Back on Track and well over 50

[pedidiva]

On to P 2~~~

P1 over, did well. Ready to go to P2.

Hope everyone is doing well.[color=#0000FF]

[Chris55]

Great - living through Phase 1 is half the battle!! Make sure you read the post with the lightbulb up above titled "Advice on Transitioning to Phase 2". Lots of helpful information there.

I'm still bumbling along trying to get down below 170 again. I've been doing well, eating Phase 1 foods and maybe a serving of fruit each day, tiny bit of rice last night. No bread, crackers, ice cream, etc. I have had wine and dark chocolate, though!

We finally had our thunderstorms last night, rainy and humid today, but managed to get in my walk this morning during a break in the rain. Now the sky is alternating between blue patches and dark clouds, still humid but high 60's. Did another grocery haul. I have finally conquered the grocery baggers here who destroy my fruit. I have a large grocery tote with a social service agency logo on it that's bright purple. So now when I hand them my bags, I say, "Purple for produce, please!" and smile. It all usually fits in one bag and the worst they can do is put apples on top of my bananas.

Dinner will be chicken, salad, green beans, wine

[BytheSea]

Afternoon Ladies!

I've been checking in, but always at the last minute and not enough time to sit and "chat". Glad to see you're showing the scale who's boss, Chris! The scale seems to be scoffing at me "down a pound, up a pound, etc" ready to take the doggone thing for a walk out into the woods and chuck it!!! Let the squirrels weigh themselves on it . Anyway, Between the horrible heat and party house central, June has disappeared and July is coming on like a freight train. Our son and future daughter in law were over last weekend to meet with the vicar about their upcoming wedding. So, to make it a more fesitve affair, I had a couple of other couples over and we made a night of it----lots of laughs, wine and food! Fortunately I was doing a lot of running around and didn't have much time to sit and eat any real amount, but the wine, that's another story It travels with you and travel together we did.

Food has been reasonable - 80% good and 20% (probably why the scale isn't cooperating) not over the top cheats, but they seem to be holding back on any real results. Exercise is coming along - trying to establish a routine -weights, pilates, cardio repeat- some weeks better than others, but I'm trying. I just started on a dental project - replacing the bridge- that should help in the unnecessary eating department. That should be completed in about three weeks and then it's off to BERMUDA!!!! one week cruise with another couple who has never been on a cruise or Bermuda, they're excited and I looking forward to getting away for a week. Then it's back home and serious business of weight management - I've got a wedding in October and dress that needs to fit! Bridal shower and Baby shower between now and October and a half dozen family members birthdays - my stomach hurts just thinking about it.

A bit of a downer here at work, the young woman who I work with has her last day with us tomorrow. Even though some jobs were restored, her's was not one of them and she will be finished at 3 pm tomorrow. I hope she finds something quickly, she has two children, one in college and one just started medical school and she is divorced, with no help from the ex. I count my blessings each and every day .

Hope this finds everyone well and ready for summer - talk again soon ~ gail

[feminist54]

Good afternoon all...do I look 600+ pages double spaced lighter???? I just sent off the manuscript to my editor: yipeee!!!
LK & I are going out to celebrate tonight, but I can't drink--on my second dose of antibiotics for my bronchitis (yuck or better put: cough).
Going to do ph 1.5 this week, and thinking hard about joining a gym, so I can't use humidity as an excuse not to exercise...
Now to catch up on all that I have slacked on (like our taxes, and then to write another book proposal-- I'm a glutton for punishment)...
ciao & stay cool

[Chris55]

Congratulations on finishing the manuscript. That's definitely cause for a huge celebration!!

Bronchitis? What's up with that? There is evidently a resurgence of whooping cough - wonder if that's the problem. In adults there's no "whoop" sound, just a cough. Hope you feel better soon so you can enjoy part of the summer at least!

Hoping everyone else got through that crazy mid-Atlantic storm. We had some bad thunder showers but nothing like the DC area. It's hitting around 90 here today, we're off to do some mall/indoor shopping. DH has been on call 3 weekends in a row, now he's finally able to go outside his 45 min circumference from the hospital. It would be a nice beach day, but my clan isn't into sand and water any longer and DD isn't here to hang out with me, so we'll shop and have lunch out today. I'll hit the beach again tomorrow or Tuesday by myself. Have gone lake swimming with my youngest, mostly paddling in my noodle chair.

