Daily Check In: Are You On Track Today?
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Hey Everyone! Covid takes a long time to clear out. I am still stuffy, but I am pretty close to being past it. I am not losing any weight, just stuck. I will press on and hope that my body will decide to cooperate. I am thinking about not eating any "white foods" for a month and see if that will help. Lent will be over soon and I can add back coffee and tea. I am excited for that- in moderation.0
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Shari, I hope you, DH, and your friend are feeling much better by now. Two friends of ours who live in England have contracted Covid for the first time. They thought by now they were safe from it, but not so. They are vaccinated but are feeling pretty bad. One of the two lost taste and smell.
Diane, you are amazing being able to log all those miles at the Scentwork Trial! How is the 17DD plan going for you?
Seems like I haven't posted in a long time. I am still working thru my latest really severe flare. I see some improvement but have slowed down considerably in what I can do. For several days I didn't even consider having a "to do" list. I am going to give it a try today. Doing just a few items will please me. I haven't had much energy to cook, which is sometimes good and sometimes bad. I am planning on cooking shrimp today and to be more committed to losing weight than I have been over the past few days.1 -
Hi Everybody!! Shari, I hope you are feeling better! I’m just starting to get some sense of smell back and my Covid was in mid January. Paula, I hope you are feeling better, too!!
The 17DD is going pretty well, just got through the worst of the sugar withdrawal. My weight has been down a little each day but still not “ new pounds”. Tomorrow night we have to go to Columbus for an art opening. It is a 2 hour drive one way and I’m not looking forward to it. The show should be good but the drive is long and the return trip will be late. Easter Blessings to you both!0 -
Paula, so sorry to hear about your latest flare. It is okay to slow down and take time to recover. I was forced to do that with Covid. It is behind me now and that is wonderful. Today I will sabbath after. having a very busy day yesterday. I am really looking forward to it.
DW- I can't believe you have been without smell for this long. That is awful! Safe travels on your art trip.
We have hardly had a taste of spring and today it is snowing. I have been so excited to put my plants in the greenhouse, but every day when I check the weather forecast there is a projection for below freezing temperatures and the sun is hardly out. I think I have to wait another 3-4 days before I can take them out. Hopefully I can soon.
We are not celebrating Easter this year. DH is still coughing so our children prefer to stay away. That is fair, so hopefully we can enjoy a meal together next weekend.
Happy Easter!
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Sending wishes for a blessed feast of the Resurrection to all who celebrate today. Today in my church we are celebrating Palm Sunday and then will have Pascha (Resurrection) next Sunday. John and I have been immersed in online services all through Lent. As our Holy Week is now here we will have even more services. I am so very grateful for the live streamed services. I realize that it is not nearly the same as being there in person, and I miss in-person church so very much, but I also realize that with my current physical condition, in-person church is not an option for me.
Shari, I think it is wise for your children to not risk anything by coming to see you while DH is still coughing. Plus, I think it remains important for you to rest as much as you can even though you are so much improved. It is unseasonably chilly here but so far no snow. We might see a warm up later this week.
DW, Congrats on your success with the 17DD. Going to an art show opening sounds delightful. Hope you enjoy it!
I haven't been following any diet plan lately given my flare and the increase in fatigue that comes with it. I have decided to just try to eat wisely without any plan for the next 2 weeks. I know I will have challenges as I will prepare our typical Pascha foods as best I can (ham,kielbasa, etc.). I have purchased Pascha bread from my old church. John so loves these Easter foods. I will get back on track after our "Bright Week," the week immediately following Pascha. Despite my pain and fatigue, my appetite remains strong. (Ugh!)0 -
Hello! Shari, I can sympathize on the weather! We have two flowering plant wrapped in sheets due to the weather and today we’ve had snow that is sticking. Initially the deck and grass were covered but I see that it has melted from the grass but not the deck. When we went to the art show, the Columbus area appears to be about 2 weeks further into spring growth than we are. We also saw 2 eagles and a nest along the river there. Paula, I hope you will be feeling better soon ! Your holiday foods sound amazing!!
I went to Easter service by myself and found it very joy-filled!! Then we had our daughter and her husband over for a mid afternoon meal- the usual ham dinner. My daughter had requested my deceased mother-in-law’s pasta salad and declared that mine tasted just like it! That dish was a holiday staple throughout my daughter’s childhood(I sent all the leftover pasta home with her!)
Now I’m trying to tackle some spring cleaning projects and am not making much progress….Have a wonderful week!0 -
We have more snow today. Ours is sticking around too. I bought a sweatshirt yesterday. One a friend thought would suit me. It is black and simply says freaking cold. I am always cold. I didn't think I would wear it until next winter, but it looks like today is a good day to wear it. I don't think it is work appropriate, but I won't see very many people today.
