Daily accountability and check in

I mean, I love me a good sammie too, walkin' ;-). My current fave is Trader Joe's yummy bread, toasted, with Dusseldorf style mustard, roast turkey, provolone or muenster, and half an apple, cut. Apple IN the sandwich, ofc !

What's your favorite sammie?

That is super inspiring, @jon1nba !! Congratulations, and welcome!, to you! Xx

A green smoothie is my 'go to' lately to get the healthy stuff in my tummy, and I plan my week to have it 4 times. It has lots of green everything, and even the green tops on the strawberries (who knew you can eat those!?!?), but I use very little fruit - often no fruit - because I need to keep carbs and fruit sugars waaaaay down.

At first it was hard for me to drink it, but now I surprisingly miss it on days I don't have one. I might add a pinch of seeds (ex. chia seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds) or a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or unsweetened cocoa (I got that list of stuff from a gut biome Master Class I liked a lot), a spoonful of plain yogurt occasionally, but it is mainly comprised of all things green - celery leaves, green salad stuff (I have a lot chopped and frozen - kale, collards, spinach, swiss chard, dandelions, bok choy, etc), herbs, spring mix salad, or whatever I have on hand. I don't use any powders or supplements based on my doctor's recommendations.

Also, I make the smoothie SMALL so it's only about one cup to drink because to be honest it is NOT a "juicer" drink, meaning it is full of plant fiber and NOT a "smooth smoothie". A suprisingly large amount of green stuff blends down to make one cup of smoothie. My friend has a Vitamix that really pulverizes her green smoothie ingredients, but I'm just using an old Nutribullet I have had for a long time which makes my green smoothies not very smooth. I'm mostly used to it, but maybe a Vitamix will be on my Christmas list this year.

p.s. I have a ton of greens because I had bought a 'share' from a local organic farm, a health-minded friend split the cost with me to save money, and there were so many wonderful veggies each week - many I didn't know about and never would have even bought at the store. I froze a lot because it was more than I could eat in one week. For me, weekly farm veggies are over for the summertime, because I'm in Florida and the veggie growing season ended already. We wear flip flops here, and our gardening season is flip flopped. The farm share will start back up in the autumn for us, but anyone living not as far south as me might still have time to get a local organic farm share for this summer if they are committed to having more veggies - it sure kept me on track for half a year!

I put photos from my yesterday outside workout, and my last week one, in another thread yesterday. I'll add them here too :) Photos from 'Vacationland!' aka the US state of Maine, up in the northeast corner of the map, borders the US state of New Hamphire, the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, and the Atlantic Ocean. It's said to be cut from Scotland, back when all the land masses were one. I'm not sure about that, tho, when I googled it, it looks like Maine nestes in next to Morroco, not Scotland! Anyway, the locals here always play up a Scotland Maine connection ;-). I've never been to Scotland, so couldn't say!

Scotland first (from an article), Maine after (from outside walks in the last couple weeks :). )

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Local article about the Scotland-Maine similarities, from a few yrs back:

Why Scotland Is More Like Maine Than You May Think

By Xander, Jan 9, 2018

Hey CYY freaks! I'm finally back from a much needed two weeks of vacation. I did everything from snowmobiling over a glacier north of Reykjavik to watching the New Year's fireworks get shot off of Edinburgh castle. It was pretty spectacular, I must say, however, I couldn't help but notice that both Iceland and Scotland had some pretty big similarities to Maine - especially Scotland. Here's what I observed:

The South is More Populous Than the NorthJust like Maine, the bulk of Scotland's population resides in the south of the country. The cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh make up for much of the whole country's population, with smaller cities like St. Andrews and Inverness scattered throughout the Highlands. Scotland's mountainous north also reminded me somewhat of Northern Maine, albeit a little more spectacular.

The Locals are Tapped into NatureSpeaking of the natural beauty of Scotland, the Scots are well aware of the amazing resources available to them, and take full advantage. A big part of life in Maine revolves around nature, and so too in Scotland. Much of the nation's tourism revolving around taking a look at the dense forests and rolling glens up north. Scots also have an amazing law that gives them what's called the Right to Roam - the right to explore and camp anywhere in Scotland, regardless of who owns the property they're camping on, so long as they're not deemed bothersome.

