automated eating tracker

Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.

Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Sun Sep 16, 2018 4:51 am

Yes, you definitely don’t need to do IF since your plan is clearly working but even just doing it sometimes will get the health benefits so that’s cool.

Good idea on hiding those lunch items! I think you did great on your shopping. Yes, definitely do not give up the healthy stuff! Those dog treats are spendy. Huh? My dogs love those greenies which are not cheap.

So nice that sexy (😃) is on board with the no drinking. My guy is literally drinking out of a keg we’ve got in our bar area as I speak. 🙄
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Mon Sep 17, 2018 1:31 am

lpearlmom wrote:My guy is literally drinking out of a keg we’ve got in our bar area as I speak. 🙄
Bwahahaha! :-)

Sunday, September 16th
S Day in All Ways!

131.8
B: coffee w/milk
L: 2 platefuls of leftover pot roast and cabbage & onions. I was worried what cabbage would taste like leftover, but it tasted great! Maybe better than the day I roasted it!
D: grilled burger w/cheese, tomato, onion, bacon, lettuce & pickles!
dessert: (will be) ice cream w/sliced nectarine, 1 brownie

I really rested today. Cleaned a bit, took a bath, took a nap, watched football, read with Creator9.

I have a very big week at work ahead of me. I'm feeling fine, though, but a little curious to see how some of my baby-habits handle the increased intensity. And the Dry Days!!! I have three fails so far this month, and last month I only made it a couple days longer than this, so this week is critical. But last month Sexy was not on board, so much harder to avoid wine if it was in the house.

NoSpending is going pretty well this month, but I certainly seem to have a bit of a character weakness with spending money. I'll go for a while being really strict, and then go through a few months where I spend $$ like water. I remember mentioning in my thread a ways back that I feel shame about my drinking sometimes. Similarly. I feel shame about my overspending. I wouldn't be surprised if this shame mirrors how some people feel about their overeating. In fact, isn't that a pretty typical cycle for some? They overeat, then overdiet, then overeat and it becomes a vicious cycle. Yikes - that sort of describes my spending issues.

So I wonder what kind of advice can be transferred from the overeating/dieting cycle to my overspending/$-dieting cycle. Worse, my family gets dragged into the $$ cycle, whereas the overeating cycle can often be hidden from family members. Well, now that I think of it, I bet there are people that hide financial stuff from family members.

These are my Sunday musings. :roll:

OK, so I have developed an alcohol plan. I feel good about it, but Sexy doesn't really want to engage in conversation about it -- don't ask me why, it frustrates me and I don't have a good answer for you -- so.....I'm not going to twiddle my fingers and end this month without a plan. I'm just going for it.

My rules are pretty simple, but it's funny how much thinking about it I've done.

1. 2 bottles of wine for the week, bought at one time on Friday night and when they are gone, they're gone!
2. As an aid to my moderation, I will try out some tools such as: buying a small, special/cute wine glass; sip slowly and try to make each glass last one hour; drink a glass of water in between each glass of wine.

Plan: On Friday night I will do grocery shopping after dinner. I will buy 2 nice bottles of wine for myself, and I will make pretty labels with my name on them so that Sexy knows they are my "allotment". Those bottles are it for the week, and honestly folks, I bet I'll drink them both by Sunday night. If I don't, then I can have the remainder on Monday and/or Tuesday night. I will also get to have wine if we are out on a date night or social gathering (for us, this is rare and unlikely to add much to my overall alcohol intake). I will have a SOLID rule that I will NOT buy any alcohol during the week!

So, that's what I'm thinking at this point.
Last edited by automatedeating on Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Mon Sep 17, 2018 4:56 am

I think your alcohol plan sounds good. Instead of trying to count glasses each night, it’s open ended and when it’s gone it’s gone. I’m planning on trying to keep at least 2 dry days (preferably 3) a week and have no more than 3 drinks a day. I’m also shooting for no more than 1 per hour and that’ll mostly be hard in social situations but I’ll try.

Do you like to do a wine spritzer at all? I guess it doesn’t work with red wine but I like to add Kombucha to my wine and it lasts longer that way but soda or seltzer water works too.

You know what is funny ? The one thing that relieves my financial stress is spending money. It’s so backwards. I wonder if I used to do the and thing with my eating. I’m not sure what the answer is. Maybe we need to be careful not to be too restrictive so it doesn’t backfire on us?

Anyway, good luck with it all! (Is it October yet?)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

Soprano
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Location: UK

Post by Soprano » Mon Sep 17, 2018 7:13 am

Sounds like you have s good plan, good luck

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:41 pm

Thanks for the support, Linda and Soprano. Linda -- I absolutely think that I/we need to consider how not to be so restrictive $-wise that we just boomerang back again. Question is how do we find that balance....ah, it's just as tough as food!

132.7
I had cravings and desires for more/junky food these past 2 S Days. For the most part I satisfied them, but tried to be somewhat choosy about how to satisfy them.

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, blueberries, walnuts & carrots
D: crockpot chicken (eek! I got out my crockpot, dusted it off, and I am determined to learn to use it!) I realized that all this meat I've learned to fry, bake & grill -- I bet lots of it can just cook in the crockpot! What do you think? Will the fam like it?! I just dumped the chicken thighs in there, added a can of chicken & rice soup for flavor (? was that good?) and then added some seasoning to the chicken and turned it on low for the day. So crazy! I'm a new woman! Oh, and then we'll have sauteed brussel sprouts & onions, green salad w/ tomatoes and bell peppers, and maybe a can of corn for the kids.
after-school kid snacks include: strawberries, peppers w/ranch, peanuts, and leftover lunch items. Update -- brussel sprouts need to be cooked longer, but Creator9 RAVED about the crockpot chicken! Exact same seasoning and cut as last week, but apparently something about the crockpot/maybe smelling it all afternoon made it taste much better to him. :-)
Update - ate 3 plums from a bag given to us by a co-worker....I guess that's a fail.

NoSloth
Ooops, slept in (do you see a pretty familiar pattern). But the dog was happy anyway because cat caught a huge rabbit and (steroid-starving) dog ate the ENTIRE rabbit. No waste! Wow, that is just amazing. Probably healthier than any dog food I could have served him. (And note - rabbits are major pests in our neighborhood)
I did fit in a short mid-day walk

NoSpending
Nothing on Tap!

KidsWithLimits
Gregor #2 is being sped through. I think we are on chapter 11. Such quick, yet great reads with a lot of depth to the characters and the plot.

And I'm off! Today is a big day at work and, like I said yesterday, it's a big week for keeping my baby habits solidifying. I'm hoping Mr. Crockpot will aid me in my efforts.
Last edited by automatedeating on Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:47 am, edited 2 times in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:11 pm

I love my slow cooker but don’t use it that much because sweetpea is a vegetarian and it’s really best for meat dishes.

I like skinnytaste slow cooker recipes:
https://www.skinnytaste.com/recipes/slow-cooker/

I bet yours will come out great though. It’s hard to really go wrong! You’re doing great with your meal providing skills!!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Tue Sep 18, 2018 2:25 pm

Hey thanks Linda! The chicken came out great; Creator9 for some reason LOVED it -- and I'm not sure why because it tasted the same to me as last week out of the oven. I wonder how much the smell in the house made him look forward to it. A great psychological ploy, haha.

Tuesday, September 18th
132.0

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, walnuts, carrots - forgot to pack my blueberries & I missed them.
D: Roasted salmon, brussel sprouts and potatoes for kids; green salad/tomatoes, avocado slices on the salmon, made hollandaise sauce! It really made the salmon taste good. The brussel sprouts turned out so good! I will definitely prepare them this way in the future. Just sprinkled garlic salt, pepper and rolled them in olive oil, then roasted them with the salmon and potatoes for 25 minutes. Also sliced up a red pepper with ranch. Way too much food. :-(
I guess I am experiencing appetite correction in a big way. Just not able to eat so much food. Couldn't finish the salmon, or the salad, or the red pepper. I did finish the delicious brussel sprouts!
I guess this means I don't need to buy as much fresh produce each week. Just the brussel sprouts or the pepper would have been enough. And I don't need so many tomatoes either. So that's good to know going forward.

NoSloth
walked dog this morning, hopefully will take a short mid-day walk - yes, did take a mid-day walk. Felt good to get out of the office.

NoSpending
Should be green. Well, nope. Had to pay $70 for an overnight field trip for Creator9; and then $40 for kids' picture day (which is tomorrow). Sheesh. Neither of those things was planned for in the budget.

KidsWithLimits
should be green, didn't read Gregor last night to Creator9, but Sexy was reading Dory to him, so I'd have had to shove my way in, and I wasn't about to do that. :-)

Kind of a thing at work. I spoke up in a meeting about something I feel strongly about. My boss took offense and has been giving me a hard time. At first I caved, felt guilty, and groveled. But on hindsight, I was right, and I think I was right to bring it up. I hate it when I let myself so easily feel guilty, and apologize too soon. Grr. One of many reasons why I'm glad I'm not in admin anymore. There's a bit of pressure for me to join the Union Negotiations team. I DO think I would be of use on the team, but it is not worth the overall decrease in my quality of life. I spent the last 3.5 years doing a job that had a big chunk of it that sucked my soul - I have to say no and stick to my no.

So 24 hours have passed since that meeting. My Motto this school-year: There is no meeting I really need to attend. LOL. OK, so I'm sure I'll have to go to plenty, but I am going to go out of my way to skip any meetings that have more than 10 in attendance. Anything else will be a waste of time + no one will notice. AND, when I am at a meeting, I am going to say as little as possible. If I manage to skip a meeting I will celebrate, and if I get through a meeting without engaging, I will celebrate. The other path leads only down a soul-sucking vortex.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

cedar
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Location: Australia

Post by cedar » Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:15 am

That's hard with work Auto, good on you for speaking up in the first place though even though your boss has reacted badly that's his or her choice and you know your intention wasn't cause hurt..we can't control how others react or feel. I hope things get better there.
Your food looks yummo, and I'm impressed with you making hollandaise sauce! I've got some Salmon in the freezer for later this week and I'd like to attemp the hollandaise too! Loving loving the food and recipes from eatthebutter, it's really got me enthusiastic about cooking again.

automatedeating
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Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Wed Sep 19, 2018 2:09 pm

Thank you, Cedar. I actually have a great job and I just need to hold my boundaries so I really enjoy it, instead of having parts that continually frustrate me.

Wednesday, September 19th
131.2
morning blood pressure: 118/76

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, blueberries/strawberries, red pepper slices, walnuts, 1 plum
D: quesadillas for kids. I will make a giant salad for my dinner - with avocado, sour cream, cheese, tomato, & bell peppers. I think I'll also eat 1 or 2 more plums (they were given to us and are very ripe and the kids don't like them, can you believe that!? I love them)
Update: I failed tonight. For two reasons: 1 - I didn't eat as whole foods as I could have -- I made nachos which included tortilla chips. I didn't eat a big salad or bell peppers, so I just didn't get many veggies (I did at least put tomato and avocado on my nachos) 2 - I had seconds. Ergh. I just was SO hungry tonight. The second plate did fill me up, and I do truly believe it was actual hunger; however, I would have been fine waiting for breakfast. Oh, well.

