Daily Check In: Are You On Track Today?

shariletts

There are times or situations that we can give ourselves permission to reward ourselves with food. At least I find myself doing this. I can tell when it's happening because that is the same time that I don't track what I eat. I don't want to know, or it's something too hard to track and that would take away from the reward I feel like I deserve. When that happens, we just have to right ourselves and get back to our routines. So onward we go!

We are having some really warm temps this week and I will take advantage of being outside as much as possible today. Woo hoo!

Paulawilldo

Shari, you described yesterday's situation for me quite well....I sure didn't want to know so I avoided tracking. Fortunately I did get right back on track today. It was another beautiful day here...except that we are still in a very bad drought. We haven't had a substantial rainfall since September 28 and no rain at all in October or so far this November. We expect rain on Sunday. Local authorities are warning us that our roads with Sunday's rain could be like driving on ice due to the build up of oil and debris since we have gone so long without rain.

Enjoy your warm temps Shari. Winter will be on all of our doorsteps soon enough.

shariletts

I had a good day yesterday. We had our Bible study and that went very well. A great group of people to meet with. We gather for dinner and I was worried that we would be having pizza, but we had a very good meal with chicken and vegetables. I was quite pleased!

I got my flu and covid vaccines yesterday. I am anticipating a slower day this afternoon and will take it easy if I feel any side effects from the shots. DH did, so I most likely will feel something too. My arms were a bit sore to sleep on, so I didn't get the best rest. I can nap if I need to.

Paulawilldo

Great that your Bible study meal was so healthy Shari, especially when you are faced with pizza so often through your youth work. You are brave getting two vaccines at once but good timing so that you can take it easy over the weekend (I hope) and enjoy a nap if so desired.

It was a good easy day here. My to do list was a bit neglected, but I managed to take care of a few important items (including a call to the Prez who was kind of grumpy as usual). I made another taco skillet meal at John's request and my delight. It is very low in points and very satisfying. I made enough for one or two more days. I like the idea of just reheating on some days so Sunday and Monday meals will be easy.

shariletts

I survived the vaccines. My covid arm was quite sore last night, but it's much better today. I went to bed early, I was so tired, but so far this morning, I feel quite fine. So that's good. Thankful for the protection from the flu and covid.

I love tacos! They are a go to meal when I need to eat out and I love them at home too. They seem to be quite forgiving of calories and taste so good too. Such a win.

No plans for the day, should be quite restful.

Paulawilldo

Good news that you didn't have a bad reaction to your vaccines Shari. And yes, it is good to be protected. Also a good idea to enjoy a restful Sunday.

It was a fairly typical and restful Sunday for me. I enjoyed our online service in the morning. The day seemed to breeze by quickly again. Not having to cook since we had leftover taco skillet was a bonus for today. There remains enough for John for tomorrow. I will have something else so that he can enjoy all that is left. I have a big to do list for Monday but am fairly confident I can get it done. My cousin is coming to visit on Tuesday with her DH (I think). So I want to clean and prep for their visit.

shariletts

It was a very restful Sunday for me. I didn't end up cooking dinner as we had leftovers too. I will roast a chicken for tonight's meal.

We have Remembrance Day today, so another day off. I will be able to get the things done that I usually do on Saturday done today since our Saturday was spent on the trip to Calgary for the funeral. I am so thankful for another day off work. I will head to the gym at some point today. I am seeing that it helps so much so it is very motivating to go.

Paulawilldo

Shari, I am pleased to learn that you are seeing results from your gym time. I celebrate your success!

I had a wonderful day today in many ways. I managed to accomplish everything on my to do list and even some extras! I also found time to complete my reading for Tuesday evening's book study class. My food choices were good too. I keep trying to find ways to stay on track and feel satisfied at the same time. Lately, in addition to having afternoon fruit (zero points) I am having soup that is low in points before supper. This seems to be helping to keep me from getting overly hungry when supper rolls around. I am looking forward to the visit from my cousin tomorrow. I have a birthday gift ready for her to give to her 5 year old grandson. This will save me from having to mail it or to hold on to the gifts for too long after his birthday.