I started the 17 Day Diet yesterday. It went pretty well. I met a friend for dinner so that meal was off course but I did my best. I ordered a tuna ahi roll. It wasn't made with rice, something more like rice paper. I have a salad made to take to work with yogurt and fruit. Today should be a compliant day, but you never know! I bought some green tea yesterday so I can be drinking that all day. With any luck I will be down in weight tomorrow. Any amount would be encouraging to keep going on this diet.0 -
DW, What a compliment from you daughter about your pasta salad! That is indeed high praise. Good for you for sending the leftovers home with her. Pasta salad is something that I love and definitely have portion control issues with it.
Shari, Congrats on starting back on the 17DD! I am contemplating returning to it after our Paschal celebrations are over, but I am not quite sure yet.
Spring is eluding us here in eastern PA too. Some areas not far from us had snow this week. We were spared the snow but had a lot of rain (it was another Nor'easter storm) and very high winds again. We might see a bit of a warm-up over the weekend. I sure hope so. Craig has been repainting our patio furniture as his time permits. It now looks brand new again and is 27 years old. I bought it on sale at K Mart in 1994 and never dreamed it would be this enduring. It was such a bargain then, and I still love it. This is only the 2nd or 3rd time it has been repainted in 27 years. I am looking forward to enjoying the patio with John and Buster as soon as the weather warms up a bit more.
My RA flare seems to be subsiding a bit. The joint pain is slightly decreased, and the fatigue is lessening as well. Yesterday I was even able to do a few "to do" list items yesterday. This is the first time in quite a few days.
My big news is today I am getting my Covid booster shot. I love the pharmacists at my Giant store where I get all my meds. I had to call them about refills and asked about a booster. The sweet young pharmacist there told me she would even come out to the car to give me the shot so I wouldn't have to walk from the parking lot to the store (a rather long walk for me even with the handicapped parking spots). I am sooooo grateful for this. I will plan to take it easy for the rest of today and tomorrow just in case I have any reaction to the shot. I suspect I will be ok.
So glad were are still here for each other friends! Diane, thinking of you and hoping you are doing ok.
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Love that your patio furniture can be spruced and enjoyed Paula. I am on the hunt for patio furniture, it seems so expensive but I guess we will have to see what we can get. I hope to be on the deck a lot this summer. Let's hope your RA flare is subsiding and will leave you some a good stretch of relief.
So good you can get a booster shot too Paula. I wish I had been able to get one, maybe I wouldn't have got Covid. I will wait a few months and then hope that I can qualify for one. How super kind you can have the pharmacist come out to the car to give it to you. I don't think we could get that kind of service.
I head into the office today on very snowy roads. We got a lot of snow overnight and it feels like the middle of January. We expect things will warm up this weekend which would be nice.0 -
Shari, I hope you were safe driving on those snowy roads. I suspect you are a good driver under such conditions given where you live! I am an ok driver under those conditions, but I really dislike doing so. As a result I avoid it at all costs. When I worked I had no choice but to drive in whatever conditions were out there, so now I count my blessings being able to stay home so much.
All things considered, I am doing ok after my booster shot. I have been in so much pain lately that any pain I feel I attribute to the RA flare and not to the booster shot. I was exceptionally tired yesterday after I got home, so perhaps that was shot related. I stopped on the way home and got Arby's fish sandwiches for supper...not much of a diet food but very tasty and at a good price (2 for $6). I was happy for that and was so happy to not have to cook yesterday.
I am off to a healthy start today with an egg white omelet for brunch. I am still doing fine with IF which I think does help. I am trying to make some wise choices each day as we head towards Pascha. I must admit I am looking forward to the kielbasa and Easter bread, along with the ham and a few other traditional Paschal foods.0 -
Hi Everybody ! Paula, that is awesome that you got your booster! I love that your patio furniture has stood the test of time! I don’t think you can find that quality anymore. Shari, I hope that your weather will become spring-like soon!! Ours was better today and is supposed to improve through the weekend. I also hope the 17dd is going well for you!!
I’ve also been thinking of patio furniture because I need to replace the covers on my lounge chair cushions but can’t find the correct dimensions-it shouldn’t be so challenging 😂 My eating has been up and down since Easter and today I received the information for my 50th class reunion. I am still undecided about attending - one would think that it would be the perfect motivation to lose some weight…..Have a great evening!!0 -
DH's sister now has Covid. She spent a meal with her parents so they may end up getting it. They are 88 & 90 and I don't think they will fare very well if they get it. That is the reason I was so careful and then didn't see my parents. This variant spreads far to easily. I don't know very many people that haven't had it now.
