In my last journal I tried to rely on luck. I took off about 10 pounds, but my eating went crazy the last few weeks and it appears to be back. This journal is about doing the real work. I know what I need to do to lose weight... I just haven't been doing it. I'm going back to what works. I'm going to focus! I'm going to fit into my clothes again!

In almost exactly a month I am going on a little golf vacation. Starting with the next 30 days I am going to work hard and pay attention to the following:

1. Use FitDay every day to track calories and carbs.
2. Shoot for 1200-1500 calories and under 120g carbs per day, in 4 small meals.
3. Exercise at least a little each day.
4. Only eat when hungry -- no mindless snacking.
5. Plan ahead for meals.
6. Drink as much water as possible.
7. Limit carbs and avoid carb-y snacks.
8. Eat at least one salad and one fruit each day.
9. Take my vitamins.

This is going to be a busy week, but I think I've got things planned pretty well. My Sweetie grilled chicken breasts for me to take in my lunches, and I made egg muffin cups to heat up for breakfasts.

When I depart on August 20th I want to pack comfortable clothes. I want to be able to swing my golf club confidently. I'd love to go for a swim in Lake Michigan. Going to set myself up to succeed!

Lisrey :up:

;)


In with the good.... :up:


out with the bad.... :tongue:




Best wishes and good energy in your new journal buddy



luv ya heaps :hug:





:love: Peng xo

Nice to see a new journal! (Don't you usually start one in January and July?)

Hope you have fun playing golf! If you work out that upper body and your core, your golf game will improve (but only with PRACTICE).

I would be too scared to swim in Lake Michigan. It is so BIG. :) But you have already proven your bravery with the horseys. It's no surprise to me then that you will brave swimming in that monstrous lake!

Great new journal, glad I found it.

We can both do this, it will be hard, and it will nasty, but we can do it. You've done it before and you will do it again. Okay, and I have too, and I will once again. I have until Sept 12th to lose what i gained and you have one month to lose yours, we CAN do it.

Have a great day my dear.

Lisrey,

You are sounding good and have a good plan.

Just 30 days to a great holiday, great motivation. Know you can do it and you will feel so much better about yourself by then too!!!

You have 9 good tools on your list. Even if you mastered 3 of them this week you would see a change inyour situation.

Hurray for you, nice start to your new journal.

Hello, Friends!! :D

Thanks for the well-wishes, Peng. I am trying to motivate myself here... I think the confidence will build as a few days pass without carb overload.

Chum, swimming in Lake Michigan is like swimming in the ocean, but without the salt. It's just a really big beach. Big waves, kinda cold usually, and petosky stones to find. I really can't wait to be up there, even if we don't swim. I love that area and have been missing it for years. :)

Raye, I know I will drop a number of the pounds my scale is reporting pretty quick if I can eat right. It'll be sticking to it and grinding out the slower part that'll be tricky. Maybe by the year's end I will be able to report meaningful progress.

Thank you, Crazy -- I think the 30 days time-frame will help me stick to this plan in the early stages... after that I'm hoping the good habits will be ingrained again. We'll see.

Yep, Lisa, I've done this before and I know those things will work for me. I just need to DO them.

Hi, Smallfri! Thanks for the visit & the cheers. ;)

Weight: 161.2

Calories/carbs: 1188/133g

Egg muffins for breakfast, Zone bar and a pear for lunch, chicken breast, brown rice, lettuce salad & a peach for dinner. Had a high-protein pudding and some grapes when I got home. The carbs were high from all of the fruit, which doesn't bother me. No snacking. :up:

Exercise: 9 holes golf with cart

Our golf this morning was fun but pretty quick. The woman I played with is not a beginner but doesn't have a whole lot of power. She hit a lot of short shots but straight down the fairway. I hit twice as far (at least) but was all over. I beat her by 10 strokes in an extremely friendly game. We agreed to play again sometime later this year, preferably when we can do 18 holes.

Took my vitamins tonight & drank my water. All in all, a good first day. :up:

Someone gave me their 2 weeks notice at work, so I need to post that position tomorrow. I also have several other big tasks on my to-do list and am feeling a bit overwhelmed. My meeting tonight went well... Now to implement things.

Had to get up super-early this morning to make it for golf. It was a really long day so I am quite tired. My prescription for the spot on my face was finally available to me tonight, so I will try that before bed... I need a good night's sleep.

I'll take two of my chicken breasts for lunch & dinner tomorrow and eat them at the Library. High-protein pudding in the evening or perhaps a 100 calorie bag of microwave popcorn if I am not too hungry. My group riding lesson is tomorrow night. I hope we'll get to try a little jumping again -- it's been a really long time since I've jumped!

Lisrey :cat:

Hooray, you won! haha Upper body strength training really does improve your power on the golf course. (Even if you have short little arms.) Sounds like you had a good time though. Can you go out to practice more often? Or is your schedule too tight? I wish I'd thought of it sooner, but my dad had a bunch of shag bags (you know what I mean, where you pick them up yourself?). That would be an inexpensive way for you to practice more often without having to pay for a driving range. You can practice in a field! I don't think they are too expensive. Here is a link: http://www.onlinesports.com/pages/I,HOR-ABAGS.html?srcid=frgl&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=HOR-ABAGS&cm_mmc=Froogle-_-Products-_-PPC-_-HOR-ABAGS

You can probably get them cheaper at a used sporting goods or used golf consignment shop.

Gosh, so now you will be taking on the work of the person who quit too? Poor baby. That is a lot of loonnng days.

Good luck today and hope you get to jump!

:up: on a good first day buddy !

glad you got to enjoy the golf !!


Bummer on the work thing... staffing issues are everywhere it seems huh... I am so afraid my new cook will drop out too... but, just have to take it as it comes huh I hope you can fill the position soon... is it real hard to find good staff in your area too?


I hope your day is real nice



keep the momentum building :jn :dn :jn




:love: Peng xo

Hi, Chum! Yes, I wish I could squeeze in golf practice more often. What I really need are some short game lessons. Every year I get a few tips from Sweetie and/or my Dad, but nothing ever really seems to sink in... I have to start over every spring. I do get into some trouble with errant tee shots and other long shots, but typically I accumulate most of the "excess" of my score on & around the green. (Grrrr...)

Thanks, Peng! I was really happy with that first day, and today has been good, too. :up: The person who is quitting has been looking for another job for awhile, so I was not too surprised. The timing is sort of bad because I have another person who may have a baby at any minute. If the baby will hold off (due in mid-September!) we should be okay. Mid-late August tends to be one of our only "slow-down" times.

Weight: 156.6 :)

Calories/carbs: 1139/84g

Stuck to the plan like glue today. Egg muffins & 1/2 yogurt for breakfast; bbq chicken breast, lettuce salad & brown rice for lunch; another salad, grilled Italian chicken breast & a big peach for dinner. When I got home tonight I munched on a few sunflower seeds, and I just ate a few grapes. Not really hungry, so not going to eat anything else.

Exercise: 1 hour horseback riding lesson

Still no jumping tonight. I did slightly better with cantering, but I didn't get much opportunity. We went inside after the first canter segment of the class, and worked on riding in pairs. This was something I'd never done before, and it was challenging and fun. The instructor matched the horses up, and we had to try to ride shoulder to shoulder with our counterpart. My horse doesn't like others very much and would put her ears back, etc. sometimes. We tried some fancy maneuvers, first at a walk, then a trot, with three pairs. Next time she promises we will jump. It's been a month! :O

I focused on drinking a lot of water today. I need to go take my vitamins before I go to bed.

Work was busy today; I got the vacancy posted and my purchase orders written. Crossed some other things off my list. Tomorrow I am hostessing an event at 11:30, and have a pseudo-lunch invitation afterward with a Board member. Not sure if that will really happen, so I'm going to pack a contingency lunch. :o

My "official" weigh-in is tomorrow morning. I lost nearly 5 pounds from the previous morning just by straightening out my eating for one day. I don't expect a lot more tomorrow, but if I stayed the same as today I'd still be down a pound from last week. The pants I wore today I felt like a stuffed sausage in on Friday -- MUCH better today. Got rid of a lot of salt/water bloat, for sure.

The trainer called me & said she's having scheduling issues this week. She was supposed to call me back later to confirm something, but did not. Original plan was to meet tomorrow night after work. Possible alternate plan was Thursday night. I will pack my gym stuff and see what happens. The weather looks rainy so I may go to the gym regardless.

Will have egg muffin breakfast & chicken breast lunch. High-protein pudding after work. Not sure what Sweetie will want to do in the evening... I am determined to moderate! Looking for a good Day #3.

Lisrey :up:

156.8

Okay, I will take this. Two days of eating within my target calorie range after crazy excessive eating for several weeks. I am down .8 pounds from the previous week's scale reading. A few more good days will hopefully get me under 155, and then I can feel more confident and settled. I know that if I can stay away from the heavy carbs for 3-4 days, my cravings will die down and I will be okay.

Lisrey :wave:

You go girl.

Everyone's short game is the most problematic. It is the part off the game that requires the most skill and patience, in my opinion. You might need lessons, but my guess is you need practice more. Everyone who practices their short game often plays better. You cannot improve that part of the game very much without it. Can't you practice chipping somewhere close to you or in your yard? You can practice putting on your carpet. They even have little machines that send the ball back to you. My Dad and I always used this in the living room. See here:

http://www.golfshoppingclub.com/Automatic-Return-Putt-Machine.htm

You can even buy a net so you can practice bigger short shots in your yard: http://www.golfshoppingclub.com/Big-Daddy-Practice-Net.htm

My dad always used one.

i hope you get to work out tonight. That is a LOT of water weight lost!

Isn't it amazing what straightening out our eating can do? I straightened mine out last week, and managed to lose around 4 pounds from the week before. I know it was all bloat and water, because I can get my ring off and on again. Now to keep it under control.

Staffing concerns always seems to be an ongoing thing when you are in charge. I'm so glad I'm not in charge, although I always seem to have to deal with them anyways. I guess that comes from being the money person.

I hope you have a great day.

Hey, Chum! I completely agree with you that I need practice, but I don't want to practice doing things the wrong way. Just need a lesson or two (maybe with my Dad, he is a good golfer), then practice those tips until they are ingrained. It wouldn't hurt if I suddenly developed depth perception, either. :laugh:

Hiya, Raye! I'm so glad you are eating better too. Let's do this. :up:

Calories/carbs: 1308/133g

Egg muffins & 1/2 a yogurt for breakfast; grilled chicken breast, brown rice, lettuce salad for lunch, and high-protein pudding after work in the car (I was hungry!). Sweetie had to work late so I got myself some fish. The corn stand down the road has opened (yay!!!), so I picked up a few ears to go with it. Dinner was: lettuce salad with mango poppy dressing, parmesan-crusted tilapia, 2 smallish ears fresh corn & a large peach. Mmmmm.

