Hello to the great cyber void. It has been all summer and now that I am back to work and a routine I thought I’d pop back into Pigs and Twigs. Or should I say Twigs to Pigs for that is the direction I have been moving lately. Yes I am up several pounds. I attribute this to a very lazy summer and obscene amounts of ice cream – so unlike me. Ha!

Now that I am back to dressing for work every day I feel uncomfortable in most of my close which drastically narrows my wardrobe. Don’t get the wrong impression, I have not gained back the 20 pounds I lost but I have had to slide the scale bar further to the right than I have for months.

Sonnet is in the same boat so we have decided to play a new little game. We started yesterday and it goes like this. One of us gets to choose something both of us will do just for that day. For example I started off yesterday by choosing to get on the scale which meant we both had to weigh in. I called this shock therapy. It was a good way to begin our game and give us both a little kick in the pants.

Today it is Sonnet’s turn and she has decided that today we will not eat sugars or white flour. OK, that means no cereal for breakfast – eggs and bacon instead (no toast). For lunch I’ll have to think ahead, how about tuna on my wheat crackers….I checked and they only have whole grain wheat flour and honey –Yea. So tuna and crackers it is and maybe some watermelon. For dinner taco Salad without the chips.

OK I think I am set – sounds fun.

Just a word about exercise - Since I have abandoned my early morning step class (in favor of my rickety knees) I sure have seen a difference in my body composition. Man that class did me more good than I thought. The decrease in cardio is bad enough but the last 15 minutes of the class we would drop to the floor for a core workout of pushups and sit-ups. Without that strength straining I have become weak and flabby. I still swim with Mom and walk with my friends though. Sometimes, like yesterday, Sonnet and I take evening walks on the bluffs. I need to add some weights back into my routine.

Welcome back to Me!

Checking In

Monday, June 17, 2009 Phase One day 16
Last night after I posted, Stephen & I ate some tuna and crackers while watching a movie. So….this morning I had a bite of cottage cheese then Sonnet & I left to meet friends for a walk. When I got home there was time to plant some bulbs I was given a few weeks ago. I was glad to get them in the ground. I had a quick bowl of cereal and grabbed a skinny cow before meeting my Mom at the pool. If felt good to swim. Back home I had another bowl of cereal and a piece of cheese. I cannot believe how much I want to eat. Right now I keep thinking about a peanut butter sandwich. Must be the period – I always eat like crazy while on my period.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 Phase Two day 1
Hello – it sure has been a long time since I last checked in. My life has been busy and blessed. Stephen & I went to a Dude Ranch and had a blast. For more details you will have to check out the family blog.



I have been doing OK with regards to exercise. Mostly just walking with friends and swimming with my Mom two times a week. My biggest stumbling block has been my schedule. I have not stayed in town for more than a week at a time this summer it seems. Stephen & I had a wonderful time in Colorado at our Dude Ranch vacation. This Friday we head out to Georgia to attend Blake’s OCS graduation. All the while we eat at restaurants and catch as catch can.

Today Sonnet went with Karissa to LA to help her look for an apartment. I have been on my own…let’s see…I had cereal for breakfast and the leftover of a raspberry smoothie. My smoothies are pretty healthy. Strictly fruit, yogurt and fat free milk. At lunch I had tuna and crackers. That sounds like a pretty good start on the day – and it was, but I did have a Visiting Teaching appointment with Daisy and we had previously decided to go get ice cream at Dewar’s. I had peppermint with hot fudge and almonds. Tonight Stephen & I are going to La Costa for fish dinners. Because of my extravagant Dewar’s treat I will forgo the fried ice cream at La Costa. I should commit to an exercise video tonight.....We did go out to dinner and I did get fish. I had nothing else that night except a yogurt jello before bed.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 Phase Two day 2
I do not know why I keep labeling the days Phase Two. I surely do not eat within the boundaries of phase two. This morning I did have cereal which is good then later I had leftover roast and leftover smoothie – also good. However the few handfuls of chocolate chips I scarffed would fall under the category of not so good. When Sonnet & I started over with Phase One at the beginning of summer; I was actually faithful. After that is has been pretty much hit and miss. The one thing I am good at is exercise. Although not hard core over the summer I am walking with my friends and swimming with my Mom. Occasionally Sonnet & I do an exercise video. That is my only regret – that Sonnet & I are not doing anything regularly. Oh well, one thing I have learned – all be it painfully – is that Sonnet is her own person and the decisions she makes for herself are out of my control. Totally the way it is supposed to be! Agency is a divine principal after all. I am just happy for the things we have accomplished – for both our sakes.

I think I fix Oriental chicken salad for tonight. I will reserve a jello or smoothie for an evening snack and call it a day.

Phase One Revisited

Monday, June 8, 2009 Phase One day 7
Starting weight Day 1 - 153, Day 7 - 149.5 (darn those hot dogs). Oh well slow and steady gets the prize. Last night my friends decided to walk at 7:00 instead of 6:00 this morning. Of course it was Taunie’s suggestion – she was always one to sleep in. I got up with Stephen and when he left for work I took a quick bite of cottage cheese and left too. I thought I could get in a speedy trip to Wal-Mart this morning before I met up with everyone to walk at 7:00. Walking was nice. Taunie would be returning to Utah so we said our goodbyes and I started for home.

At home I wanted to get a few things done before picking up Stephen for our trip to San Diego. I finally got out the door and on the road at 10:25. I had not eaten anything since that bite of cottage cheese and knew I would want something before too long. We decided to stop at Wood Ranch in Santa Clarita. I had their tri-tip Cobb salad. I watched Stephen eat the bread that came but didn’t partake. We arrived at the hotel and decided to take in a movie.
I was being what I would call ‘grumpy in my mind.’ I was picking on Stephen in my mind and letting little things bug me. I don’t like that feeling. I thought I wasn’t letting it show but I guess it was spilling out a little. When he walked around to open my door I plead a short silent prayer to soften my heart and help me feel nice. When I stopped in at a restroom I stayed in the seclusion of the stall longer than needed just to regroup and pray again to soften my heart. I am so grateful for the power of my friend the Holy Ghost. His presence is profound. I was calm and as we walked around the mall before the show, we could talk easily. I could admit my grumpiness and then out of my mouth came the problem. Ever since last night at the Rick’s I had been having a melt down with cravings and a desire to eat all the things I am not supposed to eat right now. From the time I picked him up today, I found myself thinking about food and all the things I wanted to eat because they were all the things I would usually eat while I was out and about on vacation. I usually would have had the bread as well as a dessert at Wood Ranch, I usually would have eaten the yummy cookie they gave us when we checked in at the Double Tree hotel, and at that moment, I usually would be having an ice cream at the mall. I was having a food melt down and irrationally focusing my frustration on Stephen; picking on him not realizing he was not the problem – he was just a handy target.