We have milder weather at last. I will be able to take my plants to the greenhouse today or tomorrow. They won't freeze now. I am super excited! Some will stay in the green house and others will be planted outdoors at the end of May. I am going to see if the tomatoes do better inside or outside. My guess is the ones in the greenhouse will do better.
The diet plan is going pretty well. I have started to lose some weight and that is very motivating. I haven't been 100% compliant, but pretty close. I eat a bite of something here and there that isn't on the list. I do have to eat a friend's house tonight. I don't know what is being served. I hope it won't be too far off. If it is, I will have to rely on portion control. I also have a meal out on Monday night. We are meeting our old neighbours for Italian. Those are the only 2 events that I foresee in the next while that will derail me.0 -
Good Morning!! Paula, Happy Easter! Enjoy your celebration!! Shari, Prayers for your In Laws!! I’m happy to hear that the eating plan is going well!! I picked up a couple of pounds over Easter and am still working on getting those off. Next weekend is another dog show weekend. We leave Friday and return Sunday. This time we are headed to W. VA. Not too far away! Those weekends are always a challenge food-wise! Have a wonderful Sunday!!0
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Shari, So sorry about your SIL having Covid. I certainly hope and pray that your in-laws escape it. You are so right about being exceptionally careful, especially when it comes to the risk for older folks. Please keep us posted on how they are doing. Exciting to get your greenhouse going! Home grown tomatoes are the best! Congrats on your success with the diet plan. Motivating for sure!! Oh an Italian dinner sounds sooo good to me right now. Hope you enjoyed the evening with your old neighbors.
DW, thanks for the Easter wishes. Good luck with your upcoming dog show. Your involvement in these absolutely fascinates me. Do you stay in hotels that allow dogs when you travel to these shows? I am so curious about how you do all this.
It was a very tiring weekend for me but joyous at the same time. We had a lot of online services that John and I love very much. Our resurrection service started at 11:30 pm on Saturday night and finished after 2:30 AM. After that we break our Lenten fast so the custom is eat from our Paschal basket. John and I enjoyed some ham, kielbasa, Pascha bread, the egg/milk cheese that I made, and a few more goodies. I think we got to bed around 4 am and then had a morning service at 11 am. For the rest of Sunday I was exhausted but joyous. I rested all day and needed it very much. I wasn't able to join some friends who invited us to their home later in the day, and a friend of mine who considered dropping by here opted out because of being tired too. Today I am feeling somewhat back to normal. We had church at 9 am (of course all of the services we attend online). The week after Pascha is called "Bright Week." It is a very joyful time. I am going to post a meme that has been making the rounds in our Orthodox circles. It is funny because we really do eat our Paschal food just about all week....we make so much....we have abstained from these foods for the 40 days of Great Lent and Holy Week too (the week before Pascha). So here is our Bright Week diet....I laughed out loud the first time I saw this meme.
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Hi Everybody! Paula, we do stay in hotels that accept dogs. In many cases, including this weekend, the hosting club has reserved a block of rooms at a local hotel at a lower rate for people with our breed of dog coming to the shows. We travel with the dogs in crates for safety and take the crates into the hotel room for them to sleep in. The hosting club has planned a pizza party Friday night, a luncheon on Saturday, and snacks and a raffle on Saturday evening. The shows for our breed will be Saturday morning, Saturday evening and Sunday around noon. It should be fun! I plan to jump right back into the 17DD on Monday!!
Shari, I hope you are doing well !!
Have a good Friday!0 -
Hey Everyone! I have been so out my routine this past week and it's time to get back to it. I put my weight back on, but I know the 17 day diet works, you just have to stick to it. So I am restarting because one meal out turned into four this week. Yikes! I have just enough time to do four cycles of the 17 DD before I accept my current weight and throw out all of clothes that I cannot fit into. I don't think I will give up on weight loss altogether, but I am going to make sure that I don't put on any more!
I started going for a walk in the morning again. I gave that up when we moved to the farm. Not really anywhere to walk. But I decided to just head out into the field and go to the edge of the property and back. I don't want to walk along the highway in the morning as the traffic is quite heavy- even along our little service road. Moe joins me. It is nice to have him off-leash and I don't have to pickup dog poop.
