Third Quarter Posts: July 1-September 30.

KonaKat

Now is the time to put the past behind us and focus upon the time available in the next 3 months. This time will pass quickly so it is up to each of us to make the best decisions we can each day. Where do we want to be on September 30? Let us plan to succeed and to succeed, we must have goals to keep us focused. What are your goals?

Helene610

I hope to be ten pounds lighter. I picked 5 pounds for the last quarter because I didn't have a scale in Florida and I knew I wouldn't do well while I was traveling. I planned to start up when I got home in mid May. Considering I only logged for 5 weeks, Im pleased with the 4 pounds I lost. based on that, I ought to be able to lose 10 pounds in three months providing I stick with the logging. I've got a 45 day streak going. That's a lot for me. I usually lose interest in the first 2 weeks because I've found logging tedious. I think the difference is so many of my foods are in the data base. I've only had to add 2 items so far.

Helene610

Jean...Do you think you are getting enough variety in your food choices? I know you have favorites like the Quaker Weight Control oatmeal. Maybe mixing up your choices would shake your metabolism up. I think our bodies can get too used to eating the same things. I have a tendency to do the same thing. This time I've been rotating my meals more.

KonaKat

Helene--I do go on binges of changing the food. For that reason, I've been eating the Special K breakfast sandwiches this week, and trying to do different things for the other meals. According to the calculators, I would maintain at around 1700 calories, so there isn't much leeway. I've started the ground flax seed based upon doctor recommendation....and 2 tablespoons of that a day is 70 calories. I'm one of those who only likes certain things from the supermarket so I tend to eat primarily the same things unless eating out

You have done really well with your food logging and it shows. I'm sure you will do very well.

I'll return to the food logging and I was losing until I went into the hospital at which time I started gaining. I was so hungry in there that I ate everything they served me and it was so very good. It wasn't typical hospital food. Unfortunately, it broke the routine which I now have to get back into the habit. For the past year, despite efforts, I'm maintaining. I might lose but then it will come back. I'll be back to getting on the scales frequently as one week can create a major difference. I'll set a ten pound loss as a goal in the 12 weeks but it will be less than that as some weeks I stall so six pounds might be more reasonable.

Helene610

Set your goal where you think it belongs. if you do better, that's a bonus but you won't discouraged if it's 6. Since I started back, I weigh daily. I know many people would be discouraged by that. But I have almost no fluctuations. I'll stay them same for a week or so and then drop if I'm going to lose that week. I just like to see that I'm still the same each day. It doesn't work for everyone but it works for me.

KonaKat

Helene--Weighing each day doesn't bother me either. I know weight can fluctuate and have known the official weigh in day to be the one that shows no progress when the day before showed a couple of pounds less and then the day after showing the same reading as the day before the official weigh in day.

KonaKat

We are officially off to another quarter which I think will have 13 weeks in it. Make that lucky 13 weeks!!

mdubbs1

I'm off to Northern VA with Jack to see his internist. I'm really worried because he has a bump on his nose. I learned the hard way with Willie that sometimes upper respiratory issues morph into cancer.

I had a horribly stressful day yesterday. Much worse than usual. Boss had a new client he wanted me to impress and our phones suddenly went on the fritz. Then DH came home with probably the only fresh eastern shore corn we'll see all summer. Diet went right out the window. Hopefully just not being home today will help get me back on track.

I am still 18 pounds below my all time high but about back to where I was this time last year. Why do I keep doing this to myself? If I could figure out the answer to that I'd be happy. (Rhetorical question..)

I'm 40 pounds away from being "normal" but only 10 pounds away from being "overweight". So that's my goal for this quarter. Being overweight. Strange goal huh?

mdubbs1

Jean - as you may recall this thread goes back aeons. I'm the only original member still around. I think a couple things have always been true: (1) people don't stay on NS; (2) some people want to be supported by "100% on plan folks"; and that has always specifically NOT been this group; (3) some folks want an exercise focus and (4) it's really hard to come back online to a group when you've fallen off the wagon. E.g. I suspect that's what happened to Megan. There have been periods where I've been embarrassed to show my face (so to speak).

KonaKat

Maryanne--It has been so long that I've forgotten names, but I remember the gung ho lead of this group for a long time went on vacation to Mexico (I think), posted from there about what a good time she was having and that was the last most of us heard from her. We then had some fill in leaders who disappeared when there was one of those internal NS disputes. I think what is 100% is a matter of personal interpretation. To me, the goal is to learn to eat healthy, learn portion control and not to deny yourself at times as that can eventually set you up for binging, a sense of failure, etc. Was the leader Tzaine or some name like that? I have yet to see a perfect person so being 100% is a lofty goal but not achieveable for most people.

PamS53

I remember that person, Jean! I don't remember how she spelled her name, but it was something similar to Tzaine. I also remember an Emily, and there was Ann from Alaska. I've wondered how she and her husband are doing. He had Alzheimer's and they were remodeling their home in hopes of keeping them in it as long as possible. She was a church secretary and also cleaned houses or offices in her "spare" time. Ann definitely had a full plate, but she had a great attitude about her challenges.