My compound stress came not only from food but my accountability to Sonnet. I felt if I failed it might give her the permission to fail. Then I would have that on my shoulders. I know that is not true. Although my weakening might contribute to her weakening, ultimately she is responsible for herself. (Wasn’t that a nice bit of psycho-babble.) It all boils down to my self imposed responsibility for Sonnet and accompanying stress. In her defense, she has never given me a reason to think what I do can undermine her anyway. In the early months I was a cheater all the time and she faithfully would plug along. I was giving her way too little credit. Of course as soon as I unloaded on Stephen he was the one to set me straight. It happened in one of my favorite places. I love it when we are riding up on escalators. He is one step behind me and I lean back into him so he is supporting me. Because his step is below mine, our heads are about the same heights allowing me to lean my head on his shoulder. He just speaks softly in my ear and says softly, ‘let it go.” He reiterates all the truths I know but can’t seem to believe at the moment. When I laid down that silly burden I could finally relax. Surprisingly enough, I no longer had those overwhelming thoughts or cravings. I had a wonderful chicken dish with steamed veggies for dinner and placed my bread stick on his plate without a thought. We had an after dinner drive around the bay and Stephen reminisced about his Navy days. We walked along the Embarcadero spending a wonderful evening together. Ahhhh….. I am well.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 Phase One day 8
This morning I awoke early with Stephen and when he left for his morning class I headed out for a walk/jog. I figure it was between 3 & 4 miles. Before leaving I had one piece of bacon from the buffet. Upon my return I went to the exercise room and did pushups, sit ups and a few weights. Then I headed back to the buffet and ate scrambled eggs, another piece of bacon and two glasses of water.

Stephen & I just took the most enjoyable tour of the Midway Aircraft carrier. It has been taken out of active duty and transformed into an extremely impressive museum. The technology, ingenuity, engineering and skill of all involved gave me a new appreciation for the armed forces. Noon occurred while on ship so we broke up the tour with lunch at the onboard cafe. We both had Cobb salads.
Stephen had to be back for an afternoon class so I spent a few hours in the hotel room. When Steph was back we went out shopping for Tiffany’s B-day. While out and about we ate dinner at the Outback. I had _____________ for dinner – come on, fill in the blank. If you know me at all you know the Outback means Queensland salad. So delectable. We shopped more after dinner then called it a night. I am pooped. I must note, my right hip has been bothering me for about a week now. The other night on the Embarcadero I was almost limping. I do not like it one bit. Between my knees and now my hip I am feeling pretty uncomfortable. I think when I get back to town I am going to look into injections for my knees and have an x-ray on my hip to see if the arthritis has attacked there as well. Although I should wait – they say most pains go away in two weeks or so. Just my luck I’ll make an appointment and by the time the appointment date arrives I will feel fine. Isn’t that the way it usually goes?

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Phase One day 9
Got up with Stephen this morning. Left for a walk when he left for class. I did the same three mile route but this time without the jogging. While I was out I had the best idea for a book – just my style. It was nice to be out there walking with no distractions , I could just think about it . back at the hotel I stopped by the exercise room for sit ups, push ups – woops! I forgot my pushups – shoot. I was listening to the TV that was playing and I must have gone straight to working with the weights and forgot the pushups. Oh well, I’ll get them in tonight. For breakfast I had a Denver omelet and water.

Stephen’s class let out early so we got on the road a little earlier than expected – always a good thing when you must travel through LA. We continued our shopping for Tiffany for a while then headed to the LDS bookstore. Hunger compelled us to stop and eat before leaving the San Diego area. We found a nice looking place called Rock Bottom. Now we know why it is so named. Not really but almost. My salad was great but Stephens’s meal was less that appetizing and drowning in grease. I had a Fiesta salad for a change and it sure was a nice change. Loaded with pico de gallo, corn, avocado, onion and chicken it was very satisfying. Oh, I forgot, I picked up some almonds at the gas station when I went in for water.

Here at home I had a string cheese, boiled egg and two slices of cheddar cheese. Not much of a dinner but it is too late to eat anything now.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Phase One day 15
OK…so some time has past but I have a really good reason. All my bridesmaids came in from three states to have a reunion.


I was busy from the day I got back from San Diego until now. What a blast! Did I eat perfect – No! Do I care – No! We had a wonderful time. I really was not crazy with my eating except for the ice cream. I knew weigh in was going to be sad, then of course my period kicked in and today I am bloated and in pain for our weigh in. Oh well, nothing can get me down. I have had such a great weekend with my friends.

Sonnet has been doing good. I ordered some exercise videos and we checked them out. We will be trying them soon. Today started for me about 3:30 when I woke up in pain from cramping. Popped some pain meds and got on a hot pad but did not feel enough relief to sleep again. Wow – by 4:30 I got up and went to the computer just to distract myself. I did some blogging that was way overdue. Finally at 12:30 I went downstairs to eat a little lunch of tuna and crackers. I had a skinny cow for dessert. Later I was able to take a nap. Still pretty sore. A phone call from Tiffany woke me up. I came downstairs where Sonnet had fixed a delicious grilled chicken salad and mixed berries for dinner. I had another skinny cow for dessert.

Week One

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 Phase One day 2
Boy was I tired last night – slept like a rock. This morning I felt tired as well but got myself out of bed and off to the church to met friends for our walk. I had a spoonful of cottage cheese before I left. Back home I ate a bowl of cottage cheese for breakfast. My morning schedule had a conflict. Mom & I were reserved at the pool at 8:00 but I had boy scouts coming over at 9:00. I asked Sonnet if she would take Mom to the pool for me. She did of course. So no swimming this morning but that’s OK.

Later that morning I wanted something to munch so I grabbed a stock of celery. That was less than satisfying. For lunch I cooked up bacon and eggs. Sonnet came in and made a little deli plate for herself. Three different cheeses, some ham and a few olives. I added three squares of cheese to my plate…yummmmm.

After lunch I ran a couple errands but when I got home I went up to take a nap. Actually I went up to read. The nap part came later. I feel so tired. I think it is the diet. I just read back a year ago to see if I made any mention of fatigue during Phase One, week one last year. Nope. No mention. Oh well, I do have another theory though. This is summer - I do not have to get up and go to work. I don’t have to do much of anything and that is why I feel the low energy. Last years entries were full of dashing off to work, or a funeral or something else that required my attention. It was April after all and my schedule was different.

Now Stephen just got home and is lying down, I hear Sonnet downstairs in the kitchen. I am sure dinner will be wonderful. I think she has a fancy salad on the menu ……sure enough we ate green salad with chicken and avocado. Tonight Sonnet has Institute and Steph has YM/YW. It will be a quiet night for me.

