lauriekallis wrote: »

Thank you both for sharing your holiday information. Not sure if you both celebrate for the same reason? @Athijade I read about Lughnasadh and think it sounds so wonderful. I was swooning at the grocery store today at the evidence of this years harvest rolling in. We are so lucky.

I am a Celtic Pagan so I celebrate a little differently then Alexandra. While it is still a harvest celebration to me, it is also a celebration of the god Lugh who is my patron. Lugh is known as the shining one, the silver tongued bard, and a god of many skills. In this way, the harvest is looking at the skills you have and have worked on through the last year, being thankful for them, and deciding where you want to go from this point forward.

It is also a funeral celebration for Lugh's foster mother Tialtiu who died clearing the plains of Ireland so that the people had a way to grow crops and survive the cold winter ahead.

So for me... I commune with Lugh and thank him for the skills he has gifted to me and helped me grow this year. I celebrate him and the sacrifice of his mother. I will make a "feast" (small since it is just me). This year was a roasted chicken with fresh herbs, stuffing made from cornbread and regular bread with fresh herbs, green beans, and a blueberry pie. I focused on what is bountiful at this time of the year as you can tell and got many of the ingredients from either my garden (the herbs) or the local Farmer's Market (the chicken, bread, green beans, and pie).

So in short, while I do celebrate the harvest, I do it with a focus on my patron and his connection to it.

Last night, husband and I did an evening bike ride out to our favorite local lake and back. This time we extended it just a mile or so by going a bit beyond to go to Rita's and get some italian ice. I had mango, he had swedish fish flavor. It was a great ride, but omg my legs are sore after only 14 miles. We've been slacking in the bike department this summer. Maybe Sunday we'll try our longer ride (still only 22 miles).

I need to get my legs back in shape so I can do a short bike packing trip this fall (C&O canal towpath). I'd love to do the whole trail, but just don't think I'll have the time. It is 185 miles, and I'm not going to be in a place to do back-to-back 50 mile days on gravel lol.

lauriekallis wrote: »

That past few days have been hellish. I hope that I'm ready to get back in the groove today. I guess I should be more assertive, but just don't want to go into the day being all cocky, because that hasn't worked yet.

Can't face the scale. I've eaten enough extra calories to legitimately add a pound and a half maybe? But that probably translates to an extra 10 on the scale today...lol.

Wish me luck. I don't like where I've been.

I wish I could do or say something to inspire you!…you have done so good so far….maybe reflect on why you lost weight to start and build on that…..keeping motivated is the hard part…we start feeling and looking so much better than we did in the beginning…if we don’t stick to it, sadly the pounds will come back…we are not normal people…we have severe eating disorders…hang in there Laurie….

Thank you, both.

I do feel so much better, Connie. Been trying to remind myself all morning that I haven't gained back 100 pounds in two days - but I swear I'm almost afraid to look in the mirror or try to get dressed because it truly feels like I've lost everything I accomplished and I'm back where I started. My belly is a bit unhappy with me, but that is about it if I think about this clearly.

I like that idea PAV, especially since I have the Boy here soon until Wednesday evening when he is off to Newfoundland to visit his East-Coast Nan for 3 weeks.

Aiming for planned, pre-logged "maintenance" for a few days is a perfect (attainable???) goal. Maybe it will reset the circuit breaker (s?) that seem to be sending a shower of sparks everywhere. I'm probably personally responsible for the ridiculous heat wave hitting Ontario. Along with myriad other bad things. Forest fires. Pandemics. Tent caterpillars. Sand fleas.

The only good thing I've done is log everything - horrible as it felt.

Getting over this shame is important. I didn't kill anyone...other than some high calorie food. Not quite the same as being a cannibal - but wow it can feel like it.

And - remembering to eat! Eating is good. Necessary. Healthy even! No need to punish me with any "you don't deserve to eat for at least a week" recriminations.

Think I'll do something along the "eating something good for me line" right now.

The very thought is so much kinder, and productive than the berating thoughts buzzing around in my head.

Okay - gonna go log lunch now. Then prepare it.

Thank you, both. (gotta repeat that now that your words are starting to sink in and there is a bit of light coming in around the edges.)

