on Monday and I'll see what his scale says. Other than that, I'm eating reasonably, not exercising at all, having some sweets, some fruits, and drinking lots of water. I'm not following any food plan in particular and I'm tired.

I'll try and write again tomorrow. Now I'm going to read different entries here at DT ... I feel I've been away so long.

:o

Hi Jean. It always makes me happy to hear you spending time with friends and having such an enjoyable time.

I’m so glad the other women got to visit with your mom. I bet she loved it!!!

Rest up, my friend. I’m glad you listen to your body.

Hello Journal, Hello Sue ...

Nice to see you Sue. I'll have to stop over at your journal and see how you're doing. Yes, I listen to my body ... the whole thing just STOPS. Not much else I can do except STOP with it. LOL.

Today I did get out to do a few errands but the high temp takes my energy away. I am again fighting a small headache ... but I see the doctor this Monday.

I am reading and resting ... the only two things you can do in this heat. The garden is now producing tomatoes and we are doing our best to enjoy them. Soon we will have to start canning them. I rented "The Truman Show" today ... I always wanted to see it. I watched it this afternoon and enjoyed it.

That's my news for now. I'll write again soon. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer weekend.

:o

I got a kick out of, "Yes, I listen to my body ... the whole thing just STOPS. Not much else I can do except STOP with it. LOL". You're great, Jean!

What are you reading? Novel or something in-depth?

The Truman Show. I know that's with Jim Carrey. Is that the one where he has amnesia? If so, that's a great movie!

Later, Sue

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Sue, my daughter got me started with Jim Carrey. Left to my own devices, I don't think I would have ever watched him, but she LOVED him, sooooooooooo ... well, you know how that works. "The Truman Show" is where his whole life is a TV show only he doesn't know it. Nothing is real except for him and his reactions. My grandson and I watch him in "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective" over and over and over. How can one person be so funny?

Today I watched my second movie, "Beyond the Sea" about Bobby Darin starring Kevin Spacey. Well, give Kevin Spacey some kind of award for this, please! It was a marvelous movie and I thank everyone involved in making it. Kevin Spacey said he always wanted to make it and that it was long overdue ... I agree. In reality, I remember not liking the person Bobby Darin ... but you cannot deny his talent. Sandra Dee was 16 when she married him after knowing him only about 3 months. Wow. What a different world.

Sue, I'm reading a book about western civilization right now. I don't even remember how I got started with this author ... but he is wonderful. He is writing about the years 1500 to 2000 (From Dawn to Decadence by Jacques Barzun). I never had a good grip on history and as I get older I get more and more interested in it.

Tomorrow is my doctor's appointment and I want to write down my problems before I go to see him. Otherwise I might just start crying. I don't expect the doctor never to take a vacation, but this particular moment happened to be the worst possible one for me this year. Everything seemed to go haywire for me. Yet he is so calm and reasonable he will make sense of all my problems in very little time.

I'm heading off to bed now ... tomorrow starts my LAST WEEK of vacation. :(

Hello Journal ...

As I expected, my doctor listened to every word I said and wasn't "upset" by any of my information (everyone to their own profession!). He advised that we leave everything as is for one month. The month ahead promises no surprises and no stress and we will see if migraines pop up or stay away (we are betting they will stay away). That is not to say that my migraines come from stress ... they have a physical cause ... but stress can start the process and severe stress can cause havoc.

This past month with our family visits and travel, I could not keep up and my system let me know the only way it could ... by breaking down. As far as I can tell this is my nature ... my daughter's mother-in-law says I'm not strong, that I'm soft. She means this in a nice way ... and she comes the closest to describing the way I am. I can rise to the occasion when needed and have many times in my life ... but I need a great deal of "recovery time" afterwards.

I got on the doctor's scale today ... I registered 169 and he said to take off 3 pounds for the time of day and clothing. Ummmmmmm ... I'd like to change my numbers to show 166 or even 168 but I'm actually afraid to do it. I did check my home scale against his ... and my home scale said 1.5 lbs LESS than the doctor's. Who knows, an hour later it might have agreed. My scale is definitely having a breakdown ... lol ... better my scale than me. The heck with it ... I'll wait for next month at the doctor's again ... if I'm still under 170 then I'll change my numbers.