Thursday, June 4, 2009 Phase One day 3
Slept in today – ahhh. When I did get up I decided to have some cottage cheese and get ready to go into the office. That was great. I accomplished a lot. I knew I would want something mid morning so Sonnet suggested I take string cheese. I did and it hit the spot. Wanda & I lunched at the Knotty Pine. I ordered a chicken salad with blue cheese dressing and a side of avocado. I very much liked the salad.

Sonnet says some kind of fancy pork chops are on the menu tonight. I’ll tell you all about it after dinner…..I was right. They were called Chipotle Pork chops. They were very good but a tad spicy for me. She served the chops with a delicious salad. The salad had an avocado lime dressing. I cut up my pork chop and folded it into the salad. The dressing covered it enough to take the bite away. It was a delicious meal. After dinner I wanted to move. I have noticed flab on my hips and tummy that remains even when the pounds drop. I think my body composition has changed because I have dropped the gym classes in which I not only had an aerobic workout but strength training as well. Without weight work as well as my push ups and ab work my body tone stinks. Tonight I set out on a walk but it turned into a walk/jog. I love it when that happens. I am not a runner but sometimes when I am alone and out on the trail, I will just break into a jog. I guess it was the cool evening and nice breeze that inspired me.

Friday, June 5, 2009 Phase One day 4
Up and out the door this morning and very surprised to see that it rained during the night. A very fresh morning. Walked with my friends then came home for some cottage cheese. I showered right away and now am off to the office. I am taking boiled eggs as a morning snack. Maybe I’ll add a pickle……big mistake. Around 10:00 I headed into the office kitchen and got out my pickle. I took a bite expecting the vinegar taste of dill but to my surprise and distaste I bit into a sweet pickle. Phewie! I threw it away – I really do not like sweet pickles not to mention it is a definite no-no on my diet. The eggs were great and stalled my hunger until after 12:00 when I went back to the Knotty Pine with Doreen for another chicken salad. I worked late then headed home.

For dinner Sonnet cooked chicken lettuce wraps. They had chicken, red peppers and onions cooked in a light sauce. They were tasty and it was such a nice touch to have big lettuce leafs to wrap it in. We added cheese and they were quite good. Stephen & I were going to clean the patio this evening but we got a call to tell us a friend, Marie Whitfield, was in the hospital. We went to the visit her and ended up staying a while. Doug and Rinez came by to visit as well so we had a nice time and I think cheered her up. When we left, Stephen said it was a shame to end the evening without some ice cream so the four of us went to Wendy’s. I was so good – I had a cup of water while everyone else had a frosty and fries. It didn’t bother me in the least. Now that’s what I call a success!

Saturday, June 6, 2009 Phase One day 5
OK, Sonnet off to the Larsen’s and Stephen off to the temple with the youth for baptisms. Today was the day I would tackle the patio. It was a great day. The weather was cool with spats of rain from time to time. Nothing that stopped my progress though. I ate cottage cheese to get me started then went to work. It felt to good to be busy and active. I worked for a good three hours. Sonnet ended up coming home mid morning because the Larsen’s plans changed. When I was ready for a lunch break I suggested we go out to the Sugar Mill for steak salads. Those steak salads are so good. We had a very nice lunch together.

We stopped by Home Depot on the way back to the house and got supplies for the patio. Sonnet helped me put up new shade screens. I kept at it and finished right on time. I needed to finish at 4:45 to take my shower and be dressed and ready to leave by 5:30. Stephen & I had a retirement dinner to attend. The dinner was catered by Mossman’s but I was very good in the line. I only accepted the chicken and salad – that meant no huge, dense, delicious looking roll, yummy potatoes, or fresh fruit. Actually it was easy. I did grab a roll to take to Marie in the hospital. Yesterday while we were there she was saying how lousy the food was. The only good thing she had had was a big piece of white bread. When I saw that fresh bread in the dinner line I knew I’d take one and stop by the hospital on our way home. So that’s what we did. She laughed when I brought it in. At the end of the dinner they served cake but Stephen & I just headed out. After stopping by to take the bread to Marie, we made our last stop. The Neville’s were having their annual party and we did not want to miss it. It was late but the party was still going strong. We visited with many people then said goodnight. Mossman’s catered the Neville’s as well. Sonnet said she only had the tri-tip. Wow, we only had chicken at our dinner. On our way out I snatched a piece of tri-tip from the serving table – it was scrumptious. Good Day.

Sunday, June 7, 2009 Phase One day 6
Good Morning. Today is Fast Sunday so no breakfast before church. Choir, Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School and Relief Society were wonderful. I started feeling the hunger on the way home. Our Walkie-Talkie buddy, Taunie Thomas, came to town for a short visit. Shannon had us all over for a potluck dinner at 5:00. When I broke my fast I ate some cottage cheese and downed a couple bottles of water. I was very thirsty.

Sonnet & I decided to bring Chinese Chicken salad so we would be sure there was something there we could eat. I am very glad we did. The first thing I noticed when I hit the door was the delectable smell of cookies. Sure enough Shannon had made cookies and Texas sheet cake. Jami brought Blondies. I knew I was in for trouble. I leaned over to Sonnet and said, “I will be faithful but I want you to know this is going to be very hard for me.” She told me that she just sat through a ‘Break the Fast’ YSA dinner of Spaghetti with garlic bread and only ate some salad – And is she could do that, I could do this. She was right. The dinner entrees collected were chicken casserole, yummy potatoes, frog eyed salad and a giant bowl of superb looking pasta salad. There was one other thing – hot dogs. So….Sonnet & I were glad we brought the salad. She did tell me we could have hot dogs so I ate two of those with my salad. I think I went back for more salad and had another hot dog. The hot dags were a mistake – at least the last one was. Too much.

Back home I finished off the last little bit of salad. Tomorrow I go to San Diego with Steph so I will weigh in tomorrow morning. After tonight’s hot dogs I do not have that much hope – probably about 2 pounds. That’s not much for a first week. We will see. I am extremely proud of myself for getting things going again. I am proud of Sonnet also. She is amazingly strong when she is committed. She did say it started getting hard last night and was pretty rough today, but, we made it through and look forward to more success. I think I will post early since I will be gone tomorrow. You will just have to wait in suspense until next week to hear how we did.

I'm Back!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009 Phase One day 1
Look at the date, look at the date. Wow, so much has happened since April 15th. I am afraid I was just too busy taking care of Kevin following his surgery, Tiffany healing from her cesarean, Audrey our newborn as well as Jared & Anna, to write as faithfully as I should have. Suffice it to say I did it and loved every minute of being with the kids! I was eating lightly at Tiff's because, afterall, I had the family I was cooking for and children around all the time. I couldn't very well set a poor example. I did pretty well until Uncle Mike dropped in for four days. We dished up the ice cream large and often. So…Stephen flew out and joined me and together we went to South Carolina to be with Blake when he graduated from Basic Training.