When our son made his first confession in Catholic school my husband I sat in the pews waiting for him….we waited and waited for him to come out….John and I looked at each other and my husband leaned over and whispered to me, “What did he do ?”…I shrugged and rolled my eyes….he finally came out, said nothing and we got in the car….we didn’t want to ask why he took so long when he spoke up and said, “Father Bob said at least I hadn’t killed anybody”….

See Laurie, all you did was eat a little too much….you are forgiven, my child!

conniewilkins56 wrote: »

When our son made his first confession in Catholic school my husband I sat in the pews waiting for him….we waited and waited for him to come out….John and I looked at each other and my husband leaned over and whispered to me, “What did he do ?”…I shrugged and rolled my eyes….he finally came out, said nothing and we got in the car….we didn’t want to ask why he took so long when he spoke up and said, “Father Bob said at least I hadn’t killed anybody”….

See Laurie, all you did was eat a little too much….you are forgiven, my child!

This made me chuckle!

Thank you, Connie. You cracked me up! And Athijade.

I joined in my first ever group cycle ride this evening (on Zwift) - it was an hour long ride of 18 miles and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish because I’ve only been cycling for 4 weeks and the furthest I’d cycled to date was 11 miles total, with a gap for coffee at the halfway point.

Anyway - I made it! I was one of the last to finish and my butt was killing me from minute 45 onwards, and I MAY have pulled a muscle in my groin, so I’m now walking like John Wayne, and I might need to sleep on the couch because walking upstairs is excruciating, and I couldn’t bend over at the moment to poop scoop 💩 🐶 if my life depended on it....but I finished! Does that mean I’m an athlete now, at the grand old age of 56? 😆🚴🏻‍♀️🏆

That must feel very discouraging. It is terrible to have such a basic thing as movement start to breakdown. I hope that this is a short-lived glitch for you.

A few years ago, I spent much time trying to figure out how in the heck I was going to get from one spot to the next. Desk to bathroom? Big problem.

I was lucky enough to find a surgeon who didn't say "you're old, you're overweight, you have arthritis" - instead he actually listened to my history, booked me for surgery, and remedied the leftover problem from a recently "healed" injury that was was causing acute pain over and over. I was still old, overweight and I still had arthritis, but thanks to him I walk about ten kilometers a day most days - sometimes 30!

I am now pleased to say that I am now younger , lighter, and my arthritis is less problematic.

I will never forget what an amazing gift it is to be able to walk pain free (relatively!)

I hope you receive it soon.

I am doing a Bible devotional titled "Food is not the enemy" and came across this tidbit:

Imagine what life would look like if…
… your appetite was proportional to your physical needs and you ate from a place of contentment?

Can you imagine??? How different my life would have been, how much mind space would have been freed up! I am going to ponder this one.

lauriekallis wrote: »

I hope swimming at night is the magical missing piece!

I can't even get my head around that tidbit, Ladybug. Can't imagine it whatsoever.

Swimming after dinner is NOT the magic piece…..I was up 2 pounds this morning….I have decided it’s the temp outside….omg it is so hot and humid….I do not sweat a lot, I just get redder and redder….grocery shopping today was torture…..I have drank coffee, water, 2 Diet Pepsi and ate a pound of honey dew lol…

I grew up in southern Indiana….I loved cold weather….why did I ever move here?…oh yeah I followed my parents here lol

It's not any better in Indiana right now. I am actively trying not to do anything, because I get in a sweat and feel awful.

That said, I rearranged the living room today. And after six hours I put it back cause the room is long and narrow, and it looked better the way it was. Broke a sweat the first time, but had help with the sofa the second time so I didn't. (It was also 9 pm. That helped.)

Then I made big apple-pecan-spice muffins cause Son is getting up at four for an interview across town at 7:30 am. The job would have him working from 6 am to 2 pm, and he likes those hours. We'll see if he gets it and if he gets it if he winds up still living with us here or if he moves back in with my mother (as she would live somewhat closer to the work.) I suspect he will live here as my mom drives him batty if he spends too much time there. I sympathize, as the same thing happens to me. But he and I get along very well and tranquilly. Probably because we're both autistic in the same style and both have ADHD, and we like each other and treat each other well. I consider that a great blessing, because not all children become people their parents can be friends with as adults.