ENOUGH WITH THE PUMPKIN PIE -- and all the rest of the in-your-face holiday sugar! Jeez. 

Sitting on my kitchen counter are 4 large bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 4 extra-large milk chocolate Hershey bars, 1 jar of marshmellow fluff, and 4 lbs of white sugar. Christmas fudge makings. May I survive. And you?

So, are you all busy with Christmas preparations or something? Any inner preparation for the looming holiday food challenges? Please share.

I miss my sisters.

YIKES

My weight is up.  Recommitting this A.M.  Cannot go to food when my body is uncomfortable.  Aches and pains are what they are.  I have got to do a much better job of breathing through it.

Yesterday was 7 months since I turned an eating corner. Thanks to Camille breathing new life into Sisterland. For a sugar addict like me, I can't look too far into the future because all I see is a disheartening supersized yo-yo. Feeling on my own in Afterland AND Sisterland. Where are you guys?

DECEMBER 1
Anybody out there?!

THANKSGIVING DINNER IN PORTLAND REPORT
Vegan that I am, for the main course I partook of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry relish, and 2 freshly made, yeasty biscuits. Dinner plates then removed, the festive table was arrayed with desserts: 2 pumpkin pies, a blueberry-pear pie with crumble top, a pomegranate/cranberry tart, and a huge bowl of fresh whipped cream. Joe and I made our traditional gingerbread cookies, frosted with everyone's name in white. I allowed myself one of those, but nothing else. Was not easy! But I did managed somehow! Nor, when Mary and I got home from her brother's house where the feast was held, did I sneak any of the leftover goodies Mary brought home with her. In summation: I survived Thanksgiving without whooshing downhill. Afterland is not for the faint of heart. How did your Thanksgivings go?

F*** grocery stores and their in-your-face pumpkin pie displays! 

Thanksgiving is a week away. So far no pumpkin pie. But piles of them are in your face when you walk into any grocery store and the pull is there. On the bright side, I'm loving my new-to-me $1 pair of bright turquoise corduroy skinny Joe Jeans!

Veterans' Day

Thinking of DAD!

ANOTHER GOAL

Where any one of us could actually wear that thong!

                                                        2012 PRIZE WINNER

Just now, all of a sudden, I remembered when I began slipping after Mom's 90th: Thanksgiving time 2012. Pumpkin pie before Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie ON Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving. As you all know, I don't mean a simple slice. So I believe it's a good thing this memory has popped, uninvited, into my head today. The take-away message for me: Take care. Thanksgiving with all its goodies approaches. Keep my eye on the greater prize that lies beyond the momentary comfort of pumpkin pie.

How are all of you doing?

Today makes 6 months since I put down the bad stuff on May 5. Afterland is like swimming in the ocean deeps.

Kim getting on board!

Kim's on her way.  Getting a new pair of sneakers in a new size and she's good to go!

Happy Birthday Kim!

3 days in a row - gym for Camille and I! I can't wait to get my fitbit now!!

WTF indeed and agreed!

What is my fucking problem I have no idea.  I am finally on board I would say. The fitbit (purple of course- I couldn't get a good deal on the teal) is on it's way. I'll be going to the gym with you today Camille. I will measure my evening wine, drop the bread, pick up the water and will make a better shopping list. If I can get back down to where I was 3 years ago and adopt this new lifestyle, I am going to reward myself with the freeze your fat thing for my abdomen. Even if it entails a loan. My goal for the 20+ pounds I've put back on is June 1, 2016. I'm glad your all here.

Day 3 of being NutriBullet-less! The company is sending me a new one -- even though mine was 3 years old. Very dependent on what this "extractor" does for me on a daily basis. Panicked at first -- that I was a mini-step away from driving to the store to get something contraindicated. So far so good. My replacement might arrive tomorrow -- shipped from Southern California. 

Where have I been? In Afterafterland. And eBayland. My last post was October 11 -- all of 13 days ago! Have not slipped into sweets or empty carbs of any kind. But as I've been saying for months, I feel lost without a map in the wilderness of After. Somewhat like having summited. No further up to go. Nothing but black ice looking down. So, here I am, precariously perched on the summit. When you get here, you'll know what I mean. Of course, there is a lateral path connected to another summit close-by -- Mt. Exercise.   

HEY!!! WTF??????

Where the H are you guys?

Alone

Feeling alone here.  Still committed.  Still at a plateau.  Never want to slide back.HELP

Sisters?

Hello, girls.  I feel we are all slipping a little bit.  Let's put our boots back on!

Early morning observation naked:  all wrinkly.