NoSloth
walked with dog this morning. Some of this is actually a jog - if he wants to jog, I jog. If he wants to sniff, I ponder. If he wants to poop, I scoop. :lol:
Walked mid-day, and again before reading/bedtime.

NoSpending
Eeks, nothing planned but we are so so so broke. Limping to pay day, which is getting closer. And then I have to make sure I don't "binge-spend" once we start getting paychecks again. Moderation, Auto, moderation!

KidsWithLimits
Yesterday was nearly a fail. But I ended up reading 2 chapters of Gregor before bed -- although Creator9 fell asleep at some point, now we'll have to figure out where I should start up again. :wink:
Last edited by automatedeating on Thu Sep 20, 2018 2:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:17 am

Auto- as usual, you crack me up! I especially love your walks with the dog section! Lol!

And, by the way, I LOVE your go-forward approach to meetings. Not sure if you’ve ever heard of Tim Ferris, the author, but he advocates something very similar. He NEVER attends meetings-absolutely refuses to. Go auto!!

automatedeating
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Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:17 pm

Worthit - I went and looked up Tim Ferriss. I have heard of him, and his book, but hadn't read much of his ideas. So interesting that he is generally anti-meeting! Yay! Maybe I'm on to something! I can say this - I skipped almost all of two days worth of in-service meetings this week and I was hugely productive. I also have been keeping my door shut and it's amazing how much that helps. I feel a bit anti-social, but my work is getting done. And I feel better about my job.

Thursday, September 20th
131.7

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, blueberries, walnuts, carrots, another handful of blueberries
D: spaghetti for kids, beef bowl w/onions, peppers, avocado, cheese, and tomatoes for me.

NoSloth
walked dog this morning - also will aim for mid-day walk -- yes, took a mid-day walk.

NoSpending
No plans. Payday in 5 days
Oh, man -- this afternoon was rough. On the way home I had to fight temptations to stop for wine. Then, I asked Sexy to go out to dinner with me for a date. He actually talked us out of it - said how proud we'll feel to make it to the end of the month without alcohol or spending. Sheesh. Not sure why I feel so trapped now; I think I'm just experiencing some pre-quarter ramp-up anxiety or something. Feel like I'll never be as prepared as I'd like to be.

KidsWithLimits
Read 1 chapter last night before Creator9's eyes were closing. I think we need to get started earlier so he doesn't get so tired.

Dry days going well. I'm ending mine next Friday (the 28th) since that is shopping day and I'll launch my new alcohol-moderation plan. So I'm on the homestretch.
Last edited by automatedeating on Fri Sep 21, 2018 1:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Octavia
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Post by Octavia » Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:02 pm

This is a very interesting discussion about meetings! I have heard of Tim Ferris- must research this no-meeting philosophy. They are tremendous time wasters: even today when I was at a relatively nice meeting, I found myself slightly impatiently summing up what people had said, in order to get to some sort of conclusion or point for action. Eg ‘so I don’t need to do anything, right?’ (Thinks: ‘so why are we going on about it?).

I’ve also started being a bit ‘unreliable’ with emails - not bothering to answer them unless they are really important. I’ve even got to the stage where I fail to read half of them, and it doesn’t seem to have caused any major problems. I’ve realised that I can tolerate being considered a bit flaky/hopeless. It’s a good way to set a boundary.

Anyway, it’s great you’re setting these boundaries, Auto! We must continue to think of ways to protect our precious time.

automatedeating
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Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:34 pm

thanks Octavia! :-) boundaries!!!

Friday, September 21st

130.5

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: walnuts, carrots, yogurt, blueberries
D: (will be) cheeseburgers w/ avocado, bacon, tomato, onion, lettuce

NoSloth
Walked dog before work, and fit in a short walk on campus. I'm reading this book called "Get up!" about how bad sitting is for us. Makes me want to be able to stand while I type. :roll: Ok I got up to type the rest of this post, haha

NoSpending
It's Friday Shopping Day
Oh Gosh, it's a good thing I don't do one of those frugal blogs (bwahaha) because I would so fail. Here's this week (again, just doing this for the reflection aspect on how I spent a LOT of $$$ -- all about choices and priorities):
Costco: $133
power greens
caesar salad
blueberries
mushrooms
milk
eggs
Toilet Paper
LeCroix
ice cream
ice cream sandwiches
tortillas
Ranch
shaving gel
Belvitas, Jerky trail mix (kid lunches)

Local Grocery - $60
asparagus
more jerky, nutter butters (kid lunches)
yogurt, 3 large containers of my 3 favorite kinds: Grace Harbor Farms whole milk yogurt (local), Siggi's 4% milkfat, and Zoi Whole Fat
oops -- bottle of wine (yes, fail on dry days)
non-alcoholic beer (which I bought for Sexy and then promptly failed and got myself real alcohol)

It's clear that our grocery bill is high for two reason:
1) we buy plenty of produce and good stuff (like high-quality yogurt)
2) I don't hesitate (much) to buy convenience items to make packing lunches super easy. I am feeling guilty about that, honestly. My kids are not great healthy eaters, and often the healthy stuff comes right back home in their lunch box. :-( So I'm trying to work with them to make sure they get some healthy fats & proteins (e.g. things like trailmix), but also put fun stuff in there too (like the Nutter Butters).

Despite the many unhealthy things my kids eat, our entire family is eating healthier than we used to. Just cutting out fast food feels so good (as a mom) - I know I am doing better by my kids. Baby steps. And I am offering them truly good options in the evenings, even if they tend to pass over the power greens, haha

Another progress point -- I can SEE the freezer emptying a bit of all those stores of meat! We are really eating through our freezer, fridge and pantry this month. That feels great to know we are actually eating our food and not wasting it!

KidsWithLimits
On Gregor Ch 17 I think
Last edited by automatedeating on Sat Sep 22, 2018 3:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

cedar
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Location: Australia

Post by cedar » Fri Sep 21, 2018 10:16 pm

Your going well Auto :D 8)

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:30 pm

I think you’re doing fine with your grocery bills. It’s not realistic to make e everything from scratch when you have two working parents. I stay home and still buy some prepackaged stuff for my kids. I think your meals and snacks are super healthy and actually think it’s good to have some treats in there.

Growing up in a household where no sugary stuff or junk food was ever allowed, I can tell you can backfire. I used to go to my friends houses and just gorge. On the other hand, I really don’t like junky food or fast food so maybe it paid off. It’s kind of like how Doc and his sister were only allowed to watch a very limited amount of tv. He told me they would sneak it whenever their parents were going and my DH even snuck a tv into his room at some point. But now they’re the most intellectually curious people I know. They’re also more likely to watch educational tv than anything else.

Anyway, I think it’s good to have balance because they’re going to have to learn how to manage those foods on their own at some point.

Sorry for the tangent! Happy S day!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
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Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sat Sep 22, 2018 3:50 pm

Linda, I think that is pretty impressive that you were raised without junk at all! And Doc - no tv - also impressive! One of my SILs raises her kids essentially without tv/electronics. She has 6 of them so at least they always have someone to play with. But it's too extreme for me!

S Days Are Here!

Saturday, September 22nd First Day of Autumn!

129.9 (yes, you read that right.....!)

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk, 2 bites of a weed in my backyard that I think is an edible green (I'm testing it - I'll see if in 24 hours I'm OK before eating more!), and 1 apple from the neighbor's apple tree that hangs into our yard. :lol:
L:handful of trailmix, handful of chocolate covered almonds, 1 slice frozen pizza
snack: :cry:2 scoops of raw cookie dough, 2 cookies, 1 cup milk
D:bone-in pork loin chops & mushrooms in crockpot, Caesar salad and green beans w/onions, bacon, and tomatoes.
dessert: ice cream sandwich, leftover wine

NoSloth
walked dog first thing.

NoSpending
No plans, although I need to buy some new clothes at the thrift shop. I'll try to hold out until October.

KidsWithLimits
I ended up not reading last night, but the kids were at an Open Gymnastics thing until almost 9:30pm.

So I failed last night on Dry Days, and today I regret it. I had two glasses of wine, and woke up with a nasty headache. Apparently my tolerance has successfully been reduced. :roll:
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by ladybird30 » Sun Sep 23, 2018 3:10 am

automatedeating wrote: 2 bites of a weed in my backyard that I think is an edible green (I'm testing it - I'll see if in 24 hours I'm OK before eating more!)
Hi Automated - that's all right as long as your weed doesn't turn out to be Hemlock or something else really toxic. Careful ID, something I am sure you would be good at, is important. Speaking as a long term weed eater who has so far avoided poisoning myself. Of course, anyone can have an individual bad reaction, so if you are sure of your ID, your cautious approach is appropriate.

Two good sites for foragers are Green Deanes Eat the Weeds and Foraging Texas.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Sun Sep 23, 2018 6:49 am

You hit the 120s! Dang, I can see why you’d need new clothes. Very exciting!

You are cracking me with the foraging. Surely things aren’t that tight are they?

Sorry about the wine. Supposedly dry farm wines don’t give you a headache and their low and sugar too so good for a low carb diet but a bit spendy:
https://www.dryfarmwines.com/
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sun Sep 23, 2018 2:44 pm

120's no more. Fleeting that number. :roll:

Linda, thanks for the wine suggestion. After my experience, I'm thinking 2 bottles of wine for a weekend are going to be too much for me. So maybe just one bottle, and make it one of those good ones from the link you gave me.

The thing about my backyard foraging is that now that I'm eating greens, I feel like all these plants I see and normally want to kill are probably good for me!

Oh, and ladybird, thank you for the caution. My dad is good at this sort of thing, so I sent him a pic first. It looked like chard, in my opinion. He didn't have a name, but felt comfortable it was probably edible, but of course suggested the small bites + wait a day. I feel great this morning, so I might try it again today. I actually think it's a plant called curly dock.

Sunday, September 23
131.1
NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: (will be) crockpot roast w/carrots, cooked greens (yes, I think I can cook them in the crockpot!!), Caesar salad, corn on the cob
D: not sure, but hey, it is an S Day side note from yesterday's cookie dough eating: I can resist cookies/brownies etc. all week long, but when I am right there next to that damn cookie dough -- the dough is what I give in to!

NoSloth
I am feeling quite slothful this morning. However, I might walk home from church. Oh, and btw, my wrist & elbow seem to be improving so tomorrow I will try riding my bike to work again.

NoSpending
Last night I bought The Light in the Attic for Creator9. I lack willpower when my kids ask for books..... shocker, right.

KidsWithLimits
Failed -- last 2 nights no reading. Gotta get back on it today! Update - yep, read before bed.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:26 am

Monday, September 24th

Weight: 131.7

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, blueberries, walnuts, and celery w/cream cheese
D: chicken thigh, chicken drumstick, cooked power greens, fried mushrooms, and a handful of blueberries

My crockpot meal was kind of .... blah. The meat is so soft and seems bland. Creator9 loved it, and seems to like all the "mushy" crockpot meals, but I think I need to figure out how to do them better. And I overcooked the greens (I think I burnt them a bit) and undercooked the mushrooms (are undercooked mushrooms kind of chewy? Because mine were kind of chewy). Not sure how many of y'all know this, but I am a horrible cook. I ruin most things, so this recent streak of edible/healthy food has been amazing for me. But tonight not so much. It's kind of embarrassing how bad I am at cooking. I always start daydreaming and don't tend to things like I should. And either overseason or underseason, I rarely hit the sweet spot. I guess I did alright this summer when I used the grill quite a bit.....and that did take me a while to learn. I had some bad meals with the grill. So I'll keep at it with the crockpot. I just want one crockpot meal a week for simplicity + now we know how much Creator9 loves it!

