Daily Check In: Are You On Track Today?

Paulawilldo

Once again the power of prayer is evident in so many ways! My day was so much better in terms of much less pain and not the severe fatigue of Saturday. Thank you for your prayers and support here as always.

Shari I hope you enjoyed the rest of your day. It's hard to top the pleasure of coffee and a good book!

DW so glad your church services were rewarding and fulfilling, to you as well as your congregation. I congratulate you on your involvement in this most holy day. I would share concerns about selling cars online. It seems though that the younger generation is much more comfortable with things like that whether rightly or wrongly, I don't know. Congrats on the pants fitting! Very motivating!

I had a very good day. I even cooked a little more than I have been lately, because I don't do well at the stove when I have such fatigue and pain. So I tried to make the most of my improved energy and decreased pain. My food choices were good too.

shariletts

Easter day went well for me. A pretty relaxing day and a lovely dinner with friends.

DW-Sorry to hear that your DD got upset. I hope she comes around quickly. I wonder if the very fact that you were honoring the Lord with your day is part of the reason for the incident with your daughter. I find that the evil one is always looking for ways to steal our joy when we are serving the Lord wholeheartedly. Great news about the pants fitting! That is cause for celebration. I will be thinking of you as you tackle your very busy week ahead. Let us know what you decide about running again.

Paulawilldo

I took it easy today again. Even though I felt pretty good, I didn't feel up to taking on any of my major to do items so I just did the easy ones. Two early morning (for me) phone calls woke me up so I got up earlier than my usual. I didn't feel well rested. My food choices were good again, and once again I wasn't too hungry. I had salmon again for supper which is very satisfying to me.

shariletts

Yay for easy days! You have been eating so well Paula. I wish that I had some of that success. I haven't been terrible, but I no weight is falling off yet.

I am off to work at the office today and I am considering taking a day off on Friday. I have too many vacation days and I don't want HR to send me a note telling when I have to take time off.

Just a short check in today.

Paulawilldo

Shari, I hope you are able to use your vacation days when you want to rather than being told when to do so. I hope you are able to make the most of the time since you have earned it. Definitely something to enjoy.

I did well today. I felt well rested eventually, as I started my day off slowly. I surprised myself with how much I accomplished today. Plus we had our 2 online church classes tonight. Once again my foods choices were good with no cravings or hunger pangs. I would like to weigh in again soon but struggle because standing unassisted on the scale is quite difficult for me, especially when I try to do so first thing int he morning. I am confident that one of these days I will be able to do so however. I do want to know what my weight is now.

shariletts

I stood on the scaled and it wasn't good for me! I also didn't have the confidence that you have. So, I will keep trying to add on small changes every day until I can literally tip the scales.

I was asked to give a tribute for my friend that passed away. I agreed to do it and I hope that I can really honour Ali and be an encouragement to those that are mourning. The funeral is on Sunday in Calgary. About three hours from here.

Paulawilldo

Shari, I am sure you will give a wonderful tribute for your friend. And what an honor to be asked. I will pray for your safe travels to and back from Calgary. Will your DH go with you or will someone else?

I felt ok today and managed to accomplish a relatively demanding to do list. John helped me a lot too, thank heavens. Tomorrow we are having friends here for dinner (take out, that one of the friends will pick up before coming here). We are expecting John's 3rd grade teacher, the woman who was the secretary at his elementary school, and the woman who supervised his daycare at the elementary school. We have been friends with them ever since John was in 3rd grade. They are really special ladies. I plan to order a grilled shrimp salad which I have had before and really enjoyed.

shariletts

I be travelling with DH on Sunday. And I am going to sit down and write up the tribute on Friday and then refine it on Saturday. I can practice it a few times on the way to Calgary on Sunday. I am nervous already!

Enjoy the visit with your friends tonight. I know you have mentioned them over the years and the relationship sounds so very special. A shrimp salad sounds great. A reminder to me to pick up some shrimp the next time we are at Costco. I like to have a bag of frozen ones on hand. DH doesn't care for them, but they a good meal for me when he isn't around.