O, where have I been? Lost in pathless Neverafterland. Very pleased to have officially landed here, but I have arrived without a map or GPS, only with the tired, old, deflating, trudging diet-word "maintenance," a word, as I said in an earlier post, I wholeheartedly reject. I propose an alternative star to steer by in Afterland: BEAUTY. Inside and out. My beauty. Yours. Such an intention, I suspect, might be an antidote to emotional-eating and food slips of all kinds. Polar opposite of ugly, fat, deteriorating, lacking. 

Diet Coke Update: Abstinence lasted one day. But who wants to be perfect? I say. For me, that's huge progress!

Thanks camille

Went to machine's today, thank you to my motivator. It's only been a couple hours and I'm feeling it.
baby steps. one foot in front of the other.

Thank you Kim and metamucil

Well sister you have motivated me without even knowing it.  I am going to the gym today even if it's on a treadmill or bike and every other day. So, I thank you Kim. Please get back here. So proud of you already for getting started. And, Mignon you foraged the way believing we would be dragged out of afterland. You too Camille have kept the faith. Thank you all.
Why the Metamucil Ming you asked this summer. Because, I have a shitty diet which I plan to work on to. Although some of us probably know this I add:  Fiber plays an important roll for a material that does not get absorbed by our body. It is abundant in fruit veggies nuts and legumes and passes from our mouths to our porcelain bowl intact (which is why you don't need it ming)
It adds bulk and provides a sensation of feeling full resulting in decreased food and calorie consumption.
Additionally, I didn't know this one, fiber can soak up sugar in the intestines, preventing it from being absorbed and raising blood sugar levels.
Have a great day!

Pool closed

The pool will be closed for 6 weeks. I have to choose between Zumba, yoga but not chair and a total newby or tai chi?????  This is just for tomm. more to come,

My first official Yoga class

Why was I never open before? Why didn't I get to do yoga with Col or Chair yoga that she taught which is what I did today. Thank you Camille and Mom for finally getting me there. I signed up for the gym for 90 DAYS. I usually do 30 day increments. But, honestly is was super positive. After physical therapy that stretching does feel sooo good. Now step by step. OHHH and I received some of mom's skin diary. I bought and just applied Oil of Olay Pro x hydra firming cream with most importantly niacinamide. Kim I will make a copy. But what I want to know is what bobby brown foundation for MATURING skin. I'm 56 and I have to start wearing makeup if I plan to get a job.
Thank you ladies for staying the course. I will be back on Sunday. Have a great weekend!

Congratulations on the Diet Coke may be premature. Its absence is screwing everything up, eating-wise. So, the jury is out. Stay tuned.

Camille, can you elaborate on what you meant by "struggling a little" a few days ago?

KIM

Calling Kim!!!!  Come home to Sisterland.  We are here for YOU.

Hooray!

Mignon--Way to go.  Especially on keeping it in perspective!!!!  Save that 60$.

Day 1 without an ounce of Diet Coke. War, starvation, physical pain and limitation are occurring all over the world and I'm trepidatious about getting through a day without Diet Coke. And yet, it's so. Green tea at my side. (I was spending $2 a day on coke, that's $60 a month!)

I've been here every day, Sis

Mignon--Congratulations on leaving soda.  I'm struggling a little.  Just staying the course.  I need to amp up the physical part of this journey.  The weather here is crazy.  We are apparently headed for a rough patch over the next several days.
Stay strong.

Feeling alone in Near-Afterland. Awaiting my blogmates' arrival. Hopefully, this morning I just drank my last Diet Coke, for this moment in time. All gone. No more anywhere to be found in my apartment. I'm transitioning to Zerowater with a six-pack of Diet Hansen's. My 2 beautiful water bottles stand at the ready atop the refrigerator. Wish me good luck.

here

but absent. where does the time go

So I've been thinking about setting an intention to go cold turkey off Diet Coke on October 1 -- and thus to rediscover the joy of drinking water! I can't recall ever getting this much of a mental payoff from Diet Coke as I have in the past 4, going on 5, months. Pop, pop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is, etc. Now that October 1 approaches, however, I don't want to end the love affair, even though I know I should. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, let me say this. It is my intention to set an intention to get off the stuff. Amen.

Good to see your post today, Camille! Is your "status quo" as deflated as it sounds? Hope not. Walking and stairs sound terrific. Waiting for you and Leslie to join me in "Afterland." No surprise: it's slippery.

Unexpected outcome of losing weight:  Some of the clothes I eagerly placed in a pile to donate or to sell on eBay have found their way back into my closet. Not too many, though, thankfully. Often I have to try on a garment in order to describe it accurately for eBay buyers. Thus, the slight regression. Suddenly, th pants or the top are looking good again. But overall I've discarded SO MUCH. Besides, if given the choice between a slim closet or a slim "me," my answer is a no-brainer. Slim me.

