NON WW & WW NEWBIES, OUR NEW LIFE, THE START OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL

TeresaW1020

@mswatson0777, I did not like the yoga very much. Mostly because I don’t know those poses and when I’m bent over like a pretzel, I can’t see what the lady on the TV is doing so it was all very confusing. I tried for about 10 minutes and gave up and did a 35-minute HIIT walk on my treadmill. Ouch for your poor elbow!! Yay for finishing your finals and getting to binge on some Netflix. Do you have any special plans while you are on holiday?

@theslightedgeforever, that game sounds fun! Yes, I’m back to tracking and I’m working on a New Year accountability challenge for my team on Fat2Fit and have been reading a lot of stuff from James Clear and how to transform my habits to give me the results I want. I always tend to focus on the end goal and because it’s so daunting I fail and then the process has to start all over again. But he talks about how it’s a series of habits and its consistency and repletion that will change my habits and take me to my goal. You are doing this very well and it's working! Here is what I'm currently reading from him if you're interested. …https://jamesclear.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/habits-v2.pdf

@trooworld, what a pain in the butt and I’m sorry you have to miss a whole day of work. I hope this stress will end for you soon and you can enjoy the holiday. Just keep trying to do the best you can with your eating so that you don’t end up beating yourself up. And if you don’t do as well as you should then forgive yourself and start again. You got this!!

Good morning! The scale is slowly moving back down but I’m still up this week and I only have myself to blame. As I wrote above to theslightedgeforever, I’m reading stuff from James Clear and find him very interesting. He has some YouTube videos if you want to look him up or read the link that I posted above. Today is my second week of 21-Day Fix and it’s supposed to be harder than week one. I hope I don’t die!!

mswatson0777

@theslightedgeforever I do miss being a student before being an adult with a full time job on top of it. Thank goodness for vacation time or I may drive myself crazy!

@trooworld Bummer that you're still stuck with the machines (but yay for no asbestos?). And I feel your pain on being the spouse in charge of everything. My partner is crazy busy this time of year so a lot of stuff falls on me

@TeresaW1020 Sorry that the yoga dvd wasn't a good fit. I highly recommend a beginner class in person. We've got a studio in town that does "yoga happy hour" with $5 drop ins that was really helpful when I was first starting out (maybe there's one near your town too?). I loved having someone there to coach me through a vinyasa before I went at it alone. Thanks for the link! I've been listening a lot to Rachel Hollis about habit change and I think it's been helping to keep my mind in the zone.

I am intensely grateful for my body today because even though I still went to class last night (probably not my smartest move since we were practicing flying armbars) I feel a lot better today. I'm still a little sore when I extend my arm but it's no longer painful.

I have yet another holiday party tonight so I woke up at 5:45am this morning to get some elliptical time in before work. It felt good to get it done, but I want a nap and it's only 8:38am! I'm burned out on social obligations and small talk so I'm not looking forward to tonight, but I just keep reminding myself I only have to be there 2 hours before I can make a quick exit. For context, it's a networking event held by our local professional organization which probably explains my bad attitude. Wish me luck on being on my best behavior.

theslightedgeforever

@trooworld Hopefully there will be no asbestos. That sounds expensive to remove. So keep eating your planned menus and that will be one less thing to worry about.

@teresaw1020 The trick with yoga is to stand sideways instead of facing the TV so you can turn your head and still see the TV. I have James Clear's book Atomic Habits. Another good author on habits is Steven Guise. The best book so far that has helped me the most right now is Beck Diet Solution. It's one of my 100 day books. I have 5 days left. It's help me to retrain my thinking. Lots of good skills in it. It's a 6 week course that I turned into 12 to fit my 100 days. lol I do it with two other ladies and we have all shown success. I really think the best thing is putting together all the things I've learned about habits and my thinking. Yaay on your scale moving back down.

@mswatson0777 I will look up Rachel Hollis. Thanks for the info. Woohoo on getting up early to make sure your exercise got done. That's the way to do it. So how was the event. Did you get to leave early?

Red Day- Stayed OP 98/100 Walked 45 min at walking club. I made the best roasted butternut squash soup tonight along with some yummy cornbread. Only got to eat 3/4 c of it because I wanted the cornbread more. But I'm planning on having more tomorrow at dinner. I had caramel corn for lunch too. 100 carbs doesn't go very far. I'm learning to cut down my portion sizes to get a taste of all the things I want.


December goals: Step class and strength training 2 times a week. 4.5 glasses of water.

mswatson0777

@theslightedgeforever Let me know what you think! Her book "Girl Wash Your Face" is my favorite, but she's also got a special on Amazon Prime and a Podcast that are pretty good. The holiday event was better than expected. The escape room theme was actually pretty fun, the food was healthy (color me shocked!), and I actually liked some of the people there. That being said I absolutely bailed after 2 hours, I'm at my limit with social stuff. I can't even imagine getting my carbs under 100, that sounds like quite the challenge.

So I woke up inexplicably at 3am and COULD NOT get back to sleep which means I am both extra tired and extra hungry today. And to top it off it's holiday cookie exchange day at work which means there are literally hundreds of cookies floating around here. I decided not to take part this year, partially because I don't need anymore cookies in my house and partially because I was at a holiday party last night so I had no time to bake, but people bring cookies for the group too so it's temptation city!

I am looking forward to the weekend. I can't wait to sleep, and do yoga, and read for fun and just relax.

Happy Wednesday all! Wish me luck for cookie overload day!

its_cleo

Still buried at work. Had to pipe in to say I'm not a fan of yoga either...have tried off and on over the years but I just hate it lol

But I always say everyone has to find the right workout for them, so if it's yoga go to it.

Not sure when things will slow down.

Have been overeating a bit this week due to work.

Sorry folks are having a hard time with househood stuff!

I love butternut squash soup. Always throw in some red lentils too

Hope the cookie day went well.

theslightedgeforever

@mswatson0777 That's what I like about my carb cycling program is that I only have to do this 2-4 days a week at 100 depending on which week I'm on. Then on my 2 green days it makes it feel like cheat days since I get all the way up to 238. That is what makes this program so successful for me is that I know I don't have to avoid any foods and it's helping my weight and blood sugar come down. I never thought I would be doing this well on lower carb foods because I would always say I like bread too much and fruit. I'm just not eating them every meal like before. I always have yummy french toast and pancakes on Thursdays and Fridays. Then I just have to fit in the other stuff around that. It's a numbers game. I preplan each morning or the night before what I want to eat and then usually the carb amount is too high for the day and I start shaving the portion size off little by little until I get to 100 or less if it's a red day for instance. Today more cornbread and less soup was the choice of the day. 3/4 of a cup was just fine when before I would start at 1 c +. Because I'm doing it slowly I don't feel the effects of eating less food and it's becoming more normal. I ate 1/2 c of pasta the other day and I never thought I would see that. But then on other days I eat 1 c. I'm so glad you enjoyed the event. Even better it had some healthy food there. That always makes it easier. Best of luck on cookie day.

