Friday March 3

Another Friday! Glad to see it arrive. Diane, the reorganization at my company isn't done. They are just revealing one piece at at time. However the newly announced focus of my department is more my cup of tea than what I was previously doing so I'm happy about that - maybe I'll enjoy my last working days more. Thank you for your feedback on the trip. I am going, since it is only for 2 days and sounds really interesting. I've also received an invitation from the company to attend the Simmons Women's Conference in April. I went to it a couple of years ago and it was great. Another interesting thing to attend before I leave. I think I'm going to hold off on telling them about retiring right now due to the reorganization and some key appointments in April. One is seeing the new neurologist which may help clarify may when I should leave work anyway.

Good luck on the appointment Paula. At least DH will be able to move forward on treatment. I agree on fighting the insurance denial of the PET scan. I had to do that for my daughter for many things, including getting them to allow a PET scan. Sometimes insurance policy is to always deny first so that the physician will supply more rationale for doing it, but if the rationale is solid they approve.

Weight 115.75, calories 1227.

Liz what great fun you are going to have on the job this next little while because you can participate and enjoy and pull the plug when needed. How empowering.

Quite day for me yoga, weight training, then hit some bookkeeping. May slip in a movie - Logan is released today, catch me some Wolverine action.

Good morning

a lovely wind storm last night with lots of clanging and banging outside.

a good food day and walked for two hours. And I agree. Friday is wonderful!

Weight this morning: 134.4

Macronutrients yesterday: Cals - 1,570, Carbs - 172, Fat - 57, Protein - 101, Sugar - 94, Fiber - 26

Veggies/fruits yesterday: 5 (goal is 7)

Exercise yesterday: Yoga (and boy, are my flanks sore!)

Plans for today: Aquarobics, grocery shopping, filing, crosswords with hubby

* * *

Lately, I've been considering how very similar my meals are, day after day. I made a post about it yesterday to invite thoughts and did some online research to consider whether eating very much the same things is a bad thing or a good thing in terms of long-term nutrition (not for weight control). Turns out it can be both good and bad, depending on which specific foods I'm eating.

Bottom line is I've resolved to switch things up a bit and try to increase the variety of plant foods I'm eating, especially veggies. Although I'm now hitting 5 veggies/fruits most days, I'm still not making my new 2017 goal of 7/day very often. I've resolved to come up with 3 different breakfast menus and 3 different lunch menus and rotate those. Dinners are already varied enough.

After all, a lifestyle is nothing but habits, eh?

Company's coming this weekend. Love it when they come, love it when they go. :)

about a year ago I was at a lipids conference where they set up a series of short talks presenting evidence for "the best diet" Quick answer to that....no one knows. But, at the panel discussion at the end where someone asked what the panel members what THEY do for their own diets the common theme was avoiding processed foods and eating out for a variety of reasons.

But, the comment that still rings in my head was a guy (PhD in some sort of food science) who said he tries to eat

1) small amounts

2) of a variety

3) of whole foods

4) everyday.

This is my over-arching diet plan. So, when my MFP results in the last month showed massive (in my opinion) quantity of protein I thought I was missing opportunity for variety. I shall always be protein forward, but am shifting excess to a variety of plants.

Thanks for this, Shel.

I'm right along with you -- still protein forward, but with more and greater variety of plant foods.

202. Downward, must break through this century. Goal is 170. It is so doable.

Drove down to pick up the boys again. My daughter was not feeling well enough to drive. The boys were excited to tell me about their Dr. Seuss day. I had a hard time calming the little one down to go to sleep. Baths usually do the trick, but they were definitely hyper.

They ask my step score before bed and laugh when I march around the house. Last night I was too tired and accepted 9,476 steps. They ask about my sleep score every morning. They are understanding the macros and goals I try to achieve each day. They know it's about being as healthy as possible. They have experienced too many deaths and major illnesses for kids their ages.

The letter that my son got from his IOP doctor mentions NOTHING about the surgery. I have no idea what they thought the purpose of the letter was supposed to be, but he is requesting that they add that the doctors concur with the surgery. Pffft

Go, Joey! You can do it! :)

136.2 - up but calories were actually lower. Higher salt day so probably some water retention. No exercise today, food choices not so great.

Good meeting with oncologist today. CT scan didn't show cancer in any other organs. A few slightly enlarged lymph nodes that could be cancer, might just be inflammation. PET scan would have told us which so we will try again to get a PET scan approved. Will also have an esophageal ultrasound next week to see how deep the tumor goes. Based on those results, DH will have surgery only, surgery first then radiation and chemo or radiation and chemo then surgery.

Solo and ensemble tomorrow with DS#1.

Paula, that's a lot of new steps taken and progress made! Hard work for you all, I know.

Continue to care for yourself. ((hugs))