Exercise: 39 minutes/6.5-7 miles bike (? forgot to reset computer until about 10 minutes in)

The sun was out & weather was gorgeous. The trainer wanted to see me tomorrow night, so I came home to hop on the bike. Drove over to the usual place I use as a starting point, and rode through a new subdivision over to a country road that is closed right now. Huffed and puffed up the hill to see the big hole in the road which is the reason it's closed... Then went the other way (no cars!!). Saw a bunch of bunnies and geese, and explored an area I've long been curious about. The "Flying Pilgrims" remote control airplane club have property off this road. They were flying one of their big r/c planes. The signs said public welcome when gate open, so I rode down the gravel drive until I found the viewing area. They were just landing the plane I'd seen overhead, and a guy welcomed me and told me a little about what they do & when, invited me back. It was cool! I think Sweetie would like to go see this stuff sometime. Would be a good place for us to ride together. :)

When I got home I discovered more problems with my laptop. The new problems have to do with my power adapter, which after about 1-1/2 hours of chat with tech support, they are going to replace. I had other things I was going to do tonight... Oh, well.

Work today was colorful and crazy. I don't have the energy to say much more than that about it, LOL. Didn't go out with the Board member so got to eat my safe "contingency lunch." :laugh:

Tomorrow I'll have egg muffins again, more chicken for lunch. Will have a high-protein pudding before I see the trainer at 6 pm. Not sure what Sweetie & I will have for dinner -- maybe leftover sloppy joes. I will moderate. I am feeling pretty confident now that I have three days behind me. :)

Lisrey :flower:

:jn YAY for 3 days :jn


you even sound so much better Lisrey, good for you... you worked for it


left the 60's in the friggin dust



so proud of you


and you are right...carrots are the new chips !! thanks for the nudge...i need it and you know you are my hero




thanks for everything and my new fridge art




have a wonderful thursday buddy



:love: Peng xo

Good for you on another healthy eating and exercise day. Sounds like a fun bike ride!

Did I miss it when you said "carrots are the new chips?" You hate vegetables! I am so proud of you for eating carrots now instead of chips and salty snacks! Woo hoo!

Hope you have a good day.

Thanks, Peng! I feel lots better. I just hope I can leave those 160s behind for good. Thought I'd done it a few times now... :o

Hey, Chum! I didn't say that. It was somebody else who posted right after me! I cannot take credit, and I do not eat carrots (although I buy them for the horses and Sweetie, and am attempting to grow some). I haven't had any chips in several days now, though. (This is taking conscious effort.)

Weigh-in: 155.6

Calories/carbs: 1574/126g

Egg muffins & 3 oz yogurt breakfast; bbq chicken breast, brown rice, lettuce salad lunch; high-protein pudding in the car on the way to the gym. For dinner I had a cup of leftover sloppy joe (but only one bun), corn on the cob (small ear), and a big peach. Also munched on some sunflower seeds when I first got home. A little over calories but I kept the carbs in check more or less and am happy with my effort. Sweetie had chips and I resisted them. :up:

Exercise: 1 hour lower body/cardio workout with the trainer

Really sweaty workout tonight. Did the first part outside on the sidewalk -- lots of lunges and squats, and some step-up and step-down things on the curb (hard to describe). Then a circuit of inner/outer thigh machines with straight-legged deadlifts and 1 minute elliptical (repeat 4 times). Finally, single-leg calf raises (5 sets). Felt really good to be back at the gym... the weather has been so nice I almost forgot what the place looked like. :laugh:

Drank a lot of water today & took my vitamins.

I spent a good portion of the day hibernating in my office in front of the computer, preparing documents for my Board meeting Monday. More of that to do tomorrow, but hopefully not as much. My eyes are really tired now & feel like something is in them... I don't like those days where I don't get to interact with the public or materials at all. Gotta accept that some parts of the administrative job are like that; trade-off is that I get to make the big decisions and create my own vision. I like that part!

Tomorrow's plan: more egg muffins, then lunch & dinner chicken breasts at the Library. I will go to my riding lesson in the evening -- the normal instructor is getting married, so I'll have the more strict one. When I get home I'll probably want a snack of some kind, and that will be my challenge. Definitely shouldn't be crackers... Pudding has been my stand-by this week, but it's less satisfying when I'm at home. We'll see.

Lisrey ;)

Great weigh in :) Just a few good days really does make a difference on the scale and in how you feel. yay for that.

I just wanted to stop in and check on you before I go on vacation. Today is my last day at my old job and my new one doesn't start until August 11th! I will be doing all I can do avoid the computer and decompress.

I will be back soon!

Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Kimmi! I hope you get LOTS of relaxing in... Enjoy yourself! :)

I'm trying, Lisa. Thanks!

Weigh-in: 156.2

Calories/carbs: 1270/97g

Stuck to the plan today. Egg muffin breakfast as usual, bbq chicken breast lunch & grilled chicken breast dinner at the Library. When I got home this evening I had some sunflower seeds and some grapes; after my shower and a phone call to Granny, a 100-calorie bag of microwave popcorn. Not bad.

Exercise: 40 minutes horseback riding lesson

I feel like I did better tonight and am happy. Although I had the more strict instructor she gave me some good ideas and help. I enjoyed the time I got to be with the horse before and after our ride today, too. We are bonding! :) Practiced a lot of canter during the lesson and was doing much better the last few tries. Still need a lot of work, but I really learn this slowly. I was somewhat sore in my legs from last night's trainer workout, and my efforts riding will surely help it last! :laugh:

I went to the nutrition store today and learned horrible news: THEY HAVE STOPPED MAKING THE PUDDINGS!!!! :caf: :caf: I don't know what I am going to do. Need to find something else that is easily portable, quick, tasty, and gives me a little protein fix. I have not found any powdered things that I like at all. Eeeek. I think I still have 3-4 more puddings in my cupboard, and I may look some other places to see if I can stock up a bit, but my usual store was sold out of everything but the one flavor I hate. I did buy some vitamins, and I took my vitamins tonight. Did well with water today but forgot to put my bottled water I'd packed for riding in the fridge at work. Stopped and bought a cold one closer to the stable. Grrrrrr....

Work day was a little odd. Had an injured person come in early in the day who we had to call the police/paramedics for (the poor guy had fallen down a hill on his walk to the Library). Finally got my stuff put together for Monday and delivered. Was on the public desk for the last hour or so, and it was busy. Felt good to work with real people again. ;)

Well, I've had 5 pretty good days since my restart. Now it's the weekend, which will be a bigger challenge. I definitely want to stay active and away from snacks. Tomorrow I am meeting an old friend at a shopping center halfway between our cities. We'll probably have lunch and cruise a couple of outdoor malls in that area. I have not been there before so have no idea what food options will present themselves... Will do my best. This friend usually doesn't want to be out very long, so I expect I'll be home in the evening to eat dinner with Sweetie... that could mean just about anything. I would like to ride my bike or walk in the evening too if I have the time and energy after shopping all day. We'll see!

Lisrey :sweety:

*sniff sniff* Man, it smells good in here. Kinda' sweaty, but the air circulating is all fresh and *sniff* is that a vegetable I smell? Or...horse arena?

I'm so happy to read you being so *on*. I just had my own laptop power issue resolved so I can spend some more time in here in the days/weeks to come. I'll be here a lot to try to catch some of your motivation. Hope it's contagious!!

:flower:

Hey buddy !!!!!! I was sure you alone could keep rambo's puddings in biz ! lol I understand how it sucks tho...when we have our favs... I hope you find a substitute

do ever read oprah's mag? If you have the latest one at the library...take a boo at martha becks article this month... I think you would find it interesting... it involves 'doing' instead of 'talking' her interpretation of corporate strategies applied to daily life... a lot of the stuff we have been rolling around with



I hope your saturday goes good and that sunday is even better



:love: Peng

Hey gal, found my way to your new journal. And you have a great plan! (It is not as if we don't know what we are supposed to do, it is always the doing of it.) Looks like you had a great start too.

Re the protein puddings, I never liked the things. At home I make a protein pudding by using one of those low fat, sugar free puddings and mixing in some powder, along with some spices. But that probably won't work for you. You might consider buying the hgih protein bars that you get at the Health Food Store, or even Walmart. When I was trying to do the puddings, I bought the bars (chocolate ones) and then cut them in half for a serving as they are relatively high in calories. I think there are some with 30 grams of protein in them, cut in half they still have pretty decent protein.

It is tough to get off of the carb bing thingy. While I was on vacation there were several times where they had the snack food - and we ate there instead of buying dinner. Of course, lots of chips, crackers, ... carbs. Plus, we took bars to eat for breakfast. Susan didn't want the Zone bars, so we bought the oatmeal kind - and they tend to have more carbs in them and not enough protein.

The work on 30 day seems to be a good plan. I have a high school reunion on Labor Day, and that means I have a target date too. Unfortunately, we are going on vacation (to Colorado) in two weeks - so that will present a challenge.

Right now I'm just trying to get back on track with my eating. I hope to make (my version of yours) egg ommletts with Egg Beaters tomorrow, and make it big enough to have two more days. I wonder if those things would bake OK in my little toaster oven. It is awfully hot to turn on the stove. My dietician thought they were a wonderful breakfast, and really encouraged me to continue with them. Haven't had one since...
:(.

Exercise, not so hot. But I'm contemplating...

Jo

Hi, Jessica! So good to have you visit here. A little bit of the Twilight Zone with our twin laptop power issues. How do things like this so often seem to simultaneously happen to the two of us??? :laugh:

Hey, Pengii! I'll have to look for that article. We do have the O magazine at work. The nutrition center guy told me they sold TONS of those puddings and he couldn't believe they were gone, either. I am going to ask the trainer if she has any recommendations, since she is the one who first led me to try them.

Yep, Jo, the egg white breakfast scramble is a terrific idea. I am sure you could heat it up (once cooked) in the toaster oven or microwave. I do my egg muffins in the microwave for 1:05 and they are perfect. Exercise will come... I am finding the food to be the bigger struggle overall as time goes on. I would never have expected this when I began!

Weigh-in: 155.4

Calories/carbs: 1744/155g

I had some delicious food today and I am considering this day a big success although I am over both my calorie & carb targets. Usual egg muffin breakfast. My friend & I had Panera strawberry poppyseed salads (mine with chicken) for lunch. This was FABULOUS and 300 calories with the chicken. Had a hunk of french bread with it that was another 150, but... When I got home after shopping around 6:30 was really hungry. Sweetie was out grocery shopping so I had a pudding, a nectarine, and some sunflower seeds. For dinner he grilled filet mignon and shrimp. Had a baked potato with it, plus a lettuce salad. Everything was absolutely delicious. I could have skipped the bread and only eaten 1/2 of the potato, but I did not stuff myself at either meal but felt satisfied. I think it was just the kind of eating day I needed. My food made me feel happy, not deprived, yet things were in reasonable moderation. :up:

Exercise: 2.5 miles/40 minutes outdoor walking

Did leisurely strolling with my friend at the malls, but went for a "real" walk when I got home. It was about 85 degrees out and I pushed myself. Really sweaty when I got back.

Sweetie ended up cooking really late, then he had to go to work (computer issues this weekend, apparently). I am falling asleep now. Tomorrow he is going to grill a turkey breast that we have brining overnight. I am really excited about that meal! Last year he made one of these & it was a huge hit with me. Mmmmmm! I have a chicken breast in the fridge for lunch if we have the turkey for dinner, or he suggested turkey for lunch & then making another type of chicken for dinner... we'll see. I would love to ride my bike tomorrow, though I doubt Sweetie will join me. I need to do laundry and a bunch of other chores, too...