shariletts

I struggled emotionally yesterday about work. I have now silenced the Team messages that come through my phone, just for over the weekend. It would have saved me some grief and being upset with my co-workers. One asked to move a staff team meeting to today, which is the worst day this week for me to give up time. I am behind from curling on Wednesday, having Thursday and Monday off. I wanted to work from home and try and get caught up. Now I have to go in to the office where they will be a distraction and give up time for the staff meeting. All because the team member is picking her sister up from the airport on Thursday and then not wanting to come back to work for the rest of the day which is when our team meetings happen. I explained why it didn't work for me and it's like they didn't hear me at all. They offered to come to a coffee shop closer to where I live, twice they offered. I said it wasn't about having to drive in, it was about having uninterrupted time and being able to focus better at home. I am not happy with them at all. I am sure they will sense it. I also offered to have the meeting on Wednesday- but that doesn't work for them because they are too busy. So there busy day is more important that mine. Their schedule included hang out time and ping pong club. That's my rant for the day. Thanks for letting me get it all out.

Paulawilldo

Shari, I am sorry to say I am not surprised when things like this happen. People can be so focused on their own needs without looking beyond themselves to see how their choices impact others who also have needs (and rights). Your co-workers sound insensitive not getting it that you need the time to meet the demands you face. Just curious, are they envious because you can work from home? Just a thought.

I had a very full and tiring day. John and Craig delivered a van full of food to a local rescue mission serving homeless men. The food was collected through our inter-church group. I used to drive the food there, but now pay Craig to do so to make it a little easier on myself. I had to prepare the paperwork for the delivery in advance, and all went well for them. My cousin and her husband visited this afternoon and stayed much longer than I expected. She was in our area for a medical appointment. Their visit was great, but it sort of tired me out. Tonight we had our 2 online classes the 1st begins at 6:30. We leave that class before it it over to get to our 2nd class which starts at 7:30 and tonight ran till after 9 pm. The classes used to be on 2 separate nights but now both are on Tuesday. We love both classes and don't want to give either one up. I am tired now but fortunately will be able to get some rest, and tomorrow will be a relatively low demand for me.

shariletts

Thanks for understanding Paula. I spent the day close to tears. I did end up calling a previous boss, my favourite boss that I ever had. He knows me very well so I unpacked my story with him and gave me good advice. We worked out a couple of things that are going on with me and how to make things better. My team isn't jealous that I work from home. From my perspective they have very fluid schedules and don't work from the office that much. That is a big reason that working from home is such a good option for me. I prefer being at home than working alone in our office area at the church. Here is to a fresh day.

You had a very full day yesterday Paula. I bet you slept well. I am thankful that I did! I was in bed at 10am and slept very well. Enjoy a low demand day. Keep recovering. I will too.

Paulawilldo

Shari, your former boss sounds like a very special and understanding person. What a good idea to call him! I hope your day today went well.

I did sleep well last night. I am pleased with how well I logged all my food today and made decisions based on point value. I think I am back in a healthy eating pattern again with some consistency. The one big item I had to take care of today went well and quickly. I am a little disappointed that I didn't do more today, but I really did want an easy day and got one. As usual lately, the day went by very quickly.

shariletts

I had a better day, but a few more things that were hard to deal with emotionally came up. Thankful I was stronger and wasn't so emotional. I will work from home today and I am so grateful for a day on my own. DH will be around, but he is respectful of my work hours and rarely interrupts me.

Glad you had an easier day Paula! I agree that the days can go by so quickly.

I am looking forward to being able to be at home for my meals. I love not having to pack a lunch. I will also have a workout at the gym and I am so excited for that. I am still getting stronger and I have noticed that my balance is better with the stronger leg muscles. A non-scale victory.

DW2022

Hello! I'm back! I had an amazing long weekend with my sister. She arrived Friday right after my work day and left around noon on Monday. We went to Michigan shopping on Saturday, spent the night and then shopped all day Sunday. Since then it has been work and dog classes. I'm hoping to recover this weekend but am the liturgist at church on Sunday and then we are having Christmas photos taken with the dogs in the afternoon.
It sounds like you have both been busy and doing well! I'm falling asleep so will close. Happy Friday!

Paulawilldo

DW, Happy to see your post and learn of the nice time you had with your sister. Did you get some good Christmas shopping done? I have gotten just a few little things for the kids in our family but have much more to do of course. Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away already.

Shari, definitely an NSV with your balance and stronger legs! How wonderful that you can notice that difference already! Some days it is easier to handle the emotional stuff than on other days. I give you credit for recognizing your strength.

I enjoyed my day today and my food choices. I made a delicious stir fry for dinner with taking mostly veggies for myself while serving most of the meat to John. It was a very pleasant day for me because I didn't have a lot on my to do list. Tomorrow I have things to do but nothing with a high priority so I anticipate another good day.

shariletts

Good to have you check in DW. I need to follow your lead and get some Christmas shopping looked after. Christmas is sneaking up on me.