DW2022

Hello! Shari, what a special honor to be asked to give a tribute for your friend! I will be praying that God will guide and support you as you honor your friend! Paula, I hope you had a nice visit with your friends!!
DD is back to talking to me and said that there might be someone at her job to buy the vehicle she wants to sell.
My meeting took a funny turn. After work that day, I was trying to think of a way to change the tone of the meeting...on the way there, I stopped at Walmart and quickly threw items for a "Sundae Bar" into the cart. Everyone was shocked at the surprise and were too busy eating to fight-LOL!! Then the contentious person announced that she wasn't going to run for the office she holds again. After the meeting, I told the nominating committee that I would run again. Hopefully there can be a more positive tone when the new board starts meeting in September.
Tomorrow after work I will be helping to set up for the Scentwork Trials that we are having at our club and then will be working at them on Saturday and Sunday. My youngest dog is entered in a couple events. That's the update from me-I'm not sure what the weekend will bring in terms of eating but many steps are guaranteed! Have a great weekend!! Shari, I will be thinking of you on Sunday!!

Paulawilldo

DW, What a wonderful idea to make sundaes your meeting. I applaud you for running for office again. I know you will contribute to setting a positive productive tone. It is in your nature to do so, I can tell. Woo hoo for getting a lot of steps in this coming weekend.

Shari, Do you have the day off on Friday? Using a vacation day? I hope so! A break will be good, especially in view of your travels on Sunday.

John and I had a fun-filled laugh-filled visit with our friends. They truly are special friends. It was also good to catch up with them since we haven't seen each other since November. My shrimp salad was delicious as expected, and I have some left over for Friday.

shariletts

I have been thinking about ideas for the tribute and will them to paper over today and tomorrow. I appreciate the prayers.

DW- I am so glad that you were able to make for a positive environment and that you can run for your position again. Most important that your DD has bought you back in to conversations. We will pray for wisdom as she decides about her vehicle.

Paula- Thankful for your good day yesterday. That is wonderful.

I have taken a vacation day and slept in. Much longer than I do on the weekends so I guess I was quite tired. I forgot to look after a couple of work items yesterday, but I can do them quickly from home. Then I will accomplish a few things around the house before DH and I head to the far side of the city to run some errands. The evening will close with dinner and then watching a friend's soccer game. Only downside of the day is that is snowing!!! I will need to look up how much we expect to get.

Paulawilldo

Shari, Woo hoo for sleep-in vacation days! So important to take care of yourself. Sounds like you had a great plan for your Friday. Snow in April! Yikes. We have had snow in April on some years, but it usually doesn't last long.

We had an earthquake this morning. It was of 4.8 magnitude with its epicenter about 40 miles from here. The local news says that usually for structural damage, etc, an earthquake is above 5 in magnitude. No damage here nor to anyone I spoke with. A friend of mine was driving when the quake occurred, and she didn't even feel it or know about it. We also had aftershocks tonight. John and I felt the morning quake but didn't feel tonight's aftershock. The quake was noisy like a rumbling sound too. I stayed very well on track today with food choices, enjoying yesterday's leftovers. I might have a busy day tomorrow as I am expecting Craig.

shariletts

The day went according to plan. Which is great. I was able to get a new reading lamp. I had forgotten that I got the lamp shade at IKEA, so it worked so well to simply pick up the base there. They have universal connections so it was a huge win. We had tacos for dinner and they were amazing.

Paula- We heard about the earthquake and very thankful it wasn't too big in magnitude! I have never felt one but I think it would be quite unsettling. Glad all is well!

Today I hope to clean a bit and then get my thoughts on paper for the tribute. I believe that I have enough to give appropriate honour from the perspective of Ali's friends. If it's one thing that I have learned over the years, is that circles of people each know us from a certain angle, and when all aspects come together, we get a better sense of the full person.

Still adding healthy habits to my daily regime, soon I will need to stop some unhealthy ones. I am waiting for the tipping point where I can see some results on the scale.

Paulawilldo

So good to get some new things like your lamp Shari. Today I got a new window shade for our main bathroom. Craig picked it up for me today at Lowe's. I think he will install it on Monday. Maybe overtime I will get a few more new window treatments for the house....much needed. I will be thinking of you and praying for you as you and DH travel tomorrow and as you pay tribute to Ali. I am certain you will give a meaningful and heartfelt tribute.

Good news at the scale for me. It was tough, but this morning I managed to balance on the scale long enough to get an accurate weight. I am down 2 pounds since my early March weigh in and down a total of 6.6 pounds since December 9. On average it's still just a little over a pound per month but is consistent, if nothing else. And a 2 pound loss this month is somewhat encouraging. I wanted to get an accurate weight in advance of my virtual doctor appointment on Monday.

shariletts

I didn't sleep well last night. Not 100% sure why, but I am sure that will be a different story tonight. I could use another day off, but I will wait until the end of the month to use up another day of vacation. It would be so nice to be able to go away on vacation!

