Friday, June 22, 2018

Weight 120.4, calories 1234. Headed in the right direction but austerity will be needed starting tomorrow (travel day).

I can?t believe it is our last day here! We are ready to leave though. I don?t think we will go anywhere today and for once I planned well with our food so there isn?t much waste. The only thing I?m worried about is possibly running out of creamer for my coffee (oh no!).

Today will be full of walking on the beach, swimming and relaxing. Tomorrow we leave the resort around noon and will be home at about 10:30 tomorrow night.

Here are a couple of good pictures of what we love here. Have a fantastic Friday!

Weight: 135.0
Macros: Cals 1,247, Carbs 133, Fats 34, Protein 23, Fiber 38
Sleep hours: 9.5
Vegetable/Fruit Servings: 7
Exercise: None

Weight keeps climbing, but it's not a mystery why. Although I ate well yesterday, the day (night) before I scored 2,204 calories, thanks to very little sleep (3 hours) and night nibbling. The nibbling was on "good stuff," but it lasted until the wee hours. Sleep seems to be the foundation of my lifestyle, whether healthy or not.

Consequently, I took yesterday as a rest day. It was also a grieving day, which I've been anticipating for a while.

In the morning I read a slim but powerful book by Canadian Carol Matthews -- "Minerva's Owl: The Bereavement Phase of My Marriage." It is, hands down, the very best thing I've ever read on the grieving literature shelf. If you'd like to learn more about the book and my response to it, I reviewed it here. Mercifully, Matthews doesn't offer any advice or a single homily. She merely tells with clarity and candor the story of her experience from the landscape of her bereavement. I think that's a powerful approach -- to share our story and refrain from insisting that our lessons will apply to everyone else.

This morning will be busy -- the pool, physical therapy, and a "salad luncheon" with friends. I hope Kubota returns my mower this morning (they had to replace a front tire, which I flattened last week), because I want to mow the hayfield before the predicted weekend rains.

Today's theme (I'm sticking with this for now): Be here now.

Beautiful photos, Liz!

Weight: 164.6. Up. I wonder if during my "losing" phase I should weigh less frequently. Because even though I knew my great losses on the week weren't deserved, and I know I ate more salt yesterday which is probably revealed in this number, there's a bit of a "why do I even try" feeling. Whereas if I'd only weighed today, I would be down 3-4lbs. on the week! Then again, sometimes not weighing means I put it off, and sometimes celebrate the day off with food.

B: blueberry English muffin, scrambled egg, ff half and half

L: My uncle called and wanted to go to lunch. I debated. I had a healthy lunch, but I would've felt miserable about eating it and missing out. Life isn't about missing out. And I'm in this for the long haul. Is this my truth or just rationalization? Well whatever, it is what it is. I went and enjoyed although this caused me to feel hungry and make poor choices throughout the day.

1 chicken enchilada, handful of chips (let's say 10) with salsa and water-queso, 1 corn tortilla with salsa, 1/2 sopaipilla.

S: Sonic pretzel with cheese and diet Dr. pepper. Yep, carb monster came out.

D: Herb roasted chicken lean cuisine.

S: 1/2 sandwich thin with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter

1550 calories, 62g protein

Still not so bad so I'm not beating myself up. Life is to be lived and food to be enjoyed. I'm okay with yesterday.

DH gets home this evening! I get my hair done this afternoon so I will feel beachy blonde again! Rebecca woke up at 5am this morning :(

I only weighed once a month when losing after surgery because fluctuations and stalls would make me crazy. Maybe you are right and the same philosophy should be followed when trying to lose now. Hmmm... that would mean I should not weigh next week while I'm trying to drop my vacation weight.

Good morning

Aruba looks wonderful.

And yes indeed we are in this for the long haul and I would think most of us feel healthier when the treats don't overtake us ( she said as one whose treats sometimes flatten her. When get to the " I neeeeeeeed treats " am endeavouring to think HALT. )

Grieving as well seems to be an ongoing process.

it is Friday! Yay!

Good morning,

Liz, what a magical environment. I am not bored with Aruba, yet. I'm sorry to see you leave, but thrilled that you will be reunited with your Justice.

