2017--This Year is Our Year!!!
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All three of you are doing a LOT of driving! I'm planning a trip myself today to see if I can get Jessicat's favorite Healthy Ones maple ham. I like having it here too as a great protein source.
I'm afraid some day I'm going to get there and find out they discontinued it (it was no longer displayed in the counter the last time I was there). So I picked up a package at the Giant the other day - labelled "organic maple ham" - only 30 calories a slice. I tried it. It's awful. But that doesn't mean Jessie will hate it necessarily. If worst comes to worst I can always try her on "real" maple ham but that will be hard for moi to resist.
I've got to do all the colonies this morning as well. It was spritzing yesterday so I didn't do anything about the bowls but they are ALL muddy AGAIN ALREADY. I don't remember this with my colony (where I fed for 10 years). I guess I must have repressed it??
Jean - I hope your stress test goes well.
Helene - I hope you get some fun sight seeing done on your way back.
Pam - a colleague and I did abandon a car once. We were somewhere in New England in a rental car. Traffic was all bogged down with "beach" traffic. We finally got within the boundaries of the airport, abandoned the car, and barely made it to the plane to head for Boston. We got to Boston, went to the rental car counter, and said "would you like to know where you car is". Oh, the days when I travelled all the time. It wasn't always fun.
Sometimes I think I read too much blood and gore. I saw a headline about a woman in a wheelchair with multiple medical issues and the headline was something like "I had to kill my mother". I immediately thought "Munchausen by proxy" and yep, that's what it was. http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/tc/munchausen-syndrome-by-proxy-topic-overview#1
I have a fairly quiet week this week. It's about time! I have to take Indy to the eye doctor on Thursday but otherwise I don't have much scheduled. I really need this. I didn't get much done last week except client seminar prep so I've got people saying "where's my stuff?" even more than usual.
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Maryanne--That story about the rental car is hilarious. I wouldn't have nerve to do that which is one reason I always leave for the airport long before I need to do so.
Helene--Do take advantage of the drive back to take in some sights along the way.
I didn't make it to the city yesterday. I got into relaxing at home and enjoying it too muc.h. I did, however, use some of my frequent flier miles to book a flight to London during the 2018 Spring Break and near my birthday. The good flights always go fast, and I didn't want to spend 12 hours in an airport or have to make several connections if I waited too long. I had also been reading hotel reviews on Trip Advisor. One I was considering had a special rate sale for one day only yesterday and when I checked there were only 7 rooms of the type I wanted left. I booked it also as it did not require a deposit and I can make changes up to 2pm of the day of check in.
Ancestry DNA analysis? Check this one out as it checks for markers that might contribute to weight, etc. Vitagene.com.
What makes Vitagene unique from other DNA testing companies?
Vitagene is the only DNA testing company that provides both your ancestry information and your nutrition and supplementation analysis, all in a single test. Our team of scientist are focused on providing you with an action plan that is simple to follow, yet completely tailored to your personal health information. Your report is designed to help you improve your sleep, energy, stress and overall health by giving you an action plan around your nutrition (diet), exercise and supplementation
You can even order this via Amazon. Amazes me what all can be found there. Read this review by one woman:
I was most interested in doing this test to learn about weight loss based on my dna and improving my overall health. The report was able to tell me that based on a certain gene that I may have a reduced ability to feel full when I am eating. My dna also says that I have a reduced risk of gaining weight back once I lose it, so hopefully if what I learned helps, I can keep up the results! There were also many other recommendations just for me, this is just one that stood out to me.
I also learned that in terms of exercise I am more likely than other people to lose weight from exercising – and so I am hoping some more time fitting in physical activities into my day will help boost weight loss.
I was also recommended supplements and a detailed explanation of why these supplements would be best for me based on my genetics/lifestyle/health. I will be adding the recommended vitamins to my regimen.
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We arrived home late yesterday afternoon and were so glad to be out of the car! Sleeping in my own bed last night felt really good since I had not slept well in almost a week. Today I have a mountain of laundry to do, but otherwise, not much on my plate, thankfully.