NoSloth
walked dog
road bike to/from work (from kids' school)
mowed lawn

NoSpending
A-OK, but I have to get $$ for kids' walk-a-thon this week

KidsWithLimits
Read a bit of Gregor this morning before school. More before bed, probably.

Here's something that went much better today -- usually after I pick the kids up and get home I am SO tired and (last week anyway) SO hungry before dinner. Today I did much better -- didn't get tired (although maybe it helped that I kept busy mowing the lawn and making an adjustment to my bike seat?), and didn't get TOO hungry before dinner. I think that one is because last week my yogurt for lunch didn't have enough protein and fat, but today it did. Got me through to dinner.

Tomorrow first day with students. I'm ready. I have more to design on my new class but I'm a bit burnt out on curriculum design after 4 weeks non-stop.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by ladybird30 » Tue Sep 25, 2018 4:17 am

Hi automated - greens are one thing that a cook has to keep an eye on. I know that well, but still sometimes get distracted and get rewarded with yellowy-green mush. Much prefer the bright green of quick cooked greens glistening with a bit of olive oil. Mmmmm.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Tue Sep 25, 2018 4:53 am

Hey, are you following a recipe or just kind of winging it? I’d definitely try following a few recipes and then tweaking it from there if you like. I think it’s awesome that you’re making your family home cooked meals and are probably being too hard on yourself. Just keep at it.

The one thing I like to do is prep everything before I even begin cooking. I lay everything out in the order that it’ll be used and if some things will be used at the same time, like sautéing onions and garlics in one step, they go in the same bowl. Kind of like tv cooking shows. It just makes it all so much more enjoyable.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Wed Sep 26, 2018 12:12 am

Hi Linda -- I am following recipes, but I suck at following directions. I often "estimate" instead of measure, or forget to set timers, or forget I'm missing an ingredient yet forge happily ahead, or don't stir it enough, or put in the wrong kind of bowl or I forget to defrost and then cook something from frozen that shouldn't be cooked that way....or.....or.....or. It's like I don't learn from my cooking mistakes. I seem to have ADHD when it comes to cooking. Ah,well, that's not totally true. I have made some improvements.

Tuesday, September 25th (first payday since July 10th!)
131.3
NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/blueberries, walnuts, and celery w/cream cheese
D: tilapia, sauteed kale, onion & asparagus, glass of milk, rice-a-roni for kids

NoSloth
walked dog this morning
biked to/from work
may do evening walk

NoSpending
made it but was tempted to buy some gear for my bike online. Somehow I didn't.

KidsWithLimits
I was a bear with my family this morning -- getting ready for work & school was just super chaotic this morning. So....I didn't read this morning, even though Creator9 specifically asked me to. Challenger12 is so difficult right now. So difficult. I had a fear today (which previously I didn't really have) that he truly might end up in full rebellion, doing drugs and having no life. I know that this fear is not super likely, but it is a scary possibility. He just seems so full of disdain and anger.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Wed Sep 26, 2018 4:53 am

Sorry about the cooking. I’ve always enjoyed cooking but I still make some pretty major mistakes sometimes. It happens!

I was just saying how 13 is such a tough age. Rosebud has gotten so sassy and sometimes just downright mean. I was getting concerned until sweetpea reminded me what a bundle of joy she was at that age (not!). So it may just be that he’s getting close to the fun age! I think they’re trying to separate from us but finding it hard at the same time. They’re trying to discover who they are in this new identity. They’ll grow out it (I hope!)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

wahine
Posts: 200
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2015 8:28 am
Location: New Zealand

Post by wahine » Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:19 pm

I think all the things you’re working at look fantastic.

What is “tilapia�
Kate

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Thu Sep 27, 2018 12:31 am

Wednesday, Sept 26th

Thanks Linda - you are kind of amazing cooking wise. A good role model to me. And I am SOOOO keeping my fingers crossed this is a phase with Challenger12.

Thanks Kate - I am trying but then sometimes everything falls apart and I fail in multiple areas at once... tilapia is a kind of white fish

130.5

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, blueberries, peanuts, celery w/cream cheese....note - I've had to tweak this meal (increasing amounts of virtually everything) but I'm finally making it to dinner without being ravenous and hangry.
D: tuna fish, mayo, celery, relish, cheese on corn tortillas

NoSloth
walked dog
biked to/from work

NoSpending
green

KidsWithLimits
Creator9 and I read a bit of Light in the Attic together. He actually likes poetry!
But I'm sure we'll read Gregor tonight. He is leaving on an overnight field trip tomorrow!! Not back until Friday night. My baby.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:15 am

Also, maybe they’re just difficult with us. My friend told me today how charming & funny she thought Rosebud was. I was like really? 😄

Btw, here’s some wines that might be better for us but less expensive than the dry farm wines: https://melanieavalon.com/7-organic-whi ... -under-10/
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:54 pm

Hi, auto, just checking in. I am not a good cook, either. I don't make food for others very often. I think they'd have to love me to put up with my learning curve. I have a lot of basics cooked up- grains, beans, and I add commercial sauces. Or save leftovers from restaurant meals and add to them. I think if you are making the kind of effort you are, you should feel good, though it can be discouraging if you put in the effort and don't get much of a reinforcing result. But you are doing the right thing.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

jenji
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: Cambridge

Post by jenji » Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:02 pm

I am enjoying your blog and especially your goals on setting work limits.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:56 am

Linda -- you will not believe this! Just today, out of the blue, I got this amazing email from Challenger12's teacher, saying how hard he is working and that he doesn't give up and has a good attitude. I was like -- sorry, definitely wrong kid. So hopefully most of his rudeness remains at home, although I could do without it!!!!

Oolala -- thank you for visiting my thread! We've all missed you so much. And thanks for the cooking encouragement. I will keep on keeping on.

Jenji - funny you mentioned work limits. I was literally getting ready to work all evening since Creator9 is away tonight on an overnight field trip. Mayhap I should remember my own goals..... !

Thursday, September 27th
130.0

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/blueberries, peanuts & 2 string cheeses
D: meatballs w/ cheese, sauteed power greens & asparagus & mushrooms (note - meal turned out well!)
update -- I ate too much! I think sometimes I still struggle with "fear of hunger" and overeat to avoid potentially being hungry later on. 5 years of NoS and I still struggle with knowing how much food I need at a meal. It's as if my natural full signals struggle a bit. Well, upon reflection, I DID feel not hungry anymore, but I guess I considered myself to be "topping off my tank". Hmmm, I would never do that with my car, why would I do that with my body?? :roll:

NoSloth
skipped the morning walk but did bike to/from work and hope to do a short walk before bed.

NoSpending
Good as Gold --- haha!

KidsWithLimits
Creator9 is on an overnight field trip, but Challenger12 may surprise me and still want me to read to him.

Notably, I slept like a rock last night. Also, notably, I am anxious tonight about my teaching. A student cried after class because she is so overwhelmed about the class. It is anatomy & physiology, which yes, can be crazy intense, but I still do my best to make sure everything I ask of them is with the intent that they are well-prepared when they apply to the nursing program.

Oh, and last thing -- tonight is Thursday night, which means tomorrow I get to buy wine. :lol: :lol: I made it through Dry August with 58% compliance, September with 81% compliance. Or you could say 70% compliance over two months. A nice reset, despite its fails. And my hubby joined me in September, and I think the stats show how big a deal that is for my improved success in September. Buddy system!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Fri Sep 28, 2018 4:10 am

You've probably mentioned this, but isn't this your five-year anniversary? The five-year mark is when the chance of serious relapse DROPS to 25%. (Hard to imagine it's still that high; all the more reason to have a plan that doesn't demand heroics.) Kudos.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sat Sep 29, 2018 3:43 pm

Yes, Oolala, I'm at 5 years! I posted my updated testimonial at the end of August.

Friday, September 28th
130.6
measurements - I've lost over an inch at belly button level (33.5 down to 32); I've lost over an inch at my natural waist (31 down to about 29); I've lost over an inch on my hips (39 down to 37); and I've lost an inch on each thigh!!! (22 down to 21)

NoSEating
B: coffee w/ cream
L: yogurt w/blueberries, peanuts
D: chicken caesar salad (family had take-out pizza so I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to not eat it. I wasn't tempted, and it was Friday night.... a typical weak point for me)

NoSloth
walked dog in the morning
not riding bike to work Fridays so that I have more flexibility with errands

NoSpending
I bought a drip coffee at work - out of milk at home and I simply cannot stand coffee just black (sorry to those purists out there!)

KidsWithLimits
Well, I got Creator9 back from his field trip last night, but we were all pretty wiped out and I didn't read to kids
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sat Sep 29, 2018 7:28 pm

Saturday, September 29th

129.1

S Day!

NoSEating
B: a DELICIOUS blonde white flat coffee from starbuck's. Made with whole milk, and 2 shots of a "blonde" roast, which is very smooth and mild. It made shopping delightful. We were out of milk and I wasn't about to go shopping without my coffee. :-)
L: grazed as I put away and organized groceries for the week. walnuts, almonds, magnesium supplement pill, clementine, 1/2 an orange, a sliver of the take-and-bake pizza fam was having, a few chocolate covered almonds and a few pb pretzels.
D: (will be) I think we will get to have Indian food for dinner. Sexy43 helps a neighbor's kiddo with math, and it just so happens the family owns an Indian restaurant. So we trade tutoring for food. :-) Yum!
Ended up having 2 bowls of rice & lamb curry
dessert: bowl of vanilla ice cream

NoSpending
Boy, did I have fun shopping today! I loved the way my basket looked and had a bit of grocery pride, lol.

Accountability/Reflection of $ spent
Costco - $273.85

returned jerky trail mix (no one liked it)
wine bottle (to fill out Sexy's weekly quota)
clementines
bananas
kale salad bagged mix
Mediterranean salad bagged mix
ground beef
butter
eggs
milk
paper towels
paper plates
paper cups
canned dog food
frozen hamburger patties
frozen salmon burgers
bacon
walnuts (2 bags, they were on sale!)
almonds (I mixed the 2 kinds of nuts in a big bag for my lunches this week)
magnesium supplement (I have some suspicions I might be a little deficient, so I thought I'd take a pill for a while)
chocolate-covered almonds (Challenger12 loves these)

Local Grocery - $32 (although really it was more like $80, because we went to a wine tasting there last night and then chose our wine for the week. Next week I'll buy my wine at Costco)

1 tomato
1 onion
2 lbs of carrots
1 can refried beans
3 large containers of yogurt
tator tots
1 more gallon of milk (yep, our family goes through 3 gallons of whole milk every week).
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sun Sep 30, 2018 4:32 pm

Sunday, September 30th

S Day!