@its_cleo I was surprised at how hard yoga is and I know I should really do it more often because of the overall benefits to my body as I age. It's like 3 legs of a 3-legged stool. Cardio+Strength+Flexibility All are needed for a well-rounded mind/body. I love red lentils. I make a really good soup out of that too. Plus a nice dip. So here's something to think about. Does overeating help you work any better or any faster? I'm assuming it's the stress from the overload. You just want to feel good and comfort yourself. So what can you do instead to feel good and comfort yourself while you are working so hard? It's nice to have a list somewhere already written down and handy so you can just grab that and pick one thing on the list. Instead of grabbing a cookie or whatever.

Green Day-Stayed OP 235/238 Did not exercise but will make it up tomorrow as Friday is usually a rest day. Still need to get in that step aerobics and strength training.

I did get into two dresses that have been hanging in my closet. I took them from my daughters clothes stash. Wait til she sees me wear them.

TeresaW1020

@mswatson0777, good for you for getting up and getting on the elliptical before work. I’ve gotten up early a few times to get my workout in and I always feel great but it sure is hard to be consistent with it. I’m glad that the event went well and that you had a good time. Ugggghhhh on the cookie exchange! I have an event on Sunday where there will be a ton of cookies calling my name.

@theslightedgeforever, uh I hadn’t even thought of standing sideways! I will try it again when it’s yoga day and see how that works for me. I’m not surprised that you have James Clear book! I have heard of Steven Guise. I told hubby that after the holidays I want to go to the library and start checking out some books that might help me focus more on my goals and help change my habits, which I’m now starting to understand is the key to reaching my goals. Congrats on getting into your two dresses! Can you give me some info on the carb cycling? I was reading your post to mswatson and what you said makes so much sense. Plus, I REALLY miss apples and Kodiak pancakes!! I’m wanting to shake things up when we start the New Year and achieving better habits is #1 but finally landing on an eating plan that is sustainable for me is #2. Help!!

@its_cleo, hey girl! Hang in there and hopefully your work will settle down soon. Yeah, I will give yoga one more try and see if I can get into it. What I really love is using my hand weights. I told hubby last night that I will be need heavier weights in the next few months for sure.

@trooworld, glad that the work is done on your condo. I assume they are going to repair and paint your walls? We got a call yesterday about our HVAC noise and the maker of the system is sending a new compressor. That is a $1000 we don’t have to pay. Yayyy for warranties!

Good morning! TGIF!! I’m at work right now but don’t have much to do today, so I thought I would take the time to write to you all. I’m teaching children’s church this week on the topic of Joy. I bought a bunch of little jingle bells and we are going to make bracelets so they can make a joyful noise. Their parents will love me for that! I’m also having a Christmas party for my six Sunday School kids. I bought them each some small gifts, decorated the classroom up with Christmas lights, and bought some mini cupcakes. Then on Sunday evening we have our Christmas concert with cookie fellowship following. I’m in charge of the punch and plan to make a not too sweet red punch and a green Grinch punch for the kids. Should be fun but I am really going to have to go in to the day with a game plan so I don't end up here writing to you all how I blew it...again!

mswatson0777

@theslightedgeforever That is a HUGE NSV!!!! Congratulations on fitting into the dresses!

@its_cleo so sorry work has been overwhelming. The holiday season is exciting, but holy buckets is it exhausting!

@trooworld Glad to hear the machines are gone, but sorry to hear the house is still in chaos. I hope it's quickly resolved and you get beautiful new walls you don't have to pay for!

@TeresaW1020 lol you are definitely going to be a parent favorite, but those bracelets sound super fun! I hope your upcoming cookie exchange goes well

Happy Friday Everyone! You have no idea how excited I am for this day to be here, I need a break from everything. The cookie exchange yesterday went surprisingly well, I only had one cookie. It helps that I didn't actively participate so I only had to avoid the break room and didn't have to take any home.

In less great news, I ended up tripping on some ice and falling down and entire flight of stairs and my backside is now VERY bruised. Between that and my hyper-extended elbow I am on a roll this week. Hopefully this weekend will be relaxing and injury free. All I want to do is lay around all day and read my book. I have gotten way better at saying no, so we only have 2 social things this weekend, which considering it's so close to the holiday, I'm counting as a win!

theslightedgeforever

@trooworld One day this will all be over and you can go back to your normal life. In the meantime, I hope you are practicing some nice stress relief techniques other than eating too much.

@teresaw1020 I'm more of a must have a cup of tea and sit outside first thing kind of person than open eyeballs and exercise kind of person. I am learning to do my exercise in the morning though so it usually gets done before noon. It took me loads of time to figure out that standing sideways trick. And usually I'm on the floor still while the lady is standing up doing warrior pose. lol But I'm doing it and that's the important thing. It just takes me
awhile. The one thing I want to conquer one of these days is that lunge step through and stand up after downward facing dog. I currently can't seem to do that. So I drop to my knees and get up the old fashioned way.

Here's a link to the template: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ww1H23XNvN9RlhHi0xODj3FsPUd1NHm5DTlNSsq0YPc/edit?usp=sharing

They suggest Week 1 coincides with your period. So the last two weeks before your period is more red days and that really does cut the cravings down for PMS. When I actually started this Aug 1, I estimated when my period was going to start and then I think did days 29-35 first. I have a 40-42 day cycle which is why this is 6 weeks long. You can adjust it to 4 weeks if you want. Just remove the tabs for day 15-21 and day 36-42

Note on the first 2-3 weeks, the amounts for yellow carbs are 145-164. Then on the last 2-3 weeks, they drop to 125-150. Green will always be 199-238 and red 100.

Copy and make it your own. I move the green and yellow days around to fit my social events as long as I keep the total number of days the same per week. That's why I included a line for appts/events. It helps me pre-plan my day.

So remember you didn't blow it, you just made an eating mistake. Keep that mantra in your head. Then you wouldn't keep making the same mistake over and over that day. Get back on track at the very next bite.

