Tuesday, December 17th, Cardio & Cafe

Good Morning Botts:

I finished decorating my staircase last night with lights and bows and also finished up my outside lights around my front door.  Trying to get ready for my big Christms Dinner on Saturday night.  I plan on getting the tables ready tonight, I dress them up in long tablecloths with a Christmas village down the middle, with gold chargers under my Christmas china.  My table is 16 feet long sitting 18 folks.  It is really pretty when I get through with it.  My eats for today are:

Breakfast:  Coffee & Miralax

Second Breakfast:  Oatmeal

Snack:  Fiber One Bar

Lunch:  Quest Brownie Bar

Snack:  1/2 Granola Bar

Dinner:  Lean Pocket Turkey

Snack:  Deep Chocolate Vitatop

Exercise:  Bike

Have a wonderful Tuesday and remember those vits and fluids.

Your table sounds gorgeous. I've got a 10 ft table that my first husband built. Christmas china for 12. Red & white table clothes. I love setting it all up and calling the family to dinner. My favorite year was one where I did it sort of whimsically....green, red, white & gold curling ribbon down the center of the table, candles of different heights and shapes. The glassware that year was actually plastic but it was polka dotted. Great memories. I can't for the life of me tell you what we ate that year but I do remember there being LOTS of laughter.

No changes on the Stepfather report. He's holding his own. At nearly 90 years old he will be the first to tell you that he'd led an incredibly full and blessed life. He's really something.

I get my biggest Christmas present today...my boys will all be together. All that's missing is our 9 year old...she's at her Mom's until we pick her up Friday. David & I hung a new ornament last night...our neighbors found us a bride and groom ornament. So stinking sweet.

Today's plan:

Commute: Coffee

Breakfast: Breakfast Burrito

snack: cheese & crackers

Lunch: Crockpot BBQ

snack: Veggies & Dip

Dinner:  Roast Beef & Green beans & Yeast roll

I've popped my vitamins. Just finished brewing a fresh pot of tea. All that's left is to remember my iron tonight and work in some exercise this afternoon. I know it seems like the mid morning snack and afternoon snack are a little excessive...but I've planned on a healthy snack to try and avoid the temptation of all the office goodies that seem to appear out of nowhere.

Yall have a great day....be a blessing.

- Iris

I think your snacks sound just fine.  We need to feel that we are getting as much enjoyment out of our food as everybody else is on the sweets.  Your table setting sounds awesome too!  I love the different heights with the candles.  I have different toppers for my white tablecloths and I found my burgundy ones last night.  Now I can't decide if I am going burgundy, red, green or gold over white.  Decisions, decisions........

I am glad that your stepdad is still holding his own.  I ran into our retired pastor who married us 30 years ago and he was out celebrating his big 90th birthday with a walk through Walmart.

So glad that your boys are all here.  Family, that is what it is all about!

Hello friends,

Still here, but very, very tired.  My hormones are at a record low, but that's what's desired at this point.  Still on the low iodine diet, and hating it...I feel weird inside, like there's an engine humming, and that's funny because my metabolism is at it's lowest right about now.  My endocrinologist called to check on me yesterday.  She asked if they were making me fat yet, and I told her that I actually lost 1/2 a lb.  She was really surprised, but I'm still following my plan, except it is now devoid of many things I usually eat.

Gotta run to the store today to look for pure coconut milk (the high fat one with only coconut and water as ingredients).  The others contain carrageenan, which is a no no on the low iodine diet.  If I can find what I need, then I'll at least be able to indulge in a cup of coffee, cuz I can't drink it black...yuck!

I 've been getting in a bike workout here and there, and actually did 10 miles on and off yesterday.  I refuse to gain an ounce during this lowered metabolism phase of treatment.

The good thing is my RI treatment is on Friday, followed by 2-3 more days of the low iodine diet, then back on my plan.  Just in time for Christmas!!!

Prayers to your ill step-dad, Iris, and Gaby, I'm sending prayers for your daughter's continued recovery.

I'd post more, but my PC keeps deleting half of every sentence in mid sentence, that's why this post looks so weird.

Looks like love and happiness with family is in store for all...that's what matters!   Wishing you all a great day :)

Good morning BOTTs.

I love reading about everyone's holiday festivities.  Beautiful table settings!!  Tess, I must admit that I had to google "chargers"...they look beautiful!  We are joining my step-sister's family for Christmas Eve dinner.  I was asked to bring paper plates and plastic silverware.  Looks like the only cooking I will be doing is Christmas breakfast.  I'd better make it a good one! 

Super stressful morning and I caved BIG TIME.  Oh man.....old habits sure creep back in when my resistance is low low low.

No breakfast:  mistake

Got to work...sh*t hit the fan and I had to do 4 months of research, knee-deep in paper and receipts to find a needle in a haystack because someone, who didn't show up to work today, had dropped the ball!  Found the "needle" just in a nick of time, which immediately lead to the following...

Snack:  snickers bar and cheez-its (out of the vending machine)  I didn't enjoy a single bite...don't even remember taking bites...I was in stressed out auto pilot cram-it-in-my-mouth mode.  And.....did it make my stress go away???  Heck NO.  Did it make me feel better??? Heck NO.  Did it make me dump like there was no tomorrow?  YES...right down to the rapid heartbeat and want to curl up in the fetal position on my office floor.

Shaking my head at myself.  Not pleased with my actions. 

At least I am writing it down...honest almost to a fault...journaling keeps me from repeating negative things. 

Keeping it real.  (I am self-talking. I'm sure it's obvious tho!)

Lunch:  A carrot?  Perhaps a stalk of celery sans peanut butter??  10 glasses of water?

The way I am still feeling (at the tail end of dumping) at this point, I may never want to eat again.  (We all know that's just not gonna happen.)

This afternoon I will probably have a green salad with strips of grilled chicken breast and low-fat dressing.

If I can manage to get back up off the office floor, I should probably go for a walk.  (being overly dramatic)

Have a great afternoon, friends.

Gaby

I always wanted to curl up on the tile floor in the bathroom---where it was cool. Unfortunately the only clean tile floors I know of are the ones at my Moma's or my masterbathroom...lol....I ususally wasn't near either one of those when the drama would over take me.

Sounds like you've been through it this morning. I know you feel exhausted. Take it easy the rest of the day. The salad with grilled chicken sounds pretty good.

Hope your afternoon is better.

- Iris

So sorry for your stressful work day.  I have hugged the "pot" on several occasions from too much sugar/carbs due to stress.  After I feel better or at least no longer on the floor, I hum Boy George's song "you come and go, you come and go".  I am sure he meant something else, but I think of it in turns of eating and not keeping it down.  I hope you feel better tonight and are able to enjoy your dinner without too much upset. 

Side note:  I have Gold Chargers and some beautiful Red Chargers and I use both on two different tables for Christmas.  As for Christmas Breakfast, I am going to sin mighty.  We are going to have Monkey Bread with Caramel Sauce and Veggie Sausage, egg and cheese muffins.  I will probably only have a small bite of the Monkey Bread or I will be bowing to the "Golden Throne" on Christmas Day.