The DNA testing sounds interesting. One of my cousins whom we visited in NC is very interested in genealogy and she had purchased the tests through Ancestry.com for her husband and her parents. They got some interesting results. In her husband's case, the testing helped him connect with his biological mother and siblings and he has had a very positive outcome from that. Her mom's maiden name was Delaney, so she has always considered herself to be Irish, but her test showed her to be more English than Irish while her husband (my cousin) was more Irish but had always thought he was of a more English heritage.0 -
We decided to stay in Westminster, MD on the second day of the drive because it's only 19 miles from Gettysburg. We've never been to Gettysburg so it seemed like a good opportunity to spend part of a day there. We haven't figured out where to sped the third night. Driving from PA to eastern MA is more than I want to do in a day. We'll drive from SC to just south of Richmond VA the first day. I'm glad we decided to stay the extra time when seeing the NJ relatives fekk through. we would have been riding through heavy rain if we'd left Friday as planned.0
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Helene - Have fun in Gettysburg. I know embarrassingly little about it having grown up 8 miles away.
I did the ancestry dna. Last summer I really got into trying to construct a family tree but had to put it aside when fall rolled around. I discovered recently that there were a couple messages to me. Apparently not all their messages are emailed to you. One was (which was what alerted me to the whole thing).
I'm trying to get DH to agree to plant a Maryann azalea if I order one: http://carlsonsgardens.com/maryann.htm Since it's named for me it's sort of embarrassing we don't have several growing on our property.0 -
Maryanne, I lived about ten miles from Mark Twain's and Harriet Beecher Stowes' homes and I never went there once in 20 years. When it's close, you think you can go there anytime. I'm having breakfast and checking final emails before packing the truck. I'm hoping to leave here around 10:30. I may be able to check in enroute. If I can't get access, I'll talk with you Friday from home. We expect to get in Thursday night but I'll probably be too tired to check then.0
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One of my many imaginary projects for my imaginary some day retirement is becoming an expert on the battle of Gettysburg. I admit that while it's on the list it's not real high up. LOL!
I lost a pound last week, sort of in spite of myself. I think I had a few too many bites of things. But in any case I'm back to where I was before my birthday and within shouting distance of being "merely" overweight (3 1/2 pounds). Since at my last physical my A1C had just inched into the "pre-diabetes" category I think it's time for me to get serious.0 -
I'm joining you with getting serious when I get hoe. I' thinking of looking into WW next week. I have a doctor's appointment in June and was also told I was pre-diabetic. DH's heart problems really threw e off track the last 2 years. The doctor told e not to work on dieting while I he was recuperating and I was so stressed. I don't think she expected e to gain though so I want to lose at least 10 pounds before the appointment. I' not doing great on y own so I thought I'd try the support of WW.0
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I also need to get more serious about my health and weight. I started today by going to the gym and walking on the treadmill for 35 minutes then doing about 15 minutes of free weights and floor exercises. I tried to be careful and keep my back aligned well, so hopefully I won't have any back issues. I'm planning to make shrimp quesadillas for dinner tonight, which is pretty low calorie and low fat and something we both enjoy a lot. After our trip my weight is up and it has been creeping up for awhile, so I definitely need to get it under control again. I have my annual checkup in July, and I'd really like to be down at least 7-8 pounds or more by then. That might be enough to avoid a scolding from the doctor, lol!0
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I've been doing better on the treadmill since my reboot than I was earlier this year. Having packet day today. I really need to be mostly home for that since it's many small meals. I was home all day except feeding the colonies this morning. I don't like asparagus. At all. I LOVE petite brussel sprouts. So when I saw some asparagus at the grocery store it caught my eye. DH was SO excited. Sometimes it doesn't take much. LOL! Of course his mom spoiled him - he'll only eat the tips (rest went to the compost pile). And I got to have brussel sprouts. All good. My next goal is to be overweight. Not ready to think about strength training yet.
Think I'll do a JC day tomorrow.