Ann, I am excited for your upcoming trip. And, thank you for sharing your grief lessons.

Carbon, your village could supply enough material for a Netflix show. I would 100% binge-watch Carbonland.

M150, I re-read your epic post again this morning. I identified with much. But, I have never seen (or experienced) the sheer joy of your earliest days of alcohol abuse. How seductive. Who wouldn't want to do that over and over again? Eventually, it knew it owned you and no longer needed to provide any benefit. Just the opposite in fact. Addiction is a beast. Again, I am glad that you are still here. Being at healthy weight is a cherry on top.

Last night, my sister's family and mine helped my parents celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. It was a true event, in a private dining room of a fancy Seattle restaurant on the water. It felt like a Disney movie, at times, as wait staff presented us with each course in a choreographed flourish. Both my dad and mom cried at the end as they said their thank you.

My mom stole a embroidered hand towel from the restroom. My dad had to fess up that he stole a couple of decorator "diamonds" off the table. He was only caught because it turned out they belonged to my sister and she wasn't going to leave until she had her full set. Their souvenir thievery still makes me giggle.

I appreciate everyone's posts so much. David, I loved that you trained yourself to help your dogs. BB, you will figure out something for your furry pets. Maybe start with hiring dog walkers to get the little poopers outside on a structured basis? (Thinking outside the box, knowing that you personally have limited time.). Also, such good positive training advise from Cecily (and really everyone) who chimed in.

Have a great day, all! Shel

Weight in compression: 157.8 woo, I've been eating a lot lately

It's so weird that I fret when I lose too much and then I fret more when I quickly regain what I fretted losing. So much fret. Fret. Fret. Fret. Isn't it weird how words lose meaning the more you say them?

Last night I went to my first knitting group gathering since my surgery. I was thinking I'd have to leave early if I ended up in an uncomfortable chair, but I was fine. No knitting ensued as usual. Ha.

Since I was out late, I had my Valium nightcap several hours later than usual and slept until 8:45. Yowza. Woke up and realized honey had leaked out of my "diaper band" somehow and through my compression gear. What a mess. Still strategizing how to change the sheets without having to lift the corners of my lead-heavy mattress.

Tonight I'm headed out to dinner to celebrate my friend's 75th birthday. Should be fun!

Liz, safe travels home from your beautiful spot!

Greetings Friday Friends

149 and holding. Better than gaining.

Great "parting shots" of Aruba Liz. What an idyllic looking place. I wish I could see how Justice acts when you get home. Best part of a trip can be reuniting with dogs!

Diane O hope your dogs are finding some peace with food. My niece is a veterinarian and is especially interested in nutrition. I will have to ask her what she feeds hers. Ditto for Dave.

Yesterday's studio clean up plans fell by the wayside as my studio roommate showed up and had lots of stuff to talk about. She is very chatty and rather loud but I managed to make it home without my ears bleeding. There was plenty to catch up on.

Carbon I hope your little town can find some peace. Far too much drama for one village and one person.

Good Mexican food - that and pizza are what I crave most after wls. I do have some occasionally. There is a large assortment of taco trucks around here. My studio roommate knows them all and which is best. I need to stay away.

For goodness sake Dave, don't overheat! Keep tha****er bottle handy.

Interesting thoughts Ann on the grief book. I will read your review. So totally not surprising that you would find such a gem of a book. You have a way of seeking and finding the best things. Its your ability of being open to whatever good is out there. Some people spend their lives looking under rocks and wondering why they only find mud.

Well time for more coffee and to plan for the day and to smell some roses.

Today is my younger brother's birthday. Younger at age 63 or maybe 64. He is a fitness buff and looks half his age (I typed fitness butt!).

Cheers all. Diane S

When we were children, my older brother contracted meningitis and was hospitalized for 3 weeks. Our beagle who usually slept with my brother kept walking around the house looking for him. We actually brought the dog to the hospital grounds at one point so my brother could call to her out his third floor window. She was overjoyed and tried to scale the wall. When he came home she was overcome with joy and wouldn't leave his side for the first day. Then she gave him the cold shoulder to punish him for the next few days! LOL!

Chiquita has acted that way once or twice when left for a while too.

So I wonder if that will happen with Justice?