New Year 2018! January 1, 2018

Weight 118.4 (up 2.4), calories 1907. Temperature 1 degree! Hopefully the weight is driven by sweets and salt and will settle back down in a couple of days. I got a good 8 hours of sleep last night (in bed an hour before midnight).

I still have that unsettled feeling which was fueled when I got up at 6:45 am and DS wasn't here. Usually if he is going to stay out he will txt me. He had already left for work (inventory in the restaurant)! So I still don't know what the feeling is about.

We had fun last night: A toast at a friends home before we went out to dinner, then dinner in a great French restaurant and home to bed at a decent hour (though quite late for DH).

Today will be a relatively lazy day other than starting to take the Christmas decorations down.

Have a marvelous first Monday of the year!

Happy 2018 !! Three years ago, I was fed up with my obesity and had done enough research to make the initial appointment with a bariatric center to find out what starting the process of obtaining bariatric surgery meant. Almost fifty years of obesity, failure, poor self image and punishing diets had taken their toll on my body and emotional health. I am grateful for my journey and for finding all of you !! I speak of you to Chuck frequently, often using portions of your posts as discussion starters (opening the door, blended family issues, remaining mentally sharp) and as points of interest. ("I know someone who worked on a float !!" "Here are pictures of where these friends hike." "The dog whisperer suggested...") This morning I realized how easily I think of you and refer to you as friends. This community/family means the world to me. Thanks again Diane, for creating this safe, nurturing place where we can all continue to learn and grow !

I'm 138 OTD today, just under my range. It is five below zero here, so we're hanging low and getting some cleaning and organizing done. Atlas has his initial visit with our Vet Thursday, and will get his next series of shots, enabling him to interact with other dogs and begin Puppy Kindergarten. He continues to sleep through the night and being able to reward/reinforce his efforts outside immediately has accelerated his willingness to "go potty" and come when called. In this colder weather, I'm so grateful we have a solid routine so we can do our business and get warm again.

148.something. Booooo.

Diane O - love your descriptors of our little family. I too refer to you all often in conversation with my family and sometimes my co-workers (work family). I too am so very thankful for you all and the relationships we have formed within this group.

We are at - 8 today and it isn't supposed to get better all week. I tried to make Bella some doggie booties so she could go outside and not freeze her little feet off, but she didn't like them! Hard to get a poop filled doggie unfilled in this weather!

I did make it to midnight last night. No celebration, just me at my computer putting a New Year's meme on FB at the stroke of midnight then off to bed I went.

Cleaning on the docket for today. Hopefully we will get a call regarding DS#1's intestinal bug which still is acting up!

For those of you in frigid weather like me, try to keep warm. For those of you in warmer climes - send me a ticket to visit you! Lol!

I feel so sorry for that little girl!

Happy, happy New Year!

I am grateful for each and everyone of you!

Well, both my indoor and outdoor gym are open but my body is asking for a break. Yesterday, after my one hour gym work out I skied for 2.5 hours. I was in bed by 10, but up a couple hours later to take Tylenol for all over mild aches.

Ann and Paula, how are those DH's? I frequently wondered how one was feeling after chemo and the other after long travel (tho lovely visit with family) Devon, best wishes for your Pops and your friend with the blood clot. (That will be a NYE to remember for that person!)

My yoga class does a vision board workshop on Jan 1st every year. I don't attend because I can't get past my fear of anything scrap-booky but I like the idea of thinking about where I want to go (figuratively and literally) and giving it tangible voice.

Speaking of fear, I arrived at X-cross skiing yesterday ready for exposure therapy. I am not skiing proficient and even small decents cause a lot of stress. Do I use the tracks or will I go too fast, do I snow plow, my snowplow is dorky, I don't have good balance, is that where I fell last year, do the trees remember me and and are they bracing for impact, am I a road hazard for much faster skiers

So, I deliberately provoked my anxiety by repeating a loop 3x's that has a number of small hills. By the third repeat, my anxiety was a lot better. I did fall once but it was much later on the flat when I was standing still, doing absolutely nothing.

Hug your skinny.

Shel

Ben is tired but otherwise okay. He was napping in his chair a bit ago. Will do his chemo on Wednesday or Thursday this week.

Paula, hubby is also doing lots of napping. But he's always been a good napper. He says he has an off button on his butt. ;)

Totally relate to the anxiety hills produce when cross country skiing. The arthritis in my knees prohibit great shock absorbing bending and many a time I've sat when going too fast. I purchased my skis 150 pounds heavier and often wonder if the skis sized to my former self cause me to pick up speed.

Fears. If I could sell all mine I would be wealthy. Nick Offerman wrote, you should run toward what makes you uncomfortable and learn to love it. I could run in any direction. You are doing a good job in that area.

Boy, can I relate to your x-c skiing downhill angst. It's the kind of thing "anyone ought to be able to do," eh? But it's more complicated than it looks.

I also learned very late in life (my late 30s) to downhill ski when it was much too late to pick up that skill. Not even sure I could still get off a ski lift without breaking my own and others' legs.