@mswatson0777 Woohoo on one cookie. That's awesome. I usually scan the room looking at them all then think which one would be totally worth it to eat. And then I enjoy every bite. I got the workbook that goes along with Girl Wash Your Face. It was free on Kindle Unlimited. So once I'm done with this book I'm working on, I'll take a look at it. I have a 2 week hiatus before we start our next 100 day book. We're doing Mini Habits for Weight Loss with Steven Guise. Ouch on the fall. Good news is you didn't break anything.

Low Yellow Day- Stayed OP 148/150 carbs Exercise was 45 min walking. We went out to a restaurant and I got tomato soup and salad, but couldn't eat the whole thing because of my pancakes earlier in the day. Not enough carbs left. Plus I really wanted the two pieces of garlic bread. So I brought home the rest of the soup and I'll have that for lunch tomorrow. The waiter gave us some free salad to take home plus brought us free gelato. I did good by not eating any. My food pusher husband kept saying oh just take a bite. I'm sure he was feeling guilty eating all of his. I had two carbs left. lol We have a "phones down at the table" rule and they kept saying phone down to me. I was like, I'm figuring out how much of the food I can eat. Thank God for the MFP app on my phone.

JoDavo66

Hi all. I'm just replying generally as not got much time.
Thank you for kind comments.
Kitchen sorted- apart from needing stools for breakfast bar & a few cosmetic touches.
Ensuite done- needs a little paint touch up but I LOVE the new shower!.

Had good chat with new Nurse Practitioner at ou GP as had a "liver marker" come back- I suspect fatty liver from what she said (could be anything from Vit K deficiency to cancer- but given level, told nothing serious).
I told her about weight struggles since perimenopause kicked in & we discussed diet. She suggested dropping calories & swapping my % protein & carbs macros.
Discussed further with Trainer & he's made suggestions how.
With everything else I'm not doing good job at mo- just trying & making few changes.
Any ideas or advice from Keto fans on high protein swaps for a veggie who eats fish too- welcome.
I'll catch up later. X

cbabie

Morning gals...I read through most of the comments. This is hard only getting on here 1 time a week. I am trying to get into a routine, but this past week some "family" things came up and I think I lost the whole week. My weight is really still in maintenance. The job is going well..LOL but still in training. We will see when I actually am out of training. Hopefully I will get back into the groove of things. Working on new routines.LOL

@trooworld So glad it's all starting to end for you on the water damage. I pray for a great outcome for you. Enjoy the play.

@theslightedgeforever You have found your niche!!!

@TeresaW1020 Sounds like you are getting back your groove. LOL As I was typing this..I typoed and Grover was typed and I thought of Sesame Street...see where my brain goes?

@joannadavison I am so glad you are getting answers.

@mswatson0777 I think you got all your falls for the winter out of the way!! Great job on the cookie exchange.

@its_cleo LOL I hated yoga too! I am more of a push my body to the limits and not the stretching, pretzel kind. hope things slow down for you soon..


cbabie

its_cleo

I miss talking to everyone. I’m okay, just busy with work. As I said haven’t been eating great. Not too bad, but too many desserts. It is like comfort food or something because I feel pressure at work. On the other hand, I’ve been keeping up with my exercises pretty well so that is something. But I expect my weight will be up this week.
We have a big family potluck tonight, I will probably just allow myself to eat what I want. After this the holidays will be very quiet for me, so hopefully I can get back on track.

@TeresaW1020 I love to hear that about the weights! I love weight lifting and I love meeting other women lifters. I’m sure there are lots of dumbbell sets you can get. Dumbbells are actually better and more challenging than barbells, you will grow more muscle and it really uses the core more than barbells. I use both but I do a lot with dumbbells.

@cbabie yep no pretzels for me! I hope the job continues to go well. Come back and tell us about it.

@trooworld that sounds like a fun day. Glad they’re putting your wall back together. That sucks though, to have to go through that after you just bought it.

@theslightedgeforever thanks for sharing your template. I forgot- did you come up with this cycling plan on your own? Also can I ask what you aim for in calories each day? Or even % just because I assume the grams of carbs would go up with calories. Like I think I eat more calories than you, so just trying to figure out what the carbs would be then. Or maybe not and they would stay the same? …..I am also a wake up and sit and have coffee kind of person. I meet my trainer at 5pm. On my own I like to work out late afternoon or late morning- so I can eat lunch or dinner right after ha.

It's like 3 legs of a 3-legged stool. Cardio+Strength+Flexibility All are needed for a well-rounded mind/body.

Yeah this is true, but I am terrible about flexibility. I’ve been trying to focus on mobility though- this is related to being able to move well with proper range of motion, I didn’t pay much attn to it but am trying to build it into my workout. I get so stiff and limited it’s terrible.

@mswatson0777 so sorry to hear about your fall, I fell down some stairs a few weeks ago so I can relate. Just take it easy, it took a few weeks for me to feel really healed.

Yesterday I did stairs and hill, it went pretty well. Today I went to the gym and did some arm work- bench press, rows, bicep and tricep. Tomorrow I hope to run.

Also my goal for this week is to incorporate some special stuff in addition to my regular workouts:

-bicep/tricep - I don't normally do this because a lot of the other lifts I do with my trainer gets these muscles but I feel like they need some extra attn because I would like to be able to do pushups and pullups better.

-calf raises- my calves take a beating because of the stairwork I do, so I want to give them some attention with calf raises and stretching

- soft tissue work- this is massaging with foam roller and lacrosse ball

-mobility routines- going through some range of motion movements

I wrote it all out on my calendar so hopefully I can stick with it. I swear half the fun for me is planning stuff out lol. If I actually do it all, that's just a bonus.

Take care all!

TeresaW1020

@mswatson0777, good for you for only eating one cookie!! I hope I can be as strong tomorrow night at my cookie and punch fellowship at the church. And so sorry that you got hurt again. Yes, please rest and take it easy. Can you use your recent injury to get out of your social events?

@theslightedgeforever, thanks for the spreadsheet! I put into my Google.docs and so if I decided to give carb cycling a try I will have it. I am nervous about switching to fast because I still believe that Keto is right for me, but I also like having a bit more flexibility. I assume I could modify it to have more of a Keto slant with a day or two of higher carbs. Since most of my eating events are because of my church and are on a Sunday, I really like the idea of going higher on that day on purpose, which might keep me from feeling like such a failure.

@joannadavison, if you suspect that you have fatty liver you can totally cure that by taking the right steps in your diet. Dr. Ken Berry has a whole lot to say on the subject and you might find some of his stuff interesting. Dr. Ken Berry on Fatty Liver
Are you wanting to eat more protein than veggies? If so then just up your protein by eating more meat, fish, chicken, eggs and of course more bacon!! As a Keto eater, we are taught that the most important thing is to keep the carbs low and to keep your fats at least 20% higher than your protein. That is because if you eat too much protein the body will just store it as fat and we don’t want that!