Got to get a move on here ... tomorrow we're taking Demetri to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. I am so excited! My husband better lead the way because when I get into big places like that I need to be pushed and pulled along ... I get utterly dumbfounded. We all took bets on how long Demetri will stay interested ... his mother said 20 minutes, his grandfather said a couple of hours, I say as long as we let him stay. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Nite.

:o

Hello Journal ...

I was too tired to post last night. We were at the museum from 12 noon until it closed at 6 PM and we walked miles and miles and miles! The exhibits were wonderful although the dinasaurs seem to have taken second place to the origins of the earth, the Big Bang, and Space. My favorite, the T-Rex, is no longer "center stage" and scientists have decided that it's more "realistic" to show him crouching instead of standing high in the air.

We think we managed to see about one-tenth of what the museum had to offer ... maybe if we spent a month there we could see it all ... lol. It was wonderful and Demetri loved it all. He didn't want to leave even when they rang the closing bell. He was excited by everything ... the snacks at the train station, the train ride, the taxi ride through the city, the museum itself, and especially all the interactive computers throughout the museum. He told us this was "the greatest day of his life."

I slept like the dead last night and had to figure out who I was this morning. Talk about tired! I'm dressed now and I need to go and pack an overnight bag. I'm heading back down to my mother's again. We have some paperwork to do for her tomorrow so I'm driving down this afternoon. I'll be back in Union on Friday for my last summer weekend before we start our school schedule. The terrible heat is gone and I hope it doesn't return. Usually New Jersey gives us more hot hot weather in September ... we call it Indian summer. Anymore I don't know what to expect.

I'm not eating according to any plan. Starting today I want to stick with low fat proteins, green vegetables and fruit, water and a few starches every day.

I'll write again when I get back.

:o

Hi Jean. Your museum trip sounds so fun and I hope you have a pleasant and productive time at your mother’s. Hard to believe summer’s already nearly over for you. Will Demetri have full days in school this year so you’ll mostly just have Arianna? Your eating plan sounds like a good one. Glad you’re losing weight hon and as long as you know how your body reacts you can adjust your activities to fit. Somehow, I think we all want to believe we’re superwomen. Come to find out, we’re just us. We do what we can, and when we can’t that has to be ok too. Love, Sue

Hey Jean. I'm glad you went to the museum rather than that water park that made so many people sick from crypto. Milwaukee had a problem with that several years ago. Bad stuff. Hope you're enjoying your weekend, Sue

Every time I visit your journal - your either coming or going lol

so either I need to visit more often or you need to stay still more lol :laugh:

enjoy ! :D

Beth :dn

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue, and Hello Beth!

I stayed an extra night at my mother's and got home today (Saturday) at noon. My mother and I did everything we wanted so she's all set for a while. Beth, I hope I can "stay put" ... but each time I see my mother she seems to need more and more help. She is holding on to her independence with all her strength and I hope it lasts forever for her.

Tonight on TV is Russell Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind" and that's where I'm heading to now. I wanted to see this movie ever since it came out. My summer is now down to one remaining day. Until Labor Day I will have both children all day every Monday through Thursday. After Labor Day my grandson will go to nursery school every morning from 9 AM to 11:30 AM ... I'm hoping to spend the mornings with the baby (walking long walks?) and then with my grandson in the afternoons while the baby is napping. We'll see how well that works out.

PS: I didn't overeat at my mother's but I just went along with my mother's program. That included bread at most meals and dessert after dinners. My mother's appetite had disappeared for a while but it is once again well and strong. My mother loves food. She is sometimes dangerous for me.

Talk again tomorrow ... :o

Hi Jean. How does your mom stay so trim? What's her secret? How did you like A Beautiful Mind? For some reason, I just couldn't get into it when i tried watching it a couple years ago. Other people rave about it. Your plan for walking really sounds doable. Arianna will love it, 'course yai yai (or is it yia yia, I guess I don't have my Greek down, lol) and Demetri will probably be ready for a nap too. Group nap! Sounds good to me. Have a good day! Sue

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Sue, my mother always was an active woman. She moved all the time, walked often, carried laundry up and down stairs, and cleaned her own house from top to bottom. Her stroke 6 years ago was a big set-back but she persisted about living on her own and still cleans her own home. Like she says, she just doesn't do it all in one day.

