Ok it's a Snowy Thursday in Chicagoland!
Hi Carla and my OFF family to come:
It's raining here and it's making me super drowsy. But the maintenance guys are working on the apartment upstairs so it's difficult to get any rest. I slept fine but still tired. And it's back to work tonight.
I got my tablet working again but it's still acting goofy. I wound up buying a better charger. Wanted to buy a battery pack but didn't have the money for it. Maybe Friday.
I went to dinner last night with my former shrink ... we had such a good time. She had changed practices and couldn't take her former clients with her. I miss her ... we had such good talks. So we've since become friends. We went to this place called Cleaver's. It bills itself as "A piece of Chicago in Southwest Indiana." I had gyros ... oh, my it was good. I could only eat half of the sandwich it was so big. They also had Italian beef sandwiches, polish sausage, bratwurst ... lots of Chicago favorites. Supposed to have good breakfasts too. I'll be going back there. Plus the company was great. Donna and I had a great chat.
Hope everyone is good. I'm getting in the shower and having lunch. Have a good day.
Hi,
Glad you had a good time with your therapist friend. Oh goodness, my mouth is watering with the talk of the gyros. I have not eaten a gyros in a very long time. My goodness, now I am drooling. Hope the weather clears up. Wish you did not have to work so hard.
But life is what it is.
Take care of yourself,
Regards,
Arlene G
Hi Carla and Eileen and all my sistas,
Well, it's sunny and warm here today. Headed up to about 84 F this afternoon. Love springtime in Texas!
I finally got some good sleep last night. I was pretty miserable all day yesterday, but today is much better. Even Caralee and Carrie got several hours of sleep last night. So we're all doing better today.
Carrie and I just tried to take a walk, but it wasn't entirely successful. Little Bit did NOT want to ride in her stroller. She wanted to be carried the entire way. And Carrie forgot her knee brace. So we only made one block, but hey, it's a start, right?
Okay, I know I'm *****ing non-stop about my mom this week, but sometimes I just have to shake my head and wonder WTH? Before I left last month, I stocked up on all the things I thought Mom might need while I was gone. I bought a big tub of laundry pods at Sam's. Way more than enough for two months, you know? I put in some laundry this morning and discovered that tub was almost empty? WTH? Turns out Mom has been putting TWO pods in each load because she didn't think one was enough! Honestly. You can't make this stuff up.
We had Chris and the boys over for dinner last night. It was chaotic, but fun. So glad to have both my girls and all my grands in one place! I have a FAMILY, you know? I will always miss my husband with all my heart and soul, but I am not alone. I have a family to love and care for. Life does still have meaning. I am blessed.
I am so so ready to get my flower beds put in and to plant!!! I'm missing the best weather for planting right now! Yesterday I bought 4 hydrangea plants and I'm going to pot them temporarily in big containers. I also bought a pack of dinner plate dahlia bulbs. And oh, how I wanted to buy more! I think this afternoon I'm going to the nursery and buy some snaps and pansies for my containers on the back porch. It will be way too late to plant them in my flower beds by the end of this month, but I can have them on my porch for Easter pretties.
I need to sit down with my pencil and graph paper and get real serious about designing my flower beds now. I have so many ideas floating around in my head. Time to get them down on paper for the landscape guys. And I need to find out what kind of prices he can get me on the shrubs and trees I want to put in. Not sure if he's the best option for purchasing my plants or not, you know? So far, I've not been too impressed with his gumption. I don't want to pay for a bunch of second best plants that will just die after a year or two.
Okay, so it's confession time. I got on the scale this morning and nearly died. I weighed 210! NO, NO, NO! I gained six more pounds since the first of the year. This has GOT to stop. So I walked (a little) this morning and I'm going again this evening. I'm eating better food since I got home. I've made good choices all morning. And I'm fixing to eat leftover veggies for my lunch. I have to do this. Y'all have to help me. Nothing in my closet fits! And it's almost bathing suit weather again. I must get myself back under control. Please poke me about it daily!!! And prayers, too, please.
Well, I need to close now. Time to eat a bite of lunch and then off to buy some pretty flowers. Love you all!
Vickie
Vic,
I am going to tell you exactly what I told myself when I realized that I was out of control: 1) you have to account for everything so either do a food journal or do one of the food diary aps; 2) you must lower your stress level because you know as well as I that stress is not conducive for weight loss....get rid of the stress...let it go; 3) find out where the calories are coming in and stop it...right now; 4) slowly begin an activity plan and slowly increase it; 5) throw away all the sweets...candy, cokes, cookies, etc....then throw away all the bread...chips...and cereals except oats.
I know you can do this and you know it too....
Oh your post is so true. So very true.
I had my sleeve in 2014. I was never overweight till I started taking Lexapro. On top of that I moved out of FL to CT and tried to live on my own. I fell on my well padded arse over and over again. Kaching: 50 pounds. Do I exercise now? Nope. I swore I would stay on plan forever. The only thing I do not do is not overeat. I can't because it hurts.
I agree with your advice to Vicki. Write everything down. It is so easy to go back to old habits when we are stressed.
Take care,
Arene G
Hi Vickie: you and I both need to be poked re losing weight. Since I proudly vaunted about my weightloss, I regained 5 lbs. that means since the year started I only lost 2 lbs . Want to meet my goal of losing grand total of 50 lbs by end of August, but seems will have lost only 25 lbs in a year, with the remaining 25 lbs to lose in 5 months remaining. Looks like will be eating oatmeal and berries at breakfast, rest of day leafy greens, one fruit for dessert, and a piece of fish or chicken a day to meet my goal, means "dieting" and that's a swear word with me. please poke me to report in on weight...craving cookies right now.
Re your Mom and her non-logical behavior: No****ering plants, 2 pods per laundry load, disregarding clock and letting problem dogs wake you and baby., and the rest..Could it be signs of early dementia?
Cheers
Jen
Oh Vicki, I feel badly about you and mom. Since she is elderly, have you had her memory checked? Would she do things and forget them? Or would she do things because she wants to be that way? It sounds like memory problems, just wondering. Ah, Caralee wants to be held. I find that sweet. I don't think a baby can be held too much, but that is my point of view.
Remember, as we did in the past, what weight we put on, we can always take off. Stress eating is what got most of us here in the first place....Take one day at a time.
Yay for living in Southern states where Spring comes early and we can get planting early. Have a great time planting.
Sending my love,
Arlene.
One day, one step at a time. That is all we can do. I am talking about the weight issues we all have. When your stress level is lower, you will eat better. xoxo
Vickie Glad you got some sleep last night. You are right you have a family and that is important. Even mom who drives you crazy. Now that you are back home things will settle down and you will be able to attack that weight gain. It's been slow going for me. I have lost about 10 pounds since January. The scale says 15-20 but I know I have to account for all the fluid I gain and loose so I only feel comfortable claiming the 10. I am trying to get my flower bed done also and it is frustrating. I need slow growing dwarf type plants because I am gone a lot and cannot take care of a yard. He drew plans with SOME suitable plants but even those he jammed packed in. My bed is only 16 feet long and maybe 4 foot deep. He drew in 3 cherry bomb hollies that will get 4 foot wide and three encore azaleas that get 3 foot wide. He also drew in a butterfly lily several seasonal color plants two types of ground cover and a large rock. I now have to cull.