@trooworld, I hope you have a great day! What play are you going to see? Great job with your goals!!

@cbabie, I love me some Grover!! I walked the living room the other day and hubby was watching Sesame Street. I sat down and we watched and laughed for 30 minutes. I guess you are never too old for the classics. I think staying in maintenance at this time of year and with your family stuff happening is a major win so celebrate it!! I’m going to believe and pray that 2020 will be a much happier year for you. I want you to agree with me.

@its_cleo, right now the program I’m doing has me using hand weights 3 times a week. When I first started Beachbody on Demand I could barely lift my 8 lb weights and today, I was using my 10 lbs for several exercises. Right now my shoulders are feeling it from the bent-over rows I was doing and the overhead flys. But it’s a good pain, ya know? What do you think I should get? 12 lb. or 15 lb. weights? They get so expensive and I don’t want to buy both sizes if I really don’t need to.

Hello everyone! It’s been a calm Saturday which has been nice. I did my workout and then some so my body is already feeling the burn. I started a new 30-day challenge yesterday with my Beachbody coach and the winner gets a free T-shirt. I want that shirt!!! I am also working on tracking stuff like food, workouts, water, steps, eating on plan, etc. on this habit tracker I printed off. I am very much a visual person so I’m hoping it will help me to develop better habits by being consistent and mindful. I’m going to reach my goal in 2020!!

mswatson0777

@theslightedgeforever That workbook sounds great, and so does the small habits one. Any small habits in particular you're working on?

@TeresaW1020 I hope your cookie social goes well! And I wish I could use it to stay home more, goodness knows the bruise looks bad enough! I hope you get that tshirt!!

@its_cleo I bet you're doing light years better right now than prior years when you weren't keeping track. Give yourself a pat on the back since normally people gain a lot this time of year!

@cbabie maintenance is a huge win this time of year! I'm sure once life slows down in the new year it'll be easier to stick to a schedule

@trooworld What a fun day! I hope you have an amazing time and enjoy every minute of it!

@joannadavison low carb is definitely not my forte, but my partner really loved cauliflower crust pizza when he started Atkins (I knew he loved me when we first started dating because I tried making it, burned it to a crisp, and he still ate it!). I hope the transition goes well for you, those liver markers sound scary!

Happy Saturday! I started my day off running errands and picking up ingredients for my dog treat baking day tomorrow. I also hit up back to back Judo and Brazilian jiu jitsu classes to burn off some calories since we have the 12 Bars of Christmas tonight (I'm planning on DDing to hopefully reduce the calorie load too!).

Last night we ended up staying in, making homemade popcorn, and watching Star Wars (Disney+ is my new favorite thing). I went a little over calorie wise but it was so worth it.

I hope you all have wonderful days today!

theslightedgeforever

@joannadavison So glad to hear your house is getting back in order. Sorry to hear about your lab test result. Sometimes this is just our body warning us, hello it's time to make some changes. You can get this turned around. Sorry I can't be more help since I don't do keto.

@trooworld Your journey with the house problems seem almost over too. That's good. Plus you haven't really been stress eating. Good for you. I hope you enjoy your weekend activities.

@cbabie You'll get your routine back soon, I hope.

@its_cleo Carb cycling- There are books on Kindle about this subject. I read one of them and used their guidelines and then added the colors on my own to help me remember what day I'm on. As for calories, I'm currently working at 1467 for Sundays and Tuesdays, 1450 for Mondays, 1500 for Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are 1660, and Friday is 1550. I don't penalize myself if I go over as I'm concentrating on the carbs, but I try to keep under these amounts. I've lowered three of the amounts by 50 calories within the last two months. I'm slowly taking my calories downward if I'm not losing like I want to because my body will need less energy the more weight I lose. Twice I have increased my exercise burned calorie goal by 25 in the last four months. Carbs stay the same whether or not you have more calories. Traditionally you are supposed to exercise more intensely on the green days and light to none on the red days. I started out that way, but it was interfering with my life so now I have a set schedule on the days I want to take a rest day no matter what color it is. I could probably use more work in the mobility and range of motion area. At times I have a frozen shoulder. One day I'll get there. I'm the same way about planning. I love to make my plans and spreadsheets. the doing part.........it's a process. lol But I'm getting better.

@teresaw1020 Yes, make this spreadsheet your own. I purposely have my green days on Thursdays and Saturdays because most of my social events fall on those days. That's why I have set higher calories too on those days. I don't even try to tweak the calories on those days nor Fridays. So lower your red days from 100 to X, take your yellow down to whatever you want in the middle range and then keep the green days. I think it has been the consistency of me sticking to this plan that has led me to lose 20 lbs so far versus the actual plan. I get a bit of freedom on it but I'm also reined in on some days. Plus the thought of that one yellow day on most weeks means I might get an extra serving of bread or get to eat a banana/apple and not have to figure out what I'm going to give up for the day.

@mswatson0777 I will start the mini habit book on Jan 1. This year me and two ladies did three 100 day books. The habits I will be working towards is decluttering and increasing water intake. My kids are excited about the new Star Wars moving coming out. My youngest just recently got Disney+ He and I always argue about the Star Wars numbers. Since I was around back in the day to watch the first three movies, I call those 1, 2, 3, then they made the other ones after that. His counting seems to go 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, and I have no idea how many they've made after that. I did see the last one because he forced me to go to it with him. lol When I ask him questions he will answer with, If you would watch all the movies in order then you would know things. I just roll my eyes and say Your order and my order is two different things. Now he responds with OK, boomer. lol But I love him anyway. One day karma will strike and he'll be having a conversation like this with his child. Fingers crossed.

Green Day- Stayed OP 212/238 Exercise was 45 min walking

cbabie

Morning gals, it was truly great to get on here and not be behind. Only bad things is I had it all typed, hit a wrong key and deleted all my typing and MY wrist hurts today..so here goes again. I loved reading the post and seeing how we all encourage each other. We are truly blessed on this board.

@its_cleo I laughed when I read your goals...I too loved to do weights, but now with my wrist I am not sure that will ever be again. I work for a company that does credit repair...it's really interesting.

@TeresaW1020 Thank you so much for the encouraging words. Yes I stand in agreement with you!!! I am believing with you on your goals for 2020...This will be YOUR year.

@mswatson0777 Kudos to for making dog biscuits..never would I even touch that for dogs. My dad used to cook chicken for his dog..LOL . I will take this as a win thank you!!!