Everyone's Really NiceI hate to cast any sort of wide blanket, but I think I'll be forgiven if it's a positive one. Just like Mainers, the Scots are a warm and welcoming bunch, who all seem chipper to have visitors from other places wandering around. Everyone was always ready with directions, restaurant recommendations and more, which has always been something that I loved about Maine.

Fort Williams is Our Very Own Run Down Castle

Scattered all over Scotland is a collection of amazing castles - some are still in use, but most are mainly tourist destinations at this point. For example, Doune Castle, pictured below, is open to explore, and gives me some serious Fort Williams vibes. Fun Fact: Doune Castle is also where much of Monty Python and the Holy Grail was shot!

Edinburgh Has It's Very Own Old Port

Although it doesn't quite have the same Northeast feel that Portland's Old Port has, Edinburgh has it's own cobblestone-laden downtown area. The Royal Mile stretches through the center of town, and plays host to a number of shops and 'closes' - tiny streets from the olden days of the city. Victoria Street is a must-visit place when you visit - it was JK Rowling's inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series! Plus, to top it off, the Royal Mile ends at the front gate of Edinburgh Castle... Portland might have some great sights, but I don't think the Old Port can beat that.

One thing I noted that was opposite of Mainers, however, was the Scots' resilience during the winter months. I heard a few Scots complaining about the winter weather, which in Scotland averages out to the low 40s in fahrenheit. They should try the winter we're having here on for size.

Scotland is a truly amazing place. If you ever get the chance, go and visit - you won't be disappointed. Now, back to radio, viral videos and bad jokes!

Link (incl Scotland pix): Why Scotland Is More Like Maine Than You Might Think |

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Now Maine :) ~

1.) Outside exercise pix! Last week, Rockland Harbor, and Camden Harbor, Schooner Surprise sunset cruise:

Hubby, me, daughter, mil, Rockland Harbor

Rockland Harbor, river coming down and spilling out into harbor (harbor is behind me, I'm taking the pic)

Rockland Harbor, SUCH a pretty day, after a week of unseasonable cold and chill from nor'easter and low pressure that hung and hung and hung around!

(nor'easters are supposed to be winter storms, not late May!)

Andre the Seal, Rockland Harbor

Andre the Seal, Rockland Harbor

Andre the Seal, Rockland Harbor

Rockport Shore Trail, Rockland Harbor

Rockport Shore Trail, Rockland Harbor

Rockport Shore Trail, Rockland Harbor

Rockport Shore Trail, Rockland Harbor

Rockport Shore Trail, Rockland Harbor

(hubby)

Rockport Shore Trail, Rockland Harbor

(me)

Schooner Surprise sunset cruise, Camden Harbor

(3 generations! Mother-in-law, hubby, daughter)

Schooner Surprise sunset cruise, Camden Harbor

(hubby in blue jacket, mother-in-law in red jacket, daughter in between)

Schooner Surprise sunset cruise, Camden Harbor

(Surprise is on the National Register of Historic places. Cool ! )

2.) Outside exercise pix! Yesterday, Riverton Trolley Park to Penobscot River Trail:

Trolley Park - Hubby and me :)

(You can't quite see, but I'm wearing my Slytherin House gear, Hogwarts challenge)

Leaving the Trolley Park, heading to a section of the Penobscot River Trail

Just down from that walkbridge in the pic above

Part of old cobblestone walls/bridge in the Trolley Park, they're obviously trying to save or repair it, it's wrapped in a net !

Out to the Penobscot River Trail

Some steps down to the river - wow, we were wondering if people swim here!

@walkintofit Slow weight loss is good, and sustainable over the long haul, even if it is only a pound a week, it is still heading in the right direction. It didn't take just a few months to gain the weight, and it isn't a failure to lose it slowly either, even 1/2 pound a week is 26 pounds in a year!

Beautiful Maine pics - I was lucky to visit there long ago and hope to go again .

I joined the Green Freggies group. Looking forward to good tips and tricks!