Sara & Jacob were there of, course. We had such a wonderful time together. We had the opportunity to take Jacob for an evening to give the kids some time together. Following his graduation it was back to Maryland for the baby blessing then home again. It sure was wonderful to be home.

As far as eating goes I think I went steadily down hill from then on. Not drasticly but enough. By then I had not attended my step class for a month. I will say I did keep active though as Tiffany’s house has three flights of stairs in it. With Kevin down flat in a brace and Tiffany pretty much down also, I was happy to do the hiking between floors to keep the household going.
I hit the ground running at work to prepare for a big project I was in charge of. I walked with my friends in the morning but did not return to the gym. Feeling quite overwhelmed with all the exercise before I left; it was very freeing to give myself permission to not go.

Sonnet had stopped attending afternoon gym class, so for me, without our classes, exercise at the gym stopped almost completely. Sonnet and I talked about what we were doing as far as Pigs to Twigs. She was slacking. Not as much as me that’s for sure. I was pretty much having whatever I wanted. I knew she had been backsliding. Being a big time backslider myself, I knew I needed to give her some room. She was getting as antsy as the kids to be out of school for the summer. She was not in a mood to talk about exercise or eating specifics so I backed off and we agreed to wait a month for summer to make any real hard hitting commitments. I did mention the possibility of swimming during summer. With Sonnet I have to go slow. I plant an idea lightly and let it simmer for a bit then return to it later. Sure enough, when I brought it up a week later it was well received. We laughed about swimming late at night when the gym would be virtually empty. I knew getting into a bathing suit was going to be a huge ‘out of my comfort zone’ deal for her.

It seemed like I wasn’t home very long before the next trip came along. Stephen had a conference in Sacramento. We went to Tahoe for both weekends surrounding the week. It’s funny about me – I like the food that is good for me and am usually happy to eat it. But I also like to bad stuff and willingly partake if I am out and about. Being on ‘vacation’ with Stephen defiantly falls under the category of being out and about! Even the driving stops along the freeway for gas become opportunities to snack. In town I never by treats when I gas up. Well the combination of little exercise and treat eating. Started to manifest itself all over my body. The scale finally ratted me out lat week when I stepped on it a few days in a row. 152…154…155. That was it!

The last day of school was this past Friday and that’s when Sonnet & I began our planning. When I got back from Maryland at the end of April; I mentioned to her that I thought it might be a good idea to go back and repeat Phase One days 1-14 every April. That is the anniversary of our journey together. At the time she very much liked the idea but was too busy with school, testing and just not in the right frame of mind to commit to it at that time. That is when we decided to concentrate on summer. So…now summer had arrived and we needed to get down to business. We both read from the book a little and decided upon today as our beginning point. Yesterday she looked through menus and last night she went shopping for our food. It is a great blessing that she enjoys cooking and shopping – I don’t think I would do it without her.

This morning we weighed in and recorded the results. Today she cooked scrambled eggs with ham and onion. It was delicious. Also, yesterday, she went online to look for bathing suits. She found one and ordered it. In the mean time, while I was downstairs she surprised me by walking in sporting the swim attire she had that she thought might possibly work until her new suit arrived. I called the gym and we made reservation for this morning. True to each other, we went to the pool this morning at 7:00am. You would think a wall of floor to ceiling glass windows separating the gym floor and the pool would be intimidating but it wasn’t. I go with Mom all the time and don’t think about it but I wasn’t sure how Sonnet would take it. It was fine. I am excited she is happy with it.

When we got back home I went to do some gardening. It felt good to work outside especially in such comfortable weather. About 10:00 I came in for a pickle and the rest of my eggs from breakfast. It sure is hard not to snack. I told Sonnet it was going to be a long two weeks trying to rein in my urges. But then again that is what Phase One Weeks 1 & 2 is about – detoxing sugars and starches.

For lunch we had a large green salad with a boiled egg and tuna in it. This morning I set out 6 bottles of water to make sure I drink enough. So far I have had 4 – good for me.

Dinner was wonderful!! Sonnet cooked J. She made lemon chicken with asparagus. She also made a salad topped with cooked motserella cheese crusted with pecans. Oh my - it was good. After dinner Stephen & I went to the church. I needed to return the RS tablecloths I used at the reception last Saturday. I also wanted to copy some music but I did not get that far. The three RS closets were so packed and cluttered I decided to clean them. I am quirky that way – I just love to clean up, organize and clear out. It took a good two hours so I ended up coming home copy-less. I drank my last bottle of water on the way home. Not really hungry. Probably because I was busy. Now it is time for bed. Well, one day down. I am so glad to be back in the saddle and connected with Sonnet.

Audrey Ruth Parks

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 Phase Two day 352
Good morning. I began today with a shower followed by a bowl of cereal. From now on, here at Tiffany’s just like at home, I will be referring to one cup of cereal with fat free milk when I say bowl of cereal. We took the kids to the library then Tiff had a doctor appointment. We all went to ‘Chic-a fillet’ for lunch. I had a chicken salad that was surprisingly good. The kids played for an hour in the play house there. We saw a group of about 7 mothers with children from one of the other wards. I guess they have a group of moms that meet there every Wednesday to visit, lunch and have the kids play. Tonight we are supposed to have potato soup. We will use the Bear Creek packaged soup mix which has a pretty low fat-to-calorie ratio. Kevin likes it with lots of broccoli in it. I think I pick up some ham to add to it. I would like to have some fruit or veggies with it…….maybe I’ll pick up some asparagus and fresh pineapple.
So…I added ham and some leftover potatoes to the large amount of broccoli already in the soup. It turned out hearty and heavenly. Instead of asparagus I steamed a cauliflower for five minutes in the microwave then broke up the flowerets and sautéed them with garlic in a lightly olive oiled frying pan. Dinner was yummy. After the kids were in bed Tiff & I walked to a 30 minute power walk CD. Later this evening I had half a tuna sandwich.
Today was a good day for me. My eating was under control and I did a bit of exercise. Tiffany is having contractions and will be having this baby tomorrow or Friday. My knees feel better today. Kevin however, is at the hospital tonight with a dislocated knee. We got the call around 10:20 to say he hurt it playing basketball at the church. We will see what that brings. I better get some rest – I’m going to need it!