131.2

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk, clementine slices, 1/2 a banana
L: nachos with cheese and the guacamole I bought yesterday. It's little containers, perfect for being able to have avocados every day!
D: 1 corn tortilla w/ground beef, cheese, & more guacamole. I felt a little queasy and stopped eating. What is strange -- in past years, I would have kept eating (I know, it's weird, it's a holdover from me believing that I should "eat" through nausea - don't ask me where or how that unusual pattern began - I couldn't answer you/have no answer, but i recognized for the first day that this is my pattern). So, I say Victory!!!!
dessert: scoop of vanilla ice cream.

NoSloth
Sunday is my true rest day, but I do have a 12pm walk scheduled for a "catch-up" walk with a neighbor friend.

NoSpending
No plans

KidsWithLimits
Wow -- still no Gregor. Maybe tonight will get back in the groove.

DryDays (means always having a few alcohol-free days each week)
I still have a whole bottle left! Which means I will definitely have some left over for weeknights, probably a bit Monday & Tuesday night. Which leaves Wednesday and Thursday alcohol-free this week. Hmmm, I was hoping for more like 3 or 4 alcohol-free days. Alcohol moderation sure occupies a lot of my time.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:08 am

Monday, October 1

130.2

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, berries, walnuts/almonds & carrots
D: kale salad w/guacamole, chicken drumstick

NoSloth
walked/jogged dog, biked to/from work, short walk for a meeting (yep, I got another meeting rescheduled as a walking meeting -- and we were done in 15 minutes!)

NoSpending
Total Fail. Bought food for kids at grocery store after parent/teacher conferences. Their teachers both gave great reports about the boys!! And Challenger12's teacher said he is great in class, helpful and gets along with everyone!!!!!! Haha she did say though that he always asks the deep, probing questions and wants application for everything he's learning. Of course! He must save it all up for home.... :roll: Anyway, I am thrilled and have hope that if I can just weather the storm of Challenger12, he will grow up to be a kind man that is loyal and wise.

KidsWithLimits
I guess I may fail AGAIN in this category. It's only the 2nd week of teaching and I'm failing in multiple areas. Ergh.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Wed Oct 03, 2018 5:57 am

Yup, it’s a lot of work being so good at school. They’re comfortable with us and know we will love them no matter what so yeah we get all the dark emotions. Challenger sounds super smart too so that may add to the intensity of it all. Fun times I know but you’ll both get through it just fine.

Good idea on the walking meeting!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Wed Oct 03, 2018 2:45 pm

Thank you Linda -- I guess it's actually a good thing that Challenger12 can let it all hang out at home. In fact, it might be a bit disturbing if he felt he had to be perfect even with us.

Tuesday, October 2nd

129.6 (and funny note -- this morning (Wed) it was 128.8. My first reaction (at that blurry tired moment) was - omg! How did I go up that much to 138!!!! It was inconceivable to me to actually see that low of a number.

NoSEating
B:coffee w/milk, 1/2 piece of bacon
L:yogurt w/mixed berries, walnuts & carrots
Funny Note: I make Challenger12 a smoothie in the mornings for breakfast. Well, he didn't like these mixed berry ones, so now I have to pick out just the strawberries to put in his smoothie, and I get stuck with the rest (including the blackberries, which are not my fav). This is what happens when I vary from my usual routine at Costco. Back to straight up frozen strawberries, and straight frozen blueberries. I can't wait until this mixed bag is used up.
D: (will be) tricky! It's date night, but tomorrow is my birthday, so I don't want to go all S-ey tonight. You know, a filet mignon & veggies sounds perfect, but where do you find that to go?! LOL!!!

NoSloth
Going well in this category. OutdoorDog and I actually jogged most of the morning time. I think it's OutdoorDog that is setting the pace, and gradually over the weeks he is making us jog more! Haha. If you saw us, it's nothing special - just a walk/jog. But I think there's slightly more jog now. But. And this is an important BUT. I don't have any aspirations in this area. We are out there to be outside together, look at the sky, and give us both a mood lift. No exercise goal.
also biked to/from work (in the rain, I might add)

NoSpending
Hey - green!

KidsWithLimits
I actually read Gregor last night! Creator9 and I are almost done with that book (Gregor couldn't kill the Bane because it turned out to be a baby! Gregor is a good boy). I wonder what we should read next. I want to take a break from Gregor (Creator9 might say he doesn't but I think he does) - I don't think we're ready for PubertyHarry in Harry Potter 5. I'd like to read The Hobbit next, or maybe the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place.
Last edited by automatedeating on Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:05 pm

Wednesday, October 3

128.8

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/berries; walnuts, almonds & carrots
D: big burger + tomato soup + a few apple slices

NoSloth
walk/jogged dog and biked to/from work

NoSpending
Green

KidsWithLimits
Fail, but in my defense, Creator9 is sick. He and I were up most of the night.

Thursday, October 4th

128.5

NoSEating
a partial S day for my birthday
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt + berries + walnuts/almonds & carrots
D: (will be) possibly fast food or something at Chuck E Cheese. We are taking the boys there to celebrate my birthday. Ha!
dessert (will probably be) a small cheesecake for us all to share.

NoSloth
Nothing today -- kiddo is sick and I was up all night so too tired to even walk. I need to reduce time away from him so I'll be driving in to work just to teach my class and then get home. Hopefully he'll be well enough for our planned outing this afternoon.

KidsWithLimits
I should be able to read to Creator9 today. He's feeling a little better.
Last edited by automatedeating on Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Thu Oct 04, 2018 8:37 pm

Happy Birthday dear! 🎂ðŸŽðŸŽˆðŸŒ·

Sorry creator isn’t feeling well. I hope you do something more fun than Chuck E. Cheese!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by ladybird30 » Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:50 am

Happy Birthday Automated. Hope it was a good one.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Post by Soprano » Sat Oct 06, 2018 5:18 am

Belated happy birthday :)

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sat Oct 06, 2018 5:07 pm

Thanks for birthday wishes, everybody! :-)

Friday, October 5th

130.7

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk, 1 blonde flat white, 1 apple from a friend at work
L: yogurt, berries, walnuts/almond mix
D: 3 meatballs, 1 small slice of my leftover birthday cheesecake (there is so much left.......whatever is left by Monday morning I will take to work)

NoSloth
Total sloth again This week ended up strange with sick kids and various other stuff that knocked me off my good sleep habits. that makes it tough to exercise

NoSpending
planned grocery shopping
For my personal accountability:
Costco $217
heater for living room - $60 right off the bat
wine for the week - $52 (wow, yes, we need to reduce this, quite embarrassing, next week I will buy cheaper ones...)
veggie tray
raspberries
kitchen garbage bags
frozen strawberries
frozen tilapia filets
chips for kids' lunches
frozen pizza
shredded cheese

Local Grocery - $36
yogurt - $15 :lol: (found a new local variety to try....6% milkfat and A2 milk ahhh - I seriously have a yogurt fetish)
local milk - 2 gallons of milk
local egg nog
hot dogs
hot dog buns
tortilla chips
2 blow pops for kids, who were with me tonight and behaved reasonably well

KidsWithLimits
Fail. Again. What a weird week.

I've had 2 rough weeks of the quarter. I often am struck with existential crisis of career, as I fondly refer to it, about 4 or 5 weeks into the quarter. It has struck early this quarter, perhaps because I am back to teaching full-time and fully focused on my foibles. So I haven't been feeling super pleased with my teaching, but I have been here before and I know it passes. I also am slowly (very slowly) trying to accept myself as a good teacher that works hard, but isn't ever going to be declared "teacher of the world!" as my monstrous hubris would want. I will work hard, be nice, and serve my students to the best of my ability without compromising my relationship with my kids or my husband -- or my health!! I also can't compromise my integrity by lowering my standards, which would be a quick way for more instant gratification from students. I need to trust I'm doing what I believe is best for them, and that means designing a class that keeps them working steadily throughout the quarter. Although I'd like to believe they will thank me once they are immersed in the nursing program and realize that I have prepared them well, I cannot live in the fantasy world in which my students sing me songs of praise & gratitude for my amazingness. LOL, as I reread the last paragraph you can see how conflicted I am. I'm such a goofball, living in the uncomfortable space between my monstrous ego desires and my ethical convictions. I guess that's better than just living with my unfettered monstrous ego. Yuck!

I am not going to do any schoolwork today. No grading, no email replies, no lesson planning. Tomorrow. But I think my soul needs to rest today. Along those lines, I just finished the teen book "City of Ember". What fun it was! It has been made, apparently, into a very bad movie (according to Rotten Tomatoes). Thus, my kids will probably love the movie, haha. But first they must read the book!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:21 am

Saturday, October 6th

129.8

S Day!

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/ raspberries
snack: 1 sweettart from Creator9 -- he likes to share his treats and he told me I should have it since it's an "S" Day. Yes, little man, you are right.
D: the best double cheeseburger ever with guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles,& bacon. Sexy43 and I had a philosophical post-prandial discussion about the perfect-ness of a good burger for dinner. :-) Everybody eats veggies with it, everybody loves the meal, it has just the perfect amount of bread to satisfy without bloating, it's just "mwah" (which we decided is the sound of a kiss - perfection).
dessert: (will be) more of my delectable birthday cheesecake.

NoSloth
All Sloth on this S Day

NoSpending
All in the Clear

KidsWithLimits
We'll see. I sense a fail coming but time will tell.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sun Oct 07, 2018 7:38 pm

Sunday, October 7th

129.8

S DAY

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: broccoli, chicken thighs, a few tator tots, cabbage salad
D: (will be) not sure yet
dessert: (will be) cheesecake, and then I have to take the rest to work tomorrow to get it out of the house! :roll:

NoSloth
Slothified today (with love)

NoSpending
green

KidsWithLimits
hmmmm probably another fail, we'll see
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

eschano
Posts: 2642
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano » Sun Oct 07, 2018 8:55 pm

Auto, I bet you are an amazing teacher! Weirdly, I don’t remember the teachers with the easy classes as great but the ones that ask for a lot of work but were fair and took an interest in us as people.

I have to catch up on your thread to find out how your month of no alcohol went! I missed it.
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

User avatar
Octavia
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 8:01 pm
Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:18 pm

Auto, I’m sure you are a great teacher and your students are lucky to be taught by such a balanced person! I bet you do deserve more credit than you get. But young folk don’t do that gratitude stuff very well.

Glad you enjoyed your burgers! They sound totally yummy! Mwah indeed!

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Mon Oct 08, 2018 11:02 pm

Thanks for the encouragement, Tess & Octavia. I need it. I'm still in a funk.

Monday, October 7th

131.5

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, berries, and walnuts/almonds
D: (will be) beef and onion bowl with guac, cheese, tomato, and leafy greens. Also supplemented with an apple from a friend's tree

NoSloth
walked/jogged dog, biked to/from work (in the rain)

NoSpending
had to pay for Creator9's piano lessons

KidsWithLimits
Will try? Oh my big fails here of late

I continue to feel a failure at teaching. Can't seem to develop any rapport with my various classes this quarter. Not sure what's going on with me. I keep fantasizing about finding a different career. Not a good train of thought for someone that has kids to raise.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Post by Soprano » Tue Oct 09, 2018 4:54 am

Sorry to hear you are having a bad time at work, it will pass!