I somehow need to convince myself that I can't ever go back - at least not for weeks at a time - to the way I've always eaten.0 -
We arrived in Western MD about an hour ago. Once we cleared the DC area, the country was really pretty. there are a lot of farms along our route. I've been to eastern MD and the Baltimore area but we've never been to this part of the state. I was surprised how rural it is. We'll head over to Gettysburg in the morning. I still haven't figured out where we want to stay tomorrow night. A friend suggested Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. We'd enjoy that but I think it will be too far west and thus make too long a drive home on Thursday.0
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I didn't make it to the gym today but I will try to go tomorrow. Today I had my annual visit with the retina specialist who repaired my detached retina 5 years ago. He pronounced my eyes healthy so I'm clear for another year. I always hate this appointment because I hate having my eyes dilated and because it's always at least a two hour stay for 5 minutes with the doctor. Invariably, it is a bright sunny day and we are driving home facing the sun, so I dread the trip home with dilated eyes. Even with my darkest sunglasses, it's painful. Luckily, since DH is retired I do have a chauffeur.
Tonight we had a taco salad for dinner. I tried to fill my plate with lots of veggies, a moderate amount of meat, beans, and a sprinkle of cheese and tortilla strips. DH always does pretty much the opposite, so his plate doesn't look as healthy as mine. He could stand to lose 10-15 pounds, but I need to loose about 30, so I try not to say much about his eating habits. His doctors haven't told him he needs to lose weight but mine have told me I need to.
Tomorrow I hope to go for a pedicure with my friend whose husband was so sick earlier this year. He has improved greatly since coming home, but he still needs a lot of help. She has been reluctant to leave him alone, but the occupational therapist is encouraging her to start doing so for brief periods of time, so we are going to try to meet for pedicures tomorrow if he's doing well. I'm looking forward to spending some time with her and I know getting away and doing something for herself will be good for her.0 -
Pam - good news on the eye appointment! I hate the ophthalmologist too. Especially the field of vision test. DH has been buying bigger jeans so I guess he's put on a little weight but it's so little compared to me that like you I can't really say much. Enjoy your day today!
Helene - hope you enjoyed Gettysburg and made it home safe and sound.
I'm going to give myself a little break today and take a field trip to a couple of the fancier grocery stores around and see if I can find anything on my "can't find" list.
The good news is that Jessicat doesn't seem to mind the awful organic maple ham I found (and I guess the second good news is that it tempts me not at all) and she even ate some of DH's roast beef (I make him hot beef sandwiches). She and Jack are both on prednisolone (spell check thinks that word should be "predisposition" LOL!) and it does give them an appetite!
We may have a new cat at one of the colonies. Saw him/her for the first time yesterday. If so, this will be the first time since I started helping with these colonies. It's heart breaking when it happens. I've alerted everyone so hopefully he/she can be scooped up and vetted. If adoptable of course he/she won't be put back. Beautiful long haired black cat.
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Gettysburg was fascinating. We spent about five hours there. It's 6,000 acres and they have 1,400 monuments on the grounds. I did a little online research the day before and found out that one of the gift stores sold a 2 volume CD that you could use for an auto tour. We stopped and bought it and it was worth every penny, It came with a map of the battles so you could see where you were on the drive. They organized the tour by the dates of the battle so we back tracked over some of the same roads but it put the battle into context. DH knows more about military history than I do so he mentioned several times that he remembered people and battles from the movie Gettysburg. We want to watch the movie again with the site knowledge we now have. It was 93 degrees there so I was glad to be in our truck with the Ac running. We left there at 6 and arrived at our hotel in northern NJ at 10 pm. We stopped at a Wendy's drive thru for chili and a baked potato. We split the potato and had the chili after we checked in.
I was also impressed by the ride through western MS and eastern PA on the way to Gettysburg. There were lots of farms and the mountains were in the distance. What gorgeous scenery. I had Rachel Ray on while packing and she had pairs of viewers with tips on weight loss, DIY. fashion and cooking tips. The audience selected the one of each pair with the best tips. The 4 weight loss tips were save the frozen entree containers from WW or other companies. Use it for portion control. The woman had lost 150 pounds and she said she did it by eating half the portions she used to eat without using any special foods. She put spaghetti in one half and she put Parmesan kale chips in the other half instead of garlic bread. The guy had lost over 100 pounds and his tips was invest in a food scale and serve your dinner on a dark colored plate. I hadn't heard that one before but I guess it made a smaller serving look more appealing against the dark color.