Lisrey I-)

Your food this weekend sounds delish (except for the protein pudding hahaha). Filet and shrimp are delightful together. And grilled turkey breast sounds marvy too (I've never heard of grilling one).

Good for you for walking hard in the heat!

Yep, Chum, this was a very tasty weekend! We had the turkey today & it was great... Sweetie has a grilling book where he found the brining recipe and instructions for doing the turkey breast last year. We followed that again & it was wonderful. We don't have any leftovers. :o

Weigh-in: 156.2

Calories/carbs: 1617/230g

Weird eating day today but not really unhealthy. I had a Fiber One bar & a yogurt for breakfast, then I set to work making egg muffins for the week ahead. :up: Sweetie & I went to the farmers' market at noon. This is a new one & we'd never been before. We walked around twice, first finding out what was there, then actually buying things. Sweetie wanted a hot dog, so I got one, too. We also bought some pumpkin butter, apple butter, and a honeycomb (I had never had this last before). We bought 4 ears of corn & some yellow & green beans.

So, when we got home Sweetie made 4 pieces of toast and we shared one with each of the fruit butters. He put the honeycomb on the third one, and it was TOO sweet for me. The fourth one he put peanut butter and honeycomb, and that was better. I liked the pumpkin butter best. Just had a few nibbles of three toasts and one bite of the other.

Then he announced it was time to make the turkey. I was worried I wasn't going to be hungry, but by the time everything was done it was 4:00. The brine had sliced chili pepper, lemon, onion, minced garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns along with the salt and brown sugar dissolved in water. You could taste all of those flavors and it was really yummy. We each had 2 ears of the corn, which was fantastic (so fresh!), and some mashed potatoes (this is where all my carbs came from).

Sweetie thought we would have chicken parmesan later, but neither of us was hungry. He grilled chicken breasts for me for my lunches and I just packed them away in the fridge. :laugh:

Exercise: 42 minutes evening walk

Did a lot of household stuff today, and helped Sweetie with the yard, but my real exercise came at the end. I waited until the sun was low and did a big loop around the neighborhood. Felt good to be out without the heat beating down.

Tomorrow I must work a split shift. I have to go in early to do my payroll, but I need to be there late for the Board meeting. I will leave at noon to go meet the trainer. I plan to eat a Zone bar in the car, maybe a peach with it. Will run some other errands after my workout (post office, for sure), then go back to work... Chicken breast for dinner. Not sure what time I will get home but will probably want some kind of little snack when I get here. Popcorn? Not crackers!

Lisrey :ex:

It sounds like your sweetie is working on cooking healthy meals. the Turkey sounds wonderful. Yeah, the omlette is working well for me, now that I have it figured out. Not exactly cheap though, but the time I buy the egg beaters and red peppers, which are horribly expensive right now. But they do add color and quite a wonderful taste. Lately I have been using Broccoli with the red peppers - nuke them in the microwave before putting them in the omlette.

I understand about getting out of the 160's, I feel the same way about getting out of the 170's... Not there yet but .8 to go. Hopefully this week.

Jo

Hi, Jo! The turkey was wonderful. I think Sweetie's healthy weekend cooking was just a coincidence, though. He was also talking about barbecuing skin-on chicken breasts -- that meal for us usually also involves biscuits with honey... I am sure that's in our future! Delicious but will not be low calorie no matter how I try. :o

Weigh-in: 156.2

Very happy with this after a weekend off work. I was able to eat reasonably and exercise, and that was healthy for my fragile momentum. I can build from this. I am down 5 pounds from a 161.2 journal-starting weight a week ago.

Calories/carbs: 1001/87g

I will still eat another snack before bed. Not sure what yet, though... Egg muffins for breakfast, Zone bar & nectarine for lunch. Chicken breast w/lettuce salad & another nectarine for dinner. When I got home I munched on some sunflower seeds.

Exercise: 1 hour upper body circuit workout with the trainer

Really fast & sweaty cardio segments with little rest after upper body circuits. I felt motivated and invigorated, and it was great. We did some abs at the end because we went through 6 circuits so quickly.

Worked 9-noon, then saw the trainer. After my shower I did a little shopping. Went to the warehouse club for a few items, and met a woman giving out samples of beef jerky. I have never really eaten this, though I knew I like it (I admit, I like my meat). It's a rich protein, low carb snack... 1 oz is 80 calories, so I bought some. Might be a good substitute for my puddings? Sodium is high, but...? Went back to work around 4, ran my Board meeting and got home a little after 9. Long day. Had a little bit of a headache late afternoon. Need to get some sleep soon. This week is totally packed.

Tomorrow I'll have chicken lunch & dinner at work, and go riding in the evening. Another long day (will be out from 8 am to 9 pm or so), but hopefully the riding will be fun. The instructor promised we'd jump this week!

Lisrey :*

Glad to see you doing well. Three days is better than I have been able to string together!

Biscuits? He is cooking you biscuits with honey? Holy crap! I still don't get that. My eating issues are my own fault. My wife would never cook and expect me to eat things that she knows are a problem for me. She won't stop me from reaching into the cabinet for salty-crunchy stuff either, or do more that quirk an eyebrow when I get the LARGE POPCORN at a movie; but deliberately cook something that she knows sets me off? Nope.

Sorry. I keep saying stuff like this on your threads, but it really does amaze me.

Take care!

Hi, CFJ! Yes, I know it sounds exorbitant, but that is a meal we eat once each summer. It's kind of a tradition for us. He's itching to do it. I will do my best to enjoy it and then move on -- the secret is not to let it develop into a trend. I was grateful we didn't do it this past weekend because I was still trying to get my feet under me with better eating. The things he prepared really helped. The frantic pace with which I am keeping myself busy is also helping -- not much time scheduled to eat! :laugh:

Weigh-in: 155.2

Calories/carbs: 1226/71g

Egg muffins for breakfast, chicken for lunch & dinner at work. When I got home from riding had some sunflower seeds; after my shower 1 oz of the jerky. I will try to stay away from the kitchen now -- these numbers look perfect and I don't want to ruin them!

Exercise: 1 hour horseback riding lesson

My usual instructor wasn't there tonight (she's on her honeymoon!). The fill-in instructor was someone I had 2 summers ago that I really like. She remembered me but hadn't seen me ride since then. I had a lot of trouble with the canter, but she gave me some more suggestions and ideas, and I'll keep trying! I think I have some sort of mental block to overcome before I'll be able to canter this horse. We did jump, and I did much better with that. In fact, we jumped a lot, and it was fun. Not sure which instructor I will have on Friday, but one of these days I'm going to figure the cantering out... :caf:

A warehouse club rep came to do a little presentation at work today, and he brought baked goods. I ignored them. It is amazing what having a week of better eating behind me can do. Really working on a hundred things all at the same time at work right now, and scheduling for the next few months is going to be a bear (someone is taking maternity leave, plus starting Friday we will have a vacancy...). Trying to remember to stay calm and keep plugging away.

Tomorrow I have a meeting at 11 a.m. in another town. Afterward I will have lunch out with a colleague (I will suggest healthy), then head to work until 8 p.m. I'll pack a light dinner and have some healthy snacks when I get home. If possible I'd like to try to get a walk in before I start my day, but I may just want to sleep! Sweetie is going to be out late tonight, and I am going to be up later than usual anyway. Tomorrow is also my "official" weigh-in, and I'm confident it will be positive. :)

Lisrey :flower:

154.4

This is 2.4 down from last Wednesday. Last Wednesday was only 2 days into my re-start with this journal. I feel good now, much stronger with food. I continue to have extremely tightly scheduled days with few opportunities for snacking -- this really helps.

I got up at 8:30 this morning rather than my usual 6:30 or 7. I'm not going to get any exercise in today, but I have had some form of exercise for the past 9 days. Hopefully I will find a way to get some tomorrow (might be tricky).

Have been taking my vitamins daily and drinking plenty of water since the re-start. Trying to eat only when hungry & to avoid unnecessary snacks. Working the plan.

Lisrey :up:

Good Morning Lisrey :flower:


WTFG on the weigh in :cheer:



that is awesome, esp when you remember you flirted with the 60's too!!!



I hope your day goes good, and you keep the momentum going...we both know how darn hard it can be to get going....so :jn go baby go ! :jn




:love: Peng

I'm thinking about all of those other not-healthy consumption traditions in my own family. My dad smoking 2-3 cigarettes at the table during every family meal, bacon and biscuits made with bacon fat at breakfast almost every morning, regular consumption of pork skins, not leaving anything on your plate after each meal ("because people overseas are starving"), something like ribs/ham/prime-rib/deep-fried-meat every sunday...

Even my grandmother, who was born on a farm before the great depression, cut out those habits for the last 15-20 years of her life. If a 65+ year old lady from the deep south, whose family did not own a motor vehicle until WWII, that had an accent at least as strong as the main character in the old TV show Gomer Pyle can cut out tobacco and lots of extra pork-fat and fried foods from her diet...

Now if I could only practice what I preach. :laugh::o Well...my wife tries not to tempt me. I guess that is what I'm getting at. I fall off the wagon all the time, but my wife is there and pulling for me. We can share good moments together that have nothing to do with some food tradition. In fact...I think that some of my favorite moments are when we try something new together. We have so many daily rituals with dinner and all, that we sort of shy away from having a "favorite" meal for such-and-such occasion. I tend to associate the "new" flavors with the day more strongly...it does not get muddled together with other times. I like that better.

Great weigh in my dear, isn't it amazing what a week or so of good eating can change?

I'm glad sweetie cooked healthy this weekend, and as long as you fairly moderate with that large meal, one meal isn't going to hurt you for too long. If at all. I have found that if I can get on a roll with good eating, it is much easier to resist high calorie and high fat foods.

Glad to hear that your riding is going so well. I know you will figure out the cantering soon.

Have a great day.

Thanks, Pengii, you are sweet! ;)

Hi, CFJ! I know what you mean about new traditions and non-food traditions -- Sweetie & I are definitely doing some of that. The brined and grilled turkey I think will become a summer tradition, too. Biscuits once a year won't kill me. I must have the wherewithal not to let them derail me.

Raye, you are right that the special meal can be included... You have to live your life! I do not want to deprive myself of foods that I like; I just want to limit them and keep myself to a healthier menu the majority of the time. Trying!!!

Calories/carbs: 1219/108g

Good numbers again today. Egg muffins for breakfast, Panera strawberry poppyseed salad w/chicken for lunch, chicken breast, lettuce salad & a nectarine for dinner. Had my sunflower seeds and jerky snack when I got home from work at 9. :up:

Exercise: none

I knew I'd be too on-the-go today; we'll see if I have time tomorrow.

Two different newer staff members who are simply wonderful let me know today (separately) that they might be leaving. Both like their jobs; one is over-booked with school and other things, the other has a second interview for a really plum job elsewhere. Things could get very dicey for me should they both go... :caf:

Not sure how tomorrow will work out. I've got egg muffins and chicken breast lined up for the early meals. After work I'll have 2-1/2 hours before a 7:30 appointment in another town. Probably 1-1/4 hours of that will be travel time. Not sure if the rest will be dinner time, exercise time, grocery shopping time, or some combination??? Need to talk to Sweetie & see what his plans are before I can decide. Hoping to exercise at least a little. We'll see.

