I just found pumpkin spice instant quaker oatmeal packets in the cereal aisle of the grocery store .... (passing on the pumpkin spice cheerios, though ... tried them several years ago, and they were just tooooooooo sweet. I stick with PLAIN ORIGINAL Cheerios, maybe stirred into plain or vanilla greek yoghurt that has pumpkin pie spice-mix added.)

So many things to be grateful for this morning. I will list a few.

• I am grateful for another sweet day without having to work (it's Labor Day here in the States).
• I am grateful for @juliemouse83 's kitten story. It warmed my heart.
• I am grateful for the realization no one can create a healthier lifestyle for me except me. It has reignited me to get back on track.
• I am grateful I got rid of all of my big clothes and refusal to wear yoga pants even though I am remotely working. My "new normal" clothes were getting tight and were a reminder I had to get back on track.

I was hoping to get to my community's pool sometime this weekend but the rainy mornings have squelched that idea. I am not big on afternoons at the pool because the sun and heat are way too strong here in SFL. So instead of swimming the house is getting cleaned and little projects are being completed. It has been a productive weekend. Yeah!

Pic of the Pumpkin Molasses Bran Muffins I baked yesterday.

@juliemouse83 - Love the kitty pic, it is lucky to have you!

@SuziQ113 -Yum, those muffins look soooo good!

Greetings one and all.

I really cannot believe it's September and the 9th at that! The time is flying by and before we know it the holiday season will be here. This year celebrations will be different - it's my hope we can get back to basics. For the past 30 years or so I stopped allowing the marketers and big business influence me. I has allowed me to concentrate on what is really important to me - the relationships with my family and friends.

I am grateful for the following.

• The 8 hours of sleep I had last night. 8-hour nights are a rare occurrence for me. My ideal number of sleep is 6 hours, but every now and then a longer period is needed.
• Smokey the cat. He is a lot of company and keeps me laughing with his antics.
• My home. So many are losing their homes to nature or loss of work because of our current situation. I am so very fortunate!

Sending prayers to those in the west who are fleeing, fighting, and suffering with the fires out west. So many people are effected it is heartbreaking.

Hugs to all.

Hello everyone.

So excited it's Friday.

I am grateful for the following.

• Another sweet day of life.
• The warm shower this morning. It's bliss. And, to think many do not have enough water to drink and I am able to stand in the shower for as long as I want. A true blessing.
• Did I mention Friday?! I am really happy the weekend is almost here. It provides time for me to recharge.

I hope everyone has had or is having a great day!

heidipatterson100 wrote: »

Hi everyone, I am going to visit family next week, and I was wondering if any of you have any tips for staying on your diet during the dieting hardships of a road trip and a few days with family. How do you avoid the in car snack attacks? How do you deal with family members who make it their life mission to stuff you full of food? (They mean well. Lol.) How do avoid stress eating? And, what things do you do to get your exercise in?

Hey, hon!

If we are road tripping I pack a cooler with nutritious snacks; fruits, nuts, cheeses and water. Lots of water.

Upon arrival I log everything I put into my mouth and keep track of my totals throughout the day. I’m funny about getting too close to my limit. I also try to only sample a little of this and that.

While setting boundaries has never been my strong point, I do make it clear that I’m watching what I eat for health reasons. I have a built-in excuse in high blood pressure, so I make sure I’m clear on my lower sodium needs, as well as lower fat requirements, as I know that if I don’t my bloodwork will try and scream, “FATTY LIVER!” I’ve also found that if I preface my statements with, “my doctor recommends” even the Italian side of the family respect that.

As for exercise, if there is a WiFi connection you could pull up YouTube videos for workouts you can do in the space you’re dealing with. Also, go for walks. Can’t go wrong with walking. If there are dogs involved, offer to walk one, because it’s always more fun with a four-legged friend.

Regarding stress eating? I can’t help with that because stress guts my appetite, so maybe someone else can chime in?

Wishing you lots and lots of willpower and a wonderful trip! I know that after the past six months or so, it’s got to be just what the doctor ordered❣️

heidipatterson100 wrote: »

Hi everyone, I am going to visit family next week, and I was wondering if any of you have any tips for staying on your diet during the dieting hardships of a road trip and a few days with family. How do you avoid the in car snack attacks? How do you deal with family members who make it their life mission to stuff you full of food? (They mean well. Lol.) How do avoid stress eating? And, what things do you do to get your exercise in?

For exercise, are there kids there? Go and play with them. Take them to the park or get out a ball and have fun. Don’t just watch them, get involved. Ask others to go for a walk or a short hike with you. Any of your family do a sport that you have never tried? Ask them to show you some basics. Or look for active things you could go and do together. Maybe try a trampoline park or a climbing gym in the area. Look for ways to play and have fun together.

For travelling, make sure you either pack or know where you can buy healthy options that you enjoy. Plan ahead what you will eat on the drive. Maybe allow yourself a slightly higher calorie budget for this period to take the pressure off. Eating at maintenance level for a few days shouldn’t increase your weight.

Thanks everyone for your advice on how to manage my diet while on a trip. So much good advice!!! I knew you guys would have some good ideas. I made air popped popcorn and grapes to munch on in the car, and decided to pack a couple of diet friendly meals so I will have options while there. I will probably do online workouts since walking is not an option there. Then, I will probably give myself an extra 100 calories to have some wiggle room, and still be under my limit. I am trying to not use any pass days during this trip. we will see how that goes though. Thanks everyone!!!

After a busy few weeks, well, relatively, examining in Marseille, Nice and Toulouse, fully masked, frustrating, back to basics. Shall I roast my Sunday chicken with some kind of stuffing? Can I save enough to make chicken wraps, chicken salad or chicken sandwiches tomorrow and can I be bothered to make chicken soup? Trying to stick to 1200 calories a day and minimise on cooking. Temperatures here in Montpellier are soaring to above 30° C again this week and my kitchen is south facing, too hot to cook! Suggestions? Recipes for wraps (yes, I will wrap in lettuce), salad (love my dressing!) or filling, mealtime chicken soup, please.

@Chinkiri I agree with your comments about sunrise, even if it’s cloudy. We went to the beach for sunset yesterday and even though it appeared as if the sun set early because of a thick cloud bank, the colours were amazing and worth the effort to climb the big dune in the wind!

@Dory_42 Wow!