Thursday, April 9, 2009 Phase Two day 353
OK, so Kevin got home from the ER around 4:15 this morning. He is a mess. Probably a torn or perhaps totally severed Patella tendon. Crazy. In any case he will not be as helpful during delivery as he might have been. He feels so bad. The plan is to have Tiffany & Kevin report to the hospital at 5:00am tomorrow as planned to be induced. I will drop off the kids at 8:00am at a friend’s house then head over to the hospital. I only hope I get there in time.
As far as eating this morning, I had a bowl of cereal. Busy around the house all morning. Tiffany sent me to pick up Kevin’s prescription about noon so I ate a tuna sandwich, took an orange, a bottle of water and went on my way. While I was out I made a practice run to Becky’s house where I would be dropping off the kids tomorrow. Then I followed the directions to the hospital just to make sure I wouldn’t get lost. By the time I came made it back to the Rite-Aid, the prescriptions were ready to go.
Today is a beautiful day so when I walked in the door and delivered the drugs, I invited the kids to walk downtown to an ice cream stand. They were eager companions and together we walked our way down Main Street to ‘The Cow’. I got the kids Italian Icees and I had fat free-sugar free vanilla custard.
When it was time for dinner I served up leftovers. Anna & I had leftover roast and carrots while the others preferred potato soup. For dessert I grabbed jello with cool whip. I use two large boxes of sugar free jello and whip in one Light and Fit yogurt. It gels well and is nice and smooth. After the kids were in bed we watched ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’ What a great movie. I ate half a tuna sandwich.
I am so looking forward to tomorrow. Can’t wait to help Tiffany bring another little one into this world.

Friday, April 10, 2009 Phase Two day 354
Woke up bright and early when the kids came down to leave for the hospital. Happy day! For details of the day see ssdunn@blogspot.com
Woke up again when the alarm went off at 6:15. I wanted to take a shower before the kids got up. I was dressed by the time I heard a peep from Jared & Anna. We all were out of the house and on our way to their friend’s house in no time. I stopped in at McDonald’s for an egg McMuffin. I bought two extra for ones for Kevin. The road to the hospital took me right back by the house and Kevin called to ask me to pick up something for him. I decided to pick up the laptop as well. I also decided to have a bowl of cereal while I was there.
Here with Tiffany and Kevin, things are progressing well. She just received her epidural. At noon I had the egg and ham from the second egg McMuffin because all Kevin wanted was the muffin. Now I am having a granola bar. For more detail of the glorious day see my ‘Now you’ve Dunn It’ blog. Meanwhile, following the wonderful arrival of Audrey Marie parks into this world, I went home to have a bit to eat then pick up the kids to take them to see their parents and baby sister. I came to the house and had a tuna sandwich, a bowl of cereal and a jello. The visit with the whole family was wonderful. We got home late and I ate some jello and the leftover cauliflower as I stayed up blogging the big event.

Saturday, April 11, 2009 Phase Two day 355
This morning I scrambled eggs for everyone. Unfortunately I browned a ham steak in the frying pan before I cooked the eggs. Because of the ham residue the eggs had a brownish tint to them and if you know kids, they usually do not respond well to foods that look different from what they are expecting. I thought they tasted good so I had a couple eggs, half a piece of toast and half an orange.
This morning we ran to the fabric store, the pet shop next to it and then back home. Jared, Anna and I are working on a surprise blanket and stuffed toys for Audrey. For lunch we had sandwiches. I had tuna and a couple bites for Anna’s peanut butter and honey.
We loaded up and went to visit Tiffany and Audrey. It was a very nice visit. The kids absolutely love the baby. We played games and talked. Around 4:15 I was getting hungry, the kids too. I took them with me and we went to scout out the hospital cafeteria. What a find. They had a wide variety of delicious food. I ended up with a salad from the salad bar made just the way I like it. Added to that I had a cup of fat free yogurt with strawberries and granola. Very yummy. I also had one of Anna’s chicken fingers. That was at 5:00, now it is 11:30. Since we left the hospital at 6:00 I have not stopped. Getting everyone home then a late run to the grocery store, then hauling all the bags up two flights of stairs, then putting everything away. Not a class at the gym but pretty good If I do say so myself.

Sunday, April 12, 2009 Phase Two day 356
Easter Sunday. As my Mother would say, “He is risen!” to which I would respond, “He is risen indeed!” Jared & Anna had their families traditional in the house egg hunt. They ate boiled eggs and fruit for breakfast. I just had one boiled egg and cantaloupe. We all went to church. It was such a nice sacrament meeting. The ward choir sang beautifully. Following the block we drove to the hospital to visit Tiffany. I knew the kids would be hungry after church so I prepared a snack to munch on in the car on the ride and also packed lunches of granola bars, peanut butter and honey/jelly sandwiched, oranges and bananas to eat in Tiffany’s room. The kids brought their Easter baskets to show Mom. I only had a couple jelly beans from the baskets. Can you believe it? Yea – still going with the no chocolate thing. All of us enjoyed a wonderful afternoon. At one point Tiffany took the kids out for a walk around the unit. Kevin was on the cell phone and I was sitting in the bed holding Audrey. I fell fast asleep. Man was I out. It felt so good to get a little power nap. Te time came to leave and we said our goodbyes. Hopefully I will get to bring Tiff home tomorrow.
Back at home I heated up all the leftovers in the frig. It was a hodge-podge supper but it sure cleaned out the refrigerator. I had a bowl of cereal (big because it was dinner) and a couple bites of various things like mac & cheese, chicken strips one pizza crust. Oh yea, and a quarter slice of avocado.
Tomorrow we will have Easter Dinner together with Tiffany and Audrey. I had a spiritually sweet Easter Sunday.