I am mostly ready for my friend's birthday party this evening. I have cleaned the house, set the table, and prepped everything I can do in advance. I'll take a shower in a bit and get cleaned up, then make the soup and salad that I am serving tonight. I made the cake yesterday and it turned out very pretty, if I do say so myself. I have some appetizers all ready to go as well, so I think I'm in pretty good shape. My goal was to host this party without being exhausted by the time my guests arrive, and I think I may achieve it!

KonaKat

Pam--I remember Ann now that you mention it. I have a terrible memory for specifics on names, etc. If I don't use something over and over, I tend to forget it.

I do hope the birthday party goes well. It sounds as if you planned well. With your not being exhausted, you will be able to enjoy the party.

I went to the city today to get my nails done and to see a couple of movies. My appointment was delayed so I didn't get out of the nail place in time to see the 11am movie. That meant I would have to put in 3 hours in the mall until I could see the other movie. I wasn't feeling overly chipper so I just decided to come home so basically I drove all that distance just to get my nails done.

KonaKat

I see Humana has already paid the hospital charges for the ablation on the 17th which was technically outpatient. I had to be admitted to observe the effects of a new drug, so those charges will be separate. Can't wait to see what those are.

Helene610

I went to the chiropractor today. It was a routine visit but I've been having a problem with my knee. The stop and go traffic we hit coming back from NJ really killed me. We don't normally travel on Fridays so we forgot about all the extra traffic on weekends. We would have switched drivers but there was no where to pull over. About 3 hours in, we passed a rest area and DH was able to take over the driving. The result of that was my knee was really out of alignment. he straighten it out and told me to ice it. I go back next week so he can check it again.

I remember Ann as well but not until you mentioned her. Remember Diana? She worked in a library and took care of her grandson some times. And Deidre joined us for a while. She was very interested in exercise and moved to a thread more focused on that. I'd see posts from her every now and then. She looked fabulous. I think her husband was former military,

Pam...Your party sounds great. Your friends are lucky to have someone like you, willing to do all that wirk to celebrate with them.

KonaKat

Helene--Sorry you are having knee problems. It is so frustrating when there is no place to pull over when you need to do something.

I see things that need to be done but procrastination is saying, "You don't really want to do that."

mdubbs1

Ah, yes, tzgaine or something along those lines. Your memory is better than mine. The lady from Alaska I remember. People do come and go! Even on the main board. I was surprised when Coach Mark disappeared, e.g.

I am visiting NS refugees mostly for the cat thread. It's still very active.

In my van I'm listening to the J A Jance books featuring Ali Reynolds. In this current one, the police go to a home to do a "wellness check". They find the guy murdered. They are looking around the house, open his freezer and find it's full of Nutrisytem food. I about died laughing in the van.

Jack and I made it to Fairfax VA and back in somewhat record time yesterday. The internist did a fine needle aspirate of the lump on his nose. I am so hoping I hear from her that it's nothing. If for the third year in a row I end up at the oncologist with a cat I shall be beyond sad. And my credit cards will weep. You know I don't know why I have been so convinced for so long that my eating isn't emotional. The last two days it definitely was. Something to think about.

KonaKat

Maryanne--I've not checked out the cat thread. Coach Mark was one of my favorite posters. Many of the things he said made sense, especially when it came to the 100% issue. I do hope all works out with Jack. Yes, I know my eating can be emotional at times. That is funny about the audio book and the NS food being found in the freezer.


Shopping CAN Be HAZARDOUS !!

A husband and wife are shopping in their local Wal-Mart. The husband picks up a case of Miller Lite and puts it in their cart.

'What do you think you're doing?' asks the wife. 'They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans', he replies. 'Put them back, it's a waste of money', demands the wife, and so he does and they carry on shopping.

A few aisles further on along, the woman picks up a $20 jar of face cream and puts it in the basket.

What do you think you're doing?' asks the husband... "It's my face cream. It makes me look beautiful,' replies the wife.

Her husband retorts: 'So does 24 cans of Miller Lite and it's half the price....'

HUSBAND DOWN, AISLE 7 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Helene610

I guess I dipped into emotional eating yesterday. I had the doctor and then the massage. The massage requires a 30 minute drive each way (well worth it). On the way home, I stopped at my friend's gift shop to discuss a concert we're going to tonight. She'd ordered the tickets and I didn't know if I needed to pick them up from her or if they were at the box office. She had sold several large pieces of furniture and needed to fill in the space with other items, I ended up helping her stage the table she had moved into place. It looked really nice when we finished. I ended up having 2 glasses of wine and some cheese and crackers with her. I hadn't had dinner so I stopped at the market for a ready prepared meal. I looked at the mac and cheese and decided it was too many calories. So I bought spaghetti and meatballs. It wouldn't have been a bad choice except I ate the whole thing instead of the half portion I'd planned on. I think most of it was tiredness. I didn't bother logging it. I would have had no idea of the calories in it. But I'm back on track today, loggin and all. And my knee is feeling much better today.