We arrived home last night about 6 PM after a full day of driving. I didn't get up until 9:30. and I already started portion control. I was toasting half a pita pocket for breakfast for breakfast. When you cut one apart, they are not equal thickness. I put them in the toaster and incinerated the thin half. So basically, I had a quarter of a pita for breakfast. I'm going to start the half portion plan today and see how that works out for me.0 -
My DH would have loved the Gettysburg tour. He loves history and is currently rereading Shelby Foote's books on the Civil War. He is also a big fan of anything related to WWII, particularly anything related to submarines.
The weight loss tips sound interesting. I usually don't think food served on a dark plate looks very appetizing, so maybe there's a psychological component to that particular tip. I do like the idea of portion control using smaller plates. I often ask for a to go box at the start of a restaurant meal and box up at least half of my meal before I even eat my first bite. I've noticed that I'm completely satisfied with only eating half of my meal, plus I have the other half to look forward to for another meal. The last time DH and I went to our favorite barbecue restaurant, he even followed my example and admitted that he was fully satisfied by eating only half. Maybe there's hope for him after all, lol!
I haven't made it back to the gym this week. I have no good excuse other than I just haven't felt like going. I have tried to work on making healthier choices and portion control and my weight has come down a little this week so I suppose it is working. I need to drink more water, too. That's always a struggle for me.
This afternoon I'm going to Happy Hour with my friends and I'm looking forward to it. It seems like it's been awhile since I've seen most of them. I had my pedicure with my friend yesterday and enjoyed that. She's usually quite the chatterbox but she had laryngitis so I got to talk for a change. She wanted to hear all about my niece's wedding and our trip, so I had a lot to tell her fortunately.0 -
Pam, my husband would have a lot in common with your's. He's always watching military history on TV; especially WWII. That's a good practice boxing up half the meal. we did that yesterday at a diner we ate oat on the way home. The portions were bigger than you could have eaten without feeling stuffed. We had the leftovers today. We spent the day doing errands like picking up our mail, going to the bank and the market. I need a manicure badly. The polished lifted all but 2 nails. I think the tacky stuff she put on to make the powder stick must have been no good. I never had that happen before. If I was still in FL, I would have gone in and asked her to fix it. Hopefully I have time to go Monday.0
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Jean, I hope your stress test went ok yesterday. Let us know how you're doing.0
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Jean, I hope all went well too.
Maryanne, did you catch the new cat? How is your food logging going? I fell off track writing foods down. For some reason, it's always been something I resist doing. As they say, I'm my own worst enemy. I gained about 8 pounds while we were away. Too much company and not enough exercise. I need to log to keep myself accountable. I'm alternating between real food with portion control and finishing up the remaining NS items I still have left.
Pam, how did happy hour go?0 -
Happy Hour was fun. Almost everyone was there so it was nice to catch up with what everyone has been doing lately. Lots of traveling has/will be going on in this group! It started out as just the women getting together, but over the past year easpecially, the husbands have started joining us and seem to enjoy it as much as the ladies do. We seem to be a very congenial group and even though all of our backgrounds are different, we find lots to talk and laugh about.0
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Hello, everyone! As often as I've been in the Gettysburg area, I've never been there. For some reason, I'm not often attracted to historical sites.
The stress test went well andd took 3 hours. They said I tolerated the Lexiscan chemical better than many of their patients. They said some said they woiuld rather do the treadmill as to deal with the Lexiscan side effects. Personally, I think the Lexiscan is the way to go. I have no idea how the test results will turn out.
Talking about portion control, I read one of those women's magazines while spending 30 minutes waiting for the dye to circulate in the system. One woman lost over 100 pounds by using the containers from what turned out to be the 21 day system. She could not do the exercise dvd that comes with the program so she just started walking.0