Monday, April 13, 2009 Phase Two day 357
Today we brought Tiffany home from the hospital. First I had the drop Kevin off at the metro station which means I woke the kids up and had them ready and fed by 8:00. They had waffles and cantaloupe - I only had a few chunks of cantaloupe. After Kevin was on his way the kids & I made a stop at Wal-Mart. I needed another pair of pants and I wanted to look for a pillow for Tiff to use. As soon as we arrived back home the kids started making their ‘welcome home signs’. I was pretty hungry so I ate a boiled egg. I fixed sandwiches for them but did not stop to eat just then. Becky, a friend, called to invite Jared & Anna to go the to movies with her kids and we needed to get to her house. Once they were on their way I came back home and ate a tuna sandwich. Cleaning kept me occupied until Kevin called to pick him up then we were off to the hospital. On the way home with Tiffany I ate a couple leftover wheat thins I found in the car. For dinner we had ham, mashed potatoes and salad. It was yummy. Anna, Jared & I left right after dinner for an Easter egg hunt at a ward family home. Hey had refreshments and I had one gooie, yummy thing with chocolate chips in it. That has been my first chocolate in a week and a half. I probably had about 5 chips – not bad. In addition to the piece of decadence, I had two orange slices.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 Phase Two day 358
Breakfast was a quick granola bar on the road to Kevin’s doctor appointment. Good news the doc says he has a cancelation tomorrow. The only down side is we had to wait to see if the insurance would OK it so quick. They are on public assistance and the chance of getting paperwork through in a matter of days is very slim. When we got home I stole away to pray for insurance approval. A couple hours later we heard from the doctor’s office and the surgery is set! I was grateful and did not forget to express it. For lunch I had leftover mashed potatoes and ham and mixed berries. I feel like a snack so I think I”ll get some jello and cool whip. Tiffany called the pediatrician to schedule her new baby appointment for Audrey. They can see her today so later this afternoon I will take her to that appointment. I just put a pot of taco soup on the stove to be ready for dinner.
Dinner was delicious. I baked corn bread to go with the taco soup. For dinner we had a surprise that Jared & Anna and I had been working on. The kids wanted to have a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream as a treat for their mom for bringing Audrey home from the hospital. They picked that particular combination because it is Tiff’s favorite. We decorated the cake with yellow flowers and the words Happy Birthday in honor of Audrey. It was a hit. I had only ice cream.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 Phase Two day 359
Last night Audrey was up quite a bit which means I was up and down all night too. In the morning I fixed Jared’s lunch as well as Anna, Jared and Tiffany’s breakfast. Nothing for Kevin because of his surgery today. Yea, surgery to repair his knee. I ate an orange before leaving to take Kevin to the hospital. After getting him checked in and settled, I headed home to Tiff. By the time I returned I was pretty hungry so I had a big bowl of cereal. Now, it is a few hours later and I need to leave to pick up a prescription and a few supplies but I am hungry again. Maybe I will finish off the potatoes and ham.

New Beginnings

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 Phase Two day 351
Hello from Baltimore! I am here at Tiffany’s to help when her baby comes. Right now I am at the park with Jared & Anna. I decided to write some thoughts. Thinking of Pigs to Twigs, I have not posted regularly lately. No real excuse except for busy schedules, work and plane trips. Seems I have not sat myself down at the computer for some time. Sonnet and I cannot believe we are coming up on our year mark. What an accomplishment. I do not have to tell you that my eating has been sporadic at best, BUT I have not totally discarded the plan all year. Even though I often chose to abandon wise eating practices for a day or week; I can confess I did not say, “Forget it all together”. Healthy eating, like any true principle, is always nice to come home to. When I started this thing last year, I was bouncing up and down between 170 and 175. I thought, “I know I will always vacillate so why not dance around 150 instead of 170?” And so I have. I feel pleased with that.

As I have slacked off detailed entries, I can definitely see the lack of recording has hurt my progress though. I have been in a downward spiral because I have had no accountability. Here at Tiff’s I will try and make an improvement. She has a laptop and I find I like it. I can type wherever I want – on the couch, on the bed or anywhere.

No time like the present to being again…now let’s see, what did I have today? Oh yea, early I had mixed berries with cool-whip and then later I ate cereal. It was a big bowl but I had it with fat free milk. For lunch I had a tuna sandwich and the crusts from Anna’s peanut butter and honey sandwich. (I will say that I bought good wheat bread as well as my healthy cereal) Then I finished off the fruit and cool-whip. I ran to the store and because I had been thinking about this journal decided to pass up on a candy bar at the checkout.

At this point let me interject a somewhat abstract but related side note. I forgot to mention that my arthritic knee has been killing me for the past couple weeks. I have been wearing my brace and a few days ago I decided to cut out chocolate. Now do not misunderstand – I do not think chocolate is some terrible element or a forbidden food. Neither am I professing that it aggravates arthritis. It is just that I have noticed over the years that when I consume too much chocolate I have low grade, in the background headaches, and in general do not feel as well. So, noticing those symptoms and realizing I have pretty much saturated my system with chocolate over the past two months, I decided to cut it out of my diet. I have not had chocolate since last Friday. No more headaches. When I started hurting I began considering all the things that might help me feel better.

Now to continue; for dinner I ate a soft taco and two hard shelled tacos. I cooked ground turkey and it was surprisingly good. Of course it was all spiced up but hey, it is a good alternative to beef. On them was lettuce, tomato, avocado and a little cheese. I was pleased to find low fat shells. With the tacos I served watermelon. Later that evening I cooked up a batch of tapioca pudding. I had a bowl. Let me just tell you what I did not have – in addition to the checkout candy or ice cream in the freezer, I passed up on the Mint Milano cookies Tiff bought especially for me. Only my favorite cookie next to chocolate mint Girl Scout cookies. So there you have it, my daily intake.

I know this month will be rough because I cannot exercise much here in Baltimore as I will have my days filled with grand kids. Also my knee is a mess, but I will try and eat reasonably.

Tis A Puzzlement

Monday March 23, 2009 Phase Two Day 336
The last thing I wrote in my last entry was, “slow and steady wins the race’. Very true. The opposite is equally true, not so slow and very unsteady doesn’t win anything. I have a feeling that is what tomorrows weigh in will prove for me. I have not written this week for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is the simple fact I do not want to record the amount of food I have been eating. I thought at one point, ‘Am I going to start my period soon?’ I know I how I get when I start – very hungry. Maybe hungry is not the right word…..very munchie. I seemed to want to eat all the time last week and I willingly gave in to my urges. It is interesting to me that my friends say recording their eating curtails what they eat to some extent. Perhaps it is finally having that affect on me except I do not curtail what I eat I simple curtail what I write and continue to eat all I want. What is it the King of Siam says, “Tis a Puzzlement!” (thanks Rinez for the reference)

Suffice it to say, I had large helpings, frequent snacks and ice cream at least twice. The good news is that at least I walked with friends and swam with Mom. Today I went walking with friends then came home and ate mixed fruit for breakfast before swimming. As it turned out the heater on the pool at the gym was broken and the water was too cold for mom. She got in saying it was cold. I sat down and put my leg in and drew it right back out again. We decided to skip it to keep her from getting chilled. Back home I had a bowl of cereal before heading off to work. Unfortunately, I also had some leftover brownies. I made brownies yesterday to take Visiting Teaching. I packed tuna, jello and a granola bar for lunch. Very good for me. I worked all day and made a quick stop at the house before heading out to another VT appointment. I had some more of the brownies – luckily that was the last of them. I did make them with applesauce instead of oil if that counts for anything.

Now I am off to the senior center to have dinner with Mom. She invited us to a corn beef and cabbage dinner. Don’t have to worry about eating too much there……Say, that corn beef and cabbage is really good. They served a wedge of steamed cabbage and two slices of corn beef. OK – here is a question – Why do they call ground beef HAMburger and ham cornBEEF. Our plates also had carrots, celery and a potato. It was all very yummy.