When my mother was in her late 50's she gained a lot of weight and got too heavy ... her mother was a heavy woman. About two years ago my mother spent the winter in Florida with my sister and got homesick ... she lost a lot of weight. Maybe it was more than just homesickness. She came home very thin and very weak ... she needed work done on her heart at that time and it took about 6 months for her to recover. Lately her appetite has returned to its old level and she is gaining weight again. She loves ice cream and cake and is back to her old trick of putting a plate in front of you when you're with her. Suddenly you're having dessert too. She is always telling people to eat.

I wasn't thrilled with "A Beautiful Mind." When I'm watching a movie and I'm aware of the actors being "actors" ... I'm left feeling disappointed. Russell Crowe disappointed me often in this movie. I also don't like when actors need to "age" in movies ... somehow they haven't found a way to make that look real. I'm glad I saw it but I can't rate it among my favorites.

In your journal you mention having my thyroid checked. I've been taking medication for an inactive thyroid for more than 10 years already. But thanks for thinking of it. It is a diagnosis that is often missed.

Today was my first day of babysitting and it went very well. When the baby went for her afternoon nap, I left Demetri with my husband and went to a doctor's appointment. It was a last-minute thing ... but I have a urinary tract infection. That's something I never had before and it came up last week while I was at my mother's ... while talking to my sister on the phone, I mentioned my problem ... she said ... see a urologist. Another doctor, another antibiotic, hopefully another cure. My sister said it will always be something ... and to just keep going.

Now I'm very tired and I'm going to bed. I'll try and get on tomorrow night but if not, I'll be back ASAP. Starting work always knocks me out at first and I need some time to adjust. Food is still all over the place ... not bad but not scheduled. I have decided to change my current weight number to 168. I have consistently weighed in at that number or lower for the last two weeks. I weighed 168 for years and think it is one of my body's "set points." I am changing my profile tonight (drum roll please).

That's it for now. I hope everyone is feeling good and doing good.

:o

And a drum roll you will get! CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING BELOW 170! 160 here we come! I think I heard that when people offer you food like that, it's a way of them trying to show their love. Just give her a hug next time instead. :)

You poor thing, I think you need a hug yourself, long distance. :console: All these medical problems one right after another. No wonder you're not bouncing around with Demetri!

Love you, Jean. Be well, my friend. Sue

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Tomorrow I have the children again. My son-in-law usually watches them on Fridays but he is working instead. My first week with the children went well. It takes a while to fall into a pattern but Ariana and Demetri were both good. Today we took a slow walk around the neighborhood. The air was cool, it was breezy, and the sun was behind clouds.

I already have a list of things to do this weekend. I want to work with lists this year ... since I got nothing done this summer I needed to change something about my "methods." Right now I am tired again and I'm on my way to bed. I'll write again tomorrow night. I hope everyone is staying on their plans and feeling good.

:o

Hi Jean. Glad you came out to play. I had been missing you! So happy you got out for a walk with the kids today and that they were good for you. I still cannot believe how fast the summer went for you. But really, you were very busy with family and friend stuff. Well, here's to lists of things to be accomplished, one by one. Love, Sue

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Sue, thanks for stopping by. My first week of babysitting took the wind out of my sails. After everyone left yesterday I went right to bed (I'm such a wimp) ... took a good mystery novel with me, read 3 pages, and was promptly asleep. I recommend spending time with young children if anyone needs a good night's rest!

So far today I haven't even looked at my lists. I am still tired. I am making broiled chicken for dinner with corn on the cob and then I may just go back to my mystery novel. I think I need to get past page 3 to get "more into it." LOL. I need a day to do nothing ... and then tomorrow I'll give it all I've got! This is what I did all through college ... hung around all weekend until Sunday ... and then rushed to get ready for classes on Monday. Some things never change.

I'll be back to visit journals later ... right now I want to get dinner started. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

:o

You made me laugh out loud on your secret to getting a good night's sleep. :laugh: Enjoy your rest, my friend. Sue

Hello Journal, Hello Sue ...