@theslightedgeforever I will get this!!! When things get back to normal in my life...I will try your carb cycling..I am not a person to just eat only certain things...EXCEPT Peanut Butter...I really have lived off of it these last few months. See how you are helping others!!! Your mom would be so proud...I had to watch Star Wars on Disney + with my GS and DH yesterday...it must be the thing right now...LOL


I hope everyone had a great Sunday...I will be getting ready for church here soon!!!

Cbabie

JoDavo66

@trooworld with not eating meat, except fish, I don't get huge amounts of protein. Just after keto ideas so I can add more protein & drop carbs. Hope you get some downtime on Sunday after bust Saturday.

@cbabie pleased job going well. With family stuff going on maintenance is better than gain. That's an achievement.

@its_cleo work pressures & deserts go together. I was eating way too many traybakes at coffee shops end of Oct & then Nov. I'm trying to protein load a bit more & bought supplement at gym- it's chocolate mousse flavour so on an evening when I want to snack I'm having a shake instead. Choc kick plus protein! Your exercise plan of adding a little extra sounds a good idea.

@TeresaW1020 I'm looking of ways at upping protein without the meat! I did make a massive chilli with Quorn (plant protein product) mince & lots of pulses but with no rice or nachos (make them usually from low fat wraps like WW). Problem is I tend to make the same things, get bored and then.... well we know what happens then! I've got a blood test in new year to see if the markers are still there. In meantime I'll have a look at that link. Interested to see your weight lifting increase. A year ago I didn't have range to lift my right arm above my head or to lift sideways at all. Working with trainer I've got.loads more movement & this week shoulder pressed 6lb for 1st time- so another year & I might be up to your 12!

@mswatson0777 maybe I should look up some old Atkins recipes. My concern with Atkins & Keto is that we have famial high cholesterol which I've been aware of sinceI was a drug rep in when I was 22. I was really impressed when I had toutine bloods in late 40sto check it & it was much lower than in my 20s. They said it was high so I was retested again & got it to below the old level but it was higher than the new recommended level but when I told them what my mother's was without medication they were happy with that. I've heard of cauliflower being used as rice but not a base. I must tryto.bemore imaginative. I am hoping that the markers have disappeared in new year. I'm curious to know the difference with Brazilian Ju-jitsu?

@theslightedgeforever I've just got to agree with you. I look at my friends & peers many on medication for high blood pressure, cholesterol etc etc. All I'm on is Vitamin D( well I live in UK so that's not a surprise), a proton inhibitor for inherited elevated stomch acid- but I don't need this all the time & a low dose SSRI for menopausal mood swings. So if there's something there then I need to look at lifestyle & change.

I'm pleased the bulk of house is sorted. We are starting on deep clean now. Painting & decorating elsewhere starts after Christmas but that's nowhere near as disruptive.
Just want to get through next few days. Dentist on Wednesday as cracked & lost bits of 2 teeth since I fell, Thursday my nephew flies in so DH picking him up & then after work we're all going to see niece in school Nativity play then onto my girls' school for Advent Concert. Friday is FiL's funeral, so I effectively have 3 days left over 4 days then finished for 2 week holiday. I've booked gym & massage time!!!!!

its_cleo

@joannadavison yeah some of those protein supplements are a good idea. I have one, but I made the mistake of buying it unflavoured, so I'm trying to finish it before I buy another one. I read a cool recipe here on MFP for cheesecake made with protein powder but I haven't tried it. It is definitely hard to get protein if you don't eat meat. There is another meat substitute called seitan, you can google recipes how to make it. I tried to be veg a few years ago so I tried everything.

@cbabie that sucks about losing the post…I try to write it all in Word first because I found that was happening to me too. And- Sesame Street rocks. Love it. A few years ago I got the DVDs for one of the seasons of the old Muppet Show from the 70s, 80s? It was so good.

@theslightedgeforever thanks for the info, yeah as soon as I googled it a bunch of stuff came up. I think the first thing I would have to do is start planning more in advance bc I don’t do that.

Man Star Wars is so popular. I just don’t get it. I had no idea another movie was coming out. I tried to watch the original three and just couldn’t get through even one. I don’t think I’ve seen any of the new ones. I love all the Marvel movies though.

@mswatson0777 those classes sound tiring! Not sure I could do that. But I’m totally down with tv and popcorn! Are you in an area that gets wintry weather? Maybe you said and I missed it, sorry.

@TeresaW1020…weights I’m not sure what to get. These neoprene ones are probably the cheapest - I think this is showing Canadian prices so it might even be cheaper in the US.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Pound-Neoprene-Dumbbells-Weights/dp/B01LR5SAIA/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1D2KGMT3UH3LR&keywords=dumbbells&qid=1576425427&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sprefix=dumb,aps,168&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNkw1SUFPNkZJUktTJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTI4MDEzTVVDUVBVOU0yQUcmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDk3Mzk4MzJWODVDTzlEMlc3Qkcmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1

Also I always heard people say try to buy second hand. You can also buy adjustable weights but they’re super expensive.

But you mentioned your shoulders hurt- does Beachbody show you how to do the proper form? I don’t want to come across as a know it all, but with bent over rows try to keep your shoulders back and down. Like don’t let them come up tight around your ears if you know what I mean. It’s hard, it will make the move harder but it is a safer form and may make your shoulders hurt less….if you know all this you can tell me to get lost lol. There are probably form videos on youtube too.

The habit tracker sounds great.

Well last night was my big family dinner and I did indeed eat too much. So yep my weight is up by like 2 lbs today though I’m sure some of that is salt. But I feel back on track and will go for a run later although I’m sure my turtle speed will be down to snail speed!

I’m super excited this is the last week before xmas and then I get a break from work.

@trooworld glad you had a good day. Photographic museum sounds interesting. One of the exhibits I may see over xmas is a wildlife photo exhibit. Some of the pictures look amazing. Are you working all week, or are you taking time off for xmas?

TeresaW1020

@mswatson007, homemade popcorn and Star Wars sounds like a wonderful night! How did the 12 bars of Christmas go? That sounds like it could be a lot of fun too!

@theslightedgeforever, I’m going to give carb cycling a try for the next few weeks and see how I like it. I like the idea of moving around my days to fit my lifestyle. Do you think it’s very important to match my low/high carb days to my actual workout schedule? That could be trickier if I had to do that because somedays, I end up not doing the workout that I had planned due to some stupid injury, yet it’s going to be a higher carb day due to an event. See below 😉

@cbabie, thank you! I certainly pray that it will be my year to reach my goals. I’ve only been saying it for over 30 years. Ugghhhh!! FYI, I make chicken for my dog and mix it with her food and a little cheese every night for dinner. Last night she had bacon instead of the cheese. Yes, she is a totally spoiled diva.