Hi Girls

Feeling grateful that I am "status quo".  Walked yesterday, gardening today, lots of stairs, too.  Not enough, but something.  Recommit several times a day every day.  Let's go, Sisters.

So the supermarket I frequent most often has its donuts on the immediate right as you enter the door. Then, inches from the self-checkout screen, at eye level, are rows of candy bars and sometimes also a big open carton of candy bars sitting on the floor waiting to be shelved. Today it was a full box of oversize Hershey bars. Mostly, since May 5, a protective bubble has given me a set of blinders in the supermarket with respect to my drug. Yesterday and today I noticed that I was noticing the donuts and the chocolate. Glancing at them as I walked on to the produce section. 

5 PM
I was just about to secure the lid onto my NutriBullet when I spied something that looked like it might be alive nestled on a triple-washed, organic spinach leaf! I bent down to take a horribly closer look and determined that it was, indeed, a living thing. Lord help me!

One afternoon rolls into another, so I'll be making my green drink soon. Larry left some chocolate-covered almonds in my refrigerator. I took them to my morning meeting. I had none. Camille: I know what I have to do. PPS: For the past two days, I found myself reaching for a belt to cinch my paints at the WAIST! Cannot tell you how surprised I was. Even at my thinnest, I don't think I ever wore a belt, convinced long ego that I didn't have a waist. Thus, my penchant for baggy clothes. So even though my waist is actually thicker now, from age, I wore the belt proudly. I cared not a fig if my waist was ordinary--ie, not 18", not even close. Felt like a woman. No more hiding. Kim would be proud of me!

Welcome Back, Leslie!

Leslie, it's great you've turned a corner!  Now, Kimmie, we are waiting for YOU. Mignon, you should try cutting down on the soda, begin to add SOME walking every day.  Together, sisters.

Great to see and read your Comment and Post today, Leslie! I did, indeed, get a "worthy" water bottle, the same one that worked for me before and that went missing. Nalgene. Holds 32 oz. That's the equivalent of only 4 8-oz glasses of water, but it worked for me REALLY WELL before. I just make sure the bottle is empty by the end of the day. I get additional water in my smoothies/green drinks. Next step: fill it up and start drinking. That means letting go of Diet Coke which I have become seriously in the habit of drinking for a few months now. But easy does it. It feels SO GOOD not to be a slave to sugar and other bad eating.

I'm owning it!

I just made my appointment with the foot doctor. Please note dear sister Kim. I did however not make it until after my stay at home vacation. I am joining the gym however on the Tuesday of my vacation week. I will not put my health off too much longer. Thank you Camille and Mignon for keeping it going.

I'm approaching "after" and want to keep losing so I don't have to face living this way forever and ever. How's that for paradoxical thinking? Do not, do not, do not want to start gaining again, or become enslaved to sugar and carbs again, which is really the same thing. I want my freedom from unhealthful food and unheathful eating. Green drink and protein smoothie today. Roasted potatoes in the oven. I hope to get to Target tomorrow to buy a new water bottle.

Reporting in from the "other" beach, the one 3,000 miles across the country. No slips, but feeling a little slippy. Nonethless, I'm paying "no never mind" to that slippy feeling and keeping my eye on the prize: healthful, high-nutrient eating and continuing to cultivate the mindset that sustains it. Healthful, mega-nutrient eating is requisite for a lean body, the body I feel best in. Bien dans sa peau:  Happy in my own skin. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing you both and, especially, our walk on the bridge!

LAPSE

Even though I partook of TWO Rojo's tacos yesterday, my weight is the same today.  I WILL happily take that.  Phew------------

And so I begin again

Fitbit goal 1
Rejoin Gym October 15th

Hellloooooooo

Good morning, those of us in OC!  Road trip today!

Another Fun-filled suggestion (since it is a VACATION)

Went to Somers Point Beach Concert last night.  Fabulous.  Full Moon rising over the bay waters, breeze off the water.  Perfect.   NEXT FRIDAY, the concert is a BEATLES music tribute evening.  We are definitely going.  

Correction:  Last to go is not just the belly, which I notice every time I go to the bathroom. I forgot to mention "lovehandles"--a yucky euphemism--which I notice much less often given that I tend to wear loose-waisted bottoms. Sigh.

MORNING COMPUTER ROUTINE

My routine is EMail, Facebook, Sisterland, Fitbit!!!!  Good morning, Mignon!!!!!  Next Thursday--Ride the ferry across the Delaware Bay~Yahoo--

Everyday, the first thing I do after my computer boots up, is to click on Sisterland to look for word from my two sisters in Ocean City and, always hoping, my sister from Boston will appear too.