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

wahine
Posts: 200
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2015 8:28 am
Location: New Zealand

Post by wahine » Tue Oct 09, 2018 8:52 am

Biking to work in the rain is something to be proud of!

I hope you start to feel better about your work. You actually sound like you really care about how your teaching goes and how your students do. Which is most likely a sign that you are a good teacher.
Kate

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Wed Oct 10, 2018 3:19 am

Thanks everyone. Tonight was our date night, and Sexy43 and I got to chat about this a bit. Hopefully I'll come out of this, but I just feel burdened right now that I'm not able to make enough of a difference. I feel discouraged about what my students learned (or didn't learn, I mean) in the years before they came to college. I can't make up that deficit for them, and it makes me (in general) feel sad about our decline as a country/world. Language skills lost for a whole generation. Harumph. Obviously I'm still in a funk. Maybe it's just PMS.

Tuesday, October 9th
NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, walnuts/almonds and carrots. Think I need to go easy on the raw almonds. They make my abdomen hurt in the afternoon.
D: filet mignon, broccoli w/cheese, roasted asparagus

NoSloth
walked dog
biked to/from work

NoSpending
Date night - also ordered magnesium supplement on amazon

KidsWithLimits
:cry:
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Wed Oct 10, 2018 2:55 pm

Wednesday, October 10th

130.7

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: (will be) yogurt, berries, celery, pb
D: (will be) salmon burger on big salad with guacamole and feta cheese

NoSloth
walk/jog with dog; biked to/from work

NoSpending
Should be clear today - nope just realized I need to buy more yogurt.

KidsWithLimits
kids starting a new activity tonight -- an outdoor group -- so we won't be home until 9:30. Yikes. All of us usually are in bed by 9pm so this will interesting.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Thu Oct 11, 2018 5:56 am

Sorry your struggling with work. Thanks for caring though.

Btw, I take magnesium nightly. It really helps me sleep.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

jenji
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: Cambridge

Post by jenji » Thu Oct 11, 2018 10:18 am

Teaching is a hard job. I hope you can feel some progress soon.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Thu Oct 11, 2018 1:43 pm

Thanks Linda and Jen.

I continue to wax philosophical about my place in this life. Teaching IS a hard job, but it has many perks that make it difficult to imagine doing something else. As I ride my bike to/from work, I work through various scenarios where I find a different career. Honestly, if it weren't for priority #1 (kiddos), I'd be ready to take a leap and switch careers and/or go back to school. But that would be pretty selfish to do to my kids.

I think a lot of this is just chalked up to my intensity of personality (LOL, Challenger12 doesn't get it from nowhere). I have super high ambitions with whatever I'm doing, and. ..... well, I don't really fear change. I love a challenge, I like trying new things. I also like being extremely autonomous and working on my own ideas creatively. Then I like to share those ideas. So teaching has been a good fit for a long time.....but now maybe I would enjoy research again. Perhaps I can find a way to fit research into my current teaching load? See, my problem is that most of my "solutions" to keep my current job + satisfy this Career Itch require more hours of week, something I'd be perfectly happy to do but kiddos would suffer.

You know, my dad was/is a lot like this but a big difference is that as the DAD (not the mom, get it?!) socially it was fine for him to work a lot, even on the weekends. Don't get me wrong, he was definitely around, but he was able to focus almost fully on his own interests. Uh-oh, now I'm feeling my feminist side come out. Sexy43 and I have many situations of role reversal -- this might be yet another example. I'm the more ambitious/driven one in our partnership, no question about it.

Maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if I started working on some other interests and wasn't home occasionally in the evenings or on weekends? It's interesting to imagine the potential fall-out (both negative & positive) if I were to pursue that route. Not that I'm sure what activities that would be, anyway.

I used to dream of being a writer. I was editor of my school high school, I was part of a "writer's seminar", and as I think some of you know, I've written (and illustrated) all of my students' notes (I call them "worktexts"). Writing is certainly one thing I could do that wouldn't cost money or require set-in-stone hours (haha it also wouldn't MAKE $$). And maybe it would scratch this itch? Notably, I love NoS and this forum and my thread. It's stream of consciousness writing and yet it still satisfies something for me. I wonder what it would be like if I set a goal of writing a novel or a non-fiction. LOL, I have no idea what I would decide to write. In this day and age of self-publishing, I could set a goal of completing a project and see how that feels for me.

OK, so I ALSO have a Youtube Channel with lots of video clips for my students. What if I started a webpage linking typed notes, illustrations, and analogies for topics to my YouTube page? One of my colleagues has a blog; that could be the solution to my itch.....

[Update -- the problem with a blog is the expectations. It would be like another due date to keep it up properly, which is too much like my current job. I think I might dread it after awhile. My youtube channel a burden in a way. People are always asking for specific videos that they'd like me to make. So....]

Need to keep pondering. I skipped my walk this morning because I needed to write these thoughts down. Dog is disappointed but I think it was for the best.

Thursday, October 11

130.9

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk & a large scoop of self-reflection
L: omg I'm out of yogurt. Sexy43 has been having yogurt for lunch too, so I guess that means now I'll be spending $20 a week on yogurt. :lol: But, for today, what to take? I'll be scrounging. Also, still avoiding/minimizing the nuts because I think I may have a hard time digesting them in large quantities.
D: (will be) taco salad (did I mention the salmon salad I made last night was awesome? I will totally be keeping that in the rotation)

NoSloth
(will) bike to/from work

NoSpending
Need to pick up yogurt!

KidsWithLimits
(goal is to) finish Gregor!!!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

jenji
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: Cambridge

Post by jenji » Thu Oct 11, 2018 3:41 pm

automatedeating wrote:Thanks Linda and Jen.

I continue to wax philosophical about my place in this life. Teaching IS a hard job, but it has many perks that make it difficult to imagine doing something else. As I ride my bike to/from work, I work through various scenarios where I find a different career. Honestly, if it weren't for priority #1 (kiddos), I'd be ready to take a leap and switch careers and/or go back to school. But that would be pretty selfish to do to my kids.

I think a lot of this is just chalked up to my intensity of personality (LOL, Challenger12 doesn't get it from nowhere). I have super high ambitions with whatever I'm doing, and. ..... well, I don't really fear change. I love a challenge, I like trying new things. I also like being extremely autonomous and working on my own ideas creatively. Then I like to share those ideas. So teaching has been a good fit for a long time.....but now maybe I would enjoy research again. Perhaps I can find a way to fit research into my current teaching load? See, my problem is that most of my "solutions" to keep my current job + satisfy this Career Itch require more hours of week, something I'd be perfectly happy to do but kiddos would suffer.

You know, my dad was/is a lot like this but a big difference is that as the DAD (not the mom, get it?!) socially it was fine for him to work a lot, even on the weekends. Don't get me wrong, he was definitely around, but he was able to focus almost fully on his own interests. Uh-oh, now I'm feeling my feminist side come out. Sexy43 and I have many situations of role reversal -- this might be yet another example. I'm the more ambitious/driven one in our partnership, no question about it.

Maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if I started working on some other interests and wasn't home occasionally in the evenings or on weekends? It's interesting to imagine the potential fall-out (both negative & positive) if I were to pursue that route. Not that I'm sure what activities that would be, anyway.

I used to dream of being a writer. I was editor of my school high school, I was part of a "writer's seminar", and as I think some of you know, I've written (and illustrated) all of my students' notes (I call them "worktexts"). Writing is certainly one thing I could do that wouldn't cost money or require set-in-stone hours (haha it also wouldn't MAKE $$). And maybe it would scratch this itch? Notably, I love NoS and this forum and my thread. It's stream of consciousness writing and yet it still satisfies something for me. I wonder what it would be like if I set a goal of writing a novel or a non-fiction. LOL, I have no idea what I would decide to write. In this day and age of self-publishing, I could set a goal of completing a project and see how that feels for me.

OK, so I ALSO have a Youtube Channel with lots of video clips for my students. What if I started a webpage linking typed notes, illustrations, and analogies for topics to my YouTube page? One of my colleagues has a blog; that could be the solution to my itch.....

[Update -- the problem with a blog is the expectations. It would be like another due date to keep it up properly, which is too much like my current job. I think I might dread it after awhile. My youtube channel a burden in a way. People are always asking for specific videos that they'd like me to make. So....]

Need to keep pondering. I skipped my walk this morning because I needed to write these thoughts down. Dog is disappointed but I think it was for the best.
I could see you writing something engaging and great. I think that adding research AND writing could re-ignite your passion for work. It is good for kids to see their mom setting goals and achieving them. Also, the older they get, the less they need you in terms of hours. They still need the parent, of course, but for chunks of time they will not need or want you at all. My one and only is 14 and it is clear that she needs to have some time with me to talk, but other than that, she is more self-directed and peer-directed.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Fri Oct 12, 2018 12:55 am

Thank you, Jen.
I'm still just trying to ponder.

Funny day. I was crying a bit this morning (at work, no less!) but hid it I think. Then decided -- f*&k it, I'm going to the movies. So told Sexy43 let's knock off work early, pick up the kids early from school, and go see Christopher Robin. After that decision I had a great day with my students, lol. I was just looking forward to doing something that got my mind off responsibilities. Ironically, the movie was about a guy that needed to learn to "do nothing leads to the best somethings". I love it. So did Creator9. Sexy43 took Challenger12 home because the little snot didn't want to go to a movie with us. Whatever!

Also -- ate an entire tub of popcorn. A planned fail, but I HADN'T planned on feeling so sick afterwards. Guess my body hasn't had junk in that quantity in months.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Fri Oct 12, 2018 5:30 am

Not a lot of advice but I’m right there with you in trying to figure out some meaningful endeavor. I agree about the blog. I could never keep it up and realized it wasn’t for me. I think writing a book would be better in some ways because you could go at your own pace. I don’t know, I have a lot of ideas but very little follow through. It’s frustrating.

I’m glad you went to the movies and just did something fun. I realize that’s what I need a lot of time is to just let go a little or a lot and enjoy life a bit more. Lol on challenger wanting to go home. Sweetpea doesn’t want to go to the museum with us anymore because she might run into someone from her school (it’s an Art school). 🙄

Hang in there. You’re doing just fine. 💜
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

User avatar
Octavia
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 8:01 pm
Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Fri Oct 12, 2018 9:29 pm

Quick hello before bed. Movie night sounded fun! And I think the idea of writing a book is great! A novel perhaps? Or collection of short stories? I could never keep a blog going. I tried once, but it felt like a millstone round my neck after a while.

Anyway I must turn in now...hope you have a great weekend. X

Larkspur
Posts: 438
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2017 3:30 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Post by Larkspur » Sat Oct 13, 2018 1:12 am

I wish we could have a round table in person to talk about work/career issues. I used to teach adjunct for a BSN program, two days a week. Mostly good but I did get one or two groups where I felt really discouraged and inept. I do think, for what it's worth, that having a parent near is critical for kids. I think around 16 they can start to spare you more but until then, it's time well spent. Nanowrimo (North American Novel Writing Month) is next month, if you want to scratch that writing itch...