Haven't gotten the kayak rack on my roof yet. Not sure if I'm ready to heft the thing onto the roof - wish I had some waterfront property to store the darn thing. Have you been out paddling yet, Gail?

Food was good for about a week, lost about 3, then started playing with the same couple of pounds up and down. Then started eating crap again. Ugh! Finally had to break down and buy a few pairs of capris in a larger size. So much for that surge of confidence last year when I got rid of all my larger sizes.

Last fling (again) today - Chinese food and custard on the way home.

[pedidiva]

Hi Everyone~~~

You all have been BUSY!!! Meeting with the vicar, plans on going on a cruise, a manuscript finished, getting the kayak down. Wow.

It has been hot & dry. (in the Panhandle of Tx) Food choiesgoing fairly well. Thanks for the advice on the transition to P2.

I hope everyone has a nice week. I tried Kohrabi--a very nice veggie, Roasted the bulb & boiled the greens--very nice. Needed a dab of Sriracha.

Take care~~
Pedi

[BytheSea]

Good Morning Beachin' Babes!

Hope all had a wonderful weekend and survived the heat We spent Sat & Sun at the beach, there was a nice breeze so if you sat in the shade you were cool and in the sun - toasty!! Ocean temps weren't bad, for this time of year actually warm! No kyaks in the water yet Chriss. The bay is full of the brown tide and is not very appealing to go into, so we'll be limited to the ponds until the ocean warms up a bit more, then I'll go into the ocean, but not on a rough day, I not that much of a thrill seeker

Hi Pedi! Nice to meet you and welcome to an active and vibrant group of women! Success to you on your beach journey - hang out here and recharge.

Feminist54 - manuscript off to editor - break out the vino and celebrate !! Here's to a restful summer!

Food has been pretty good - but the numbers still aren't budging. at least they're not going up. Would still like to take off a couple of pounds before the cruise - oh well.

Today is fairly nice out (after all those storms rolled thru here the last couple of days) hope to take advantage of it after work and get the old bike out of the shed and take a nice ride before dinner.

Ladies, take care and be well ~ gail

[Chris55]

Good morning, beach babes!! It's hovering around 80 here, with some nasty humidity and threatening clouds yesterday, but never got any of the rolling storms. Had a great 4th of July, marched in a parade for the first time since I was 10. One of the tiny hamlets near us has a very very irreverant 4th of July parade that is part political, part "let's make fun of the tourists". I joined my friends in the Marriage Equality group - we were a lovely rainbow - about 30 in all with 3 vehicles. The great thing was the reception we got - hooting, hollering, whistling, clapping!! Very overwhelming. Only one very quiet little stretch in front of two of the homes along the way. So things are looking good for November's vote.

Food on the 4th, however, was NOT good. I actually ate hot dogs after the parade, and we had lobsters (with butter, corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake) for dinner. We try and do lobsters on the 4th in memory of my Mom, whose b'day was the 4th and we always spent it in Maine having lobsters and strawberries. So yesterday, I got back to my P1.5 with fruit and my P1 meals, and some wine Veggie pickup at the farmer's market this morning so that will help.

[pedidiva]

Hi Everyone~~
Things going well here. Still dry & hot. Thankfully no fires this year like we had last year.

I plan to remeasure in August. I can tell that my clothes are feeling a wee bit looser in spite of scale numbers.

Take care

[feminist54]

Hi all: Not humid today & temps down in the 80s... Starting the new book proposal, which I am real excited about (of course its a yawn to most others: citizenship & public policy--or how we keep people entrenched in second class citizenship --and we, women, are part of that secondclass group!)
One more week of anti-biotics then I can have that glass wine...the cough is not as frequent or as disruptive of my sleep.
Sunday we lost water pressure (of course we all had to take showers before going off to a baptism, and the water was at drizzle, not shower strength, turns out that the connection from the water main unfer the street broke...so yesterday, the street got torn up and out bank account drained ($4k!!!, but $1K cheaper than what my friends' mid town paid, because LX's boyfriend works for the excavator).
Evan got 3 gold fish for his birthday, and we have been having the hardest time keeping the things alive...I am on a first name basis with the pet smart manager...Food has been lots of loaded salads--mesclun garbanzos, artichokes, cukes, toms, onions, cauliflower, hard boiled egg, etc. etc. mmmmmmmmm
stay cool & sobe

[Chris55]

Oh, I remember those goldfish days with my kids. Finally got a real tank and then had to deal with keeping it clean.