Lisrey :flower:

Sometimes it just S U C K S to be the boss huh

I hope work does not get too out of hand...I know how tough that is...and you like your routine too I will cross my fingers for ya bud ;) and you cross yours that my new cook does not go back to dealing meth or crack or whatever kids do now 8-|


Your food sounds really good girl, I am curious to see how you do with the jerky... I love it but tend to overeat it... big surprise huh :laugh: seriously I am curious what you think about the sodium and what effect it has on your bod... you seem to be quite in tune as to what has what effect on ya ... cant beat that protien tho

they had organic turkey jerky at that farmers market I went too... it was very $$$ but I was so tempted to try it


anyhow, I hpe your day goes great tomorrow :cheer:





:love: Peng

Yikes, losing two staff members on top of the one you just lost, could really make for problems in staffing. It really does SUCK to be the boss sometimes. Hopefully one of them decided to stay or you find wonderful replacements for all three of them.

I hope you have a great day.

Hahahaha, Peng, I never seem to lose the few I'd like to -- it's always the best ones! I don't know how I will do with the jerky. When I find something to snack on, I usually start out portioning really well... and later on it becomes more and more with certain things. I divided this batch up into one-ounce snack bags for myself. Gonna try to keep that up. The sodium is not too much of a concern for me right now but will see if it has any effect on the scale after awhile.

Hey, Raye! It looks like we have a good applicant pool for the current vacancy. I am hopeful I won't have any others, but I probably won't be that lucky. :o Time will tell!

Weigh-in: 154.4 (same as yesterday)

Calories/carbs: 1480/157g

Egg muffin breakfast, chicken breast lunch. We had a snickers ice cream cake for our going-away party today. I was asked to "carve" it (frozen hard as a rock!), but I didn't eat any other than licking my fingers when I was done. :o On the way home I ate one of my puddings. Good thing I had it, because I got stuck in two different traffic jams (on the same road!), and it took me forever to get home. Had some sunflower seeds quick before leaving for my appointment. Dinner was a lettuce salad with lite Caesar and croutons, parmesan-crusted tilapia, 2 small ears of corn & some grapes.

Exercise: none.

Plans to squeeze something in were thwarted by the traffic congestion. I left work at 5 and didn't get home until after 6:30. Brief stops at grocery store and corn stands in there, but still...! :caf:

Tomorrow I'll have chicken for lunch & dinner at the Library. After work I've got my private riding lesson. I really hope I can do better with the canter -- I am over-thinking it, I know. Must just make my body do what it's told, rather than having a fear over-reaction. Relax, sit back, keep my legs long and RIDE.

Lisrey :)

Hope tomorrow goes well and that you find some great replacements for work!!!

What along drive home. Did you have a book, lol?

One of the big things I don't miss about being a boss is the personnel issues. My hospital was in a college town with a military base close by. Othewise, very rural. I hired a lot of military wives, even knowing they might leave in a year or so. Other managers told me I was nuts, but I always thought I would rather have someone great for a year or two than someone terrible that I couldn't get rid of. I also hired college students for my part time jobs - had great success with that too.

Steve and I have different traditions re food than I had growing up. Thank heaven he is good about eating healthy food (and leftovers). However, he does like his fish fried (when we are at the lake), and he does love to eat at nice places when we travel. Of course, even at home we eat out "twice" a week, no matter what. He is supportive of me choosing where we go, so I can eat healthy. But some times, even though I am somewhere with a great salad option, I don't chose so well. That is something I just have to learn to manage. Sometimes I do better than others.

You are on a roll. Keep up the good work.

Jo

Yep, Jo, I totally agree about hiring people who are a good fit and will do great work, even if they won't stick around. My biggest problem is that the pay I can offer doesn't allow for retention. So once I've just about gotten people trained and working effectively, they move on to better-paying positions with the experience they've gained. Revolving door. 8-|

Weigh-in: 154

Calories/carbs: 1227/90g currently

I may still eat a skinny cow ice cream sandwich before I go to bed. We'll see. Ate according to my plan today, but the chicken breasts were small and I found myself pretty hungry about 4:00. Had a handful of trail mix (nuts & raisins) to tide myself over. When I got home from riding I munched on sunflower seeds, and after my shower had 1 oz jerky and some grapes.

Exercise: 1/2 hour horseback riding lesson

My regular instructor was back tonight and in a good mood after her honeymoon. I did pretty well cantering after the difficulties of my last two classes. Did some jumping and managed to do some of that at the canter, too. I think my Tuesday night jumping was better, but tonight was fun. :) It was hot, and I wound up very sweaty, dusty, and in desperate need of water.

I sat myself down today and cranked out some staff evaluations that I'd been putting off. Very, very happy to have those done. After that allowed myself to work on smaller items on the list and get my desk cleaned up a bit. Over the weekend I will take some time and evaluate the 40+ job applications we've collected. This is one of the few projects I always elect to do at home, where I won't be interrupted. I try to do it all in one sitting so the candidates get my full attention... This looks like a pretty good pool, so it'll be tough to narrow it down to a reasonable number for interviews.

The weekend's weather forecast looks beautiful. I have a very early hair appointment (color) tomorrow, but am otherwise completely free. I told Sweetie I thought we should do a longer bike ride, and I also think we should go see the Batman movie. We definitely need to pay bills, I will do laundry and he will mow... No idea what kind of menus we will put together, but if I can do as well as last weekend I will be thrilled.

Lisrey :ex:

Weigh-in: 153.8

Hmmm... Nearly back to the weight in my stats. It's been about a month since I was here. Can I get lower this time?? ;)

Calories/carbs: 1858/183g ???

Total guess since I haven't had my dinner yet. I actually think this day will end up better than it could have if Sweetie had done major cooking. Not sure that is saying too much, but it's okay. Egg muffins for breakfast, chicken for lunch. We went to the movies in the afternoon and I had some of Sweetie's popcorn (we don't do butter). I munched on a lot of sunflower seeds in the early afternoon when he was grumpy and stressing me out, but nothing more than that. When he gets home from the grocery store (any moment now?) we're planning to make some lowfat pizzas. I have a chicken & garlic frozen thin-crust one, and we'll make another with turkey pepperoni. Going to eat just a few pieces and call it a day (I hope!).

Exercise: 49 minutes walking

Took a big long looping route tonight just before dark. It was cooling down and quite beautiful. I jogged when I crossed streets and kept a really quick pace. Felt strong and happy.

Got up early this morning to go get my cut & color. The woman who does my hair lives about 1/2 hour away but it's worth it. When I got home I went through the job applications. There were 45 and I picked out my "top ten." Then some annoying back & forth with grouchy Sweetie... we ended up going to a mid-afternoon IMAX showing of the Dark Knight. We both really liked it and afterward the Sweet One was much more sweet (I knew he would be). He just got home so I will go help him unload groceries and get the pizzas going...

Tomorrow: yard work, hopefully bike ride. Chicken for lunch & Sweetie to grill chicken for parmesan dinner. Bye!

Lisrey :wave:

I would _____ ______ if I had 45 resumes :caf: **

good for you... you should be able to find someone good in all that (hope hope)



I am sooooo happy you are back down girl, you have been working to get there




too bad sweetie is grumpy but seems like you know how to perk him up .. sounds like you are still smiling and doing great regardless :jn




I hope you have a real nice evening and an even nicer sunday




:love: Peng xo



ps...did she do a great job on your hair?


**I had to come edit that lisrey lol...me so stooopid sometimes :laugh:

Hey buddy !!


You and me are DEF having a great week :jn


A friggin amazing week actually :dn



:love: Peng xo

You got that right, Peng!!! We are gonna show those scales what we're made of. :mus: I have a busy week ahead and my Sweetie's schedule doesn't mesh very well with mine. This means I will be able to plan my own meals most of the time... The following week he is going out of town for four days. That will be a good stretch, too. We just have to stay strong against the snack monsters and eat sensibly, and we WILL lose. So glad you are in it with me! :hug:

Weigh-in: 154.8

I expect a little bigger number tomorrow after this weekend's eating, but it could have been lots worse. Quite pleased with how I did, considering. :o

Calories/carbs: 1932/191g

Sweetie & I slept in. When we got up we decided to have brunch. He made me an egg white omelet with some diced ham and reduced fat cheddar. Also made lite smok-y links and some wheat toast with apple butter. Around 5:00 I got hungry & had 1 oz jerky, a peach, some sunflower seeds. We ate dinner about 8:30... he grilled chicken breasts with Italian dressing, and served them over low-carb linguine with tomato/basil spaghetti sauce, a sprinkle of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Also had a lite Caesar dressing + croutons + romaine salad, and some grapes for dessert. Made me very comfortably full, not over-stuffed. A good meal.

Exercise: 30 minutes pedal boat

Sweetie & I drove 10 minutes to a nearby park where there is a livery. They rent canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats. We pedaled around the broadest part of our local river, saw some fish, ducks, other boaters, fishermen... a guy whose pedal boat passenger was a dog, etc. The pedal boat itself was pretty uncomfortable for us. Sweetie has such long legs, he was crammed into his seat and the pedals were too close. The metal back of the seat was jabbing into his back. I had the opposite problem. I had to sit way forward on the seat to reach the pedals, and couldn't get enough leverage to pedal very well. We are a funny pair. :o It was still fun to do this, and I was really happy he was game to go out and do something fun each day this weekend (movie yesterday). :sweety: It takes a lot of effort to make those boats go very fast... we were both tired out after our half hour. :)

Other stuff I did today: laundry, swept/vacuumed floors, a little yard work, made egg muffins, watched our baseball team completely self-destruct...

Tomorrow I must work from 9-5. I'll pack a chicken breast for lunch and some jerky for afterward. It's supposed to thunderstorm in the afternoon, so I'll pack my gym bag. If it doesn't rain, I may come home and walk or ride my bike... In either case, Sweetie will be out with his gaming friend in the evening. I will pick up a piece of fish for a quick and healthy dinner. Sounds like a plan.

Lisrey :up:

:jn It's the start of a great week :jn


I hope your monday is great !!


Did you get a good workout in??


I am gonna weed when I get home...it needs to be done and I have been putting it off...then keep busy fixing up another room in house



more work... less food right?



:love: Peng

I've caught up now, I think. Looks like your eating has been pretty good and you are on a downward course, weight-wise. WTG.

Sounds like a fun weekend.

I like food traditions, even if they are fattening ones. If it means I lose weight more slowly, so be it, as long as I am losing.

And I think your metabolism and genetics can help or hurt you as far as fattening foods go. My Dad ate gravy every day of his life and lived to 86, mostly healthy all but the last year. And gravy wasn't his problem the last year either. hahah His cholesterol was low, etc. He did gain some weight when his portions were huge and his activity low, but he never got really fat. My grandmother (maternal) ate fattening foods every day of her life, but in small portions, and she died at the same age. I had an uncle who lived to 106 and he drank a shot of whiskey every day. All of them enjoyed lots of fruit and vegetables though, so those things were eaten along with the gravy, beef, sugar, and butter.