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:35 am

You guys all rock. Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions. As a kid, literally every story I wrote was about horses. Haha. Maybe I should branch out. Honestly, writing a children's book might be the closest to my alley. As most of you know, I'm a sucker for the kids' books. I sort of dream of writing stories like Dory Fantasmagory. Those books are just amazing. Or, maybe I'd like to write a fantasy like Gregor. :-) I'll ponder on, but even the pondering is kind of fun. Don't writers usually do something like just promise to write for a certain amount of time everyday? And not too worried about what is written? Can I publish my NoS Forum Thread? :lol:

Friday, October 12th

130.0

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: salad w/ ground beef - tasted good but not super filling (we were out of yogurt!)
D: big salad and a plain hot dog with mustard (this was a save because I brought home a Costco pizza for the rest of the family.....)

NoSloth
walk/jogged with dog
biked to/from work

NoSpending
Grocery Shopping A-OK today
For accountability (and face it, my strange pleasure) here is my list:
Costco - $140
wine for the week -- $36 (much better than last week)
avocados
mediterranean salad
guacamole
milk
eggs, 36
bottled water (for kids' sports)
Keurig coffee pods - $36 for 120, sheesh
Le Croix
local grocery store - $39
yogurt, crazy amounts of yogurt
sour cream
1 more gallon of milk

Also bought some lube for my bike chain and a handheld vacuum for the stairs (on amazon)
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

cedar
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:30 am
Location: Australia

Post by cedar » Sat Oct 13, 2018 11:29 am

I'd read your book Auto😀. Ive always thought you have a talent for writing! 👌

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sat Oct 13, 2018 8:15 pm

Saturday, October 13th

128.0

S Day S Day S Day

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk, bacon, eggs & hashbrowns
snack: a few apple slices
D: nachos w/all the toppings
dessert: ice cream
notable appetite correction: about 1/2 way through my (very reasonably sized) bowl of ice cream, I felt .... it was enough. I truly felt that if I didn't listen to my gentle "that's enough" voice, I was going to feel a little sick later from the sugar load. Ah, why is the "stop" voice gentle and the "eat" voice loud, strident, and usually bitter? :roll:

NoSloth
Sloth is the Name of the Game today

NoSpending
took Creator9 to buy his Halloween costume and got the Halloween candy -- now hidden until the 31st

KidsWithLimits
We are doing fine limiting the electronics, but it's embarrassing to keep this category for the time being because of all the fails in the reading dept. We'll get back on track soon.

Eureka pondering -- So Creator9 and I were discussing writing a book --- TOGETHER. Kind of like Dory. Then my thoughts really got churning, and I had this idea ...... what if made these cute little characters explain some of my A&P concepts ...... I guess it has a bit of the Magic School Bus idea, but it would actually be stories used to explain the science to adult pre-nursing students ...... then Creator9 and I could film the little stories and upload them to my Youtube channel (or just use them for my classes).

One other exciting thing from my morning. I've been worried about paying taxes next year because last April we had to pay a lot and I wasn't sure what to expect since the taxes have changed. Wellllllllllllll........ I used TurboTax TaxCaster and found our taxes are going DOWN by $5000!!!!!!!!! I am just dumbfounded with relief. It seems the big help is that they have doubled the child tax credit and raised the income limits for getting that credit. Yippeee!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

cedar
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:30 am
Location: Australia

Post by cedar » Sun Oct 14, 2018 4:09 am

Ahh such a lovely idea to do with your sonðŸ‘. Fantastic news re. your tax! Yay!

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Sun Oct 14, 2018 5:10 am

Yay on taxes and AC! I’m super jealous of that 128 but happy for you. Do you feel good at this weight? Confident? Love clothes shopping?
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:37 pm

Thanks Cedar and Linda!

Linda, your question prompted me to reflect a bit on where I am at and how weight loss affects/doesn't affect mental health. I DO feel better about myself. I feel more confident and prettier. I feel LOTS healthier and proud of myself for feeding my body with good nutrients - that's probably the biggest improvement mental health wise. I also feel amazed that I seem to prefer to stop eating without overdoing. It hasn't happened a lot (last night's ice cream incident was a good example), but when it does, it really shocks me -- that is a big change. In the past, eating something that tasted really good just made me want to eat and eat and eat it. Now, I'm starting to hear this gentle voice (it's very laid-back and casual sounding in my head) that says, "you know, you feel pretty good right now - no need to have more". Maybe that voice has always been there but it was drowned out by the louder always greedy voice. It's like I've made a new friend, and she's looking out for me, but would never want to impose her will. So....that means that I feel more SATISFIED with the food in my life. Even though I may have eaten less of a yummy food, I got overall greater pleasure from it. These are new experiences for me, for the most part. And that brings me more life contentment.

However, as my thread plainly shows, being at a healthy weight doesn't solve other problems in life. Life goes on, and how our bodies look and feel, while significant, doesn't affect, for example, whether Challenger12 is a stinker to me. :lol:

Lastly, I have fear about sustaining. It definitely requires willpower for me to make healthy food choices. The rest of my family still eats a lot of starchy foods, and those are my triggers, so although I'm pretty good at resisting right now (and even taking the time to put together a healthy alternative), I fear when the more stressful times come, or for whatever reason I may go off the rails. I am CERTAIN I will gain weight if I don't restrict my starches. I see it happen every single weekend, and I'm not even having wild S Days (not by any stretch). So this has to be life for me. I console myself with words from oolala -- there will be discomfort somewhere. I have to choose whether the discomfort comes in the application of making a good food choice, or in the aftermath when I regret a poor food choice. I choose option A, hopeful that over time it will just get easier.

One more comment about sustainability -- S Days have got to remain for me. I think that means that I will not get much lower weight-wise, but I truly need to have a release valve every weekend where I can have a big plate of nachos or hashbrowns or french fries.

Shopping -- yes, it's nice to try on stuff and realize I fit in smaller clothes, but I haven't really been able to buy much because our budget is so tight. I also never really have any time to myself to go shopping...... I have gone to the thrift store a couple times in the past month, but it takes a while for me to sift through their items -- find those petite length pants, haha. I did spend $40 (as soon as my September no spending ban ended!) and got 2 pants and 1 sweater that I love and are now staples in the rotation. :-) So in summary - yes! shopping is more fun and now I am inspired to go again. :-)

Sunday, October 14th

S DAY!

129.5
interesting side note - I had the 23andme analysis done, and it said my genes predict me to weigh slightly more than the average female my height, which would be 145 (or 10 pounds above the top of my healthy BMI). That is really interesting, since that is the weight I tend to bound right up to when I eat unrestrained.

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk, apple
L: small bag of Doritos & a bowl of yogurt with berries
D: (will be) cheeseburgers (which we had planned for last night and then discovered we were out of propane. Sexy43 is picking up another canister for me.)
dessert: (will be) ice cream

My menu for the week:
Sun: Burgers
Mon: Spaghetti (for kids); beef bowl w/guac for me; green beans and green salad for all (Sexy is funny - he has some spaghetti and some of my beef bowl on these nights.)
Tues: salmon burgers (on buns for kids, on salad for me); corn & salad for all
Wed: Date night! Mac & cheese or frozen pizza or chicken nuggets for kids (they pick)
Thur: Drumsticks & salad for all; chili for kids - I am going to need something extra for myself but haven't figured out yet what that will be
Fri: Take-out from Costco for everyone but me; I'd like to have a tuna fish salad I think. These are the TOUGHEST scenarios and being prepared is critical to survival. I'll say this, though -- I just keep reminding myself, yes, I know what pizza tastes like (or whatever the tempting processed food happens to be). I know what it tastes like to eat it, and I know what it feels like to regret eating it. I don't need it. My happiness does not depend on it. My long-term happiness is more dependent on healthy choices. And of course, the typical encouragement many of us use -- if I really want pizza this weekend, I'll have it tomorrow or Sunday. But, I'm serious when I say that I have broken a lot of the hold that pizza and other fast food had on me. I really am OK without it. Maybe my reward neurotransmitters are resetting or something! Well, we'll see what tune I'm singing once the stress of the holidays are upon us. :roll:
Last edited by automatedeating on Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
Octavia
Posts: 901
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Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:47 pm

Wow, I love that thing you said: ‘it’s like I’ve made a new friend, and she’s looking out for me, but would never want to impose her will.’ That’s a great way of looking at the gentle voice of common sense that comes with No S. I’m going to think about that this week, and see if I can picture this friend helping me. My S days are still a bit mad, as my old habits assert themselves, but I’m sure I can hear that new voice a bit more. I’m going to listen a bit harder.

Brilliant to hear how well you’ve done on No S, Auto! 🙂

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Mon Oct 15, 2018 11:05 pm

Thanks Octavia! I hope you have a really great week.

Monday, October 15th

130.2
NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/berries and some walnuts/almonds and apple slices
D: (will be) grilled beef & onion salad bowl w/avocado slices & cheese

NoSloth
walked/jogged with dog
biked to/from work

NoSpending
A-OK, but need to get cash out to pay for Challenger's basketball and Creator's book fair. Also have to order Challenger's Halloween outfit off Amazon.

KidsWithLimits
We did it! We finished Gregor #2! And we started the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. :-) More tonight.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

Larkspur
Posts: 438
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2017 3:30 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Post by Larkspur » Tue Oct 16, 2018 12:08 am

Most impressive! You ARE a Jedi!

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:21 pm

Ha Larkspur. :wink:

Tuesday, October 17th
129.6
NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, berries, walnuts/almonds, apple
D: (will be) salmon burger on a big salad w/ corn

NoSloth
walked/jogged with dog, biked to/from work
The wind chill on the bike is COLD! I think I need a windbreaker.

NoSpending
A-OK

KidsWithLimits
chapter 2 of incorrigible children -- Penelope hears strange howls while being interviewed by Constance.

An Observation: I seem to be less tired in the afternoons. Still totally ready to go to sleep by 9pm (Creator9 tells me I fall asleep in 5 seconds -- probably an exaggeration, but it is nice to fall asleep easily). But the afternoon (from 3-6pm especially) I am more alert and productive than previously (I think). Maybe my blood glucose response is under better control, or my healthy eating is simply fueling me properly. But whatever the cause, I'm glad for it.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Wed Oct 17, 2018 2:49 pm

Wednesday, October 17th

129.2
NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: leftover salad, yogurt w/berries
D: (will be) date night - wise choices must prevail! :-)
Ok, so I have a story about this one!! Tonight was the first time I was "that" customer -- I've always felt weird about asking for special orders, but I did tonight!!! Sexy picked an Italian restaurant that makes great pizza. I LOVE their fettuccine alfredo, so I asked, "May I please have the chicken fettuccine alfredo....without the fettuccine? Please instead bring a double order of vegetables and chicken if that is OK". And they did. And it was amazing. And I ate it all. And I felt great. Not bloated, not overly full, but just great. I'm home now and it's not even 7:30 and I can't believe how great I feel. No regret, no nasty sense that I'll be sick later. It's interesting how my body actually was giving me lots of signals that it was becoming pre-diabetic. Sick after big meals, and tired after meals.

NoSloth
walk/jogged w/dog
biked to/from work
last night also did a night-walker with Challenger & Dog. Challenger was nice yesterday but he's being a snot already this morning.

NoSpending
Date Night
Also last night bought a new harness for the dog on Amazon ($40). Felt I had to do it; he's gotten so fat since he had to take steroids that his harness hasn't been fitting, but now I see it's making him quite uncomfortable. It won't arrive until Monday earliest.