The absence of feeling fat feels very, very good. Like having a painful thorn removed. Cultivating this positive state may be a good prep for "after." Feeling thin feels good too, of course. But I think gratitude for the absence of the chronic fat feeling might be what helps me not to yo-yo. Of course, my belly still hangs down -- but there's less of it. I'm not done losing, so maybe the hang will decrease a bit more. Last to go: the belly.

Let me hear from you two?

Hi, Mom!

Continuing to eat high-nutrient whole foods, still quite easily. My honeymoon period is now over three months old. Can't quite believe it. "After" is never far from my mind though, which feels like a good thing. Setting the intention not to yo-yo when being leaner feels this good. (Exercise and muscle MUST come soon.)

Miss not hearing from my sis-mates more often...

Doing okay here--food-wise. I've decided to check a bag when I fly to NJ in two weeks. I want to bring my Nutri-Bullet with me so I can have my morning protein drink and afternoon green drink. The Nutri-Bullet has helped me nutritionally more than I can say. Colleen made me my first vegetable juice--carrot--which I was shocked to find I liked. That was summer 2012. That's when we were exploring eating vegan together, and juicing. I went back to CA and began shopping for a compact juicer when she saw an ad for the new Nutri-Bullet and passed it on to me. Without it, I don't think I could have stuck with juicing -- too much cleanup with every other juicer. Without juicing, I don't think I could have stuck to eating better, eating green, eating lean.

How are you?

Want to eat a whole jar of peanuts today. So far haven't succumbed to buying any. I can feel that "fear of re-gaining" hovering. When I get there in September, would you be interested in a sit-down to talk about what comes next? The "After"?

FEELING GOOD (AS IN PSYCHOLOGICALLY)

Had follow-up appt. yesterday for blood work.  Numbers are super-good.  I am down 16 pounds from when I was there 4 months ago.  Had to get a pneumonia shot as I am turned 65 next month and then will need a booster.  AND, had to schedule a WELCOME TO MEDICARE appt.  What a crock.  That's in two months.  Gives me another goal to have in mind.  Be a little less by the time I go back.  Dr.  says I need to be doing an hour of aerobic activity 3 times a week. YUCK.  

Just checking in

Why doesn't mowing a lawn, weed picking and chasing little kids (talking about years ago) count for any weight reduction. There should be a law. Almost anxious for water aerobics to start again.  Okay so just checking in with my daily thoughts.

Kim? Are you there?

Q:  Is there perhaps a silver lining in "slow" weight loss?
A:  I think there could be. The patient mindset of slow weight loss could serve one well in the "After-Weight-Loss" period I talked about recently. Because, "after" doesn't come with the peak-rewards that quick weight loss can bring. "After's" pleasure, by definition, can't be about peaks. But perhaps the "after" mindset doesn't have to be a dulling down. Perhaps it can be a sustained high!

I Hear You

Hello.  I am here.  Staying the course.  At it every day.  Adding a little exercise, including Chair Yoga (which is a fabulous class).  Just trying to stay patient and allow the ounces to come off in their own time.  SO SLOW, though.

Seems I need our blog daily. Not you? This isn't to chastise. I just get disappointed when the message board is empty.

August 5
Today marks 3 whole months since I returned to green drinks and since I've had any sugar, even any bread other than a few bites. I remember not believing it when 10 days passed. I can't believe 3 months either. But, no question, the mind is getting squirrel-ly. I'm approaching AFTER. I so don't want to return to haphazard eating. I so don't want to ever gain weight again -- from overeating.

Note:  3 whole months in which I haven't formally exercised. In which I've been drinking far, far more Diet Coke than water. Those are just the facts. I'm not beating myself over these two things - but I do want to improve - a lot - in those areas.

I'M HERE

Hi, Mignon. I AM HERE RIGHT NOW.  Hanging in.  Hard choices every day.  Body is dragging its feet!

A-hem!

Hello, anybody there?

The pink watch is activated

I had batteries placed in my walking watch. I'm ready. New target date for walking is Sunday.

Just to say: Things are still green here.

sisterland blog gmail - Xfinity.com Search

sisterland blog gmail - Xfinity.com Search

I'm taking it as positive and my new starting point

So for me being in "the zone" is now about my health and staying off medications as long as I can. I need the numbers to stay the course. I will continually strive to improve them.  Of course I do not have the blood test results yet.
BP  125/82
Waist 32.5
Height 5'7 (I never really officially knew.  guess now I'll know when I start shrinking
Weight 146.6
So, my new baseline.

Re: MOM
On the phone yesterday, Mom expressed an interest in the blog. Perhaps one of you might get her comfortable with her computer again?