Last night I went to the gym and lifted some weights and then I walked on the treadmill. I haven't been getting my steps in at all this week, so it felt good to reach my target.

My dad wants to take me out for lunch today, but he wasn't 100% sure. I would love the time with him and my mom, but I don't want to eat out. There is buffet that is near where I work that he likes and that is where he would like to go. It's a bit silly because he doesn't eat much at all. I would prefer eating somewhere healthier, so we shall see what ends up happening. Maybe my mom will suggest eating somewhere else. She is getting shots in her knee or knees, so it depends on how she is feeling after the appt.

Paulawilldo

How sweet that your dad wanted to take you to lunch Shari. I think the buffet preference is common with some older folks, regardless of how much they will eat. I have never been a fan of buffets. In fact, I don't like them, but I see a trend of that preference with the older age groups (including the group I am in, LOL).

This was an amazingly wonderful day for me. For the first time since the Ukraine/Russian war began we heard from our friends (whom we consider family) in Russia. We had a video phone call. They live very near the border with Ukraine, but so far are safe and well. I don't remember how much I have mentioned them in the past here, and it is a long story. The husband lived with us for 2 years while going to seminary here and needing a place to live. When he got married in Russia during the summer before his final year of seminary his wife came to live with us too. He was like a son to me and still is. I love his wife so much too. After his studies ended (27 years ago), they returned to Russia. They now have 5 grown children, and the bond we have is as strong as ever. It is a joyous day for me!

shariletts

In the end we didn't end up going out for lunch. My mom was meant to go home and put her feet and rest. I was a bit relieved about not eating out. We will plan to spend time with them soon. I will call my mom later to see how she is doing.

I am so glad you were able to connect with your chosen family members. The situation in Ukraine and Russia is simply tragic. I rejoice with you in receiving the news that they are doing well.

We had our evening with our youth grade 6 girls. The two other leaders and myself invited them for a night to get know each other better. We noticed that there were pockets of girls and that they were not a cohesive group, and we wanted that. They had so much fun and we also had a time to teach them about worship. We hope they have a better understanding of why we take time at our youth services to sing. They would like to do it again, so we know they had a good time. A wonderful win.

Paulawilldo

Shari, I so admire your work with your youth! Grade 6 girls can be quite a challenge I think. Establishing and maintaining group cohesiveness is so important in such situations. I had experience providing group therapy in a middle school setting at times during my career. I loved seeing how the group could come together and make a true difference through their peer interactions. I am especially impressed with your working in education about worship with this group.

It was another easy day low demand for me today. I am faithfully tracking my food. I tapped into a few "weeklies" but feel that I am in good shape. I was pleased that I had weekly points remaining as Sunday starts a new week. With the cooler weather now I am enjoying some low point soups which I find filling and satisfying. I am sometimes now cooking something different for John because he often is not in the mood for soup and salad (well, salad yes most of the time but not with just soup).

Have a blessed and restful Sunday!

shariletts

We had such a successful day working in our laundry room. We have just a few more finishing touches, but got some longstanding items done. We recovered a chair (for assistance when putting on shoes), handles on cupboards, installing a coat rack and a shelf for my laundry detergent. It such a big change to our back entrance. I don't think I took before photos, I will need to check. But we took out a closet and that made all the difference. I love it!

Today is our rest day, but we will go out to Westlock for lunch. DH's cousins invited us.

Not sure if you have access to Prime Video, but if you do, there is a three part documentary about the drowning of one of DH's cousins. The family is pretty certain she was murdered, but due to a technicality, her accused (her husband) got off. It's called In Cold Water.

DW2022

Hello! I hope you have both had a blessed Sunday! Paula, I’m so happy that you heard from your friends in Russia! Shari, I hope that your Mom is doing well after her shots! How sad for your DH’s family! I will try to watch the show later this week.
Today I was liturgist at church and then DH and I took the dogs for a holiday photo shoot for our Christmas cards. After that it was dishes and laundry and now bedtime . Have a great Monday!

Paulawilldo

DW, I love the idea of including your dogs on your Christmas card photo. I am sure it will be adorable!

Shari, John found the documentary on Prime video. We will look forward to watching it. It sure sounds like a sad story.