KidsWithLimits
Read Chapter 3 and part of Chapter 4 of the Incorrigible Children. Penelope discovered 3 red-headed children living in the barn - they had apparently been raised by wolves. She gets them into the house with the good smells of cooking wafted on the breeze, drawing them inside. Waft was one of Creator's vocab words this week, so that was a nice tie-in. :wink:
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Thu Oct 18, 2018 4:08 pm

Thursday, October 18th

128.8

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: (will be) yogurt, berries, apple
D: (will be) chicken drumsticks and....? kids/hub will have chili too and we were going to have salad but we have eaten all the salad! Maybe green beans? Ooh, just remembered I have a few frozen brussel sprouts left
Update - ended up a simple but delicious meal. 3 chicken drumsticks, green beans, and avocado slices.

NoSloth
Sloth so far. overslept and didn't walk dog, then didn't bike because I have a hair appt after work. Maybe I'll fit in a night-walker.
walked to/from hair appt! :-) Not bad resourcefulness, Auto!

NoSpending
Will have to spend about $75 on hair this afternoon.

KidsWithLimits
I think we finished chapter 5 last night and started ch. 6.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

wahine
Posts: 200
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2015 8:28 am
Location: New Zealand

Post by wahine » Fri Oct 19, 2018 6:23 pm

automatedeating wrote:Wednesday, October 17th[/
It's interesting how my body actually was giving me lots of signals that it was becoming pre-diabetic.

Automated, are you eating Low carb because you were diagnosed pre-diabetic? I know it’s probably in your thread but you have 18 pages!

I hope you’re pleased with your hair ðŸ§ðŸ½â€â™€ï¸
Kate

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Fri Oct 19, 2018 6:58 pm

Yes, wahine, I moderate my carbs for my blood sugar control. As an unexpected benefit, my blood pressure is also now very healthy. Low-carb is really a spectrum - you can see from my food choices that I have plenty of carbs, actually -- vegetables, fruit, nuts, and copious amounts of yogurt! :-) Primarily my rule is to eat whole foods (on N Days), and that has really slashed my carb intake.

Friday, October 19th
128.2
NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt, berries, and walnuts/almonds
D: (will be) take out from Costco, so I'm thinking a chicken Caesar salad? Or maybe I'll find something else. I'll be bringing home the kids & Sexy the giant hot dogs. :lol:
Update - ate some of my new salad and a hot dog w/mustard.
small fail at Costco - sampled some of a new salad and an ice cream treat.

NoSloth
walked the dog - victory because I was feeling so groggy.
biked to/from work -- victory because I kept trying to make excuses to just drive.

NoSpending
Shopping Day!

KidsWithLimits
Incorrigible children last night....didn't make it through the whole chapter, but did read.
Last edited by automatedeating on Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:48 pm

Auto,

I love the Caesar salad from Costco! And my husband and son love the hot dogs too! Lol! Not to mention, I love the costs of that takeout. You can get full for not a lot of $$! 😀

Also, love the story about the fettuccine Alfredo. It’s cool they didn’t bat an eyelash on your substitution and frankly, it just sounded good! Best of both worlds!

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:53 pm

Saturday, October 20th

127.3
NoSEating
B: latte (went in to work early this morning)
L: 2 sausages, 2 bites of a snickers bar (I realized it was a trigger as soon as I'd bitten into it, and gave the rest to my kiddos)
Dessert: peppermint ice cream sandwich - not as good as I'd hoped it'd be
snack:tortilla chips w/guacamole
D: cheeseburgers with all the fixins
Dessert2: another peppermint ice cream sandwich, which shockingly was more enjoyable than the first one today.
I guess I have to call it an "all's well that ends well" S Day.

NoSloth
wasn't going to walk this morning, especially since I was planning on getting in to work really early, but Creator9 woke up early and asked to go on a walk with me and how can I say no to that? He is so sweet. But other than that I'm slothing it up with great glory.

NoSpending
Holy Cow. I spent $290 at Costco and $90 at Haggen. Sheesh!! My goal is $200 spent at both locations, so I went ridiculously over. I was starving while shopping, so that could have contributed to my overall reduced willpower. I ended up not going to the local grocery until today, so I stuck better to my list today.

Costco - $290
an undershirt for biking
gloves for biking
wine for the week
caesar salad bag
mixed greens salad bag
milk
grass-fed butter (impulse buy)
cat food, cat litter and dog bully sticks - $$80!!! :roll:
laundry good-smelling beads (impulse buy)
peppermint ice cream sandwiches
chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bars
bacon
sausage (impulse buy)
gogurt (kids' lunches)
chocolate-covered almonds (kids' lunches)
cheese slices
hot dogs
hot dog buns
canned tomato sauce
maple syrup (the fake stuff)
gum

Then at the local grocery - $90
bananas
carrots
celery
veggie tray
2 tomatoes
onions
rice-a-roni
beef jerky (kids' lunches)
pop tarts (kids' lunches)
2 cans refried beans
spaghetti seasoning
yogurt - 6 big containers!!

Still have to buy Challenger12 a new outfit for his school music program, and I need to buy his costume online. I feel like every time I turn around there's something extra like that to buy.
Last edited by automatedeating on Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:41 am, edited 2 times in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:31 pm

I don’t think I my kids have ever asked me to go on a walk. How awesome is that.

And don’t even talk to me about budget. I am so far gone this week, it’s ridiculous. 🤦ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸ I think I need to start buying more stuff from Costco. I tend to just get pet stuff, kitchen/bathroom stuff, drunks and a few other odds and ends.

Enjoy your weekend !
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Post by Soprano » Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:44 pm

lpearlmom wrote: I think I need to start buying more stuff from Costco. I tend to just get pet stuff, kitchen/bathroom stuff, drunks and a few other odds and ends.
I know Costco is renowned for selling everything but..... :)

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:46 pm

Thanks Linda. I definitely have been enjoying my weekend, after I managed to move $$ around in my budget categories to settle things up, haha

Sunday, October 21st
S Day!
128.7

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk, 2 sausages, 1 egg
L: pot roast
Dessert: ice cream sandwich
D: 2 bowls of caesar salad, 1 piece of pepperoni pizza
Dessert 2: chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bar - dang, that thing was GOOD.

NoSloth
As an S Day, I have permission to do nothing... And yet I happily.....
raked leaves, mowed lawn, scooped poop, swept garage, weeded, laundry, washed floors. I don't think I'm imagining it anymore - I really do think I have more energy with my healthier food choices. It's as though I have "access to my fat stores" for needed energy.... or something. I just know that I seem to be far more productive on the weekends than the past few years. Possibly it's also related to no longer having admin responsibilities, but I actually am still having to work a lot on the weekends (prep/grading), so not sure exactly. But I'm thankful for the energy, whatever the underlying reason for it.

NoSpending
No plans

KidsWithLimits
Hope to read a chapter of Incorrigibles tonight
Last edited by automatedeating on Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Octavia
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Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:16 pm

Wow - sounds like a super-productive weekend! Maybe healthy food choices are indeed fuelling you? Keep doing it! 😊

User avatar
Octavia
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Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 8:01 pm
Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:16 pm

Wow - sounds like a super-productive weekend, Auto! Maybe healthy food choices are indeed fuelling you? Keep doing it! 😊

User avatar
Octavia
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Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:17 pm

Oops I posted twice, sorry!

And now, three times! :lol: :oops:

cedar
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:30 am
Location: Australia

Post by cedar » Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:45 am

Sounds like a great weekend Auto good oneðŸ‘😀.

automatedeating
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Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Mon Oct 22, 2018 6:10 pm

Thanks Octavia and Cedar!

Monday, October 22nd

129.5

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/ berries, carrots, celery and mixed nuts
D: (will be) beef salad bowl with guacamole & cheese - spaghetti for kids

NoSloth
walked dog (Creator came along again this morning) - very slow walk but we were gone 40 minutes
biked to/from work

NoSpending
Nothing Planned

KidsWithLimits
Finished Chapter 6 of Incorrigibles
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Tue Oct 23, 2018 2:04 pm

Tuesday, October 23rd

129.2

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/berries, carrots/celery and mixed nuts
D: salmon salad (salmon burgers for kids) this meal was a bust. The salmon was kind of cold for some reason, and I just felt the meal needed some crunch. I finished off a bit of strawberry yogurt smoothie that a kiddo had left in the fridge, and that seemed to provide me a reasonable finish to an otherwise unsatisfying meal.

NoSloth
Will try to get a walk in at some point. Dog having issues again so I need to take him to vet this morning - so no walk and no biking. Have had trouble sleeping the last 2 nights because of concerns - mostly triggered from the dog, but then my mind just goes on about everything. Got up at 1am to take the magnesium supplement - remembered Linda said it helps her sleep. I did eventually get back to sleep.
Update: I had Sexy drop me off at vet clinic and I walked home (40min) with IssueDog. So that was good.
But my goodness I've been tired today. Dragging. I feel it is at least partially a mental fatigue thing. I got part of my grading done and then I just felt I couldn't go on. It's only 7:30 and I'd love to go to bed. Somehow I need to stay up for another 90 minutes. (Note: so much for my bragging that I have had more energy lately -- not today!!!!)

NoSpending
Last night Sexy took Challenger to get his performance outfit, shoes, and a couple of sweaters. Had to be done. They did a great job keeping the price tag as low as possible under the circumstances.

KidsWithLimits
Creator9 is not really enjoying the The Incorrigibles. Time to shift back to Gregor or find something different.
Update: he says he does like this book a lot, and he was just frustrated last night because I was helping Challenger with homework during what is normally part of our reading time. Ahhhh.

The last week or so I have really been in a groove. Now sick dog again and I'm feeling the wheels starting to wiggle (not off but freaking me out). I don't WANT to live in this high-stress world. I keep thinking - can I break out of this cycle of having too much to do? On a normal, everybody's healthy day I can get in a good groove (with many weeks of normal, that is). But one thing out of sorts and all the cards start to tumble.
Last edited by automatedeating on Wed Oct 24, 2018 2:28 am, edited 2 times in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

jenji
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: Cambridge

Post by jenji » Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:08 pm

Octavia wrote:Wow, I love that thing you said: ‘it’s like I’ve made a new friend, and she’s looking out for me, but would never want to impose her will.’ That’s a great way of looking at the gentle voice of common sense that comes with No S. I’m going to think about that this week, and see if I can picture this friend helping me. My S days are still a bit mad, as my old habits assert themselves, but I’m sure I can hear that new voice a bit more. I’m going to listen a bit harder.

Brilliant to hear how well you’ve done on No S, Auto! 🙂
I love this, too!
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Thu Oct 25, 2018 1:39 pm

Wednesday, October 24th

128.0

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/strawberries, mixed nuts, carrots/celery
note - hungry/slightly nauseaus in the afternoon. Not sure what's going on with me.
D: Date night - I had a sub-par burger with a sub-par salad.