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DW, Your dog show weekends sound so wonderful! I applaud hotels that are pet-friendly. Looking forward to hearing how things go for you this weekend. I got a car seat for Buster and used it for the 1st time yesterday when I went to get my hair cut. Buster seems to have separation anxiety. When home alone he tends to leave a "present" somewhere in the house, not a mess but a little poop turd or turds somewhere. He never does this when we are home with him. When we go out we still adhere to his potty schedule but that doesn't seem to matter. I understand that with his shelter background etc. this is not surprising. We are home so much that it doesn't seem to be a big deal but a concern anyway. Since John was getting his hair cut too we took Buster with us. I stayed in the van with Buster while John got his hair cut, and then John was with him when I went in. Buster did well in his new car seat and doesn't mind riding in the van.
Shari, I am also getting back into a much healthier routine now that our Bright Week is over. Nice that you are walking in the morning. It is a healthy way to work on fitness and fun for Moe I am sure!
My RA flare has subsided slightly. I will take any improvement I can get! I have healthy meals planned for us for the coming week. I am not craving snacks which is a plus. Hope that lasts.
Here's to a good week for all of us.0 -
Paula- I have some friends that experience the same thing. They always seem to come home to a present. They often bring their dog with them and he doesn't seem to do the same thing if left in the car.
It is still quite wet in the field where I walk. Today I wore rubber boots and it was a very good decision. I am taking some time to relax before I head to my home office to work. I have a cup of green tea to sip on. I am glad I read your post Paula- I need to pull some type of protein out of the freezer so we have something to eat for supper!
The sun is out at last! That helps my mood for the better.0 -
Shari, Thanks for telling me about your friends dog. It always helps to know that others have addressed a similar problem. Hope you are enjoying your green tea. For some reason I find green tea so comforting.
Spring still hasn't really arrived here in eastern PA. It is slightly warmer today but not what I think it should be for early May. We have still had a few frost warnings. Our local meteorologists keep reminding us that it is not recommended to plant outdoor sensitive plants in our area until after Mother's Day. I wonder if it will even be warm enough then, but I guess they know what they are talking about. As often happens here it seems like we will go right from winter to summer without much of a noticeable spring.
My flare continues to subside (yay). It definitely impacts my ability to stay on track. When I have energy and strength (and less pain) to cook healthy meals I can do well. I am praying that the flare continues to subside. I am focusing on being well rested which also makes a huge difference in my energy, strength, and eating habits. Still no snack cravings too!
Hope it is a happy Monday for all!
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Hi Everybody! We're back from the show. No points for our girl this weekend but we had a nice time! I weighed in this morning and am back on plan. With a dr checkup on 5/10, I'd like to knock off a couple of lbs before that! Paula, I'm glad you are feeling better! It sounds like Buster is quite attached to you and John!! Shari, the walks sound like a great idea! I need to get myself out on the trail near our home. Right now I have one dog who is too old (he thinks) to walk with me and our girl is in season so I'm not walking her until it's over...but I can go by myself! Of course good weather would make it easier! Have a great week!!0
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I have not been on track the last few days. Life gets busy and I get distracted and make poor choices. I hope that I can stay focused today. I have to work at the office and for some reason I forget to drink water when I am there. I have a water bottle right at my desk. Maybe today I will remember to drink more!0
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DW, I hope your weather soon lends itself to enjoying the outdoors and walking. I was on a Zoom last evening with some folks in Ohio (a book study with the church I "attend" virtually). There was bad weather all around them last evening....thunder storms and various watches from what I gathered. Here today it is still way too chilly for this time of year in our area, and it is dark and gloomy too.
Shari, I understand getting distracted and making poor choices! It happens to me and really, my life isn't even that busy. It is such a struggle at times.
I did ok but not great yesterday. I am thawing a beautiful piece of salmon for supper to which I will add a substantial salad and broccoli. I am trying to avoid a lot of starchy carbs again. My motivation is high today but is being challenged by the boxes of cookies sent once again to John by his Godmother. Like I need another temptation!0 -
Happy Mother's Day!
Hope everyone enjoys this special day. We are having a veggie and beef stir fry for supper today. It is loaded with beautiful colorful veggies! I made it yesterday with plenty remaining for today. I opted for this instead of getting a delivery from our favorite Italian restaurant because I wanted to stay as close to a healthy eating plan as possible. The take outs tempt me too much! I have had 2 strongly compliant days in a row and am hoping to extend this streak today!0 -
Happy Mother's Day !! I hope you are all doing well! I went to an art opening with my husband today and couldn't stay out of the goodies but didn't do too badly considering....other than that, I've been doing pretty well! Our weather today was finally beautiful and we have a nice week coming up! I've had a sick dog all week. He came down with something starting Tuesday and he wasn't even the one at the show -just the hotel. He ran a fever initially, got antibiotics which took care of that, then he got a runny nose and that won't stop...occasional coughing but mostly the nose. So far the younger girl doesn't have it-knock on wood! If this is something that needs to run it's course, it needs to run a little faster!