This week is glorious here. 80's and sunshine all week. Would have been the perfect week off, but DS just started his summer job and I had two interviews lined up. But today I head to my favorite beach, which is a bit of a trek, but I'll be able to walk as far as my legs can carry me, maybe swim a bit, sit and read, and eat my healthy snacks.

Food is mixed, as usual. Lots of good healthy veggies, tiny amounts of starch at dinner, but I've been hitting the ice cream, my major downfall in the summer. I'm hoping if I keep the rest of it under control and have a tiny scoop of ice cream, I might be able to make some progress. The problem is that DH is a bottomless pit when it comes to scooping ice cream, so I've been buying Klondike bars so that he has some portion control built in. Unfortunately, they're way over the amount I should be having. Maybe I'll start cutting them in half for myself.

[feminist54]

Hi all--hot humid & now t-storm, so the dog is as close to me as possible...hope there is enough rain to get the rain barrel up to the top...
Back to the pet store day with a sample of water, 12 dollars later I have ph balancer/nitrate enhancer/blabla bla...and hopefully fish in my next visit midweek...
Did join the gym, will do a zumba class there tomorrow.
Have been eating a berry yougart & cereal "parfait" each morning, lunch today was chopped mideast salad w/ feta & some left over jicama/onion/orange salad for lunch, and dinner was shrimp & eggplant,and some salad.
hope you all are staying cool !

[Chris55]

How are you liking Zumba? I don't know if I could keep up with a class like that!

Yesterday I finally got the kayak out on the lake. Decided to try sticking it in the car and bungeeing the trunk shut. Works great, I no longer have to wait for DH to rig my kayak rack, which doesn't like my Subaru, and I don't have to lift the darn thing up onto the roof myself. So I went for an hour gentle paddle out on the lake and down a little stream filled with water lilies. Ahhh!! The lake was like glass and it was early morning so all the party animals were sleeping! I just hate being buzzed by power boats when I'm out for a nice quiet ride.

I also went for a swim with DS, mostly floating in my noodle chair, though! The lake is so warm already, I can't imagine what it will be like by August.

We finally got some rain through the night, the first in about 9 days. I'm hoping it keeps up through the day so we get a good soaking, but it looks like it may be clearing enough for my walk.

Those nasty carbs are sneaking back into my menus, so today I'll be starting back to being more strict - my black bean/egg breakfast for starters. I've been eating plenty of veggies - my CSA share is at it's summer best - but all those packaged salty foods are tempting me. I need to be munching on kosher pickles instead! I'm one of those weird people with low blood pressure who droops in hot weather - spent summers carrying salt pills at one point.

[feminist54]

Hi--Chris (et al) if you like to mambo & chacha you'll love Zumba! It is my fav class, because it doesn't feel like exercise but oy do you sweat, & find muscles you never knew!
I was ready to go today, but instead spent the time looking for my sneaker...only one to be found, not quite sure what has happened in the past 3 days,but I hope it did not get into the GoodWill bag.......
Its so humid here that just hunting for the elusive sneaker in rooms without air conditioning I broke a sweat... if it doesn't turn up guess I will be sneaker shopping later and I so liked these--New Balance... but no sneakers no gym.
Today I am meeting a colleague in New Paltz at Karma Road (a vegan place) for lunch ...I really could go vegan except that cheese & eggs are my go to foods (if I can't have pasta...)
Your lake paddles & floats sound soooo relaxing...


Stay cool, dry & sobe

[Chris55]

Humid and sticky - yuck! Yesterday was drippy, rain on and off, cloudy, generally gross outside. So much for my beach day! Today I'm off to donate blood, then relax for the afternoon - no lifting or getting my arm wet. Should have made an afternoon appointment but didn't want to get caught in late day traffic.

Eating is a bit better. Trying to get back to P1.5 plus my ice cream treat.

Still waiting to hear about my latest round of job interviews. Luckily both my boys have jobs. NP boy is working cashiering and stocking shelves at our little local discount store that's 2 blocks away. Oldest starts as a bank teller very part-time next week which will be perfect for paying his loans but giving him time to work on his music. It should be much less stressful for him than delivering bread at 3am but the poor boy will have to wear a tie every day for the first time in his life. He cleans up nicely but prefers holey t-shirts and jeans.