@joannadavison, sorry for the confusion! I can’t be of much help with upping protein that doesn’t include meat. Beans and spinach are all that comes to mind. Glad the house is getting sorted out. You have a busy week so I’m glad to read that you will be able to take time to go to the gym and get a massage. I NEED a massage!

@trooworld, well sorry that the play wasn’t the best but like you said at least it got you out of the house and spending some quality time with your hubby. I hope we both reach our goals next year!

@its_cleo, thanks for the link! I thought the weights were going to be more expensive until realized that it was for a pair. That is more doable for sure. Some of the trainers do talk about using the proper form more than others. My current lady I’m watching does a good job of making sure, but she also assumes that most of us know how to do this stuff. I like your idea of watching YouTube videos and I think I will spend some time this week doing that. I did that when I started doing squats and that really helped me. Yes, your weight gain is mostly salt for sure. It will come off in no time!

Well, yesterday I rammed myself into the door jam and hurt my back. I swear I can hurt my back just by thinking about it! So, I've taken today off of working out and am using my back massager and taking Iburphren. I'm sure it will be better by tomorrow. My Sunday school kids loved their little party that we had this morning and their gifts were a big hit. One little boy had mentioned how he wanted a church mug (his dad collects mugs) and he wanted Sharpies. He is always using my Sharpies in class. So that is what I gave him and his little face lit up so bright. It made my morning! Then I taught children's church and we made the jingle bell bracelets which was another big hit with them all. Tonight is our Christmas concert and cookie and punches fellowship. So, hopefully my back can behave itself. I told DH that he can help me make the punches so I don't do much lifting.

renaegry

Good evening all. Well I never did find a chance to pop back in since last post. Been very busy. Finding it hard to find the time for treadmill. When I do been doing brisk walks. Feeling a little under the weather lately with a scratchy throat and a stuffed nose. Have loads of client book work to get done plus tis the season. Kids are done school on Friday and we are basically running around everyday till they go back to school. Lol.

Eating hadn’t been to to bad weight had dropped to 155 but son had a weekend hockey tournament so eating wasn’t the greatest indulged in a few drinks and sat around watching hockey all weekend. So thinking the weight has creeped up again. Hitting it hard again in the new year.

Went to the doc on Wednesday and he was livid that nothing showed up on ct scan yet there is a huge visible lump on jawline. He scared me by saying he was rushing me into the city the next day to a specialist for an mri etc. But first the specialist wanted a panorex X-ray done from my dentist. So off I went. My dentist offered to to take a look at the X-ray and you wouldn’t believe it but I have an abscess tooth in the back. That has been my Tmj problem for who knows how long. So I am on a strong antibiotic and i am getting the tooth pulled on Thursday.

I know these next few weeks are busy. Will try to check in daily but I have been sucking at that. Lol. Will try to get in exercise when I can but I do no there will be plenty of booze involved over the holiday.

Hope everyone is doing well. Will try to keep up.

theslightedgeforever

@cbabie You know there will never be a perfect moment to start carb cycling. I can hear your all or nothing thinking. Why not pick one day of the week right now and do a red day. 100 carbs. You get to choose how you fill those carbs. You can even put peanut butter in there. Then next week add a second day and do two red days.

theslightedgeforever

@joannadavison Did the doctor say you have to do keto specifically or just lose weight? So how about cheese or eggs? Since I started this carb cycling thing, I'm eating a lot more of those lately. Here's my thoughts on cholesterol. You can end up at the end of your life due to that or due to fatty liver disease. Which has the greatest risks for you right now. I'll be interested to see my own blood test results in March after doing this program. How is your mil doing. It must be extremely hard on her.

@trooworld I think I would like that photography museum. Yaaay on some extra walking. Wouldn't it be great to be able to get in all our exercise just through incidental movement because of lifestyle?

@its_cleo Planning in advance is probably one of the reasons I've been able to stay OP everyday. Plus telling myself when I see something I want that it's not on today's plan. But I can have it for tomorrow. That's what happened with oatmeal today. I opened the pantry to get something else and saw the oatmeal and thought yummmm because I need something to warm me up. Then I said to myself well you didn't plan it for today so you can have it tomorrow. Which I am. Nice bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. I'm adding some pepperoni and turkey slices on the side for some protein and that's my breakfast. My kids are both Star Wars and Marvel fans. I've seen all the Thor movies for obvious reasons. plus the ones when they all get together. But I can skip the ones in between for each character. I can hear my dd say "Blasphemy". Look how many calories from popcorn I've saved by not going to see these movies. lol

@teresaw1020 In my own experience I have found that it doesn't matter keeping the workout day tied to the color day if that makes sense. I know they do that for energy sake. Thinking I'll have less energy when I eat 100 carbs versus 238 carbs. The important thing for me was to get in the workout when it was convenient to me and my schedule and keep my green days for my social days. It's working. The important thing is that we get our plans to work not that we follow "their" plan to the T. It's been about 25 for me to reach my goal as my youngest is 25. Each year I say to my dd, This is my year. She rolls her eyes and says you say that every year mom. Well, 2019 has been a better year than the rest I will say that. I didn't get consistent until Aug of this year but hey I arrived. Last year I gained 12 lbs between November and December.

@renaegry You'll find your niche. How far are you from goal? An abcessed tooth is much better than a tumor or something else. Now you might have also fixed your TMJ problem. I hope you feel better soon.

Red Day-Stayed OP 93/100 Walked 42 min at the mall.

mswatson0777

@theslightedgeforever Too funny on the okay boomer! I watch them 4,5,6,1,2,3 since otherwise I'd probably never watch them again since 1 and 2 are so objectively terrible!

@cbabie I hate that when I accidentally delete what I just typed. I started making dog treats instead of cookies a few years ago because I think it makes a unique gift for coworkers and family and doesn't just add to the pile of junk food. They seem to go over very well (and are technically safe for humans to eat...but yuck). I hope you had a fantastic rest of your weekend.

@trooworld I love lentil soup and I appreciate you taking the time to post links to your recipes. I'm going to have to go back in the archives and start making some of them since they sound so delicious! And I am luckily on the mend. My backside is still purple but it doesn't hurt so I'm calling it a win, and I can almost fully extend my elbow.

@joannadavison Spa and gym time sounds fabulous and relaxing! I love that you're carving out time for self-care! Brazilian Jiu Jitsu mostly focuses on fighting on the ground (think wrestling, but with chokes and joint-locks), whereas Judo focuses a lot on fighting standing up, but bringing the fight to the ground (think throws). They're a really good compliment to each other and a lot of fun!

