Hey all. Very long and busy weekend at work. Just sharing... I have a job interview Wensday for a Hemodialysis position I randomly applied for. This would be an excellent opportunity for me. So if you pray say one for me please. Gibbs and I just got back from a shortened walk, it started to rain on us. Still stuck at 175 and have been really craving sugar badly. I'll chalk it up to stress. Hope everyone is well and staying strong. I will try my best not to get that darn chocolate milkshake I'm craving. Water is my friend, right? Talk at ya later.

Hello ladies, I'm here in Churchill after a 45 hour train trip. The train experience wasuch better than I had imagined it would be. The meals were OK with bacon and eggs or omelet for breakfast and beef, chicken , burger or fish options for lunch and supper. The cabin was fine and it was good to have our own real bed and our own bathroom in our room. Meals in the dining car, hot showers down the hall and the dome car was really cool, two levels and spectator views. There were only 12 or so of us on the sleepers so we got to know each other and had many great conversations. The folks in coach could not access this car. It was so cool to see all of nature around us at any time of day. I'm not sure if we will have this car on our way back, so I made sure to really enjoy it on the way here. We watched the tall dense forest sprinkled with lakes dwindle down to very short sparse trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. It was very helpful to have a local resident of Churchill on our train as he provided much background knowledge to every situation that arose. Also impressed that the Americans were very knowledgable about the location and history and all of us have such a keen interest in seeing the North.

We've walked through town so far, saw the Eskimo museum, talked to super friendly locals. Had some great conversation with the grocery store manager about availability of food and how he takes care of the residents and promotes the community. He even drove us to the museum, amazing friendliness. I bought a pair of elk skin mitts with sculpted caribou whale designs, made in town at the place where I bought them. Beautiful arctic fox and wolf pelts for sale. all ethically killed, wish I could afford to buy more, just gorgeous. Also wish I could buy a real Inuit parka but that won't happen.

Supper tonight will be out at the best restaurant in town, and I'll order either elk, bison or Arctic char. Tomorrow we will be out on the tundra buggy for 6 hours, hoping to see polar bears and other wildlife. Thursday will be out on the water with the beluga whales.

I'll try to give updates. Having a great time !

@Kitnthecat: I doubt you will see polar bears as it's 2 months early for them to be congregating waiting for the ice - usually happens in late October. But the Belugas are awesome, do you get to don a drysuit and swim with them? We have done a fair bit in the Western Arctic flying in to remote places like the hamlet of Aklavik (that's what they call it on their website, lol... hamlet, smaller than a village) and Tuk. The Arctic is fascinating, and the fact that you can access from a train that far south because of the Canadian Shield is great! I love train travel, but it's so expensive in Canada. Much easier in Europe, lol.

Been busy with work y'all. But at least it's fun Security at Roots & Blues Festival, and this weekend at a beer garden at a Bluegrass Festival. Good to catch-up read, and welcome to the new gals.

Saying hello to everyone! The return to pre artificial sweetener state on the scale has been hard to overcome. It's been over a month without any and the scale is still up seven pounds from my lowest point. Definitely a hard lesson learned from that! I'm still eating VLCHF, with salad a couple times a week and some mushrooms sauteed in butter once a week. Otherwise I am all animal kingdom. Intake is right at 1600 calories a day with carbs always under 20/day. I still feel so much better that I won't be changing that anytime soon. I am happy with how I look, but want to be comfortably under 200. I think 180 would be nice. I know it will happen, so that's enough for me.

I have enjoyed the trip to Churchill! It's been so neat seeing it through your descriptions! Love it! I truly hope GrannyMayOz is on a well deserved break! I miss a lot of the time spent here with you all too! Enjoy catching up when I can! Much love, and big hugs to you all!

@suzie642, sounds like you are doing very well with the successes of this woe! Also glad you found mfp too! I have learned so much about the foods I eat (and used to eat) from using mfp that I am fully comfortable with my food choices now and don't feel it's a priority at this point. Welcome!

@ea101367. I found I was a bit over reactive the first few weeks too. The menopausal mood swings seemed to be really exacerbated. Now 129 days in they seemed to have levelled out. I still get that weird angry over nothing (basic housework can set me off sometimes), but doesn't last too long. The mood swings are fewer & farther apart too. Hang in there, it will get better.

Oh, there's a picture of me in the middle between my sister and mother. I am now the smallest one, but seeing the pictures, know I have a ways to go yet before I am happy with my picture.

Such wonderful pictures! Especially the ones of you---you look great, and so happy! Your trip looks fantastic; thank you so much for sharing it with us!