BEFORE AND AFTER

I am all for continuing Sisterland for all kinds of support, now and in the future. "I'm down with it".

Sisters,
Rarely do I use the address "Sisters," so listen up. I had a revelation on awakening this morning about our blog. Three years ago, we experienced the blog work for us. Seems it's working again--although we're missing Kim. My thought this morning is this: For me, the blog was, and is now, associated with the single purpose of losing weight--with the added plus of us being in regular touch. It never occurred to me to let the blog support me/us in what comes next--not slipping backward!

So I want to propose--and would need your active "yes" votes for it to work--that we decide now, in advance of reaching our optimal skinniness, to endow the blog with the power to help us afterward, to expand its meaning.  You know those moments, after you've lost the weight and are feeling good in your body, when you start eating an extra this and more of that because it feels like your thin body has plenty of room? Feels like a second piece of pizza won't matter? And then you start having a second piece on a regular basis? And, continuing to use pizza as a prime example of a slippery slope, then it bumps up to a third piece? And then the pounds start coming back on?

Looking ahead, I KNOW I need the strength of the blog to continue "after." And it would be helpful to know you're "down" with this too so I can rest easy knowing a safety net--our blog--will be there when I get all skinnied-up.

What say you?

3 sisters out of 4...let's make it 4 of 4! Can we hire a stretcher bearer in Boston to take Kim to the podiatrist?

Hallelujah!

Sisters!!!!  Must share.  It's official.  I am in my 30's!!!  Now, I must be extra patient.  I need to really focus and know that another 5 pounds, even, is going to be more stubborn.  I am SO happy that the control is working.  If it wasn't, I would be eating a cheese omelet, sausage, bacon and biscuits this beautiful Sunday morning!

142

Also my lowest in sometime. The stomach thing ugghhh. This cannot be the destiny of age distribution. When you don't have hips or an ass, being an apple is a huge challenge.
By the way, if I had money, I would do plastic surgery! Never thought I would,just saying.
 I'm not hating myself or anything like that. I just think it's now a very viable option.
 I guess I should buy a lottery ticket.
I'm glad to get back to sister land.
 Now, we just need to get Kim to the foot doctor.
I hope everyone has an awesome day!

The Dreaded Weigh-In

Worry for naught!  My lowest weight since I began.  I truly am shocked.  It was probably the benefits I got from lifing sweet Abe for all those days--burned calories.  And stairs! I am officially 12 pounds down. I am SO RELIEVED.  

Camille! Leslie! How great to go to Sisterland and see posts from both of you.

Camille--Don't be "scared," sis. "Starting over on Monday" is, no doubt, putting it extremely. A few days of laxity definitely isn't a slip back to the beginning. Maybe it's not a slip at all. Maybe your body needed the joy of being with the double A's. 

Leslie, the bridge over the bay. How great that sounds to me. Wish I were walking it with you. In September, I hope!

As for me, I recall writing something like this 3 years ago--I still can't believe it's been 3 years. Who needs a scale when you have one inorganic breast side-by-side with an alive one? Not until they match, not until the "real" one shrinks, will I be where I want to be. (A big compensation for receiving a second cancer diagnosis and having 7 hours of surgery is that the reconstructive surgeon asked me if I'd like to change my breast size. That was a surprise. Didn't know I had a choice. The reconstructed breast won't be able to gain or lose weight, he told me. So I said, "Yes, B-cup, please.") 

The bulge of my upper stomach--the one above my waist-is my other "scale." Not until it's gone, will I be at the leanness I want. As for the lower stomach--the one below my waist? Hopeless. My stern teacher in acceptance. 

Kim? Hello? Are you there?

SCARED

So, it's Saturday night.  Both babies are sound asleep upstairs.  I have really been off my program since they arrived on Monday.  Taking them to the Ferry tomorrow to meet Ashley and Chris who are ferrying to Cape May to pick them up.  I WILL weigh in Monday morning.

Day 2 and feeling some momentum

So, my baa baa sheep post was really entered the other day but I did not publish it? I am off to another day walking the first bridge - going to go for twice today. Really looking forward to the Adirondacks and a road trip.
Keep up the good work sisters and thank you for continuing the blog. I cleaned out my files for the beginning of the year. It feels so good when I lighten the load. My closet could stand some help too!

Baaaaah Baaaah Baaaah!

Heading for the bridge in 15. I know I've claimed this before. I'm sure today is the day!

Still working on New Post technique

Hello, Sisters.  Hanging tough.  I re-read your post, Mignon, and yes, I did misunderstand. Clarification is always good.  Chasing after, playing with, lifting, pool and ocean swimming with Adelaide and Abe starting Monday morning. That's got to count for something extra, I hope, I hope, I hope.

