Hi all!

Cathy, I can totally see that having a lake house could be like that, especially in the summer. I think Blue's brother has it right with the lake house and establishing rules. I totally don't know if I would do that though without having a stern talk with myself about having the right to set up those expectations, because it is totally fair to do so.
Glad you are doing so well and feeling so happy on '72! Keep it up!

Jaz- YUM on the crab! Enjoy!

Blue- Love hearing your describe and guide Cat on the clothes. I so don't think about clothes in that way, just like home furnishings, so it is fun to get in someone else's head who does. I have "blank space" up there in those things. Although I am still really happy with the FR area rug we got. We actually did something right! Smiled over your naming of a "Morticia" day and totally get the reference also. Perfect descriptor.

•••••••••••••

Motoring right along. Today is Day Two of no scale and it is so odd. It really is. I wasn't bothered by the numbers in and of themselves, in fact over the past week they had been dropping nicely, but it was more seeking an overall balance (are you guys sick of this yet? lol)

I want to keep my weight in check and in focus, but also begin to streamline it more into my overall view of health and wellness and living. I don't want to be obsessive, I don't want to be of such narrow focus that I lose track of my life. I think using my clothes and how I feel as a guide will be a good step in that direction.

That being said, it is strange indeed. I don't look at myself in the mirror a whole lot, and never have, thin or not. So today I was sort of standing there going, how do I look? Heavier, thinner? And I had no idea.

Looking at what I say, I swear I seem like I have my head in the clouds so much! I am clearly completely oblivious to detail in almost all areas.

So today is MoW and I went online and downloaded a wide variety of podcasts to try out. I am kind of excited about that. The past two MoWs I have had friends ride-along, which has been fun. That was supposed to happen today too but my friend now has a bunch of sickies at her house like I did last week.

I am feeling much better, not coughing last night for the first time in several and slept well. Yay!

Going to make some salsa chicken and some country ribs to have on hand, and also will make some soup out of some leftover "no peek beef" that is in the fridge. Good foods readily available!

Hugs to all!

Hey!

I am rested and ready to do my best today eating they way I know I need to and the way my body loves me to!

Cat: Welcome for sure! I loved what Blue said about you. I totally agree. Your entrance to this thread was remarkable! Fun to read about you. I am very guarded on here, so you won't hear much personal information from me. I can just tell you I am a widow with a ton of kids and grandkids. They are my joy.

Blue: Please let me know your water intake yesterday. Yesterday started the week of charting. Today you must have a big smile on your face! The weather is incredible. Almost scary...like something is wrong! But I know we will take it and embrace it! Love you, Blue. Love your words and who you are. Sounds really weird to say that, but just kind of welled up.

Nic: Good to hear you slept well last night. You are a real go-getter and I can imagine with little to no sleep, it is hard on your for many reasons. You are an inspiration to me having met your goal and now figuring out how to dance around maintenance. Some day I will do that dance with you!

Jaz: You are back. Your "voice" on this thread is strong again. Seems like you continue to get back to your normal. I have read some of Jason Fung also. Very interested and seemed spot-on to me. I want to do some more reading overall. I am not an avid reader. Need to force myself to read. I love hearing about your work having felt I went through that awful season with you where jobs were not working out. I guess it just makes this one feel so right in so many ways.

Trig: I will not, and I mean WILL NOT, accept any other name for you. You are not a Karen, and for sure not a Whirlly! OK, I will accept Karen, but it would be hard for me to use it. For some reason, the name Trig is you. I still love hearing stories about the farm and can picture you there as you tell us. You have a way of cracking me up like no other. Oh, Jaz is right there with you too. So thankful for you and the others.

Lori: Glad you are finally feeling better. Guess what? Today I am going for a walk! It has been a long time. You are an inspiration to me in this area. I have to drag myself to the gym or to do any other exercise. It is kind of funny, because one of my degrees is in Physical Education! Hope your cruise is great and can't wait to hear all about it. Remind me who is going on the cruise with you. Your sister? Or maybe your husband?

Alene: Hope things are still going strong with Mr. M.

I am going to post this because I don't want to lose it. May add some more in another post.