I had a lot of reading to do for Tuesday's class. I still have more to read and will make every effort to read it all by Tuesday. I rested a bit today too as sometimes I just get tired when reading. Tomorrow is a high demand day for me with many "to do" items. I wasn't overly hungry today and made healthy choices.

shariletts

We enjoyed our day in Westlock. A lovely meal with very healthy choices available for me. So I was right on track. I didn't get many steps in though. Hard to do with a road trip followed by sitting and visiting all day long. But my heart is full.

The documentary about the drowning is very well done, but of course they can't cover all of the details and by the end, it is hard to decide if he did it or not. One fact they don't mention, is that Laura took swimming lessons as an adult. She took them after she was warned that she would be drowned. Laura was a believer and we know she is safe now. We hope that no one else will fall victim in any way to Peter while he remains on this earth.

Paulawilldo

Spending time with family such as your DH's cousins is such a good way to enjoy a Sunday. And a nice bonus to enjoy healthy eating too....surely a blessed Sunday!

I was extremely productive today and didn't even need or take a nap. I am soooo proud of all I accomplished. John helped me with some things around the house, prepping for the cleaning service tomorrow. I had to do some work for our church group and am always happy when I get to cross that off my list. I had a healthy grocery delivery and had no problem putting the groceries away. A friend asked me to help her with something today too. I was happy to accommodate her as she is the friend who is kind to us by bringing filled peppers, etc. from time to time. On the down side, I didn't have time to finish reading for Tuesday's class. So that is how I plan to spend Tuesday.

shariletts

My weight is still being stubborn and not budging. I can't give up and trust that consistency will eventually get some results. I am focusing on tracking, going to the gym, and getting my steps in. My strongest element is getting to the gym. I have a bit of improvement that I can do with my calorie intake, and while my steps had been good, now that it's colder out, I have more trouble reaching my goal. I will make that more of a priority for the week and see what happens.

Paulawilldo

Shari, You are doing so well keeping up with all of the elements of your plan. You could be building muscle now which could account for your stubborn scale. The good thing is that eventually the muscle helps burn fat more efficiently and the scale will move in the right direction.

I caught up to my reading goal just a little while before our class began. Then in class tonight we were told that this week's assignment went too far. So now I am ahead for next week's class. Woo Hoo! I will have to review the material however before class next week. I had a good day for food choices but left some to do items undone....tomorrow I will focus on some of them.

shariletts

I was so thankful to be able to work from again yesterday. I knew my supervisor wasn't going to be in the office very much at all so I asked to work from home and he was good that. It allows me to eat better and I don't love the drive in. I can also get a few chores done on my breaks. I so appreciate working from home.

I hope you are right Paula. I hope the muscle will burn up this fat and at some point I will see the scale drop. It only seems to want to go up lol!

I trust we all have productive days.

Paulawilldo

Shari, it sounds like your supervisor is a great and understanding person. My guess is that he also realizes what a good worker you are....wherever you are, so your working from home preference should bring out the best in you! Outstanding that he recognizes that.

My day was productive, and I did well again with eating and tracking. The good news here tonight is that it is finally raining and is expected to rain all day tomorrow. From Aug 17/18 till today we have had a total of less than 2 inches of rain. We have been in drought/very dry conditions for some time now. The rain tonight and tomorrow should help a little with our very dry conditions. Some areas north of here will see snow, but it seems like we will get little or snow here, which is fine with me.

shariletts

We are off to the airport this morning to visit our son Kyle and his girlfriend Claire. They live in Vancouver, BC. I am going to do my best to track and not gain weight! I am not taking my laptop on this trip, so I may not check in. Mostly due to having a disruption in my routine. I will check in with my phone if I can remember.

So glad for your rain Paula. Our land is quite dry and it would be lovely to see rain, or I guess snow. It will be rainy in Vancouver so I have packed my rain gear and I have packed for warmth.

Check in when I can, but sure on Monday.

Paulawilldo

Will be thinking of you Shari as you enjoy some time with your son and his girlfriend. Will also pray for your safe travels.

I had another very productive day again today. John was out with a friend, and I was motivated to get all of my to do list completed before he got home. It worked, and I even had time to spare. I was pleased that I was able to do some things by myself without asking John for help. I have been doing well keeping satisfied with afternoon fruit and late afternoon soup. I am still making other food for John but nothing fancy, and as it turns out both of us are satisfied for now with this plan. Our rain continues with a little snow predicted for tomorrow but probably a wet snow and not a lot as the precipitation will turn back to rain again.