Paula- great news at the scale!!!! I wish I could manage a pound per month. That is definitely some great progress for you.

Paulawilldo

Shari, I didn't sleep well last night too. Like you, I don't know why. This time it wasn't pain related. I didn't get enough sleep and was tired for most of the day. During the day my pain was high but not during the night. Ugh! I didn't do much of anything today. I was craving pizza so that was a good excuse to not cook and order a delivery pizza. I enjoyed it and am not worried about what it will do to my diet. I will be back on track on Monday. I will be looking forward to hearing how things went for you with your travels and tribute to Ali.

shariletts

I didn't sleep well again. Better though.

The trip down and back went well. It was nice to meet Ali's mom and her two sisters. The funeral was good. I read through what I wrote and I messed up a few times. I can't seem to stop beating myself up over it. I read it just fine when on my own. It didn't bother anyone else, just me. We can be our own worst enemies.

I had fries and a burger on the way home, unlike you Paula, I am sure to have messed up my calories and weight for the next few days. I will be back on track today and see if I can't find a better mental outlook too.

Paulawilldo

Shari, So happy for your safe travels and your tribute to Ali. I agree that we tend to be our worst critics. It is important to keep in mind that what you said meant a lot to those who knew and loved Ali. I am sure you did well.

My virtual appointment with my family doctor today went well. I learned that the hospital system that she belongs to has a program that provides free transportation to family practice appointments. My doctor is going to connect me with a hospital social worker to set this up as well as to look into physical therapy (in-home) options for me. I had a lot of questions for my doctor about medications and other things. I felt like I dominated the appointment, but she was patient with me and answered all of my questions. I am quite pleased. My food choices were ok today but could have been better. I need to put more effort into this so I can keep my downward trend.

shariletts

Paula- another service that is going to be so helpful for you. Transportation for doctor appts. That is awesome. I am glad you were able to ask all of your questions.

My food choices were pretty good, but I caved in at night and had some chips. They are my absolute weak point. I don't keep them in the house for that reason. But DH had a friend over to watch basketball and there was an open bag. That needs to be a one-off for sure! I need to start a downward trend.

Paulawilldo

I enjoy chips too, enjoy them too much at times. We have them for John, but I indulge more than I should as well. I had difficulty feeling satisfied today and ending up grazing off and on during the day, not a good practice for me if I want good results at the scale. When I "graze" I get lazy about tracking, also not good. So I must say today could have been a much better day. I accomplished only a few to do items but told myself some is better than none. It was a beautiful sunny day here with temps in the high 70s. That should have motivated me to do more but I allowed myself some extra rest instead.

shariletts

The chips are finished now so that's good. DH and I ate the last of them last night. I have tracked the last two days and I know I am eating too much fat. That will be why I am not losing weight. I can focus on more carbs and protein and that should really help. I did eat a kiwi before the chips!

Trying to manage my stress but I seem to be anxious lately. It's spring and the days are longer so that should help.

DW2022

Hello! Shari, I'm happy that you had safe travels and honored your friend. I'm sure that your words meant so much to her family and friends!
Paula, congrats on the weight loss! I'm happy that your video Dr. appointment was successful!
I was attacked by seasonal allergies during the weekend which led to a nonstop runny nose, sore throat, exhaustion from not sleeping well and then it went to my chest. I've tried different OTC meds and finally had some Nyquil last night and slept and then some Dayquil this morning. That has really helped! I tested for Covid Sunday and Tuesday and both were negative.
Yesterday was DDs birthday-38. We took her out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant that she picked. It was OK and I ate the half I brought home for breakfast this morning-LOL!!
I have another busy weekend coming up but one item on the calendar is an overdue hair appointment. My stylist had surgery and has been off -my hair is telling that story to everyone who looks at it-I am in need of a root touch up and trim!! I hope you both have a great rest of the week!!

Paulawilldo

DW, Leftovers, including Mexican, can be a great breakfast treat. I would do the same....and have done so! Allergy season is evident here too. But I tend to be in a permanent state of sniffle and post nasal drip year round!

Shari, I understand the anxiety stuff. I think I surprised one of our online church studies last week when I mentioned that I tend to be anxious. I guess I present a different appearance most of the time.

