Tuesday June 28th

Good morning and congratulations Stephanie and Joey Jo on your surgerversaries ( is that how you spell it?  ) Well done!    And thanks travellers for the updates.   Exciting times for us all.

Calories 790 and steps 14,445.

A year ago fell into a very large hole.  Hurt my leg and at the time the xray showed nothing was broken.  About the three weeks ago the same knee started giving me grief and since then the pain has been ' not nice'.    Went to physio and am doing the exercises but yesterday the steps walked were painful ones indeed.   

So am taking the day off to baby ' the leg' and try and get the swelling down and have the pain diminish.  

Momsy and Lorna and BB just want to tell you that you are missed. 

Good Morning All !

134.6

Retirement dinner was a minefield !!  Glad I had a plan to shoot for.  There is a casino being build en route, and the traffic was horrendous !!  It took me an hour to make a 20 minute trip.  I had a Manhattan upon my arrival, and the cheese and crackers called to me.  Stuck to protein forward and not so much eating under my sleeve, but not to the point of discomfort either.  Only had a few bites of chocolate mousse... not worth having more. 

Love the travel reports !!  Your vivid descriptions are the next best thing to being there !  You are all touching aspects of my bucket list !!  Keep them coming !!!

Back on plan today !!!

Thank you, Carbon!!!  Hope your knee is better soon!!!

Yesterday was my first day of putting myself first and it went very well.  Thank you everybody for talking me down.

I bought myself a pair of high heels (wedges) on sale at Marshall's.  I normally wear orthopedic old lady shoes and sandals, but I have a few events coming up so I figured I would give heels a shot.  It is now lunchtime and they are still comfy.  Also, I am looking forward to taking them off to go for a fast walk.  Having broken my leg at 18 followed by several surgeries, I never really got the hang of walking in heels.  Then obesity messed with my balance, so I walk slow in heels.

Today is my second day of putting myself first and it is more of a struggle.  I ignored the devil (I mean the scale), but I was given another assignment at work, which may become a problem if I let it.  Normally, I work for one attorney.  Lately, I have been given more and more work to do for other attorneys.  Besides being a distraction, I have no time but most assignments have been temporary.  This new one is permanent --  backup phones for a persnickity anal-retentive, i.e., not flexible woman.  Her assistant rarely leaves her seat except for lunch, so that is good.  However, her phones can never, ever be unmanned.  My job is very hectic and I am always spinning plates, so we are not a good match.  Her assistant told me this morning that the attorney asked her to coordinate our lunches to make sure the phones are covered.  She said she was going at noon so I would have to go at 1, but then she didn't leave till 12:15.  I was thinking that I was going to starve.  I eat at the same times every workday, which is why workdays are easiest. 

Like I said, we are not a good match ... at about 12:40, I left my desk, went to the kitchen, washed my pepper, cut it up at my desk and ate lunch at my desk.  If I have to use medical reasons, I will, but it shouldn't be necessary.  I am valued.  I was not away from the phones for long, but in my 30+ years of work, I never had to be chained to my desk.   

I will go for a walk during my half hour lunch break when she gets back even though it's rainy.   

Scale greeted me with the same number. 

Had a nice session with the shrinky-dink. When it comes to sugar laden foods, I think I'm a bit like a weekend binge drinker, if that makes sense. Yet, I have trouble equating sugar laden foods to alcohol. As I think you all know, I am a non drinker by choice. Alcoholism runs deeply on my mom's side of the family and I saw the writing on the wall for me and decided it was best to stop completely before I walked down that path because I was certainly on my way. So... I have me some thinking to do about this subject. What is most perplexing to me is that I have periods when eating foods with sugar can be done in moderation and then periods when I binge. I believe my stress level influences the ability to eat sugared foods with or without control. Anyway, something to ponder over the next few days. 

I am feeling like the dad of a college kid. Brought one of my dogs home from down south and off to the vet we went for a check up, etc... before going back to "school" after summer break. (She goes back to the handler in mid July.) She has two nodes near a mammary gland without a nipple that the vet believes is a clogged duct, but I would rather be safe than sorry and asked to have them removed. The vet agreed it was the prudent thing to do. So, Ella goes under the knife today. 

Created my summer to do list. Will begin this evening by starting in either the office or the closet. 

Will keep you updated on food issues as I work through some of this garbage. I can feel I'm once again on the crest of a change. This is good. 

Peace.

The sugar thing is so darn tricky! No easy answers to that one. When I maintained a weight loss for a time earlier in my life, I swore off sugar for six months to see if it helped.  It really did and then I added another 6 months. After that I started to dabble and ended up regaining every pound and a few more. The floodgates opened.  Don't know if avoiding was a good thing or a bad thing - mixed feelings on that one  

For now, I'm managing with sugar, but it's still a slippery slope. No binges, but I sure like to eat sweet things! Totally concur with periods of high stress going hand in hand with less 'control'. Not sure I ever have complete control though - it's hard to leave anything on the plate. But avoiding sugar at high stress times seems smart. Also, my restriction helps me, even with things like ice cream.  I don't think I could actually binge and somehow I'm not a grazer. More of a volume eater. Don't know if that makes a difference or not. 

I was supposed to ask you about yoga about now.  Is it on your summer list?  :) 

Not to say that you SHOULD be doing yoga.....that would be very un-yogi of me. 

Ah, good reminder. No, I left it off the summer to do list. Hmmm... my first reaction when I read your post was, "Oh no, I'm too fat for yoga now!" A few extra pounds can really cloud one's self perception...

Perception is fickle, for sure!  

And, just as a counter balance tho I know your rational mind knows this: you are not too fat for yoga.  However, your list looks fine as it is! 

So, today is another anniversary!  Thirteen years ago today, my husband and I met!!!  Happy Meeting Day!!  This is another day my life was changed forever:) 

Denist appointment this morning.  Then off to the gym for 60 minutes of cardio.  I have my weekly group meeting tonight and then dinner with friends.

160.7# AGAIN!!!!  

Have a wonderful day.  Take care of yourself!