K-Mom 10x3

Me: Just came off four days with my twin sons and my heart is full to the brim. I also brought my youngest daughter home so she could be with them. She has some special needs. Well, she was SO excited every day they were here, I thought she was going to crash. I mean she was TOO excited. Sometimes I would hear her kind of gasping for breath...hard to explain...just like too excited. She was not feeling well and also had a nasty canker sore. But she held it together! I was so proud of her. (I am not sure that whole paragraph made sense to you guys)

My sons helped me with a new side business I have started, so I think they felt good about that. It kept us busy, but we still had plenty of time to chat.

I feel a lot stronger today and ready to eat well.

Cat, I thought I would add to your frustration about names...Smile Funny thing is, most people will know exactly what I mean. Maybe you can figure it out. I will tell you in a later post. Just having fun with this.

I started my day with my O4. I continue to be thankful for how that helps me. My CapD wavered for a few days, but never truly left. It is back strong today. Ready to also start tracking for Water Hounds.

Blessings to my fave LC friends! (my only ones...Ha!)

Mom 10x3

OMG- add this to the mix- yo
CAPD- hahahahahahhaha Kmom- glad you are back and are feeling back into the swing. You may be able to disappear for a MINUTE- but you do come back. Glad you had a great time with the kids. They do tend to energize ya.

SOOOOOOOOO should I make her wait or give it to her?! (CAT) ...lolololol one more to add- CapD= Kmom....... which can also apply to any of us feeling super power human over the hold of food!!!!!

Blue- I got the morticia day- rainy and warm. But it was good. Will take this over ice or snow any day. I thought of you today- had a WebEx meeting with the Minneapolis folks today- I went to the clock to note they are 3 hours behind me....... no wonder those to happy people were jumping - it was still early. I was looking to wind down! I happen to agree with my medical director, people, that just wake up happy and perky get on my nerve. it just doesn't happen for me- I need to wake up

Leeann- so glad you ditched that cough...... it lingers from what I hear. I bet your MOW people are so excited to see you again. What did you ever do with Mr. Huggy Feely???/

Trig- throat clear........ waiting on you today! Easy peasy day for you huh.....GOOD FOR YOU!
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Not much to add except I am getting another dept added to my broad at work. WOW- Ok- I am moving at warp speed at work. Serious on that- WARP!

So I don't know if this patch is making me dream/ sleep deeper than I have in years or I am just ready to rest.....Whatever.... I am sleeping and dreaming the most bizarre stuff.
So last night I dreamt my kids were younger and living at home- and I just had my hyster. So I said to DS- I am tired of carrying this belly - you take it for a day. So we switched belly's for a day. But I got mad because he wasn't caring for it. Is that not something- I think I need a therapist for dream therapy!!!!!!! LOLOLOLOLO I need the HYSTER Emogi!

Short post- I need to share something tomorrow oh I will toss it out now- Question- something to discuss..... So the question is : When does a binge become a binge if it's under calories and carbs- is it really a binge

I ate too much crack slaw- came in under- portion outta bounds- I think it was emotional eating- the floor is yours

Ok, I'm lost. CapD = K-Mom or any of you feeling your power over food? Does the acronym stand for something? And what is an 04? K-mom you have my head swimming!!

And Jaz - what is MOW?

Sorry, Cat. Just having some fun.

CapD means you are doing really well with your woe. The "d" stands for determined. So if someone was feeling determined, they would typically just use a lower-case d. But if someone is feeling super determined, they would use a capital D. So that is where the phrase came from. When you are CapD, you are super woman (or man)...feeling totally confident!

O4 stands for the omelet I eat every morning that lasts me four hours.

Oh...and later I will explain about True. It is my woe of eating plan. It takes the best from Trigger (Tr) and Blue (ue).

Hope that helps.

K-Mom 10x3

You gals are endless fun, interest and intrigue for me!

Nic---I got a huge chuckle out of you trying to make the mirror, which you don't pay much attention to normally, sub for the scale you asked hubby to put away.

Honey, you kind of cut yourself off the scale quick, after a long time of paying homage to it morning and night, so not surprised you found yourself looking for that information in a different place.

I think you will be surprised though, how fast you adapt to not being at the behest of the tyranny of the scale. OTOH, not sure I'd hide it away. Doesn't have to be all or nothing, and the scale does have important info to give us. It's just, to use your word, finding the "balance" of using it as the good tool it can be, but not giving it the power to influence so many other things in our lives we are blessed with, just because it doesn't have a good report on any given day.

