Tuesday May 9

Oh, my reaction is also Ewwwwwww! Yes, it takes talent, but just not my thing.

I was amazed that people didn't want to pay me $25 per hour to tutor, but didn't blink an eye at $50 an hour for trimming a dog. That was five years ago - not ancient history. I have friends who charge $90-100 an hour to trim, and they get clients.

I love dogs, but hate that more is paid for dog grooming than teaching children!

Aloha!

Back after Hawaiian vacation. I had planned on not weighing today. In fact, I didn't want to weigh at all this week. But curiosity won over.

Not so bad! 156.2. Last weigh in on my scale was 154.6, I believe. So only 1.6lbs?! I'll take it. I had wanted to be 149 for my surgiversary which is now only a little over 2 weeks away. So that looks unlikely unless by some miracle. But at the end o fthe day that it kind of arbitrary.

I really mostly did eat how I wanted in Hawaii. Now the good news is I didn't eat in that no-holds-barred I'm never going to get to eat this again fashion. You know what I mean? Where you're so deprived that you almost eat to spite yourself cause you can't do it later? I didn't do that! But I also didn't really watch it. Luckily I think I have a decent relationship with food now and my sleeve as a line of resistance. So I never do get to eat more than half an entrée. The big calorie problem was I probably had 4 drinks a day...two by the pool and maybe 2 glasses of wine with dinner. But I didn't do the frozen sugary drinks. And we didnt' do much dessert.

Anyway, I count that as a win. And it also convinces me that this weightloss has been "real." Because I was almost down to the weight I am now when I went to Key West last surgiversary-time. But I quickly gained the 8lbs. I'd lost.

Plan? Yeah maybe try to eat even cleaner than normal this week and perhaps next. As much as I want to see 149 on the scale, I don't want to see it only for it to disappear so I'm not interested in cutting carbs for 2 weeks, only to lose water and have it return just as quickly. DH leaves for a work trip for 3 days (bless his heart after we just got back!) so I'm thinking of stocking up on primarily greens and fish and chicken with enough fruit thrown in so I don't go into ketosis or anything crazy

Congrats on the vacation successes! You did great! Nice to have you back.

Greetings Balanced Ones

I for one have a terrible sense of balance. Have to sit down to put pants on. Hopefully my inner food balance is better than my traditional one. Balance indeed is a good theme for the week.

Down a half today to 135.5. Just gotta keep on truckin. Yesterday was a weird day. Waited around for the tree guys to show up. Finally left hubby to deal with it and went to studio. There I discovered my wedding ring was missing. So I went looking for it and went home and traced all the places I had been and was about to give up hope. Then I found it on my bedside table. Duh. I must have removed it in the night and put it there. Thats something I never do so it must have been irritating the next door pinkie finger that hurts some.

Meanwhile the tree guys did an awesome job. I got home just as they were cleaning up. They were friendly, hard working and even cute! Also way cheaper than I expected. They heard me say I'd lost the ring and helped look for it.

Paula your son will decide if he wants to graduate or not. Good on you for attending all your kids stuff. So Important these days. Hope the derm appointment goes ok.

Ann, water might not help you sleep but Sleepy Time tea might. All in all a cracker with a bit of cheese is not so bad. I actually had a cheese free day yesterday by accident.

Carbon I think I hear the grass growing here. Either that or its the dishwasher running.

BB glad you are back from your trip and hope it was good. The minimal weight thing is good as vacations can always turn into eat-a-thons. We called our cruise ship the "Binge Barge".

Its a calm sunny day and I am enjoying bird sounds. Hubby has Dog Chip out for a walk. Life is good - especially not at 247 lbs.

Diane S

BB - Glad you made it home unscathed by your vacation culinary enjoyments! Awesome!

Paula - hang in there. Be gentle with yourself. DS#1 has to want to graduate to graduate. My niece was in the same boat and pulled it together the last 5 weeks of her senior year and passed.

I'm holding on to my 2 pounds of weekend weight with very good reason: SALTY MOVIE POPCORN! Other than my bag of popcorn eating was totally on point yesterday.

There is a union and parent revolt going on in our little district over some major scheduling changes the board made for next year at the superintendent's recommendation. Lots of stress among the teachers district wide, but a little less so at this site. I'm very clear on where I stand and am doing my best to take advantage of the firestorm. We have a great opportunity to collaborate with the administration and create a real student centered flexible classroom with district support. I intend to focus on what I can do for my kiddos during this rather than being angry about something that is done and over with.

Our supe has had poor guidance from the Board and the entire DO admin turned over, too, this year (HR, CBO, Special Ed director, payroll, District Secretary), so her entry into our district has been of a sink or swim nature. Her vision for the district is good, but her communication and style of collaboration have been poor. We have lots of angry teachers. Diane O knows exactly what I'm talking about, I'm sure.

Anyway, all this to say the **** wa****ting the fan in the lunch room today after last night's board meeting. I realized that all the stress and *****ing and complaining was not causing me stress and not driving me to eat. I ate my bowl of left over meat and just listened. I enjoyed not having to eat to cope.

My body seems to have adjusted to the Vyvanse. The immediate effects have lessened. I can see that the dose might need to be upped just a bit. I am finding the evening focus on food to be returning with a little more strength. Will be interesting to see what the doc thinks.

I am still enjoying my new found sense of contentment and ease with self. Ever onward.

Hi all

well I am home a little early so of course check my favorite group. Devon there is no politics worse than educational politics. My mother was a college professor. Everyone is really invested in who knows the most. Ditto law firm politics. Glad you are able to be constructive but at the same time keeping healthy level of involvement.

Personally, I think the extreme dog grooming is nothing short of graffiti. Many show dogs are way heavily groomed enough as it is without adding pink and green paint. A good quality well groomed show dog is a beautiful thing. And more fun than tutoring I bet.

Well the natives (dogs) are restless. Its about their dinner time and DH went to get some new food for Tesla. She isn't eating all he feeds her but she is healthy and active and eats what she needs. What a concept. The other border terriers wolf down whatever is put in front of them. Including unmentionable things.

Lately I have been experiencing food envy. Meaning I wish I could go eat a prime rib dinner, potato and salad like lots of folks do. Of course, they are mostly fat. But I wish I could do this once in awhile. Oh well, they can't ride horses at our local trail ride because there is a 200 lb weight limit. Once I would have failed that.

Over and out. Diane S