Tuesday March 24, 2009 Phase Two Day 337
I began my day by sleeping in – very nice. I know I will get back into my step class but today is a crazy day and I am taking the advice of my husband, that being to pace myself when it comes to all the exercising. I ate a bowl of cereal before leaving to get my hair done. After a few errands I ended up at work with a Zorba’s salad in tow. It was very good. So was the cinnamon roll that was in the lunch room. I was busy getting ready for an teacher in-service. It is almost Easter so the candy dishes full of chocolate eggs and jelly beans are appearing on everyone’s desks. They are hard to pass by. After the in-service I drove straight to RS for our ward B-day party. They served enchilada casserole for dinner. Sonnet and I had extra helpings. I had a piece of cake and a chocolate table favor.

Weigh in was good for Sonnet but not as great for me which was expected. And, by the way, I did start my period so that accounts for my feeding frenzy last week. Tomorrow I leave for LA for a two day conference. We will see how that goes.

I Was Sick

Wednesday March 4, 2009 Phase Two Day 317:
Today it was raining so I met up with Rinez at the church and we just came back to my house for hot chocolate. The missionaries are coming for dinner tonight so after taking Rinez back to the church I went to the store. I will be on the run today so I thought I’d fix a crock pot meal. I have a seasoning mix called Italian chicken. It calls for chicken, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste and the seasoning packet. Easy enough. After a breakfast of cereal, I put the chicken in the pot to cook all day. I made a yummy salad and put it in the frig. I’ll make some Rice a Roni and grill up some cauliflower to round out the meal. For dessert we will have fresh strawberries and blackberries over angle food cake topped with cool whip.

I picked up a Zorba’s chicken salad for lunch. I did have one of the candy bars I was giving out today. Perhaps I should explain – this is MAA week at work. That means I am in charge of getting daily time surveys from a dozen people this week. It is not a chore they happily perform. I give them daily treats with motivational quips as incentives. Needless to say I have been partaking of the treats as well.

The missionaries came and we had dinner as planned. It tasted OK – nothing special.

Monday March 9, 2009 Phase Two Day 322:
Today is March 9th in the afternoon. I am sick. I haven’t written and I think I am crashing. Some days I eat just fine other days I eat horrible. That in itself is not a real revelation. I mean just read this journal and you will see that has been the pattern for the past 300 plus days. I have learned a lot and do eat better in general, but I feel pretty out of it. I have felt it coming on for a while now. Maybe Sonnet & I need to have a talk. I need some structure almost like I wish someone else would take charge.

Monday March 16, 2009 Phase Two Day 329:
So today is Monday again. I was sure sick last week. I didn’t go to step class, I only took Mom to the pool one day instead of two and when I went I got in the hot tub instead of swimming laps. I didn’t even show up Wednesday to walk with friends. That’s Bad. I did go to the doctor on Thursday and got some meds that fixed me right up. It took a few days to get strength back but I think I have arrived.

The past week was a mixture of eating well and just feeling so sick I wanted yummy food to make me feel better in the moment. I had some projects at work that needed doing so I pushed through every day. At home I collapsed. Stephen is much more sensible than I and encouraged me to step off the merry-go-round and get some rest. By Saturday I was feeling good enough to paint a little in my bedroom. I could not believe how weak I was. It took me all day to finish one little project. That night we had to go to the Mormal (Mormon formal). We ate with the ward kids and went to the dance for a while but were back home by 9:00. Stephen & I love dressing up.



Sonnet & I did have a good pow-wow about food and menu planning. We reviewed the workout schedule and she understands I cannot continue to go to the 24Camp class on Thursday afternoons. She loves it and I am glad for that. It is just too hard on my knees. She decided she must go to at least two workout classes a week in addition to getting in her walks. It was interesting how we both had been back sliding with our eating. Nothing terrible - just letting go of some of the basic things like eating plenty of leafy greens and avoiding white flour. Now that she is moved in, I am well and we have talked and planned out a menu I think we will get back into a more supportive structure complete with accountability. That will be a great help to both of us.

Sunday I fasted for Blake & Gaye. I sure hope they feel better soon. We had yummy roast, potatoes and veggies for dinner. I took Gaye some rocky road ice cream and ate two cookies she shared with me. Also, I had some M&M’s from Sara’s purse. We were all working at the computer together and there they were just tantalizing all of us from her open purse. She reminds me of Jami (or at least how Jami use to be), always having a candy stash some where close by.

Today I got up and walked with Rinez. We kept a pretty good clip. I came home and ate cereal before picking up Mom to swim. When I got home Sara & Jacob were awake so we have visited most of the day. We ate tuna sandwiches for lunch. I also had jello and one small handful of M&M’s when I came up to the computer (Sara’s purse was still right here and open). Darn those bright eye catching colored things.

For dinner we had leftover roast, potatoes and veggies. I helped myself to meat and a potato and saw Sonnet serve herself a plate full of salad. I reached for a bowl and filled it with salad. I thought I’d make sure I ate my salad first then finish with the others. It was a good idea. Dinner was delicious. After dinner we took some pictures of Sara because Blake says that although he loves all the pics of Jacob he gets he wants some of Sara too. All evening I wanted a snack or treat of some kind and when Sara & I ran to the store it would have been so easy to grab one – but I resisted! Coming off a sugar saturation is not an easy thing to do and little victories like that are to be acknowledged.

Tuesday March 17, 2009 Phase Two Day 330:
St. Patrick’s Day – Top of the mornin’ to ye. Sara & I were up late so I slept in and skipped step class. I think I finally have this exercise thing under control. Probably mostly thanks to Stephen. Now, it is easier for me to say I’m not going if I am hurting or tired. Before I would tend to push myself too far. It is quite liberating to know my exercise activities are for my benefit and pleasure not a regiment to shorten my life.

So, I got up ate cereal and headed out to a 9:00 meeting at work. After my meeting I was going to come home until Sara left then go back in. You do not want to know what was waiting for me at work – OK so maybe you do. Yummy biscuits and gravy with scones. Oh my! I ate only one biscuit with gravy but I did have a few scones. They were wonderful. I came back home after my meeting to find Sara rung out on the couch. She had already thrown up three times –poor thing. Must have picked up a bug somewhere. I sent her to bed and took care of Jacob all afternoon. I ate a granola bar and two pieces of toast during the day. I should have had my tuna but it was easier to grab something quick with Jacob. Sara woke up feeling much better. After Sonnet got home I went back to the office to finish my tasks then came home to a delicious dinner of fajitas. I have the munchies pretty bad. All I want are things I cannot have. Ice cream sounds heavenly. I might have some hot chocolate later tonight.

The good news is that Sonnet & I weighed in today and we were both happy with the results – slow and steady wins the race.

Pretty Tired

Sunday February 22, 2009 Phase Two Day 307:
I have not gotten to the computer since I have been home. I haven’t even updated our family blog. Most of the time I have been either working, or, at some exercise class with someone, or working on the house. We are really on a time crunch to get things finished before next Saturday when Sonnet is to move back in. The room/furniture storage/ remodel situation is a real domino effect with the room for Sonnet to occupy being the last domino. We are working hard every night to complete the project.

