What's on your Thursday Menu, RNYers?

Hugs to you Deanna. Hoping your day will turn up, even with all the emotions and stress.

They're opening up an Aldi in my town, near the new house we're building, in fact. How do you like it?

They just opened one near me, as well, so this is first time I have tried this item. Everything I've tried so far has been good.

I'm an Aldi Pro (LOL)

About 10 years ago, when my kids were young I had a group of mom friends over and I bought a ton of things in both the Aldi brand, and the name brand... then I had them all out together in bowls and let everyone taste test. Most everyone liked the Aldi brand just as much, if not better. Keep in mind you really won't find a ton of 'specialty' foods there on a regular basis... but it's an awesome place to get things like basics, and snack foods if you need them (not for us)... I find their produce to be hit or miss, but I've also heard the are going/have gone all organic, so I need to check it out again. I do buy them though. And sometimes they have gourmet cheeses, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes great low carb choices, and sometimes not LOL

Just be prepared to see 1 brand of everything - unless they get a special shipment of some name brand product, that's how it typically is.

It's a cold day here in southeastern VA. Spring? where's spring?

QOTD: I would endure a commute for a job that i loved, but JB, your description of 4 hours a day on the road is not appealing, so that is a tough call. I cant stand being at a job where i'm miserable, though. That is for sure. Doesn't matter if its walking distance from my home. If I can't stand the job (or the people for that matter), i'm not going to last.

Time Since Surgery: 6 Months, Weight at 167 (Up a pound! I need to do better, but I dont know if its all the weight training either)

B: Egg salad & cucumber slices

S: Fairlife Milk and Swiss Miss No Sugar Added, Spoon of Almond Butter

L: 1/2 serving of A Small order Beef Pho Soup (no Noodles)

S: 1/2 Mango, 1 oz Cheese, 10 Cashews

D: Turkey Burger Patty, Slice American Cheese, Ketchup, and a Fudgcicle

Cals 1020, Carbs 46, Fat 56, Protein 82

Vitamins: Started, but I left my pill organizer at my parent's in DC so i'm trying to manage without it. Forgot to bring my calcium chews today. Will need to make that up when i get home

Exercise: Maybe walk for 20 min at lunch if it gets warmer, but definitely 1 hour Body Attack class tonight (best described as aerobics)

Good morning everyone!

Thank you all for giving me such a big boost of self confidence yesterday! There were so many encouraging comments and I appreciate you all for your support and kindness. Another bonus yesterday was that I confirmed another job interview for tomorrow morning so hopefully I'll bring some of that newly discovered confidence with me. Which brings me to...

QOTD This is something I've been giving a ton of thought to over the past year. Up until a little over a year ago I had worked at the same company for my entire adult life, 18+ years, and it demanded so much more of my time than I ever realized. It wasn't my dream job but it was a good job that paid well, was an easy 15 min drive from home, and I enjoyed the people, the responsibility and the creativity. It wasn't until I stepped away from it that I saw my work life balance was all but non existent. My work went home with me everyday, either literally or mentally, and it took a huge toll on my energy level. My financial independence was so important to me that I failed to see what acquiring it was doing to the rest of my life. Now that I'm contemplating what direction to take my career I think a lot about that question. I have no idea what comes next for me but I do know that I'm looking hard for an enjoyable, challenging work environment that doesn't come at the expense of the rest of my life. I would love to love my job but I will never love a job more than I love being with the people I love.

If moving closer to the dream job isn't an option then I would say you owe it to yourself to at least look into what might be available closer to home. You might find something great!

B- coffee w/ 1/2 premier chocolate

L- pork tenderloin

D- shrimp

S- turkey strips, 1/2 chocolate premier

Totals 569 cals, 107g protein, 13g carbs

Have an awesome Thursday everyone!

Christine

Good luck tomorrow!!

Good Morning and Happy Friday-eve. How was your run yesterday? I have been frustrated with my running lately. I hate having to take potty breaks and recently I have been having to take 2 during my hour, and once I stop it seems to be so much worse to get back up to speed and back in the groove, do you know what I mean?

QOTD: I think I would pick the shorter commute in the long run. I really REALLY dislike driving, even worse if there is any traffic to deal with.

Time since surgery: 2 years, 7 months

B: SF latte, eggbeaters with roasted red pepper, ½ an orange and 2 turkey sausage links

L: Buddig beef pack, lettuce leaves (wraps) and baby carrots

S: SF latte, Yoplait Greek 100 mixed berry yogurt, string cheese and jerky

D:TJ turkey burger, green beans and ¼c FF cottage cheese

E: 7 miles ran this morning and 40 mins of elliptical at lunch

V/W: On track

Totals: Cals:1038 Protein:120 Carbs:86 Fat:26

Have a great one!

I agree with some of the others. You can always just stay put until you find a great job that's closer. There's never any harm in looking - and you never know. "Job Charming" may actually come along! (i.e., a great job that's close to your house to boot!). I definitely would wait until I found something that's at least "good", though. A full-time job takes up so much of your waking hours that it needs to be something you really like. Otherwise, you could be miserable and it affects your whole life. Been there.

Good morning. Commutes don't bother me. I love listening to music or books on tape (even though they aren't on tape any longer). So a long commute with the right environment would be great to the best job. Now if the job sucked. No way.

B - 1/2 serving of the Flapjack protein buttermilk pancakes (150 calories with sf syrup - 15g protein/15g carb/3g fat). They have the same full serving profile as a quest bar (plus the milk and egg macros). I like it every once in awhile. I make a double batch (4 servings to me) and freeze them. They last me a month or so.

L - 3 ounces lite turkey with a little mustard and a stick of reduced fat sargento cheese

S - Premier protein drink

D - 3 oz Thai basil chicken (low fat and no sugar) on a small salad with mustard dressing

S - sf popsicles; .5 oz low salt nuts

Your Question of the Day/Would you rather question hits home right now. I've been back to work not even two full weeks and am so frustrated, and unhappy. So weird how just crossing the parking lot to another building took me from "I like my job, and feel supported if thing**** road bumps" to crying in the bathroom, telling my supervisor I don't think this position is a good fit for me (I'm a float and there are other positions they can rotate me in and out of). I made three decent sized mistakes yesterday and got my head bitten off for all three of them. My trainers are not good trainers and the materials I was given are useless, so I feel like I've been set up to fail. Annoying thing is the processes I started to keep myself from making said mistakes while working at the other building are "not something we do here" when I ask my trainers about them. I got permission from their supervisor to actually just do those things now - which will keep me from making at least one of the mistakes I made yesterday. I just dread going to work right now. Which is sooooo sad because I loved my job assignment prior to surgery.

I also found out that due to surgery I cannot request a transfer for another 6 weeks. Dang stupid big corporation BS.

Plan for today -

B - unjury and almond milk

S - cappuchino and milk (nectar lattes)

L - tuna with light miracle whip and 1 oz cucumber peeled and seeded

S - yogurt

D - probably 2 oz sirloin

S - another serving of protein supplement.