Today was an excellent day for me...ah, how I wish I could have more days like today. I stayed on track, logged all of my food (including chips that cost me 5 points), and accomplished some big tasks on my to do list. My pain level was mostly tolerable and I had no fatigue....a day without naps and not even a desire to nap. I slept well last night which I suspect helped me a lot. I have been taking some extra strength Tylenol at least once a day, and I have started using Voltaren gel on my knees (recommended by my doctor on Monday). Maybe, I am arriving at a good treatment plan. I also had my nails done this afternoon, and chose a color kind of out of my regular palette. I like the look and felt uplifted by having the nail appointment (here at home of course).

shariletts

I stayed up way too late night and decided to sleep in. I will have just a quick moment to say hi. Moe is bumping my laptop and hands signalling that he is ready for breakfast lol. He didn't like having to wait for his morning meal.

Paulawilldo

Shari, Hope you had a good day after getting a little extra rest. I had a good day today but not quite as good as yesterday. That is positive. I stayed on plan and tracked my meals and snacks. I discovered Breyers carb smart fudge bars, only 50 calories per bar and only 2 WW points. I was concerned that I might react to them because of my lactose intolerance. The first ingredient is skim milk, but when I tried one I didn't have a reaction. So I think I have a new healthy treat. I bought them on sale for 1.99 per box of 6 which is a really good price. But now they are up to 4.59 for a box of 6....too expensive for me to buy regularly. I will keep watch for when they go on sale again. They taste really good too.

shariletts

It was nice to work from home yesterday. I had a lot of online meetings and the day went by quickly. We have our annual sr high retreat out at a camp. I will be going as I have a group of gr 12 girls that I lead and a number of them will be going. I won't get much sleep, but it will be fun.

Moe isn't doing well. In the last few days he has grown a new tumour. This one is on his neck. We have noticed that he has slowed down significantly. It might be time to put him to sleep. We can't tell if he is pain, but I guess it's not easy to do with dogs. Jim will keep an eye on him and will need to take him to the vet in the next few days to see what they advise. I cried some, but I am still in denial that we will have to make a decision. It breaks my heart to lose him, but I also hate to let him suffer.

Paulawilldo

Oh Shari, so difficult when our fur babies reach the point where we question the quality of life for them. I pray you get some direction and answers from your vet. John and I will pray for Moe and for you and DH in case you are faced with a difficult decision.

I had a rather time consuming project to do for our inter church group. I have been avoiding it for about a week or more, not feeling up to tackling it. Today I got it all complete and plan to mail it out tomorrow. Once I got started it went pretty smoothly. I so glad that task is off my plate (until next year). I did ok with food today. I was a little hungrier than usual so I ate when I was hungry without waiting til John was ready to eat. That paid off in helping me stay on track.

Here's to a good weekend for all of us!

Paulawilldo

It was a healthy low WW point day for me today. I made a big pot of veggie chili that will last us for quite a few days. I am so pleased as I have been wanting to make this for quite a while but lacked the determination or energy to do so till today. I also had a small grocery order delivered so we are stocked up with some basics that seem to run out quickly at times. We had a morning church service (a special Lenten service) and our regular Saturday evening vespers service. So it was kind of a full day too. I am looking forward to getting to bed a little earlier than my usual.

shariletts

I am back home after our weekend retreat. It went really well.

But- on Friday we made the decision to put Moe to sleep. He didn't get up with me in the morning, and he didn't get up with Jim when he got up. Once he did get up, he went to his bed on our main floor. I think he was in pain and very lethargic. We were able to rally him to do things, but we could tell he just wanted to please us. Jim took him to the vet (who agreed it was time) since I had to work and he was with Moe to his last heartbeat. I feel deep loss, but at the same time I am so thankful that Moe doesn't have to suffer another single day. He had no way to communicate his pain and it broke my heart to try and guess. I feel great relief and I am carrying the best memories. He was such a good dog.

Paulawilldo

So very sorry Shari. Moe will always be in your heart for sure. Our pets are so much more than pets. They are family and so full of love and devotion. Hugs to you and your DH for making such a difficult decision.


I had a good day today for both accomplishments and food choices. We still have plenty of veggie chili to go around. (I did make a BIG pot of it.) A friend of mine stopped by and brought me some food that he shopped for. He is a great sales shopper and found items he knew we would like. I am very appreciative of his efforts and help. He brought some queso which we added to our veggie chili today....keeps it from getting boring!