I had another day of not doing too much. I did some cleaning in the basement where I have a play area. It seems the best place for the baby to play right now ... she is walking all over and exploring and down there things are safe. I will need to get her more toys ... I have many of her brother's in my attic. I have a set of blocks I know she will love.

My eating went well today (fruit, leftover broiled chicken, ff ice cream, TOMATOES, Italian bread). I stayed on the light side of things. It's cooler here than it's been and it rained all afternoon, but I was soooooo hot. Whatever room I was in I ran the air-conditioner at full-blast. I think this is a side-effect of lowering my estrogen. I'm even warm in the winter.

Now I'm really into my murder mystery (The Oath by John Lescroart) and that's where I'm heading now ... yesterday I was sure I knew "who dun it" ... now today I've changed my mind. Tomorrow my little charges will be here at 7:30 AM and I'd like to be waiting for them with a smile on my face.

:o

Nothing like a good book that keeps ya thinking :)

Hope you got some sleep and awake feeling great !

Your eating is :super:

Beth :dn

Hi Journal, Hi Beth ...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit, Beth. Your visits are always so nice.

I haven't been consistent with my posting lately. I'm still trying to get a pattern going with the babysitting.

Last night I didn't sleep well, I'm already out of bed and I thought I'd start my day here in my journal. I have the children today and tomorrow and then I'm off until Tuesday. I already wish it were Friday. My house is messy, I ran into laundry difficulties (a cream from my dermatologist stained some of my things ... thought they did away with creams like that 100 years ago!), and I feel like every wall is dirty and every floor needs to be scrubbed. Everywhere I look I see housework. I need some enthusiasm about my house ... maybe when my husband gets out of the garden he'll come inside with some fresh energy. I feel like a slug.

I'm heading downstairs for coffee now ... hopefully that and a shower will get me on my way. I don't like to start my day "faking it" but that's what I'm doing today. The kids perk me up ... their energy rubs off on me as the day moves along. I'll try to get back here and post again tomorrow. I hope everyone is OK and looking forward to a happy holiday weekend.

:o

Hope you get the energy you need my friend :)

Beth :dn

Hi Jean,
Are you feeling better yet? I get that "slug" feeling sometimes.....blechhh!
Being around kids usually help me but I rarely have any kids around anymore.

Hope you are having a good day.



:hug:


Vickie :pass:

Hello Journal ... here is Friday at last.

Hello Beth, Hello Vickie ... thank you both for your visits. Yes, I feel better especially knowing that today plus the next three days belong to me. I had to push myself right up until this afternoon. Now all my commitments have been met.

I spent a lot of time this week watching the destruction in New Orleans. I'm finally learning about the geography of my country but in an unfortunate way. I never knew about the levees and how New Orleans was a man-made city. I'm beginning to understand how much of our modern world is the product of engineering. I am feeling very sober and sad.

Oddly enough, here in New Jersey we are having a beautiful Labor Day weekend. In the face of what is happening on the Gulf coast it is difficult to feel cheerful but I will relax and enjoy these next few days. One thing I plan to do is stay off this computer. I am having my swan song tonight and then I am off to do "I don't know what."

I hope everyone is doing well with their diet plans and exercise programs. I hope we start off this coming season ready to improve our health, bodies, and moods. I need to start thinking of a new journal ... my midsummer dream is coming to an end.

:o

Hello my friend! :wave: I'm making really good progress today. Thank you. :) Sue

Hi Jean,
Hope your Labor Day weekend was a great one. Fall is right around the corner now. Enjoy!!


:hug:


Vickie :whip:

Hello Journal ... Sue and Vickie ...

Sue, I'm glad to hear that your weekend finished on a good note. You deserve that for yourself every day. And Vickie, yes, Fall is right around the corner. I wonder if we'll have that nice crisp air that I remember when I was a girl. We'd wear wool skirts and sweaters and the air would smell clean.

Last year Fall was HOT ... :( ... I felt so cheated.

But no more talk about the weather ... I finally turned off the TV this weekend ... I couldn't watch any more news about Katrina ... I couldn't take it any more.