But while we can always eat healthier and move more, I think you either have good genes or not and if you have a propensity toward weight gain or healthy issues you have the burden of watching what you eat, as well as how much, for your whole life.

I used to be able to eat everything in sight and remain a stick but I moved a lot and had a fast metabolism with a lot of natural muscles. I gained some my first year of college, like a lot of people do (too much beer and late-night Burger King and not enough exercise or movement at all), but lost it quick and didn't regain anything until grad school (again similar problems as college). Got down in weight without even thinking about it, after law school and then hit 35 and it all went to hell. I couldn't eat like I used to and maintain my girlish figure and I didn't move in my long work-days, didn't exercise enough, blah blah blah. I still don't think of myself as "fat" -- even though I know I am, intellectually -- and my doc thinks the reason I fall so often is I never got used to having a bigger body. Pfffwt.

So now, I tried to eat healthier foods, smaller amounts, and still fit in my traditional foods that are fattening but I just don't eat them constantly and try to eat a healthier version (if possible and I'm at home and can make it myself). When I travel, I move a lot so rarely gain weight even if I eat like crap. hahaha But this moderation thing works for me and keeps me on track over the long run and I add good habits, little by little. I lost about 5 lbs in July doing that. Not a lot but still losing. I'd like to lose faster but know that I would be miserable if I were too strict and then I would eat like a lunatic. But I am fortunate in that I've never had blood pressure or heart problems or anything like that (I just fall down all the time hahah).

It's all about balance. I learned that from you and through watching naturally thin people. But I think DT is interesting b/c different methods work for everyone.

Thanks for the cheers, Peng! Yep, keeping busy definitely limits how much damage we can do with mindless eating. I think working on your house & yard are perfect -- you will see lots of progress from the effort you put in, first with your environment, and then with yourself! :up:

I completely agree with you, Chum. DT definitely shows us that not all plans are for all people. Some of that has to do with our bodies (genes & metabolism as you mentioned), and I think the rest is psychological -- what can we work with that won't disrupt our lives too much? What can we live with forever? My genes are fairly healthy, but heaviness in the hips and thighs runs in my Mom's family... and I got 'em. I'm going to fight that inheritance for the rest of my life, but I'm going to stay healthy doing it. You have done an excellent job learning to make your meals healthier in a gradual, unstructured way, and I'm so glad it works well for you. 5 pounds in July is terrific!! I would love to lose 5 pounds in a month & keep them off! It's been too long! :caf:

Weigh-in: 156.8

Yeah, I knew this morning wouldn't be too pretty. :o It's a blip, though. It'll look better in a day or two, and I will build from there.

Calories/carbs: 1386/132g

After my somewhat indulgent weekend, I was really careful today. Egg muffin breakfast, chicken breast lunch. Ate a few mixed nuts & raisins at work that "were there," but just a few. On the drive home had my 1 oz of jerky and a peach. Dinner was potato & chives crusted cod, 1 ear corn, a little salad. Pretty solid day.

Exercise: none

This was NOT the plan. When I left work it was sunny, so I decided I'd go for a bike ride. Put the bike on the rack just after 7 pm & headed over to the park. As I was pulling in the driveway (5 minutes from my house), it started to sprinkle. The parents at the soccer fields pulled out their umbrellas. I parked and it rained harder. It poured. I waited awhile but ended up going back home. :sigh: Of course, when I got here it more or less had stopped, but the seat of my bike was soaked through and it was getting closer to 8:00. I decided it wasn't meant to be and made dinner instead. I tried!!

I got sweet care packages in the mail today from not one, but TWO of my buddies. Thanks, friends (you know who you are)!! :love:

Tomorrow I'll have a portioned-out serving of chicken parmesan for my lunch, and another chicken breast for dinner at the Library. In the evening I'll go for my group riding class. I hope we can ride outside -- isolated storms are predicted, so who knows what we'll get. Work will be crazy busy in the morning... must get rested up!

Lisrey :laugh:

Weigh-in: 154.6

Tomorrow is my "official" weigh day, so we'll see. Today was okay.

Calories/carbs: 1504/126g

Guesstimate. I nibbled on some more of the trail mix today... I think it is gone now and I am GLAD! Mostly almonds and raisins that I ate, but calories I didn't need nonetheless. Egg muffins for breakfast, chicken with low-carb linguine, spaghetti sauce and a little bit of mozzarella for lunch, more chicken for dinner with a big peach. After my shower tonight had some sunflower seeds and grapes. Still feeling a little grumbly but don't want to add calories... Will try to resist.

Exercise: 1 hour horseback riding lesson

I had my best ride by far on the big horse tonight. So happy! She is a much harder horse to ride than the others I'd worked with. It has taken me a lot of sweat, thinking, frustration and courage to get this far with her. It feels wonderful to feel I've made progress at last. :D We only had two in our class tonight, so it was semi-private and should have only been 45 minutes. My classmate's horse had a problem and she needed to switch mounts at the beginning, so I trotted around and warmed up for 15 minutes. This really helped me. I got the horse to listen to me, and I got loosened up and prepared before I was asked to do anything difficult. I want to do more of this. I always get there plenty early, but it is often hard to warm up much ahead of time because you don't want to get in the way of other classes that are finishing. Had good canters in both directions -- I still bounce a lot but I kept it going and was able to steer. :jn The jumping was pretty good, too -- we did a little course which included a low oxer. I had one refusal at the very beginning but second time we cleared everything. Yay!!! I am really looking forward to Friday now.

At work today I was on the public desk quite a bit; didn't get much of my own work done. Prepped a bit for a big meeting tomorrow morning. Need to prep for a Thursday meeting and also get stuff ready for our newsletter... need more hours in the day, or an assistant, or something. 8-|

Sweetie has a dinner invitation tomorrow evening which he is still contemplating. If he goes out I will pick up some fish and fresh corn, and have a nice healthy dinner on my own. If he stays home I don't know what will be on the menu... I'd like to either walk or ride my bike in the evening. It's supposed to be a little cooler and less humid tomorrow, which would certainly be a relief after today's bathwater atmosphere. I am all set with my egg muffins, chicken breasts, and the jerky snack, which seems to be working out pretty well. I like that it doesn't have to be refrigerated; that's a plus over the puddings, but I still have some worries about the high sodium content. Will finish what I have and then evaluate.

Good night!

Lisrey I-)

154

This is .4 down from last week. Progress is progress! I am down 7.2 from my re-start 16 days ago. This week I overate on the weekend, and the last two days I've allowed myself to snack a little. Need to nip that in the bud and stick to my plan. I have been drinking my water and taking my vitamins, eating fruits and lettuce every day, and getting exercise most days. Will keep going with this. My little vacation starts in 2 weeks!

Lisrey :up:

:jn :dn :jn


YIPPPPEEEEEEEE


way way way better than staring at 160 girlfriend !!!!!!!


an excellent week :up:



This one will be even better



:love: Peng xo

Thanks, Peng! I hope so! I think things are lining up pretty well for me, diet-wise, between now & my trip. I only hope I can stay steady while I'm gone. It's only 5 days, two of them largely travel, but I can see potentially getting off-track, then losing steam. Need to devise a contingency of some sort for that.

Calories/carbs: 1302/125g :up:

Egg muffins in the morning, salad, chicken, brown rice for lunch. On the way home, jerky & a peach. Dinner was another salad, a piece of haddock, a fresh ear of corn, and a pluot.

Exercise: 6.19 miles/32:42 bike

Was delighted that I could take my bike out tonight. Worried it would rain on me again, but the grey sky was quiet. I am finding myself stronger on the bike this summer than last, although I've not ridden as much. I think it might be I'm gaining muscles from horseback riding more regularly. I was thinking today about how much work it is to ride a horse. Not just to be a passenger on a horse, but to do the work of riding. Much more than I'd ever imagined before I started, and definitely more than I even thought a year ago. The more I work at it the more work it is for me... and I mean that in a good way! :laugh:

My job is overwhelming at the moment. I have more projects in the air than I know how to deal with. If my staffing situation was stable I wouldn't be worried, but it isn't. If I wasn't going out of town for a few days right before my Board meeting I wouldn't be worried, but I am... I think I'm going to wind up bringing some stuff home this weekend, and probably putting in some major hours next week. I often work an hour or so extra each day, but after tacking on my commute, it doesn't leave room for much free time (exercise time!). Hard choices, sometimes. :sigh:

Tomorrow morning I will meet with the trainer. Hoping to do a lower-body circuit workout that won't kill me for horseback riding Friday night... I'll do a Zone bar and a fruit at lunchtime, and chicken breast for my dinner at the Library. I have an evening meeting so I'll be at work until 8; home by 9.

Lisrey :*

Hey buddy


my job is pretty bad right now too ... but we aint gonna eat through our probs this month, right?


I hope you get an awesome workout in :mus:


:love: peng xo

Keep up the good work.

Hey, Peng... You know, I didn't think things could get any crazier at work until today. One of my full-time people had a worker's comp injury last night just before closing. This meant I was on the desk this afternoon and will be again all day tomorrow, and filling out a slew of forms. The pregnant one called in sick as well... and I spoke as a reference for one of the fabulous people I am sure is about to leave me. :caf: I am not eating because of this, but I worry that I am going to lose sleep and exercise time. :sigh:

Thanks, Lisa, I appreciate that.

Weigh-in: 153.4 :D

Calories/carbs: 1158/102g for now...

I may eat another snack before I go to bed. Egg muffin breakfast. Large pluot and Zone bar lunch. Lettuce salad, grilled chicken, corn on the cob, large peach dinner. Sunflower seeds & 3/4 oz jerky when I got home at 9. Still feeling a bit hungry, but we'll see.

Exercise: 1 hour lower body weights workout with the trainer

Lots of squats, reverse lunges, straight-legged deadlifts and a few hamstring machines, lots of calf exercises... then she stretched my lower back and had me do some lower back exercises because I told her I've been achy there. I fear I am going to be really sore tomorrow when I want to ride, but it was a good workout and I felt great about it.

Work was insane for me this afternoon, but my evening meeting went well. Tomorrow I will be on the desk all day, so we'll see what I accomplish.

I only have one more chicken breast, so I'll have that for one meal tomorrow and a Lean Cuisine for the other. Going to try to get to the stable early and take a few pictures of Silver. She is big and beautiful!

Lisrey :flower:

Yup, your work day def sucks ;)

sorry to hear that ... it is about that good here too


it is only temporary buddy...and you would not be in the top position if you could not handle it...as nuts as it is....that is what separates you from the rest of the herd right? (trying hard to put a good spin on the situation :up: lol)


extra snacks would only make you feel less in control right? when you are strong, you are strong..... I hope you can focus on your positive stuff ....working out...your riding... hopefully you can sched Lisrey time too... (I know it is tough but August is our month !!)



I cant wait to see pictures of Silver :jn You talk so fondly of that big horse... I hope you are not too sore for your ride



it seems that the jerky is working good for you huh? What kind do you get...flavored or plain?




I hope you get a good sleep and I also hope you dont worry too much




control what you can and make tomorrow the best day you can !!! :cheer:



:love: Peng

Yikes, that is a lot of stress, two people missing and one possibly leaving. It will all work out though, somehow.