Paula, it sounds like you are doing well and your meals sound delicious!! Shari, I hope you are doing well! It is so hard to drink enough water while working-especially since "what goes in must come out" and that's not always convenient!
Here's hoping for a great week for us all!0 -
I am back to work after three days off. I decided to take a mental health day on Friday- which didn't pan out like I wanted as my MIL popped over to drop off flowers. I know that sounds like a nice thing, but our last interaction was quite hurtful to me so I didn't want anything from her. DH let me know she was coming and I was triggered into a bit of a panic attack. I actually hid out in my greenhouse so I didn't have to see her. I will need to see my counsellor again. I don't want another summer like last year.
I have three meals out this week which will be wonderful for the visit with the people we are meeting, but not so good for my diet plan. I am going to try and only eat that one meal on the restaurant days and just fill in with water and small healthy snacks. Not sure how we managed to book that many get togethers in such a short time span.
We are still experiencing not very nice weather. I hope we see a turn for the better soon.0 -
DW, Hope your dog is feeling better. I never heard of a dog with a runny nose! Could it be allergies? Pollen here is very high, and my allergies and John's are really bad these days. Please let us know how your sick guy is doing!
Shari, I congratulate you for taking a mental health day. Drat that your MIL had to put a damper on it. At least Jim ran interference for you. How are your meals out going for you this week? Sounds like a busy week for you.
I have had a few good days again with healthy eating. My energy level is so much better than when I was in that bad flare. So I am cooking more healthy meals and feeling very satisfied. I have decided to have Craig install a new floor in the kitchen. It is something that is way over due. I have been delaying this in the hope that eventually I would be able to have a total kitchen remodel. I realize that financially that is not realistic, so I will get a new floor and celebrate that. I am looking at samples of laminate flooring and having a tough time finding something that doesn't clash with all of the oak in the kitchen. The very old cupboards are oak and the walls are solid oak (not just fake oak paneling). It is a very oaky and large kitchen (about 15' x 17'). Here is a photo of a wall.
Most of the laminates I have seen so far just don't work. I want something much lighter than the walls. My appliances are black which look good with the oak walls, but selecting complimentary flooring is proving quite challenging for me. I am expecting some suggestions today from a flooring consultant at a big flooring store. Fingers crossed!0 -
Hey Paula- we love natural wood and you have some very nice looking oak! I hope the consultant will have a few choices for you to pick from.
I am not doing well with any kind of eating plan or control. Yesterday was the last day of eating out for a bit, so I am hopeful I can curb what has been going on for far too many days. I have lowered my weight loss goals and expectations but I won't give up. My effort has helped me not gain weight, but I am definitely not losing any.0 -
Thanks Shari. I, too, am a fan of this natural wood. I selected vinyl flooring that looks like a good match and was one of two recommendations from the consultant. The flooring is on sale so that is a bonus, but not the reason I chose it. It is, by far, the best option I have seen after looking at hundreds of possibilities. Craig is hoping to start working on the flooring on Monday if all goes as planned, but with Craig, one never can be sure! The new floor is so desperately needed, it can't happen soon enough in my opinion!
I have had some good days and some not-so-good days recently in terms of food choices. I haven't weighed in quite a while and am now on scale avoidance....not good. I don't feel like I have gained but until I face the scale I cannot be sure. I am focused again on healthy choices but need to be stricter with myself in terms of consistency.
Hope this is a good weekend for all of us!0 -
We started putting in some vinyl flooring in our sunroom. It is by far the most difficult to install out of all the flooring we have put in the house. We got half way through and it is looking quite good. I hope your flooring gets done very soon Paula.
I am not sure I will ever lose weight. I can't seem to get all of the components working at the same time. Right now I have stress and I think that is a huge hinderance. That right after a whole week of poor eating choices and eating out. And I have failed to keep up with my exercises. I am not sure what it will take to get all of the moving parts working together to see results.0 -
Hi Everybody!! I’m still here! Paula, I also love your oak! I hope you will share a photo of your flooring! Shari, I’m feeling the same way about my weight loss ( or lack of) journey. I had a 6 month Dr checkup and was up 2 lbs from 6 months ago. Over the weekend I worked at a dog event and was on my feet in the sun for 2 days. I racked up so many steps on my Fitbit but the scale didn’t budge. When I got home Sunday evening, I could hardly walk from the car to the house but am feeling better today! Here’s to a great week for all of us!! Ps. My dog is on his 2nd antibiotic. His nose is still a little runny but improved.0