Maryanne...I do a lot of audio books but haven't heard that one. That's pretty funny aobut the NS food in the freezer.

KonaKat

Helene--It is amazing the brand names MFP has listed in its foods and calories list. The brand name of the spaghetti and meatballs might be listed. It is easy to let those little extras creep into our daily eating.

Helene610

I doubt it would be listed although I can look. we have a local supermarket that does a lot of their own brand prepared meals. If it was Stop and Shop Whole Foods or something like that, I'd think my chances of finding isd would be good. With a small regional market, I's be surprised. But you never know.

I'm thinking of donating blood today. There's a drive about 15 minutes from my house. I usually donate 2-3 times a year. If I need a bone graft for the implant, I think that would disqualify me for donating for a year or so. I'll ask when I donate today. So this might be my last donation for a while.

mdubbs1

I'd listened/read several of J A Jance's series but never the Ali Reynolds books. My friend's CD player is on the fritz so I was looking for something I could listen to that she wouldn't be upset that I didn't have in hard copy for her to borrow and settled on this series. They are not as fantastic as the J P Beaumont and Joanna Brady series but pleasant enough to listen to in the van.

mdubbs1

Usually a book will say something like "and when we opened his freezer, it was packed with frozen TV dinners making it obvious he lived alone". To specifically mention NS was such a surprise. Made me wonder if J A Jance or someone she knew at the time she was writing the book was on NS!

Helene610

I'll bet she was on NS. At first I thought they found the shelf stable meals in the freezer which would be even funnier. Then I realized the character must have been on the frozen plan.

I just checked the spaghetti and meatballs. As I thought, it wasn't in there. Many of their products like breads and snacks. Whatever it was, I probably would have been over my calories for the day. I don't often have a binge day like that. So I'm letting it go and starting fresh today. The scale was still formly on the same number so if I did any damage, it didn't show up yet.

KonaKat

I'm in the midst of reading a series of detective stories with a psychological thriller aspect set in England. I got the first one as one of those Amazon freebies, and I got hooked. The writing is very tight, explicit and the characterizations are very good. Like chips, these are so good that you can't stop with just one. Although each can be read alone without reading the previous books, each does build upon the previous one as the characters get older and as they get older life's circumstances change, etc. I don't usually get hooked on a series of books such as these but they are excellent. The main character is Kate Redman who is a detective sergeant now studying for an exam to be promoted to inspector. I'm on the 6th book in the series by author Celina Grace. The freebie is "Hushabye" and has over 600 reviews.

mdubbs1

Jean - I'll have to check that out. My kindle is filling up. I have a pile of audio CDs for the van. And more shelves than I care to think about of books on paper. And my friend probably has some I haven't read. We have a secret code. If I haven't read it, I put an address stick on the cover. On paper I'm reading the Preston/Child Pendergast series (last 4 books, I was behind). In the kindle I'm reading Debra Webb's Faces of Evil series and the Ed McBain 87th Precinct series. I like how when you finish a book it pops up the next book in the series and says "wanna buy it?"

PamS53

I recently found a book series I'm enjoying as well. The author is Estelle Ryan, and the main character is an extremely intelligent, high functioning woman with autism who works for an insurance company helping them detect fraud in claims against the valuable artworks they insure. There is a lot of humor in the books revolving around her extremely precise use of language and lack of understanding of slang. The other characters are a motley crew of government officials and thieves who are working with the various government agencies. I've read the first two books in the series so far and enjoyed them a lot.

My party went well last night. The food turned out well, the cake was a hit, and I wasn't even phased by an extra guest that I wasn't expecting. But I was exhausted afterward and really didn't want to go to the library today for my volunteer shift mi did it anyway and it wasn't too bad for the first two hours. The last hour was very busy and I ended up staying an extra fifteen minutes to try to get things caught up before leaving. My partner still isn't back although she apparently said she would be back there s month. Maybe next week.

KonaKat

I just noticed on my tablet that MFP has me logging in for one day straight. I don remember missing any day. Oh well, the last time I looked, it was almost 100.

KonaKat

Old faithful for breakfast with a tablespoon of ground flaxseed added. We actually have sunshine.

KonaKat

Want a slice for the holiday?

Helene610

I can truthfully sy no I wouldn't eat it.The pies look lie and eveil grin daring me to take a bite. Maybe it's the blue layer but it creeps me out and I wouldn't eat it.

I'll have to write down the authors you've mentioned. Maryanne suggested one a couple of years ago (John Verson) and I love him. I've read all of them. I just finished Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It's about immigrant children in the 1920s that have ended up in orphanages. A well meaning group of people decided the children would be better off out west with new families so they load them at trains and give them away at railroad stations. The orphan trains were real and the author researched actually people and wove some of their experiences into the story

Pam...Great job on the party. I'll bet your friend was thrilled.

KonaKat

Helene--That cake might be fine for a decorative accent but I don't think anyone would actually try to eat it. I prefer my pies solo and not in a cake.

I have been doing odds and ends around the house, but it is now time for a Kindle break.