You really are doing great. You will be in such a groove on your trip, that you won't break it, and even if you do, you will be able to get right back into the groove once you return.

I hope you get some good pictures of Silver, I would love to see some.

Have a great weekend.

Thanks for visiting, Raye. I did take some pictures. First I tried taking some pictures in her stall. I was too close and couldn't really get any good ones, though I'm going to attach one of those. After I had my lesson, another student rode Silver tonight (tall Chinese guy). It's not as easy to see how big she is because the rider is so tall. In the second picture you can see a natural wood colored jump behind them which is an oxer (has depth as well as height). This was one of the jumps I did today, at the end of a course of about 9 jumps. The last picture has an instructor (not mine) in the foreground. She's a head taller than I am... The jumps in that picture were also part of my course. They're pretty low & I was glad! :o

Weigh-in: 154

Calories/carbs: 1367/138g

Last night I did eat a 100-calorie bag of popcorn before bed. Today I had egg muffins in the morning, chicken w/brown rice for lunch, and a Lean Cuisine pepperoni pizza for dinner with a lettuce salad and a pluot. When I got home from riding, some sunflower seeds & grapes.

Exercise: 45 minutes horseback riding (30 minutes lesson)

I had another really good ride tonight! :D I think I've figured out a few things. I've also forced myself to be brave in some situations and it's paid off. That part was not easy!! I got Silver out in the ring and got on about 15 minutes before my lesson to warm up, which really does seem to help. When it was my turn the instructor had me do a bunch of cantering right away, which was the best I've done with Silver insofar as keeping the canter, having a good rein length, and being able to steer. I did have some trouble staying deep in the saddle, but I have not figured that part out yet on her. When it came time to jump, the instructor had me do a course, with as much of it as I could do at the canter. With Silver I have had so much trouble with cantering that most of our jumping has been at the trot, so this was a challenge but we did pretty well. I could have done better with some of the jumps but there were definitely some good ones in there. Yay! :jn

My instructor said she is going to keep me on Silver for my Tuesday night group rides, but that she wants to try me on another horse in my private lessons. No hint on who that might be -- I am curious and a little excited, although I feel like I am just starting to figure this one out! I think this is a good thing, though. I want to become a more versatile rider. If my instructor thinks I can handle other horses I must be making progress. Silver was definitely a big step up in difficulty from the others I had been riding.

I didn't accomplish much at work today but I did help a lot of people, which is one of my favorite parts of the job. My sleep last night was horrible. I woke up around 4:30 thinking about work stuff and couldn't shut it off. At 5:45 or so I wrote myself an e-mail list of the things I knew I needed to do... I got a fair chunk of them done. It is funny sometimes what seems important to your brain when you're trying to sleep.

Tomorrow is pretty unstructured. I am going to meet my Mom at 11:30 for lunch. Not sure where we will go. There is a Panera in that neighborhood, and I really do love that strawberry salad. There is also an Italian place and a few other things; I think I will probably let my Mom pick. She has a class at 1:30, so we will just have lunch, then part. I am going to go buy some underwear (getting desperate lol), but that's all I've got on my agenda. I did bring home some work to do this weekend in an attempt to alleviate a little of my stress. We need to pay bills and go to the grocery store. I want to exercise & I'd love to do something outdoorsy with Sweetie, be it biking or walking in the woods or whatever. It's supposed to rain in the afternoon, so I'm not sure how that will work out. Need to make a dinner plan with him, too... He's going to be gone most of this week, so I'm gonna suggest meals that'll have leftovers I can use. (crossing fingers...)

Lisrey :up:

Okay, I created a picture album with these same three pictures. They're a lot bigger in there and easier to see. They are right on top of the DT home page (eeeek!), but you can also see them by clicking on the "picture album" link in my profile bar. I think this is a fairly new feature; first time I've used it. Not sure if the whole site wants to see Silver, but there she is!

Lisrey ;)

:jn


Thanks for the photos !!! She is a lovely horse !! and Lisrey, what a pretty place to go ride !! OMG that would be so nice to be able to do... I am not that brave but I will enjoy it vicariously through you K? :D


I hope you have a real nice visit tomorrow and that the whole weekend is real good



August IS our month :up: (remember that when oredering lunch tomorrow K)



:love: Peng xo

Hiya, Peng! I didn't know if I was brave enough to ride and jump, either, but I'm doing it. :o Sometimes when I'm away from the stable I fear serious injury, but once I'm there I never think about it. Since I got kicked back in March I've been more nervous on the ground than on the horses. Silver is sweet when I groom and tack her, unlike the gelding that kicked me. She doesn't like to have her hooves picked, and hates fly spray, but she doesn't nip or kick. The stable is a low-budget place when it comes to certain things, but I like it that way. No pretentiousness, lots of different animals, and lots of love and concern for the welfare of those animals. (There are cats, dogs, rabbits, mini horses and donkeys, etc. as well as the horses and ponies.) It is out in the country but the big outdoor arena is on a main road. We often have to deal with the noise of motorcycles and other loud traffic. Otherwise, a very nice setting indeed.

Weigh-in: 153.2

Calories/carbs: 1885/256g

Waaaay too many carbs today, and not really too sure about calorie total. Probably recording on the low side here? Egg muffins for breakfast. My Mom & I went to Panera for lunch & I had the wonderful strawberry poppyseed salad. Later I found a new snack at the grocery store: dry roasted edamame. Had some of those at home when I got hungry, also some sunflower seeds, a peach, and even later, grapes. Sweetie didn't want to cook tonight & picked up some Italian food late for our dinner. I got soooo hungry waiting. :caf: I had a meatless penne pasta with marinara and ricotta -- turned out to be more cheese than I'd expected, but good. Also a small Caesar salad (with my own lite dressing) and some garlic bread. I was full when done! Not sure how much damage this will do... tomorrow we're going to have chicken so hopefully will do better then.

Exercise: none.

I almost went for a walk a couple of times today, despite being extremely sore in my legs from Thursday's workout... It was a crazy weather day, with big black clouds threatening every half hour or so, with bright blue sky in between. Put my shoes on at one point and walked out into the driveway to find raindrops just starting to fall. It was unbelievably fickle!

Did get underwear for myself & a watch band for Sweetie, made egg muffins, played with cats, put a bunch more stuff on my iPod, watched some Olympics (including equestrian dressage this morning). Didn't touch the work I'd brought home... Lots to do tomorrow, including laundry.

Not sure what Sweetie is thinking about food for tomorrow -- he got chicken at the store, but when and how he will cook it?? Will definitely try to walk tomorrow, since it should be sunny and cool. :)

Lisrey I-)

Hi Lisrey:wave: I have not posted here much but I have always admired you. You have lost a lot of weight and have managed to keep it.
I also love your love for horses.. I think that is a neat hobby.. I used to ride as a youngster.. bare back.. had the blisters to prove it too..
Silver is a very pretty horse and you will do great at the jumps..

Hi there, Lulu! Thanks for the visit. It seems like a lot of folks here have riding in their pasts... I am the opposite, as I was a horse-crazy kid but my parents would not indulge me. I never got to try riding as a kid, so here I am! Four years ago, riding lessons were a reward to myself for losing 75 pounds. :) I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I'm hooked. It is sooo hard to learn this as an adult. The kids at my stable have no fear and get so comfortable right away. I wish I could feel 1/2 as comfortable as they look!

Weigh-in: 154.8

Calories/carbs: 1663/209.6g

Too many carbs again today, but under control with portions and mostly healthy foods. Egg muffin breakfast around 10 am. At 1:30 a big peach and some of that dry roasted edamame. We didn't actually eat our meal until after 5... Grilled chicken, egg noodles, fabulous corn on the cob, lettuce salad & grapes for dessert. Sweetie wanted the noodles -- that was where I knew I'd probably get in trouble with carbs. I feel like this weekend was more-or-less successful, though I'm sure I'll have a little work to do to get back to pre-weekend weight.

Exercise: 55 minutes walking

The weather was so strange this weekend. Today was cool (high 60s), extremely windy, and black clouds alternating with bright sun. When I left for my walk it was sprinkling; when I got finished I was baking in my sweatshirt. I added a little side trip to my usual walk and went to the nearby farm stand to pick up the yummy corn for our dinner. :D

Never touched my work project today... I still might, but there's no way I will finish it. Watched a lot of Olympics (including TiVo of the opening ceremonies) and golf. Did laundry, paid bills.

Back to work tomorrow. Sweetie grilled a whole bunch of chicken breasts for me today, so I'll have one of those for my lunch. Will take jerky for a snack on my way to the gym. Meeting with the trainer & planning to do an upper body workout this time. On my way home will pick up some fish for dinner. Sweetie leaves in the morning for a 4-day golf trip with a friend. I'll be on my own and able to eat the way I choose. :up:

Lisrey :flower:

At least I am not the only one actually watching the Olympics. I absolutely love the Olympics. My husband is already complaining that he doesn't want to watch them ALL the time. All I have to say to that is that I let him have the remote for the majority of the other 50 weeks of the year and 52 weeks of the other 3 years, he can let me watch for two weeks. I do usually end up watching in the bedroom though, although last night, he went downstairs and watched a movie while I watched gymnastics.

Silver is a very pretty, and very big horse. I think I would be quite nervous riding her, but I haven't ridden in years so would be nervous no matter what. The jumps look like fun though.

Have a great day.

Hey buddy !!

How was your day today? Did ya kick the extra carbs to the curb?


I had to go and buy some pluots today after reading your food lists lately lol I just seriously hope you dont fall off your plan buddy as I seem to crave what you write about a lot lolI cant wait for the peaches and corn has been on the list too :laugh:

this stuff is all great... please dont start on chips or kfc K? :D


I hope work was managable and not too stressful, and most of all that you did not use food to chill out



Hope your dsy was great




:Love: Peng xo

Hi, Raye! Sweetie is a huge sports fan, and we both really get into the Olympics every time. He is grumpy that he's going to be away for a good portion of these games and won't get to see as much. He's using the TiVo as much as he can, of course. :o I have been watching a lot of the equestrian, gymnastics, swimming, diving, some women's weightlifting, a little of the fencing and cycling. I am not as interested in the basketball, volleyball, or soccer... I like the more unusual stuff when I can find it. We get Canadian TV here as well as the US channels, so we have some good options for viewing.

I was really pretty nervous when I first started riding Silver this summer, too. I rode her twice last summer, and my instructor & I agreed at that time we were not a good fit... I've learned a lot in a year, and with a few months of work have figured out how to handle her pretty well. I am really pleased that I've hung on through the struggles; it's been worth it, as I have a lot more confidence now. And I really do like Silver. :love:

Hi, Peng! OMG the pluots and the corn are fabulous right now. I picked up some pluots at the store tonight & ate one in the car on my way home. The ones I bought are called "flavor bomb pluots!" Amazing!! :D I did eat too many carbs today, but not the bad crunchy, salty stuff (see below). I am NOT going to go there! I know once I start it will be hard to stop, so fending it off as long as I can. I want some real progress this time, and I know we can both see some if we hang on. I am finishing my first month on the new bc pills. Kinda wondering how it might effect me differently? So far I have not had the terrible munchies I usually have by this time. TOM should be mid-week, and then maybe I will see a good loss?