@renaegry It sounds like you have a lot on your plate! Your abscessed tooth sounds so painful! I hope everything goes well this week. Please keep checking in when you can

@its_cleo Luckily it's an exercise that's easily adjustable to everyone's skill and pace so we get folks from every age range and walk of life! Your family dinner sounds like a lot of fun, but it is so hard to stay on track at those. I'm sure the weight will fall off in a few days. I'm from one of the coldest states, so we're already getting single or negative degree temperatures and lots of snow (ugh).

@TeresaW1020 That sounds so painful! I hope your back heals quickly! And it sounds like the little presents were a big hit! You do so many fun activities with the kids, I love it!

So....the rest of the weekend did not go as planned. I ended up having WAY too much fun at 12 Bars (we Lyfted home), which meant I was pretty hungover all Sunday. I basically laid on the couch and ate everything in sight all day instead of doing anything on my to do list. And this week is SO BUSY before we leave for the holidays so I'm not sure when I'll have time to get things done. Amazingly, even after my drink and food-a-polooza hangover day I still lost .5lbs (I thought for sure that scale would be up!). My goal is to hopefully lose another .5lb this week and then maintain the holiday week. I figure it's a modest goal so it makes it more likely that I can hit it.

JoDavo66

@trooworld thank you for the link. The vegetarian lentil chilli sounds nice on your meal prep. I'm going to look at better meals once school holidays start.

@its_cleo I got the 3rd degree over protein shake today- all concerned it was meal replacement. I can imagine any of the gym's flavours tasting good in a cheesecake. I might have to track that down.

@TeresaW1020 ouch! Your poor back. You have my every sympathy there- still struggling with aches &pains from injuries over the years. The Sunday School group sounds great. I love it when kids are so grateful. At school today I shared a bag of chocolate money between 2 girls who produced excellent scientific posters & I got a colleague to choose the best. 1 girls is like a quiet mouse & the other is really loud and often disruptive- so I was chuffed to reward them both.

@renaergy I'm pleased you finally have answer about your jaw. Not the most pleasant thing but at least it's straightforward. After being messed around it must be a relief to have an answer.

@theslightedgeforever we discussed loosing weight & I mentioned the struggle. She asked if I'd considered a group- told her about WW & basically it had stopped working as I'd been successful in past but not now. I explained MFP & what I'd started monitoring with my trainer & she suggested reducing carbs & upping protein more than we already had. Advised to avoid cheese- not cut totally but not use as vegetarian food. Eggs are one of my stapes but again I'm not going above 2/day as high in cholesterol. MiL's doing OK considering. DH at work tomorrow then 4 days paid leave (he's had 1) so he'll go over & try to help out- if his sister will let him!!

@mswatson0777 my youngest fancies doing MMA!! Not sure best idea for her. I can see how they'd be complimentary. Well done on that weight loss despite the food & drink.

I'm feeling quite stuffed. Had Christmas meal with Housegroup- one member is single Mum to young boy so we get takeaways at her house rather than go out & her have to find a babysitter- less stress.
Busy at work trying to get everything sorted before holidays. The kids come back to an exam period mid January so want to make sure they know what to revise in plenty of time. One class complained about holiday homework- as I see them once a week & 1st Monday off is a training day they have 2 weeks school & 2 weks holiday- which I pointed out to them ! 🤣🤣

its_cleo

@TeresaW1020 sorry to hear about your back ouch. I hope it gets better. ...that is such a nice story about the little boy. It's amazing the little things can bring so much happiness.

@theslightedgeforever I can see that telling yourself you can have something tomorrow would work. Lol about Thor. Yeah I like the Thor movies. I like almost all of them though. I don't like serious movies, I just want something light.

@trooworld the museum sounds interesting. I wish I could have been a photographer. That sucks you have to use up your vacation days....and/or not get paid.

@mswatson0777 lol about the hangover! I can relate. I didn;t know what the 12 bars of xmas was...were they actual bars? That's like my hiking club, we drink more than we hike. Or at least the hikes I go on lol.

@joannadavison yeah the recipe was on MFP somewhere in one of the forums. Good luck with the protein. I try to eat a lot of protein myself but I eat meat. I aim for 100-120 grams a day, and fats I end up around 40-60 grams. I really only focus on the proteins though.

Well my grand goals for the week are sort of half accomplished. Yesterday I wanted to do mobility for 45 minutes. I did 20. So that is ok. Where I'm really disappointed was today I wanted to do some bicep/triceo work but I cannot for the life of me find my weights. This of course, is after they sat on my floor next to my couch for months, bc I work out at the gym. I have no idea what I did with them. Will keep looking.

Cals- between yesterday and today I'm 40 over so that;s not too bad. Long day at the office, and in tomorrow too.

renaegry

@theslightedgeforever “Thor” is my absolute favourite. My kids like to joke “mom your boyfriends on tv”. Lol. Yes quite relieved only an abscessed tooth. I still have an open appt booked with specialist just in case after the tooth is pulled the lump doesn’t go away. I’m not really sure in goal weight. Back in the day I wanted 135. My closest was 143. Might be happy if I got down to 140 and just got really toned

And thank you all for your concerns for my jaw and tooth. Hopefully all will get straightened out with pulling it.

Not sure if it’s the pills or I have a touch of the flu but my stomach has been grumbling for 2 days. Definitely not feeling 100%. No exercise today. Not sure about tomorrow. Will see how cold or windy it is while daughter at gym I may try to get in a walk. And hope to hit the weights on Wednesday.

Hope everyone is doing well.

theslightedgeforever

@trooworld That's terrible you have to use your vacation days for "their" time off.

@mswatson0777 Your exercise sounds fun. Well at least 12 bars is over until next year. But the upside is that your weight is still down. Do really good this week so it stays that way. Sometimes we think we get away with it but it's like those pounds are just floating around in space somewhere and we have a good week and BAM the scale is up a lb. I'm like how does that happen? Now I'm learning to say Oh well. What goes up must come down. (compared to my old thinking of if I'm going to gain, then I might as well enjoy myself)

@joannadavison Just keep trying and you will get your meal program all sorted out.

@its_cleo I'm the same way about movies. I just want to be entertained and laugh at stupid stuff. Or the occasional rom com. Did you find your weights? Doing things halfway is better than no way. I'm learning to celebrate any and all progress on this journey.

@renaegry I'm almost finished with my 100 day book and today's reading was about achieving lowest achievable weight and lowest maintable weight.