It took me awhile to step away from day by day weighing, as I have memories of stepping away from the scale, and then swimming in denial about the pounds I was putting on. BUT, I have found peace in-between. Weigh myself about once a week. Working fine. You'll discover what works best for you in this experiment.

Jaz---Well, I am so w/your director, I too have hostile feelings towards perky morning people---but no biggy, I'm married to one. Hubs puts his head on the pillow, and goes to sleep, just like that. Wakes up, just like that. For me, transitioning to sleep and out of it is a longer process. Been like this since I was a kid. Think it's part and parcel of our unique physiology, and how every single human being is different, even though we share so much in common.

On your question about "what is a binge, even low carb?" I think this is such a good question! But I need more info to answer. You told me you STILL came in at your carb goals. Please define what you ate. For me, I can eat two bowls of crack slaw, just like that. But then, it's usually because I've got the room for that in carbs in the day, as I do tend to save up for dinner. And really, there isn't a lot of carbs in crack slaw at all. So, tell me more. Like I said, I think this is a very interesting question, and wonder about it myself.

K-mom--- Yeah, our weather for the last couple of weeks has been AMAZING. But you know girl, we WILL be punished again before it's all over. LOL. March can be mean. But boy howdy, you just can't lose having one month of deep winter all but banished.

BTW, love you too girl. Feel like we bonded a long time ago in that parking lot at Trader Joes. My experience of you in person, short as it was, is that you are sweetness and charity personified. Nothing like looking into someone's eyes and feeling their vibe in person!

Water challenge:

Monday Feb 19---4/4
Tuesday, Feb 20---4/4

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I am posting very late tonight because I picked up a life long pal of mine at the airport at 7:30 tonight---in from New York for business. And we then went out for a loooooong dinner and much catching up. It was so---great, wish there was a a bigger word for it, but will have to do with what's available.

And I find myself feeling so thankful tonight that I have several old friends from childhood and adolescence and young adulthood. Many of them are spread all over the country now, and although we e-mail and chat over the phone now and then, there is nothing like a good old face to face, and the chance to put our ever lovin' arms around each other, once again.

These are people who were my witness to coming of age, and growing into adulthood, and I theirs. One cannot replace that, no matter how many lovely new friends one makes.

And, BONUS, I stayed on plan, but for a few bites of her off plan stuff. And I really do mean, A FEW BITES, as in 3 to 4 bites. Small bites, LOL.

Can't count it all today in terms of cals and carbs, and don't care to. But DO KNOW, I did just fine. To use Nic's word, I balanced a night of celebration and joy in an old pal's company, with my best efforts at my woe.

Good freaking enough.

Hi gals- I was in a MOOD when I posted last night!

Sorry Cat- I was having fun with ya! True- Kmom, coined the term CapD- We are Determine to be successful- captain of our bodies=CapD. so sometimes I call her CapD.
Leeann works with MOW- Meals on Wheels and does a great job. Every now and again she will share a story from that. Hint hint !

Glad you Cat are doing well! We are happy you are here. We sometimes do tease and can get a little chatty here.

Blue- I too have a couple of old friends from HS. We don't keep in touch often- but it is fun when we do. I have collected friends in every time periods- some stay- some go. It reminds me of that one post I did about the train. Maybe I should repost that one- it was really good. Puts things and life into perspective. AND HOW SHORT it is.

Leeann- I didn't know you put your scale AWAY!!!! You who gave account to the tenth of a pound?!?! I am in agreement with Blue - it's a tool. We should not give it power over our feeling. I am struggling with that one. But you seemed to have gotten a grip on where you are- again balance. You are in a great place.

Trig- Are you taking your weekend jaunt this weekend? What is up with the RV?

Kmom- glad you are back.
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I posted a question regarding what is a binge. So for ME- I can binge on carrots- anything really. So a friend of mine and I had this discussion last night. I said I had a binge- he said no.

so I made some crack slaw for dinner. I had not had anything to eat all day except a spoonful of tuna salad. I ate early- around 430- so I wasn't ravenous.