Weigh-in: 154.8 (same as yesterday -- this is good, post-weekend!)

Calories/carbs: 1399/138.2g (the new FitDay does fractions now)

2 egg muffins & 1/2 yogurt, my usual breakfast. For lunch I packed one of the peanut-sauce flavored chicken breasts Sweetie grilled yesterday (spicy!) with some egg noodles (I estimate 3/4 cup?) just to tame the heat. 1 oz jerky in the car on the way to the gym after work. Had a pluot on the way home from grocery store, then Mediterranean-crusted salmon, an ear of corn, very small red potato w/ff sour cream & lite butter. A few sunflower seeds & some of the dry roasted edamame tonight while watching Olympics and surfing.

(Side note: Not sure what I think of the new FitDay that appeared yesterday. Definitely some very nice new things. I especially like that there are more choices for portion sizes. You can do ounces of chicken breast now! :D But I don't like how you have to look at so many screens to see all of your custom foods. There needs to be a way to get to a certain point in your list by alphabet or something -- too cumbersome to go through all those screens when your custom list is as long as mine.)

Exercise: 1 hour upper body circuit workout with the trainer

Very sweaty after tonight's workout! She had me do the 40-rep/1 minute elliptical routine tonight, which is usually quite exhausting. She gave me pretty heavy weights for doing 40 reps, and I think I handled them well. Really worn out when I was done -- perfect. :o

Last night I did put some time into my work project, and was really happy with the result of my efforts. I was able to polish it up a little this morning and show it to some experts for critique. One central person called in sick this morning, but I found some coverage and only had to put in about an hour away from my own work. Had 3 interviews scheduled for the afternoon, which went well. We will conduct 3 more on Thursday & make a decision.

Sweetie left this afternoon for four days of golf with his friend. He's supposed to call me tonight when they get where they're going... I am pretty relaxed and happy to have the place to myself for a few days. It is definitely easier to eat & sleep around here when I'm on my own! :o

Tomorrow is our closing event for the Children's summer reading club. It'll be a big deal, very busy and a full day. I'll take another serving of the chicken with noodles for lunch, and a different flavor chicken breast for my dinner. Really looking forward to my evening riding lesson. Hoping for another great ride on Silver to boost my confidence before riding a new horse on Friday.

Lisrey :wave:

Olympics are awesome, although I am extremely tired, as I stayed up until after midnight to watch the awards ceremony for men's gymnastics. It is so awesome how well the US did. many times I was just shocked at their routines.

Enjoy your closing event for the reading club, they had ours here this past weekend, but we were busy and didn't get to go.

Have a great day.

Lisrey,

Just 3 more interviews, that is nice, then just the decision. Hope you have found some good possibilities so that you have some choices.

Glad your project is taking shape.

Did you ever watch the Lone Ranger, or hear of the show? It was an old western with Roy Rodgers. His horse was Silver. He would say something like, 'Hi, ho Silver, Away!!!' When he went riding off. LOL, ok, I am a little tired this week, so that might explain this odd post.

I see that you are having a busy summer as well. Hiring, projects, riding silver...wow. Pretty horse. Horses are a lot like people sometimes. You really have to get to know some of them to work well together, and it is usually more than worth the innitial work involved. I'm glad to hear that you two are getting along so well.

Your hubby goes away for 4 day golf trips without you? Weirdness. Except for business trips, we don't do that sort of thing. We have separate activities sometimes after we reach the destination, but that is about it. Stuff like me going on an all-day bike ride while she is stuck in a conference gathering, her sight-seeing while I'm visiting my relatives that scare the crap out of her (she is not used to "live cursing and yelling, wherever you happen to be, white-trash, theater"), etc. :o:help:

Keep up the great work with the workouts. Watch those blood sugar spikes and dips from carb consumption habits that we both share. Take care.

(Side note: Not sure what I think of the new FitDay that appeared yesterday. Definitely some very nice new things. I especially like that there are more choices for portion sizes. You can do ounces of chicken breast now! :D But I don't like how you have to look at so many screens to see all of your custom foods. There needs to be a way to get to a certain point in your list by alphabet or something -- too cumbersome to go through all those screens when your custom list is as long as mine.)


Lisrey, I was just messing around posting food on the new fitday and there is a way to have all your custom foods revealed at once. Instead of clicking on the box that says Custom Foods, go down just a bit to a link that says "View My Custom Foods(it is underlined). Hope this helps. Always takes time to figure things out.

Hope you had a good day.

Hi, Raye, sorry you didn't get to finish off your reading club... I hope your kids read all of the books they were required to read! I saw some really happy kids today. It was fun. :)

Hahaha, Crazy! Of course I've heard of the Lone Ranger & Silver. People comment on that often when I talk about her. :o I don't ride like the Lone Ranger, though! Thanks for the info on FitDay. I tried that link last night and it didn't behave the way it does now. I think they changed/fixed it, and I'm glad! I'm also glad you encouraged me to look again. :D

CFJ, my Sweetie got this invitation from his friend & he couldn't refuse. The friend's company is footing the bill for all the golf and hotel expenses. They just have to pay for gas & food. I am jealous but I couldn't tell him "no." Next week we will go on a golf trip together. I can't wait.

Weigh-in: 152.6 :jn

Calories/carbs: 1114/74.2g

Need to eat another snack yet before bed, something small. Did well today; no temptations. Usual egg muffin breakfast, same lunch as yesterday but a smaller portion. After work had a lettuce salad, a chicken breast & a very large peach. When I got home from riding, a pluot and some sunflower seeds, a handful of dry roasted edamame. Maybe I'll just have more of that before I turn in.

Exercise: 1 hour horseback riding lesson

Well, Silver was used in camp today, so the instructor assigned me to a new horse already. I was excited to try someone new, but also disappointed because I wanted a little more time to enjoy the progress I'd made on Silver. I hope I get to ride her again before I forget everything!

Tonight's mount was an older bay gelding named Biz. He is probably the tallest horse I've ridden -- taller even than Silver -- but much thinner. No draft horse in him! He has a very long neck and long legs. His trot was so bouncy it made me fly out of my stirrups sometimes, but his canter is dreamy. I had no problem getting and keeping the canter, and could steer and be comfortable. Amazing. It is so interesting how each of them feels so different and offers different challenges. Biz and I did not do very well jumping. We didn't get enough impulsion going to make it over smoothly at the trot. Next time I will know more what to expect and work on it. Not bad at all for a first ride. One of my classmates who has ridden Biz before told me I'll be sore tomorrow...

TOM is here tonight, a day or two earlier than with my old pills. I have not felt any symptoms yet but I'm guessing that'll come tomorrow. No crazy PMS eating this time -- not sure if it is because of the lower dose hormones or because I am just eating so much better in general. Time will surely tell on that. :o

Tomorrow morning I'll weigh in "officially" for the week. I am expecting something really good! In the morning I need to go see the dentist to try to get my mouth guard adjusted. It is uncomfortable and I could not seem to wear it more than 3 hours any given night. Want to stop at a couple of stores afterward before I head to work. Will probably take a Zone bar for my lunch on the road, and eat a chicken breast for dinner at the Library (working 12-8). Guess tomorrow will be a rest day from exercise, whether I like it or not!

Lisrey :flower:

Hey Buddy :jn


sounds like ol Biz will be keeping you company anyways wednesday... maybe stretching those sore muscles will be enough exercise :laugh:



you have felt strong and had a good week Lisrey, good for you buddy



I am sure you will have a great weigh in tomorrow



and an even better day




:love: Peng xo

152 :dn :jn :dn

This is the lowest weight I've seen this year. I am not breathing easier until I leave 150 behind me, though. I'm tired of being up here. I want my clothes to fit better again.

Stayed up until about midnight last night watching TiVo of the jumping. It was exciting but I was too tired after to watch any of the other stuff. This morning I woke with a TOM-induced headache. I don't really want to take that to the dentist with me... :sigh:

Thanks for the visit, Pengii! I am really happy with the weigh-in; just don't want to get complacent. I am hopeful that with TOM here now it will go down a little more... I do have some challenges over the next few days. We'll see.

Lisrey :wave:

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



:jn :dn :jn



HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



:dc

Hahaha!! Thanks, Peng! I am pretty happy. :D

Calories/carbs: 1145/129.9g

A little over on carbs today; not bad. Egg muffins for breakfast. Ate my Zone bar and big peach in the car around 11:30. Although I was close to my favorite rarely-over-that-way bagel shop, I did NOT stop for a bagel sandwich & was proud of myself for that. Around 1:30 I felt a little hungry, and went for some pumpkin seeds I had stashed in my desk drawer. Over the course of an hour or so I ate 2/3 of the package, about 200 calories. I think this is where the extra carbs came from. Dinner around 5:45 was 5-1/4 oz chicken breast (I can weigh it now to calculate the calories -- yay!), an ear of corn, lettuce salad & a pluot. When I got home I ate some grapes. May have another small snack before bed; will depend on how late I stay up watching Olympics coverage.

Exercise: none.

I didn't really have a minute to exercise formally today, but I kept moving. My headache receded to the background for most of the day, though I can feel it trying to wriggle back out again now. I probably ought to skip the TV and sleep.

My dentist appointment only took about 15 minutes. Will try the adjusted bite splint tonight and see if it's any better. Afterward I ran some errands. Picked up some replacement fixtures I'd ordered for our track lighting -- tried to install them tonight & they don't work. :( Very disappointed in this; was probably our last hope before completely replacing the whole system. Will let Sweetie look at it before I get too worried.

Had a really good work day. Got some stuff done, got some other stuff put away, and hosted a really nice craft program in the evening that people enjoyed. :up:

Tomorrow will be busy, with interviews in the afternoon. Will take chicken for my lunch. After work the City is holding its annual picnic for staff and volunteers. I am planning to go to this to do some networking and show support... Not sure about the menu, but they usually have burgers and dogs, chips and stuff. I will have to be careful. After the food there is a big Blues concert. I am not sure how long I will stay, but unless I leave really early I probably won't get to exercise again. Friday I am planning golf and horseback riding, so maybe that will make up for it???

Lisrey :laugh:

Hey Buddy :jn


You dont need luck tomorrow buddy... August is OUR month...you can have chips at the BBQ next month K? or I can mail you some if you have no BBQ next month ;) whatever it takes to see 149 K?


and WTFG on passing up the bagel sammy too... I did the same thing at my fav stores too...told myself I can have the goodies later... you are rubbing off on me in a good way


Have a great day tomorrow... you will enjoy your work outs and golf even more when you get to go...good thing you have such a good base built up that your bod can keep burning good even if you do have to miss a session huh?



Have a fun chip free thursday buddy :jn




:love: Peng

Peng, NO CHIPS!! :jn :up: I did it! And several people offered me ice cream bars, which I also declined. Whew!

Weigh-in: 152.4

Calories/carbs: 1274/86.7g

The picnic food was catered and was fabulous. I completely enjoyed every bite, and it was all more-or-less healthy. Wow! Egg muffin breakfast, grilled chicken & brown rice lunch. At the picnic I had a little section of my picnic plate with Caesar salad, a tiny bit of Spanish rice (1/4 cup at most?), small piece of salmon, small piece of grilled chicken breast, and a bunch of berries -- strawberries, blackberries, raspberries. Mmmmm!! They also had burgers, dogs, kielbasa, and buns. I didn't have any of those & didn't miss them. Feeling very strong. :up:

Exercise: none

Walked to & from the picnic place several times, in the wrong shoes. My feet are killing me now. That doesn't count as exercise, but I needed to whine about it a little, LOL.

