Yay for you for your downward movement on the scale Shari!

We left our old church primarily because it was not handicapped accessible for the Sunday School rooms and social hall. Getting to these places required going down a flight of stairs that was not easy. While my mobility at that time was relatively good, John couldn't do the steps by himself. It was necessary for me to carry him up and down the steps. The older and bigger he got, the more difficult it was for me to do that. Other folks offered to help me with this, but I worried about any one else hurting themselves or falling while trying to carry him. Also, it was kind of demeaning for John to have to be carried like that. He was almost 11 when we left that church. Our old church is much closer to our home than our current church. In the years since we left, they have built an addition that is handicapped accessible for the social hall, but I think the Sunday School remains on the lower level. On occasion I think about returning to our old church, but since we don't attend in person these days, I don't plan to go back to the old church anytime soon.

John and I had a wonderful time with our cousins. We all agreed we have to get together more often. My cousin's wife is such a sweetheart. We never run out of things to talk about. We ordered from one of our favorite local restaurants. I had a meatball sub which was good and not too far off of my plan. I didn't count points today. I had a small piece of the cake they brought and that was enough to satisfy me. I am glad that it didn't trigger an additional sugar craving.

Yes Shari, the staircase at that church is extremely steep! I am happy that you are seeing more scale success...every little bit helps.

I thought I didn't have much to do today, but when I tackled my to do list, it turned out to be more than I realized. I am pleased with what I accomplished and didn't really stress over much of anything (that is progress for me). Saturday should be a very easy day for me. I was expecting visitors on Sunday but haven't heard from them to tell me if they are still planning to come or not. I texted the wife early this morning but she hasn't replied yet. That's not like her so I now am wondering what is going on. I did ok with my food today....except I had another small piece of the birthday cake my cousins brought on Thursday. John finished off the rest of it tonight so no more temptation from that delicious cake. Oh, and of course John won't gain an ounce!!

Yay for your continued good news at the scale Shari. An old cliche' but a favorite of mine.....slow and steady wins the race! Hope you got to enjoy your outdoor time. We have had a long string of fabulous weather with temps in the high 70s/low 80s and no humidity...about as good as it gets around here.

I did ok today, but I had to eat supper without John again. I get hungry before he does, so now some days I eat alone and then sit with him when he eats also. By doing this I avoid getting overly hungry and over eating. Our friends are coming to visit tomorrow. This is the couple with the DH who lost his job at the end of May. Their 40th wedding anniversary is coming up this month so we will celebrate that tomorrow with a delivery from a local restaurant. They live over an hour from here so we don't see as much of each other as we'd wish, but we are in close contact by phone and text. I have a long history with both of them as I knew each of them even before they knew each other....all through church activities dating back to the early 1970s when I was a teenager. An added joy of their visit is that I don't have to stress about cleaning up or prepping for them...they are very easy friends.

Shari, You are doing so well. I cheer your success and cheer you on to keep it going! Your healthy habits and good efforts mean a lot!

We had a wonderful visit with our friends. All things considered, they are adjusting remarkably well to their situation, and they look terrific. It is like having family here when they come. They make themselves at home in the kitchen and don't need me to wait on them. They are also very helpful in general. We talked non stop for the 4 hours or so that they were here. I think they will be back here next month. They love Buster too. We got delivery from one of the local restaurants that John and I really enjoy. I managed well with portion control which is always a challenge to me. I had a small steak sandwich compared to my old choice of a large.

Shari, I hope your wasp sting doesn't cause you too much pain and/or itch. We have had wasp nests in our yard at least twice this summer. I have a contract with an exterminator service so they came and took care of them both times. I always worry about the lawn care folks being stung by those pests.

I think tracking is important too. I know I do so much better when I log all my food. I didn't do that today partly because I was very tired, not from my RA I think, but rather because I was wakened up much earlier than usual by Buster who had to go outside. He came and jumped on my bed to tell me he had to go out. Once I was up, I stayed up but felt tired all day. I rested off and on and didn't stress much about my to do list. It was not a long list.

So good that you are being consistent with your eating. It seems like you are zeroing in on what really works for you.

I had a great day today. I did a grocery pick up because I had only a small order, and I get annoyed at times with the delivery fees at times. Craig seems to have vanished (not sure why) so I couldn't depend on him to do the pick up. So John, Buster, and I went to the grocery store and also did some drive thru banking. It was a bit of a challenge to carry in the bags, but we managed little by little. John was and always is a huge help. Later in the day a young woman from a local animal rescue stopped by to pick up some items we were donating to the rescue. She remembered John from high school as she was 2 years behind him in high school. She is just delightful, and I felt so good contributing to one of our local rescues. I was at the top of my points today but rationalized it because I did a little more moving than on a typical day for me. My energy stayed high all day long, and our Bible study tonight was really valuable too.

I think eventually I will call Craig's mom to see what is going on. I just haven't had the time lately to do that. I don't want to worry her that he hasn't been helping us. But she knows his character and how scattered he can be at times. Lower stress definitely can help with weight loss, at least in part because of lower cortisol levels as I recall. I know I gained most of my weight during particularly stressful times.

I am pleased with my day again. We are hosting the inter church group this Sunday so had to work on the treasurer's report. It is mostly done and wasn't complicated this time at all. Prez has been quiet lately except that she already tried to get me to deviate from the planned coffee and cake by offering to bring a hot dip. I flatly told her "no" and that I won't heat up my oven for her dip. She has dropped that issue for now. She also mentioned serving wine. I ignored her and she dropped it. So, so far so good.
Another member asked me to do something she really should do but claims she can't. I agreed to do that for her as it won't take long and I don't mind doing it.
I stayed on track today and felt good all day long...got a lot done and not fatigued.