My weekend was quiet ... I mostly rested. Did a few things around the house and one afternoon I did go out to some stores (drugstore, vitamin shop, and linens). My daughter was here to swim every day but we never had a party of any kind. It was a very quiet holiday.

Tomorrow I'll babysit the children but on Wednesday and Thursday my son-in-law is watching them. He will be on vacation from work. I'll have them on Friday and then I'll be back to another weekend. I think I have the strength for that kind of schedule this week ... lol.

I'll be back to chat again soon. I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing holiday.

:o

Hi Journal ...

I plan to write in this journal until September 21, the official last day of summer. Then I need to have a new journal ready for the fall and winter months. For the rest of the month of September I have doctors' appointments. After that I should be free for the rest of the year to take care of the children and watch them grow. I'd like to get into a routine where I can walk with the baby every morning. My grandson will be in nursery school until noon every day so we'll have plenty of time ... depending on the weather.

I'd also like to start working out with weights. I've given it a lot of thought and weights seem to be my best bet. I do want to look and feel different by next summer.

Another goal of mine for this winter is to stay away from the TV. I don't want to get addicted to any new programs ... they keep me up too late and really amount to nothing. I do have a long list of books I'd like to read this winter instead.

I'll be back to chat over the weekend. Hope everyone is doing well.

:o

Hi Jean,
Looks like you have some awesome evenings of reading ahead of you. I love curling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate or hot tea on a cold winter night. Of course I always have a cat or a dog lying ON my feet. :)

:hug:


Vickie :dn

Those are all good plans Jean. That's where it starts. And it continues on one day at a time. Glad you'll be enjoying yourself with books during this getting fit process. I wish you the best of everything. Sue

Hello Journal, Sue, and Vickie ...

It's so nice to have visitors here. Thanks for stopping in and thanks for your encouragement. I appreciate your support.

My weekend has slipped by without me doing anything too constructive. I did more eating than I wanted for no particular reason. Suddenly I wanted treats and I indulged myself. I hope that's the end of that. This weekend the offending foods were chocolate chip cookies and apple crumb pie. They are not my favorites but they were HERE ... so I guess my sweet tooth was looking for anything.

Tomorrow (Monday) my grandson starts nursery school and while he is there every morning I hope to take the baby for walks in her stroller. She loves to look around and see new things so I'm hoping she'll enjoy this. On Tuesday mornings our library offers a reading hour and I may make that one of our destinations. I notice she is getting more social so I will be looking for activities that we can do.

Today I have all my chores to do that I was supposed to do since Friday. I still don't want to do any of them. I'll start by having brunch ... maybe that will energize me.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I'll be back during the week to catch up with everyone.

:o

Hi Jean. Your morning walks with that beautiful grandaughter of yours sound so pleasant. I wish you a cool breeze on your back and a contented baby, as well as a sleepy, ready-for-a-nap little boy when he comes home to grandma's house after school. Thank you for your kind, insightful words over the weekend to me. I avoided any deep thoughts on Sunday, but your words stuck in my head and I even found myself "talking" to you, even though I didn't write back. I hope you have a very pleasant, energetic, on-plan week. Sue

Hope you and you gd enjoyed your walk :)

my GKs wear me out - but I love spending time with them as I know you do.

The reading thing sounds like a lot of fun.....

Beth :dn

Hello Journal, Sue, Beth ...

Thank you for your visits ... Sue, you keep talking about afternoon naps and you make me laugh. There haven't been naps for my grandson in more than two years! His mother would kill me ... she likes to get him to bed by 7:30 and an afternoon nap would make that impossible. I think he napped once last year when he was sick ... my daughter said that was OK. LOL. The baby still takes an afternoon nap ... usually for two hours.

Well, here it was the first day of school ... I was so excited I felt ridiculous, but that's the truth of the matter. We met my daughter and her husband and the kids at the school before 9 AM and we did the pictures and the hellos with the other children and parents. This year my grandson is Pre-K which means he goes to the "other side" of the building ... he's not with the little kids any more. This is his third year at this school so maybe it's old hat to him, but his sister and I were way more excited about everything than he was. The teachers were very nice to us and let us stay for the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and their opening instructions but then we made our way out the door.