Finished up the interviews today. After 6 interviews, we were able to rule out 3 people. The other three we all really liked, and it is going to be very tough to make a final choice. We decided to sleep on it... will make a decision on what to do next week. Might do second interviews.

The other person I knew was a shoe-in for another job turned in his resignation today. I am sad to lose him, and the timing for this vacancy will be very tough. :caf:

The picnic was a great opportunity to do some good networking and talk to some bigwigs that I don't see that often. Feel good about the groundwork my cohorts and I laid. Work, work, work! :)

When I got home, Sweetie was here. They had rain where they golfed this afternoon & decided to quit after 6 holes. They headed home and were back much earlier than expected.

An old friend & I talked on the phone and confirmed some exciting plans for Labor Day. We're going to do the annual Mackinac Bridge walk. I have wanted to do this for 5+ years, and haven't been able to find anyone willing to figure out the logistics & go with me. My friend is going to find us a hotel for Sunday night ($$$ no matter where you go). We will drive up Sunday, do something fun that evening, do the walk in the morning and drive back home. It will be exhausting, no doubt, but a big accomplishment! I am psyched that I might finally be able to try it! The bridge is open to walkers in one direction only just this one morning each year... Should be cool! You can read a little about the event here:

http://www.mackinacbridge.org/annual-bridge-walk-7/

Tomorrow, Sweetie, his friend & I are supposed to play golf in the afternoon, and I will go for my 1/2 hour private riding lesson in the evening. Not sure who to expect my horse to be, but looking forward to it. I have some more grilled chicken for my lunch if we stick around here that late. Not sure when we will leave to golf... Will have to see what happens in the evening for dinner. Sweetie will probably want take-out if he is here; by the time I get home from riding he may be at work. Gonna play it by ear and hope for reasonable choices with eating.

Lisrey I-)

:jn :jn :jn


I just had such a good feeling for you !! Good for you Lisrey !! You are def in a good place when the chips and burgers lose thier appeal ... wearing your old pants will feel much much better !

The walk sounds fun...I will def look at the link after this


At least you have good prospective employees buddy... I have print ads and internet and not one application...and we pay better than most...scary... oh well... I sure hope you find someone who can fill the position well ... do you have to train them for a long time?


Does sweetie get upset if you dont eat the take out with him? I guess it might be difficult for him... I hope your eating does not get sabatoged again...you are doing so very well


anyhow... glad you get to golf then ride...sounds like a perfect lisrey day... I hope it is !!!




hope friday is great




:love: Peng xo

Thanks, Peng! I am really excited to do this walk with my friend. I sure hope we have clear weather over the straits. (Fingers crossed.) The 50 applications I got for the first vacancy are more highly qualified folks than what I need for the new vacancy. Not sure if any of those people will consider this new opening, but will try them if there are good possibilities. I am sorry you are having such a drought. It is much worse to have no/bad applicants than to have tons, I certainly agree. Sweetie eats take-out on his own a lot. If I want to eat with him, he's limited to where he can go (so many fast food places where I refuse to eat).

Weigh-in: 150.6 :jn :jn

SO excited to see this number!! TOM worked its magic, and my delicious meal last night didn't stop anything. This is the lowest number I've seen this year, by 2 pounds. :D

Calories/carbs: 1468/139.9g

Had my last egg muffins for breakfast this morning... Not going to bake more until we get back from our little trip, so I will be eating Fiber One bars and yogurt the next several mornings. Ate a quick lunch -- 4 oz chicken breast, a peach, and 1/2 c brown rice. After golf I had 1 oz jerky and another peach. Ate some sunflower seeds when I got home from riding. Sweetie brought home Taco Bell for dinner -- I had 2 chicken soft tacos & 1 crunchy taco, and a pluot. It was an extremely late dinner, but I held on pretty well waiting...

Exercise: 18 holes golf with cart; 30 minute horseback riding lesson

Golf was fun, although I didn't play well. No pars for me today. I had some terrific shots, but my putting was awful, and I lost a bunch of balls in the woods. :caf: Hope I can play a little better on vacation!

I rode Biz again tonight. He is extremely bouncy at the trot, but I felt more comfortable with it the second time around. Cantering was pretty good once I got him going. My instructor helped me quite a bit with the jumping, and we were much improved in that area. The last couple of jumps I did felt great. This horse is much easier to steer, which helps me considerably. I told the instructor I still want to ride Silver a few more times to feel I have learned the things I needed to learn from her -- I don't feel like I am finished getting what she can give me. The instructor said I'm learning faster these days and can transfer my skills from one mount to another. :up:

After my shower tonight I watched the Olympic jumping qualifying round on TiVo. The highest fences they were jumping just in this opening round were 5'3"!!! :O That's 3" taller than me! The highest fence I've ever jumped was about 2'6"... I just cannot imagine having that much control and balance. Wow.

Tomorrow I have to work. Will be another of those no-exercise days, as I'm going to a wedding reception afterward. I tried on the dress I wore to my youngest sister's wedding, and it fits great. Will change into that after work and head out. I'll take a chicken breast for my lunch. Not sure what they'll serve at the reception, but I will probably have a little piece of cake...

Lisrey :flower:

WOOOOOOOOOOO


:jn :jn :jn



HOOOOOOOOOOOO



YIPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE


I think I will increase the size of the woohooo each 5 pounds K? hahahah



I am so happy for you girly !! You have worked yourself into a real nice groove



On the subject of sweeties T/O what is a grinder? :o hahaha I always meant to ask when you mention them...I was thinking it must be like a sub or sandwich? They sound good and prob a good thing they dont exist in my part of canada...but seriously... we can have anything in moderation...do you think you would of been as successful as you have been if you didnt have these things once and awhile? You dont feel deprived with your eating now huh?

I know if I told myself I could never have dim sum again or a plate of great nachos ever again.... I would binge like hell on them....

You never do mention burgers and fries , that is strong determination not to eat where you have decided is off the list.... prob why your balance is good



I think that is a big adjustment for a lot of us 'dieters' .. realizing a normal portion once and a while is fine... it is the all or nothing thinking that is hard on me .... it does get easier to change that thought pattern RIGHT???? lol



Your ride and golf day sounded real nice ... are you hinting at golf balls for xmas?? hahahah



Have fun at the reception in your swingin lil dress !!! you have worked hard for that 150 bod !!!




:love: Peng xo

Hahahaha, Hi, Pengii!! :wave: Thanks! I was a little up this morning after the late night Taco Bell, but yeah, I eat stuff like that now & again to keep the balance. I never eat at any place that has both French fries and a drive-thru. I can go to drive-thru places that don't serve fries (like Taco Bell), and I can have fries at a sit-down place if I choose after looking at a menu. But I got fat on drive-thru fries and their friends, and I loved them... I thought it would be hard to cut them out, but other than Sweetie's occasional whining, I haven't really missed it. I haven't eaten at any of those places since February, 2001. At some point I also stopped drinking diet soft drinks on a regular basis. I just drink water now almost all the time. Those are really the only things I eliminated completely. Of course, I'm not always that successful. I go on stretches where I eat lots of pizza and crackers and chips... right now I am feeling strong, and I'm going to ride it as long as I can!

Grinders are basically subs that are hot. Usually they have melted cheese on them, and the bread is toasted. We have a terrific place that we like which makes a chicken parmesan one and a jerk chicken one that I like... Now and then I get bbq pork instead. These are a pretty good option for me to suggest when Sweetie insists on picking something up.

Weigh-in: 152

Calories/carbs: 1651/170.1g

Fiber One bar & 6 oz yogurt for breakfast. Lunch was a lettuce salad, teryaki chicken breast & 1/2 cup brown rice. At the wedding reception I had a yummy little salad with mandarin oranges, mixed greens and small raw mushrooms. (Side note: I normally hate mushrooms, but these were different -- no taste, really. I think I mostly hate the texture of cooked ones. Sweetie will be shocked to hear I ate these!) Also a wheat dinner roll, a very small side serving of cheese tortellini, and a piece of chicken marsala (very little sauce and no mushrooms). Finally, a small slice of chocolate cake with lovely white icing. No alcohol. When I got home I had a pluot and some sunflower seeds... I hope to stay the same weight or a little less tomorrow morning without the Taco Bell influence. We'll see.

Exercise: none

Didn't get enough sleep last night, as Sweetie & I stayed up watching the Olympics until about 1 am. I had to work 9-5, then changed into my pretty party dress and headed for the wedding reception. It was at a lodge at a nature center. Very rustic setting, and I was a little sorry I wore the little sandals that are the most heel you'll ever see me wear... But it was less walking than I feared, the ground was pretty flat. The bride was beautiful and the company at my table very pleasant. Fun little party. I left around 9, got home at 10.

Sweetie is out with his gaming friend tonight and will surely get home extremely late. He'll sleep in until at least noon tomorrow, and possibly be a grouch all day (we'll see). I will need to do laundry & clean up the house (again) for the pet sitter this week. I want to try to go for a bike ride in the afternoon if it doesn't rain. Not sure what I'll do for lunch. Sweetie went to the grocery store today & bought some chicken for me, but if he's not up when I get hungry...? He is planning to make a meat loaf for our dinner; I will need to moderate.

I'm ready for some sleep!!

Lisrey I-)

Weigh-in: 150.8 :up:

Calories/carbs: 1472/149.6g (projected)

Waiting for Sweetie to bake the meatloaf. It will be a laaaate meal. 8-| We will have salad, mashed potatoes, grapes. I had my yogurt & Fiber One bar for breakfast. We made a very late lunch: grilled chicken, a small red baked potato, and a yummy salad with a new lite Caesar vinaigrette dressing -- a little different & I liked it. Had a peach earlier, and have munched on sunflower seeds this evening in an attempt not to snack.

Exercise: 61 minutes walking

Went out this morning at 10 in an attempt to beat the heat. Was really hot already & I sweated up a storm! Nice walk, though. I added a few extra segments to my normal route to make it an hour. Some great iPod tunes kept me going nicely.

Did my laundry (3 big loads), vacuumed and swept, cleaned bathrooms, weeded my outdoor beds. Feel good that I got all this done. Have been trying to reach the pet sitter we're using later this week & keep playing phone tag with her.

Work the next two days will be crazy. I have a million things to do, all of them important, before I can go on my trip. Aaack. I am afraid to make a list.

Tomorrow morning I will meet with the trainer and do a lower-body workout before heading to the Library. Will work 12-8. I plan to take a Zone bar & a peach for lunch; will probably munch on some pumpkin seeds in the afternoon. Dinner will be a chicken breast... and I'll have some sort of small snack when I get home. Want to have a great two days! We will leave Wednesday for our golf trip after my "official" weigh-in. I need a good one to keep me motivated while I'm away from my scale. :o

Lisrey :wave:

Lisrey,

Congratulations on the 150!!!

Thanks, Crazy2! :D

Weigh