It was really really good. I downed my first bowl- about 1.5 cups- went for seconds in a flash. Then as I was putting it away- licked the spoon and scraped the pan. I was eating the 2nd bowl from an emotional perspective. I was not hungry for seconds. I have been working on portion control and my stomach has shrunk a little. So that last nights eating felt really uncomfortable. I did feel miserable. First I didn't NEED seconds. But was stressed and gobbled it anyway.

The thing is - I only had about 1200 cal/ MAYBE 5 carbs for the day. I did however gain 2 pounds as well bounced up- maybe from salt? I will be adjusting my eating to flush that today.

But the question is- what is a binge? Over eating? Eating when not hungry? Going over carbs/ Cal? Are certain foods a binge?
I am tossing the question out there. Interesting.

Rainy- and dark today...... I am good with that. I am tired. I am slowly getting me back! I am going to post the train story if I can find it.

Capd today.

Found it- thank you all for being on MY train!


Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I’ll miss you until we meet again. “Every ending has a new beginning.

Life is like a journey on a train...with its stations...with changes of routes...and with accidents!

At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believe they will always travel on our side.

However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone.

As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of our life.

Many will step down and leave a permanent vacuum. Others will go so unnoticed that we don't realize that they vacated their seats!

This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy expectations, hellos, good-byes, and farewells.

Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers... requiring that we give the best of ourselves.

The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down.

So, we must live in the best way: forgive, and offer the best of who we are.

It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty...
we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.

sorry guys just busy and out of whack here

My Aunt Joanne died the other day. I liked her a ton, she was the cool one The baby of mom's family. There was 7.....now, my mom the oldest is the only one left.

Kinda sad ya know....just watching life tick away sometimes.

Got some stupid house stuff to handle etc.

Don't want to be a downer, will be back when all my ducks fall in a row and I can chat up again!

everyone take care!!

Trig, you first today. I am so sorry about your Aunt Joanne's passing. As you said, the baby of the family and your Mom, the eldest, is the last remaining sibling. Girl, that is just SAD. I mean, your Mom must be grieving not only the loss of her sister and the baby, but all of the siblings. You are grieving the loss of your Aunt and the very stark realization that there is one remaining, your beloved Mama, and the inevitability of her passing, as all our parents will. I think Joanne's death and the different factors involved in it, is particularly tragic for those reasons and my heart absolutely goes out to you so much. And your Mom too. Trigger, you will be on my mind and in my heart today. Sending you much love. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Blue- LOVE that you spent time with an old friend. That, to me, is the BEST. I too place HUGE value on friendships that have stood the test of time and people who know you from your root and can help remind you of who you are. In fact, I am having a GIRL WEEKEND THIS WEEKEND with my high school BESTIE! I am super happy and excited. This is my bestie from the first day of ninth grade on. I seriously cannot wait. VERY glad that you had that time with your friend and enjoyed every moment in love, laughter and balance.

Lori- Hope your trip is good!

Cat- KMOM described CapD perfectly. She coined it and many other fun terms and I think it is a great descriptor. There are times when I am d- just kind of trudging along. There are times when someone is CapD- Blue is wearing that right now for sure. And probably other letters in between, like lower case f. Always ask and then feel free to ask again. We are truly glad you are here.

**********

General Catching Up:

Re: Sleeping- I go through phases. I have brief but intense periods of insomnia that are brutal. Usually when I am worried about something or prior to an impending change. I love change but the limbo period right before a change just about kills me. I go through other periods where I wake a couple of times during the night- for that I always make sure my trusty Kindle is bedside and I turn it on (it is a paperwhite, so no sleep interference) and I often drift back off within minutes, and it shuts itself off. More often since I lost weight I am exactly as you described your DH- head down and out in a few minutes. No matter what, though, whether two hours of sleep or seven (I top out at 7-8 max) I wake up perky. I wake up and I'm awake- no in between at all.

Re: Bingeing- There are many, many ways to define this IMO and this is exactly what led to my search for balance this year (well, in part anyway.) To *ME*, bingeing is a FEELING. •If I am gobbling food like I haven't seen it in a month, •if I am continuing to eat with no regard to satiety, •if I am eating things because I feel like I've blown it and so I may as well have everything else before I get back on track, •if it in any way feels out of control or desperate, •if it feels trancelike or numbing... those are just a few of the ways in which *I* define a binge. I realize this is a much wider definition than most would give it, but I think just relying on trying to define it as an amount misses a bigger picture.