For lowest achievable weight: If you've been at the same weight for two to three months

Do you want to reduce your calories even more.....
Can you sustain eating 100-200 calories less per day every day
Will cutting calories be healthy for you?

if you answer no to any of these questions, you've found your weight. Stop trying to lose weight and start maintaining.

Determining your lowest maintainable weight:

Can you keep exercising and eating like this for the rest of your life?

If the answer is no then increase your calories slightly and you will gain a bit maybe 3-5 lbs. Then be comfortable with this decision and weight.

If yes, then you have found your magic weight. If the scales shows more than a 2 lb increase then immediately go back and review the basics.

I still have a ways to go before I make this decision but I'm looking at about 135ish.

Red Day- Stayed OP 100/100 carbs. Took it right to the limit today. lol Rest Day for exercise.

TeresaW1020

@renaegry, wow that is crazy about you having an abscessed tooth that has been causing you all the problems. I hope that you find that it was the tooth all along and the specialist will clear you from anything more serious.

@theslightedgeforever, well it is going to be our year one day and we might as well believe and strive for it to be 2020!! You have done amazing this year! I remember your struggles at the end of last year and you are right that we have to make whatever eating plan we chose work for us or we won’t work it. Simple as that! I’m excited to get started on carb cycling and see how it not only works for weight loss but also for my mindset. Tonight, I’m going out to dinner and I’m thinking it’s OK because it’s a high carb day and not me cheating on my diet.

@mswatson0777, losing weight while bar hopping is certainly a nice Christmas present! Good luck on losing another .5 lbs…or more!!

@joannadavison, I have a very disrupted little boy in my Sunday school class so I understand what you mean when I compare him to my sweet boy who is always so helpful and loves learning. It sometimes takes a lot of effort to love him, but I do try my best. I pray a lot for strength and patience. I hope you don’t have too much homework over the holidays!

@its_cleo, did you find your weights? Yesterday, was leg day and the trainer had us using weights the whole time and I used my 10 lbs for all the moves except one. Told hubby that it’s almost time to up the weights. So, he said to price them out and in January I can get a set of 12’s and 15’s. Who the heck am I that I’m excited about getting new weights!

@trooworld, I hope your week flies by too! Do you have all your Christmas shopping done? I still need to find a couple of things for hubby and then I’m done.

Good morning! It's gloomy and rainy so we slept in this morning which was nice. My back was all better yesterday and I was able to do my workout. Today is cardio day and I will do that as soon as I finish my coffee and social media browsing. I have a busy day planned. I need to go grocery shopping and to Khols to hunt down a belt for DH and anything else that I can find for the hardest man on earth to shop for! Then this evening seven of us from ladies Bible study are getting together for dinner at Cracker Barrel and going to see Frozen 2. It should be a great time and since it's my high carb day, I'm NOT going to feel guilty about what I choose to eat. Have a great day!

mswatson0777

@TeresaW1020 Thank you, I hope so too! Sleeping in sounds magical and I'm glad you're back is feeling better.

@trooworld I hope this week flies by, so far it's feeling more like dragging!

@theslightedgeforever You are so right, I definitely need to be extra mindful this week, especially as I go into the holidays. I love the information on lowest achievable weight. In an ideal world I want to be 135, but I'm guessing my actual range is going to be 145-150

@renaegry Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. Hopefully it straightens out before the holidays

@its_cleo Definitely real bars I was feeling the effects HARD the next day. Sorry to hear your weights have hidden themselves. Hopefully they'll show themselves soon

@joannadavison I'd honestly recommend it for her. It sounds a lot scarier than it is, and it's an amazing workout and a really fun way to stay active. I'm glad the group party went well, I love doing takeout at home instead of having to go to a restaurant, it always feels much more relaxed!

I'm feeling a little more back on track today, although I had to skip my workout yesterday to make that happen which makes me a little grumpy. And I overate (too many bites, licks, and tastes (BLTs) in the kitchen!).

How do you all carve out time for yourselves during the holiday? I know it's the season for family, but since we're travelling over two states in one week, I just feel like the time isn't my own and I'm stressed instead of joyful as I should be.

RetiredAndLovingIt

Hi all---wow, it takes a lot to catch up when I don't keep up everyday!! You guys are a chatty bunch, lol.

@joannadavison Dh & I have protein shakes for breakfast most days. Figured we weren't getting enough protein, so started them. Not sure if I feel any better for it, tho, but they are quick, especially because dh makes them, lol. I would think it would be a challenge to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet, but then my sis that does WFPB says you don't need as much protein as everyone thinks. So many differing opinions on that!

@TeresaW1020 Glad your back is doing better. My dd teaches kindergarten, she could totally understand the difference in kids. I think that age would take more patience than I have. I hope the carb cycling works for you, & glad that you won't feel like you are cheating. I really try to be neutral about food, not good or bad, or cheating or not. I just try to accept that I ate too much, and try to do better. Right now I'm not!

@renaergy Hope that is all that is wrong with your jaw & it soon feels better.

@mswatson0777 Sorry, but I laughed about the bars & the after effects. Guess that is why I pretty much gave up drinking years ago. I was getting enough headaches that I didn't want to be causing them, too.

@itscleo Hope you find your weights.

@trooworld Hope this week flies by for you. I agree, its too bad you have to use vacation days to cover the place being closed!

@theslightedgeforever I think I may look at your carb cycling a little better. You are doing so well with it!! My plan of eating at maintenance this month & using my exercise for the deficit is good in theory, but my exercise has really fallen off, so not working real well. The beginning of the month I had a cold, and last week was trying to cram & make stuff for the craft show we participate in every year. Excuses! I weigh every day, & then add the week & figure the average. So even though my days are up & down, my average still shows a slight downward trend. I also thought the achievable vs maintainable weight thing was interesting. I probably have hit my easiest maintainable weight since I have pretty much been here forever, despite not sticking to my deficit like I should. Not really happy here tho, so keep trying for a little more, even if it takes awhile.

Well, dh is done with the eye drops in first eye & only 2 weeks to go with the second. He has an appt to get them checked this afternoon & then will get glasses. Even though he only needs them for up close, it is frustrating to him to have to put readers on, he feels like he would rather wear them all the time. (he's worn glasses since about age 8, so hard habit to break) Me, on the other hand, never wore them til my 40's, so can't wait for my cataracts to get bad enough that I can quit them, lol.

After Halloween, we were at Sams & they had the BIG container of peanut m&ms for half price. Only $5.50 for them! What a bargain! Ha---They are way too easy to grab a few here & there, so not helping my plan at all. Luckily they are almost gone, so maybe I'll stay in my calorie goal now.

Hope everyone has a great week!