NoSloth
walked dog
biked to/from work
both of these victories considering how tired I've been feeling. And my in-laws arrive tomorrow for the weekend. :shock:

NoSpending
Costco - went early because in-laws will be here and so Sexy and I went together (as part of our date night, lol). We overspent, yes, but the extras were reasonably needed.
$250
weekly wine
3 bags of salad
avocados
ground beef
steaks (splurge - to grill for in-laws Thursday night)
eggs
whipped cream (splurge)
guacamole
ice cream
frozen blueberries
chocolate syrup
pickles
V8 (splurge for Sexy)
bread
a blanket for the living room

then after Costco -
a sweater for me at old navy

Haven't gotten to local grocery yet. Hoping I can still do that while in-laws are here.

KidsWithLimits
Kids finish a Wed. night activity at 9pm (that's why we do date night Wednesdays this year) and so we didn't get home until almost 9:30 -- somehow I still managed to read part of chapter 8 to Creator. He was so tired and should have just gone to bed but he needed some wind-down time.

Thursday, October 25th

128.3

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/strawberries & blueberries, mixed nuts, celery/carrots
D: giant steak, Caesar salad (also corn for kids and in-laws)

NoSloth
skipping walk to type all this (ha!), also just need to work on budget and finish a bit of grading. Since in-laws arriving before I get home this afternoon, I need to get ahead on stuff.

NoSpending
No plans

KidsWithLimits
I would be surprised if I read tonight, since in-laws here, but we'll see. Maybe Creator9 will need wind-down time.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Fri Oct 26, 2018 6:37 pm

Friday, October 26th

127.7

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/berries; mixed nuts, carrots/celery
D: (will be) yikes - tonight is the "chili & baked potato" feed at my kids' school-- definitely not foods on my N Day lists. Very frustrating because I am pretty sure it will be obvious and awkward if I don't eat (my in-laws are here). I guess I will just have to eat it. When in Rome....
Update: GRRRRRRR!!!!! After my victorious display of willpower at the chili feed, in which I only had one tiny potato and a small bowl of chili - my father in law bought a pizza. :evil: Then, he put a piece on the plate and handed it to me. I did NOT take it to avoid hurting his feelings; I took it because I DID want it but had no remaining willpower once it was offered to me.

NoSloth
walk/jog with dog
biked to/from work

NoSpending
no plans
Update: felt guilted into putting $20 in the donation bin at the kids' fundraiser.

KidsWithLimits
maybe a chapter of the Incorrigibles
Last edited by automatedeating on Sat Oct 27, 2018 3:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

Imogen Morley
Posts: 1022
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:11 pm

Post by Imogen Morley » Fri Oct 26, 2018 6:54 pm

Auto, are you still keeping your S-day mornings sugar-free?

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:15 pm

Hi Imogen -
Generally, yes, I typically keep my S-Day mornings normal.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sat Oct 27, 2018 3:27 pm

Saturday, October 27th

128.5 (thank you pizza and potatoes and chili beans)

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
temptation will be: giant cinnamon rolls that my in-laws have brought for us. Plus Sexy is declaring that he will make a giant breakfast. My the bounty before me! What a problem to have.
Update: 1 sausage, 1 egg, 1 small part of the giant cinnamon rolls. Luckily, kids and other adults rapidly gobbled up the remaining cinnamon rolls so temptation gone.
Snack trip - to See's Candy to pick out some chocolates for mother-in-law and great-grandmother. I saved my sample for later tonight, and didn't buy any for myself.
L: (will be) fried chicken? Having the in-laws here is like a food-fest - father in law just went to pick up something. Update: ate 3 pieces of fried chicken, followed up with my California Brittle], which I greatly enjoyed.
D: (will be) ????? this has been a rough day, we'll see. Not really rough as in eating way too much, but rough as in too many temptations, and no guilt-free living. I think, in retrospect, I've developed a fairly good pattern to my S Days - a pattern where I indulge in guilt-free, but strategically placed S's. This weekend I am facing too many junky temptations, no single one which is really something I would otherwise choose as a luxury item.
update: ice cream bar
update: 1 more California Brittle
update: 1 large piece of apple pie
-- enjoyed, but this was sort of a crappy day
I think a frustration is being sort of required to take S event/S Days, whatever -- without really NEEDING physiologically to do so. Sometimes we need need to SOCIALLY -- and we are social animals as humans, but then we always wonder -- could I have maintained my health social status if I had resisted the S Event/Day? And so on. We are all very good at chewing up ourselves this way. But my later indulges (the pie, the ice cream, the chocolate pieces) those came AFTER my in-laws had left, clearly as a way to try to decompress (or whatever). But while they were here, I was taking Social "S's". Did I need to do that? Could I have refused and maintained my social status?

NoSloth
Really doubt any exercise will occur today

NoSpending
Spent $7 at See's candies

KidsUnplugged
Two fails, tonight maybe back on.

I have to go in to work really early tomorrow morning, to try and pound out some important lesson plans. But I have obligations from 8:45am on so I will probably only get 2 hours in max. I'm feeling a bit buried by work. Also, the kids finished their Flag Football season today, and tomorrow is try-outs for basketball for Challenger12. Big breath - busy season ahead.
Mon - piano & bball
Tues - bball & trampoline class
Wed - Halloween - Challenger12 to party & Creator9 and I will canvas the neighborhood
Thur - optional bball (wth? no thank you)
Fri - are we done yet?
Last edited by automatedeating on Sun Oct 28, 2018 5:37 am, edited 8 times in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Post by Soprano » Sat Oct 27, 2018 6:10 pm

Re giant breakfast just have a little of everything you fancy and enjoy :)
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Sun Oct 28, 2018 6:01 pm

Sunday, October 28th

128.8

NoSEating
B: 16 oz. blonde flat white (truly the best Starbucks' item ever -- bought it to make an early Sunday morning in the office less depressing); then came home at 10:30 and had: 2 pieces of bacon, 1 fried egg, more coffee w/milk, 1 mini-bran muffin (in-laws left these for us)
Even after all that food I am snorfling around. Is this what is meant by the idea that once we start eating too much or too many palatable foods that we crave them even more?
L: ugh - not sure. Should I have a piece of apple pie for lunch? Or go with standard N day yogurt? Or should I try to skip it since I've eaten so much? I just realized that I am torturing/diminishing my willpower by overthinking this S Day. This is precisely what should NOT be happening on S Days, but when things throw off my routine, I'm all confused about my priorities. So....what are my (food/eating) priorities?
#1 - N Days stay green (which for me includes some dietary mods to avoid diabetes, but otherwise are straightforward NoS N Days)
#2 - S Days moderated. OK, so I think that settles it for me. I'll have apple pie for lunch, lol. I have a big week of N Days ahead of me and being green for them is more important than moderating my S Day.
Update - ate the damn pie, promptly got sleepy and then had to run to the bathroom. Nice. Nothing like postprandial lethargy and diarrhea to remind me that my body does not thrive on carby foods.
D: cheeseburgers w/ all the fixings - including avocado slices
dessert: ice cream bar
night time snack: bowl of tortilla chips + guacamole.
:roll: what a wild weekend. Oh, well.

JustMoveIt
No plans

SpendingStats
have a few things to get at the local grocery - didn't have a chance to get them while in-laws here.

KidsUnpluggedReadMore
The newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid arriving this week. :-)
Also listened to chapter 7 of incorrigibles on audible with Creator.
Last edited by automatedeating on Mon Oct 29, 2018 2:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

eschano
Posts: 2642
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano » Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:42 pm

Thank you so much auto - brilliant idea about the check in and I will take your advice
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Mon Oct 29, 2018 3:50 pm

Monday, October 29th
129.8
Frankly, I'm surprised it's not higher

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: (will be) yogurt w/berries, mixed nuts, carrots/celery
D: (will be) beef onion bowl w/ guac & cheese - might add in an egg

NoSloth
walk/jog with dog
no biking this week - I've got a bit of tennis elbow in both arms and wondering if it's the biking. Me & my silly joints.

NoSpending
no plans

RaisingReaders
Incorrigibles tonight

Doing 2 24-hour urinalysis for follow-up with nephrologist. I am eating so differently than the first one I did in June, so I'm very curious if my Ca+ excretion has changed with my healthier diet. Doc doesn't think it will, but we'll see.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

eschano
Posts: 2642
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano » Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:39 pm

Fingers crossed that it made a difference 🤞
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Tue Oct 30, 2018 4:10 pm

Thanks Tess. Me too. :-)

Tuesday, October 30th

129.7

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: yogurt w/berries; mixed nuts; celery/carrots
D: date night, and I'm looking for a steak & asparagus, or something similar
update - got a big burger w/ green beans (asked to substitute the fries w/veggies)
definitely no wine tonight; I am on my second day of urinalysis and I had wine last night. I want to compare my calcium excretion w/ and w/out wine.

NoSloth
walk/jogged dog
will not be biking this week to see if my elbows start feeling better.

NoSpending
No plans (well date night but Sexy pays, lol)

RaisingReaders
Looking to listen to another chapter of the Incorrigibles tonight
Last edited by automatedeating on Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:18 pm

Good luck with your tests results and hope you had a fun date night!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:31 pm

Thank you! My doctor appt isn't until the end of November, but I'm looking forward to seeing if I've made a difference.
And yes - date night was great! I've been listening to Esther Perel on Audible on my morning walks - I love that show. :-)
I think it makes me a better wife, too. :wink:

Wednesday, October 31st!
Happy Halloween! It is a big event in my household -- Challenger12 is wearing a giant blow-up suit (hilarious), and Creator9 is wearing a scary straight-man face (no, I don't really get it either). Challenger is going to a friend's for trick-or-treating, and Creator9 and I have big goals for how many houses we hit.

129.1 (still playing catch-up from my wildish weekend)

NoSEating
B: coffee w/milk
L: (will be) yogurt w/berries, carrots/celery, mixed nuts
D: (will be) baked drumsticks and big salad

NoSloth
walk/jogged with dog
haha one more dog/kid walk for Halloween trick-or-treating

NoSpending
No plans, although Challenger12 needs basketball shoes and they are EXPENSIVE. and yesterday had to pay for Creator9's "trampoline" class at the gym.

RaisingReaders
Finish Chapter 9 (or is it 10) of the Incorrigibles

Feeling a tad low about the boundaries necessary for maintaining a healthy weight. My weekend was not really all that wild (especially by my old standards) but I know my weight will balloon up without constant, long-term vigilance. I guess, though, that HABITS provide a sort of "automated" vigilance. I hope that it becomes less work over time to make good choices. And it will either be hard now (when I turn down yummies) or hard later (if I overindulge and get diabetes).

Did I mention that I did the 23andme health analysis and it predicted that I would be overweight? Ha! Some tiny vindication there that I know I'm not a complete glutton, but my metabolism isn't a skinny person's. On the other hand, my results were not for extreme overweight, just a little overweight (actually, they pretty much nailed my high weight of 147). And of course I know there a million factors in weight. Hence my attempts to automate whatever parts I can.
Last edited by automatedeating on Thu Nov 01, 2018 3:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

eschano
Posts: 2642
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano » Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:58 pm

That analysis sounds really interesting. Will google it ASAP.
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

User avatar
Octavia
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 8:01 pm
Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:06 am

Esther Perel! Have just looked her up! Author of that book I wanted to buy but was too embarrassed and worried DH would find it. You know the one, ends with the word ‘captivity’. Have you read it? Is it any good? Leave a coded reply....😉

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