When we got home with the baby I started making up excuses in my head why I wouldn't take the baby for a walk ... but I told myself one excuse would lead to more ... so we went right out the door. I was huffing and puffing right away. I took my longest neighborhood route and we walked about 45 minutes. I was in pain for the rest of the day. Going down stairs later, my knee buckled and I knew not to carry the baby on any stairs today ... I couldn't trust my legs. This is going to take time. But tomorrow we are going again.

I will have to take my granddaughter out of our neighborhood ... I can tell she already knows the route and was wiggling around a lot. This little one needs new things to do and see to be happy ... she'll love our walks to the town center. That's where the library is ... so we'll check that out tomorrow. My aching legs!

Then ... we knew Demetri was coming home any minute so we were waiting at the end of the street for him ... and sure enough there he was with his Dad coming around the corner. I imagined this great hello and first day of school news etc ... instead, he came out of the car crying all about some game he wanted and his father said NO. Ariana and I just stood there and didn't know what to do ... I almost wanted to go for another walk ... and that's saying a lot!

Eventually the whole thing was decided by Dad that Demetri was to behave and IF HE BEHAVED then his Dad would see about a game for him tomorrow. Well, I had the best behaved young gentleman at my house all day. It was almost unnatural. When his Mom came to pick him up he was almost in tears until he heard me say that yes he had behaved. I don't like discipline like this but at times we get stuck with it ... and I always do whatever the parents tell me to do. While we were by ourselves today I talked to him about all these games and that he has too many of them to begin with but he wanted what he wanted ... so he kept up with his "yes, please" and "no, thank you" behavior all day long.

It was not the "first day of school" I had imagined.

Meanwhile, my little miss woke up from her nap all full of vim and vigor and found out that she could now reach and climb up on the sofa ... and stand on the sofa ... and jump up and down on the sofa! That was only one of her many discoveries this afternoon. She is going to be a handful. I kept wondering what normal grandparents were doing this afternoon ... like maybe they were out shopping or visiting old friends?

I wouldn't have it any other way ... but at times I wonder who are these little people living in my house? They are just so very very cute. It's hard to get serious around them ... I keep wanting to play.

:o

You know, Sweet Jean, I just love reading the stories about the closeness and love in your family (all of you going to school on the first day). It really is heartwarming and I'm so very happy you regularly experience such sweet love.

Napping! Here's what I think. I think grandpa should take the little tyke out every afternoon to the park or somewhere where he can run and play while grandma takes a nap with the baby. Grandma will wake up refreshed and ready to take on the energy of a 4-year old and get the needed rest after the new-found energy of a 1-year old. 'Course, by the time grandpa gets home, he'll will be ready for a snooze but he will certainly have earned it--as have YOU!

I gave my son everything he wanted and he quickly learned to be good until the moment he received it. But heaven help me when I finally put my foot down and said no. We still struggle to this day on these issues. I always thought I was showing my love by giving him everything he wanted. I never figured out how to say no with the right tone of voice and the right words, I just reacted, but I wish I would have and I hope I learn it soon. More for him than for me. It's a tough job being a parent and a grandparent, but so very important. My heart goes out to you.

Good for you Jean on DECIDING to go for a walk even if you didn't feel like it and for GOING today too! (Just build up to it!).

So, today is a day of resolve and doing the absolute best we can, today and every day hereafter. Keeping that at the forefront of our minds. If today is good, tomorrow will be better and the next day and the next day until we're just in the right groove of things.

So here we go! TODAY WILL BE GOOD BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT GOOD!

Hello Journal ... Hello Sue ...

Sue, you keep trying to get me to take a nap! lol.

Anyway, yesterday I didn't walk with the baby because her Dad came and took her to a doctor's appt. But we did walk today even though it was hot and humid. I took her past the library and found out that it took us 30 minutes to walk there. The baby reading hour starts next Tuesday so we'll be giving that a try. We walked for 45 minutes today and I was soaked from the humidity when we got home. I put the air-conditioning on and it stayed on for the rest of the day. I guess our Indian summer has arrived.

Yesterday there was no more mention of any "game" from my grandson ... it was as if the day before never happened. Then when he came in today from school he did have a new game and he was all excited! We played with this