Last Sunday, July 5, marked TWO MONTHS since I've been back on my lean & green path, which means two months off sugar. I've got to say, for reasons I don't understand, it's really going well. I keep thinking a craving, like the Alien with gnashing teeth, is going to burst out of me and take over. But not yet. Camille, I think you misunderstood my last blog about getting rid of clothes. It's a beyond-belief good thing. I've emptied 100 hangars and many other things that weren't on hangars. What I was trying to say is that I'm not only losing body weight, I'm losing the weight of too many clothes stuffed into more than one closet. My place is still not back in order since the painters were here and everything, I mean everything, got turned upside down. But it will be. Closets and shelves have been my starting point. Just finishing up my afternoon green drink now. I guess it's getting boring for you to read that over and over. It still surprises me.

I'm not just losing weight. I'm losing the clothes I've been holding onto for you-never-know-I-might-need-this-someday. My conservative guestimate of empty hangars in my near future is 100. A more exact number will be forthcoming.

Bien dans sa peau
"Feeling good in one's own skin" is an very common French expression.

For me,to feel good in my own skin, I need to be lean. When I'm carrying extra weight, my body feels foreign, I don't feel like "me" and thus, my main point here, I feel bad in my own skin. And feeling bad in one's own skin means, at least for me, feeling uncomfortable altogether in myself. 

There's lots more to say about this. For instance, if feeling good about myself is dependent on my weight, how shallow is that? How much am I allowing myself to fall victim to the you've-got-to-be-slim-to-win longstanding prejudice in our culture? (Our "overfed" culture, I might add, which is really crazy-making.) On the other hand, if I've gained weight because I'm overeating for emotional reasons, and because my body has a propensity for craving high-calorie, low-nutrient sugary, white-flour foods -- perhaps leanness, for me, is a necessary state for true physical, mental, and spiritual well-being -- youth and size-0 culture be damned.

Camille - Let's keep going! Two steadfast sisters may rescue the two lost lambs!

Economies of "the Scale"
Cost of:
1 bag Pepperidge Cookies = 1-1/3 mini-watermelon
           Cookies consumed in 1/2 day
           Mini-watermelon lasts 2 days
1 Frozen Key Lime Pie = 2 bags heirloom oranges
           Pie consumed in 1 day
           14 oranges at 1 a day last for 2 weeks
1 Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar = 1 avocado
           Chocolate Bar consumed in under a minute
           1 avocado lasts 2 days (or 2 salads)

Conclusion:
Select items on right

The Devil just paid me a visit at the kitchen sink. He -- yes, the Devil is male -- said I would never have to do dishes again if I went back to eating bad stuff out of bags. Sounds like a Devil's bargain to me.

As I move along in my new-old green world, I'm checking out my body quite a lot and, when I do, I am brought right back to 3 years ago when I wrote about these rather miniscule observations on the blog. Had the blog not inspired me to pay such close attention, I doubt I would be realizing now how I'm repeating myself. My go-to change indicators: how's my waist doing, is my larger breast starting to match up with the smaller, are my inner thighs still squished together, is my second stomach getting smaller and, most important, am I fitting and, therefore, feeling better in my clothes? As to the lower belly rolls, I check them out too, but...they are my teachers in acceptance.

Feeling fat this morning. Might be that my clothes are inadequate, ill-fitting.

How are everybody's love handles doing today?

Thought After Morning Tea
I think women feel fat, no matter what our weight, when the curve of our waists begins to disappear, for whatever reason. Although, as a female Kehoe-McCarthy, I have never really felt that my own waist quite measured up ("down") to the narrow ideal. Once I became aware of such things, it always felt too thick. Know what I mean? Present-Day Intention: I will not allow this unhelpful perspective to taint the leanness that's arriving day-by-day.

Kalling K-I-M!  Kalling K-I-M!  Kalling K-I-M! 

Thought During Morning Tea
Don't you find your mind much happier when you believe yourself to be getting thinner -- even if only by half-an-ounce? As opposed to the heaviness of mind and spirit when you feel fat? And getting fatter by the moment? Out of control? So let's enjoy this part of the journey, yes?

It's the strangest thing -- I've been enjoying, truly enjoying, celery for the past week. Freshly washed but completely unadorned celery. (Organic, of course, celery being one of the most toxic-prone vegetables.) 
Not since I cut teeth do I recall a hunger for and pleasure from celery.

Leslie, about the Fitbit. I really love mine; it's already changing my mindset. But I don't think you need to run out and get one - at least not yet. Here's why. I have yet to EXERCISE with it. But even with my sedentary, writerly lifestyle, without even trying, I've been averaging say 3,000 steps a day (yesterday a whopping 5,200). (I expected it to be about 100.)So I have no doubt that you, with your jack-rabbit lifestyle, are easily taking the prescribed 10K steps a day. Of course, that doesn't substitute for getting into the aerobic zone for a reasonable period of time, but still...