I'm going to post this now bc I have to get ready to leave for pickle ball and I am only half dressed and my teeth aren't brushed, and I will be back later on to pick up where I left off!

Good morning everyone.

I am CapD and ready.

Trig: Sorry about your aunt passing away. Sounds like you are taking it hard. Be confident of my prayers today for you and your family. It really makes you stop and think for a moment when there were seven siblings and the only one left is the oldest.

Blue: Sounds like you had a great night with your old friend catching up and just plain enjoying each other. And three or four bites is commendable!

Jaz: Love the train story. Thanks for sharing it again. I want to "have a good relationship with all the passengers." Love that line and several others. I want to be kind.

Cat: You will know when you are CapD! You are fierce and Determined. Ready in a big way for the day. Maybe food is prepared for the week, a menu is planned, or maybe you just have a mighty CAN DO attitude about staying on your woe.

Lori: Hmmmm, I guess you are on the cruise now. I fell behind when my boys were here and I was not reading. Hope you are having a great time and that your sickness beforehand did not affect your time on the cruise. We will be anxious to learn all about it.

Nic: I agree with you completely about bingeing! I could really relate to the one part where you talked about being numb. I think that happens to me a lot. Maybe I need to invent something that gives me a shock! I literally think I get in a trance. So scary.

Perky! Yes, that is a word I would use to describe you even on these boards.

Me: CapD today and planning to work on smaller portions.

K-M0m 10x3

Oh Karen - so sorry about your Aunt!! It makes is so hard when it is a beloved and then on top of that - your parent is the only one in their family left. My dad is the only one left out of 11 kids. When his last brother died - it hit him really hard. They were very close. Lots of hugs for you and your Mom. So hard!!!💔

Ok K-Mom - I think I have it. But no one said was MOW is? I'm not too acronym savvy am i???

Jaz - LOVE the train!! So glad I am on yours and you all are on mine!!! BUT - I have no clue what "crack" slaw is. What's in it????

Blue - enjoy your life long pal and her visit while you can. Visits can be so few and far in between, I know. And while this is the age of electronics and various network media so we can stay in touch easier than ever - it's not the same at all!!!

Nicco - I was so much deprived of sleep after my hysterectomy that I never thought I'd get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep again. Now that I have a natural Pratictioner who is an MD as well, she has my hormones all back on track and I sleep like a baby again. MOST nights anyways. I still have the occasional "cant turn the brain off" because of work stress, but it's not every night nor every week anymore. I feel SO much better with a good night sleep!!!

HAVE a Truly Awesome day ladies - I am SO glad I found you all!!!

Cat

Cat- we are glad that you found us too!

MOW or MoW is Meals on Wheels. I do that and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate, or also called a Guardian ad Litem) so I will ramble on about those from time to time.

Crack slaw- I will let someone else take that as far as passing along a recipe but it is basically cabbage/slaw mix, cooked with browned ground beef and/or sausage, soy sauce or coconut aminos. Some people toss in mushrooms, red pepper flakes etc. I'm sure there are tons of recipes floating around out there. Some people absolutely LOVE it, hence the name crack slaw.

Pickle Ball was awesome today. Really fun! I played from 9-11, and sat out a couple of games in there either waiting my turn or pausing to eat breakfast (I packed sausage bites and a cheese stick.) After that I stopped at Walmart and then made a return at the grocery store, then came home and took the dogs for a walk. Took a bath, dyed my hair and then took a shower, and then finally had lunch about 2:15 and I was HUNGRY! I barely ate anything during pickle ball and it caught up with me by lunchtime!

Tonight I'm fixing country ribs in the IP (instant pot, also called McSteamy.) We'll see if I eat or not.

KMOM- re: trancelike eating.. part of what I have been doing the past seven days is focusing on eating mindfully. What that means, in a nutshell, is when I am eating, I am at the table, eating. Not watching TV, not reading, eating. Paying attention to what goes in my mouth, how much, how I am feeling as I am eating. You know, the urge to eat is certainly reduced when I am compelled to leave what I am doing and go prepare a plate, and sit down and eat it at the table. lol

Nicco - you've mentioned "pickle ball" a few times. What the heck is Pickle ball?? I mean, it doesn't really involve a pickle does it??? 😜