Looking forward to my afternoon green drink.

heading to the pool

It is overcast. I don't think the pool will ever be warm before my membership runs out sometime very soon.

Thanks for the nudge, back on my am agenda, trying the bridge with the new shoes

My morning routine is now to check sisterland before my email. I will be looking forward to your feedback Mignon on the fitbit.
I am going to walk part of the bridge today with the new sneakers. Say a prayer they will protect my broken feet.  It truly is my favorite exercise and the pool is getting way to crowded.
My hands are feeling pretty broken from Saturday too! Rare I take an alleve or any other med but I did just a few minutes ago. My whole goal is to stay away from medication.
I'm going to see if I can't hire Will to fix up my bikes too.
Feeling motivated.
Have a great day!

okay now I want a fitbit....

One more gadget? I guess I'll try to work it into next month's budget. The sleep factor is VERY appealing. Like I need something to tell me I'm not getting any sleep.   Yawn. Maybe I should just put batteries in my pink watch. That was very motivating if I recall.

Camille has been my soul motivator these days! Thanks for the shout out Mignon!

Congratulations Camille! I think I have lost 3. But, this body just seems so beat up lately that I can't get it moving. Thanks for the call out Ming. I will try to refocus tomorrow.  Not today because Ihve to face a night of work and I'm sure it will be in the Boardroom. Total Physical workout.Keep up the good work. I am still on my Metamucil though and that is a good thing. And, my tablespoon of vinegar. Thank you mom.

Extra! Extra! Camille is t-e-n pounds lighter and leaner! Bravo, Sis! Keep it up!

Yesterday, June 5, marked a whole month that I've been off the white stuff and onto the green. I feel relieved. Mildly surprised. For now.

Leslie? Kim? We need you! You need us! 

I'M HERE

I am here!!!!!  Leslie and I went to the pool today.  What fun! I am down a total of 10 pounds today after the last few months. Love the Fitbit keeping track.  Mignon, I like the sleep feature which shows how many times you are restless throughout the night.  I also like how I can have my pulse in the low to mid 60s at rest.   Trying to stay good one day at a time.

Where the heck are you sisters?!

I repeat:  When you're not eating out of disposable bags, there are dishes, dishes, and more dishes to wash. When one doesn't have a dishwasher, that is.

Fitbit report - Day 1:  Less than 3,000 steps. So far this morning: 451. 

FITBIT OR DIE!
My brand new Fitbit is live and charging. Next step: find out how to set my goals online. I've taken 202 steps so far this morning. As Colleen would say, "Wahoo!" I didn't procrastinate! 1,000 gold stars!

Could be that my elasticized pj bottoms are ever so slightly looser. Then again, it might be wishful thinking. It's two days short of a month that I've been a good greens girl. For me, a month is pretty much never enough time to feel or see the positive body change I seek. I feel quite confident, however, that I'm not gaining weight, and that alone is a serious mental relief.

Hey, all. This is exciting: A partially chomped stalk of celery rests beside me and, a few feet away, a salad bowl stands ready to be of service. I can say this with certainty: Green is the way to go. It's easing the present transition from my drugs-of-choice.

PS:  My plum-colored Fitbit Charge HR arrived yesterday. Let's see how long it takes me to program it.

23 days since I went cold turkey off the bad stuff. Still not drinking enough water, but that will come in time. Comfort-eating is such a strong habit. When I'm "in my addiction," I feel completely and utterly rotten, enslaved to doing the opposite  of what I want to be doing. So to have found some freedom from that definitely feels good. But as I wrote a while back, I'm wary of the relapse monster. My friend Peg tells me the Fitbit will be arriving soon.

Calling all Sisters????? I have to post.  Down a few more ounces.  So, so slow.  Must stay committed.  I need a time goal.  Suggestions?  A milestone date?  What?  Help me?

Day 15 of green-drink honeymoon period. Honeymoon may be over. Feeling that urge to drive to the store. Not to purchase greens. Choosing to breathe myself through it instead, for now. 

The thing about cookies, potato chips, and the like -- besides their tranquilizing effect -- is the ease of prep and cleanup.  Open full bag, toss empty bag, all in a single sitting! Done & dusted! I think about these things as I plunge my rubber-gloved hands into the clouds of suds in my kitchen sink. 

If laugh therapy can work magic for cancer patients, why not for us?

Now, all that's missing is...K I M !

Mignon and Leslie are back!

Thank goodness!  I've been lonely.  "Brick by brick, my citizens."

Hi, all. Maybe I haven't moved from this chair since May 5? Just looked back to see when I wrote to say I had made my first green drink (this time around). And here I am sitting here again, on May 15, in the same chair with the same green drink at my side, which is still tasting great. Honestly, I can't believe it's been 10 days. Because that means 10 days without a sugar slip, or a salt (potato chip) slip. To tell the truth, though, I am sick and tired of one more time trying to let go of my addiction to sweets, to overeating carbs to soothe myself. How many times do I have to climb the same mountain? But -- I am attempting not to look ahead. When Joe was little, I went 7 years (!) without sweets. Then, just like "taking the first drink" for an alcoholic, on the plane to Portland for one of Joe's birthdays, I decided then and there that I was going to have a piece of the rich chocolate cake that I've baked him every year since he turned 1. And that marked the end of my freedom from my drug of choice. I was off and running and have been battling my "addiction" ever since. Really sick and tired, to repeat, of this battle, and the weight-gain yoyo. And it does feel like a battle. So I won't look ahead because if I do, I envision myself slipping again and then having to start all over, one more time. So, mostly, I'm trying to take it a moment at a time, to hold my balance, to stay calm. 

Recomitting

This is the challenge over and over. But, I bought my NEON gasp. Memory foam energized new walking shoes. I'm hoping they work. Walking was the best thing in my program.
Come out come out where ever you are and get back to the mindfulness of your health.

Reporting in

Hello, Sisters.  Still trending down--ounce by ounce.  So slow but going in the right direction.  Being able to grab a predetermined meal helps me so much.  Makes me so much more mindful of the portion sizes I have when I am eating regular food or having a drink.  Wearing the Fitbit is informative yet find myself amazingly at a shortfall for steps walked, stairs, calories burned.  I am burning more than I am taking in but a little bit, thus the decreases is in ounces.  Believe me, I'll take it.

Checking In
I am finishing up my third green drink in as many days! I'm ever so slightly encouraged.
M

MIRACLE
At my side as I type is my first green drink in EONS! It tastes good, really good. I bought the greens and other fixings at Trader Joe's this afternoon and was about to put off making the drink until tomorrow, but caught myself. That's what I've been doing for months -- buy everything fresh, come home & put it all in the refrigerator, and weeks later I have to throw it all out.
A friend has two Fitbits and is putting one of them in the mail for me.
All for now.

Disclosure:  Sentence 1 is a lie.
Love,
Mignon

Some Success

After two weeks, I am officially down 5 pounds as of today.  It is SO HARD.  I have to be committed.  

Calling all sisters!

Where is everybody?  I've been about 95% on  a good path for about 10 days, and I am still waiting for more of a result.  I am trying to be patient telling myself that it took a long time to put these pounds on.

The time is now!

So, 148 this am. a couple pounds down. I will take it. Going back to basics. We lost so much weight before. Why did we go back to our old bad habits? This has to be a lifestyle change. My numbers are all awful and I do not want to be on medication. So, I hope you will all return. I am also in a "biggest loser" contest at work. I don't expect to win but they do post some great stuff. I will share as I go along. Spring. New beginnings.

Homeland binge watching is over

It's probably a good thing I can't get my hands on season 4 yet. But, that's where I have been for the last week.
I'm grateful for the renewal. I begin again tomorrow although, I have been taking my fiber every morning for a week now.
I'm going to find a sneaker that works so I can walk again "No matter what"

Been "bad" since my last post. Don't know why. But I suppose the why doesn't matter. Help me, Rhonda, help help me, Rhonda.

A New Week

New week. New start.  Ordered NutriSystem for jump start.  Been good so far today!!!

                                  "Taking A Chance - Again"

Here we go again
I hear those trumpets blow again
All aglow again
Taking a chance on us

Yes, we slipped again,
But we can give our all again

Sisters through thick-to-thin again
Taking a chance on us

We can prove again
That we can make a move again
In a grove again
Taking a chance on us

Vaguely, I remember

one deep breath at a time

one drink of water at a time

one minute outdoors at a time

a journey of a thousand pounds 

begins with the first self-loving choice

Disclosure: Not sure I can do it but, oh, do I want to!

Back to Basics

It's been 3 years since we were all doing pretty awesome. We've had a major blow in that time and speaking for myself, I have let myself slip away once again. Crazy how I do the same thing over and over. Maybe I wasn't committed enough. But, here and now I am vowing to begin anew. At 150.5 pounds and a 35 1/2 inch waist (I think that might need another measure) I begin a new.
My immediate plan is to go back to the beginning and pick out those things that were working. This on top of my most recent blood work was not pretty. I started the morning with Metamucil and water. I also went to the pool.

We're Back!!!!!

Let's Do It!