Meanwhile, getting to my eating journal is way down on the totem pole. I did hear something at conference today that made me instantly think of my eating pattern. It was when Elder Ballard said, quoting the main character in the novel War and Peace. “Why when I know what is right do I do what is wrong”. Ouch! Another thing I have been thinking of is the goal setting program my friends are involved with including the weekly accounting. They have inspired me to do a little better job of recording. They actually commit to writing down everything they eat and they do it. So, with those things fresh in my mind I decided to record today even though it is not a pretty picture.

I cooked breakfast for Stephen & I today – what a treat for a Sunday morning. I usually am alone on Sunday mornings but this Sunday being stake conference we were together. When Stephen was taking a shower I went down to fix breakfast. I thought I’d scramble some eggs. I checked for sausage in the freezer but when I was cooking them they smelled funny to me and sure enough they had freezer burn. So – no sausages. That is probably a good thing. Not really sure what made me think of it in the first place except I thought Stephen would appreciate a good sausage. I sliced some mixed berries to serve along with the eggs then did something very unexpected. I reached for the pancake mix and made some pancakes. I never make pancakes! Stephen usually makes pancakes if he is making breakfast but not me. I think I just am having a real sweet tooth. After conference we made some visits then went to Cindy Moyes for lunch. Yummmm. She served ham and scalloped potatoes. It doesn’t get better than that. Oh, but wait it does, I had some chocolate chip cookies that were sitting out and a piece of cheesecake with raspberries for dessert. Oink!

I think in addition to our busy schedule, I have not wanted to write because of what I would have to admit. Just as an example last night following the evening session of conference, some friends went to the Campbell’s for ice cream with all the trimmings – Oink! Friday night we were at the Nichol’s for a High Priests social and sampled many soups from the soup bar and sopped them with heavenly bread. Follow that delicious meal with a peppermint ice cream/hot fudge topped brownie and you really have something I don’t want to write home about.

So here I sit, feeling full yet relieved to be recording. I guess it is like repenting – as hard as it is to admit things and however painful and embarassing the process is – it is a liberating free feeling to be taking a step in the right direction.

Monday February 23, 2009 Phase Two Day 308:
Best laid plans – I had big plans for our Walkie Talkies this morning. I was going to have them stop in when they walked by the house and help me carry things from the balcony to the dump trailer in the driveway. I figured ten trips up and down the stairs for four people beats forty trips up and down for me. When Stephen opened the door and announced, “It’s raining” my hopes were dashed. I went to the church anyway just on the off chance someone would show up. Lucky for me but not necessarily her Rinez was there and together we drove to my house and got it done. Great! After taking her back to the church I hurried and ate a bowl of cereal and left to pick up Mom for swimming.

I thought I see what I could get done before leaving for work. About 9:00 I was kind of hungry so I cooked eggs, bacon and one piece of toast. I am glad I did because I have been working all morning. The balcony is completely cleared off and ready to receive our bedroom furniture. For lunch I think it will be tuna.

Tuna and crackers it was, and an apple. I worked at the house all day today. My bedroom is completely cleared out. The walls are wiped down and all the holes patched over. Hopefully Stephen will be able to prime tonight and paint tomorrow. Sonnet had a dentist appointment so we canceled gym class. I am really glad too, because I had too much work to do. Sara called yesterday to say she was coming for a visit. She and Jacob arrived around 5:00 just in time for dinner. I fixed a ‘Macaroni Grill’ pasta mix. It was very good – pasta with a marinara sauce. I added ground beef to it. We coupled that with a yummy salad. Later that night we ate a cup of mixed berries and hot chocolate while we watched a movie together. Big day, I am tired.

Tuesday February 24, 2009 Phase Two Day 309:
Up and out for step class. I will eat cereal before driving across town for my hair appointment this morning. I better go straight to work or I will never get there, just like yesterday. Well, I did make it to work. I ate an apple mid morning. I got really munchie around 11:30 so I went to the lunch room and scrounged a few saltine crackers. Later at home, I reached for a granola bar. For lunch Sara & I made egg, bacon and lettuce sandwiches.

I worked on the house for a while and ran to Lowe’s to pick up paint. When I got back I asked Sara if she wanted to go for a walk. Wow, we ended up walking to Green Frog Market. Let me tell you, pushing my old funky stroller along the streets was a bit of a struggle. We shopped for a few things and a few things turned into a lot of things. I do not know what I was thinking, I mean how did I think we were going to get all that stuff home. Luckily I saw Margie Taylor in the store and we ended up checking out at the same time. I asked her if she would drop off my groceries at the house for us. She was very obliging which really helped us out. We walked home (up hill I want you to know) and I was wet with sweet when we arrived. I had a bowl of cereal as a snack. Sara made chicken stir fry that was delicious.

Sonnet came by and now we are settling in for a movie together. I think we will have a cup of mixed fruit and hot chocolate later.

Thursday February 26, 2009 Phase Two Day 311:
Wednesday got away from me. I walked with friends then came home and ate cereal. Between breakfast and the time I needed to leave to pick up Mom for swimming I was able to do some cleaning on the landing. We have carpet guys coming today and I wanted to get things cleaned up and ready. After swimming I went into work. Sara is being so patient with all our going and coming. I feel bad to be running off here or there but that is our life and she understands. At the office I ate an orange and granola bar. On my way home around 1:30 I picked up Subway for Sara and I. A nice chicken sandwich on whole wheat. I did pick up cookies to go with it. The carpet guys were working away so Sara and I played a few games then I needed to run and get more carpet. When that was done Stephen was home and Sonnet was over. We left Jacob with Grandpa and the three of us girls went out for pedicures. Somewhere in there I had a bowl of cereal – not sure why, just wanted it.

The girls were finished with their feet before me so I sent them two stores down to pick up a small pizza treat to take home to Stephen. He liked it. Sara and I made lemon chicken over brown rice and grilled cauliflower. The cauliflower was so great. I heated some olive oil in a frying pan. Put the broken up cauliflower in it, added minced garlic and sprinkled it all with lemon pepper. I put a lid on and periodically shook the contents around to get it all grilled. After a few minutes of that I added some water to steam it a little. The lemon chicken was excellent as well.

Now it is Thursday morning and I ate cereal. I stayed in bed with Stephen instead of going to step class. He did not leave at the crack of dawn because he had to be in Bakersfield this morning. I know how he loves to sleep in with me. Besides today I meet Sonnet for 24Camp class and that is enough of a killer workout for one day.

Sunday March 1, 2009 Phase Two Day 314:
Wow, look at the date. I really must make myself get to this computer every day. Our closet project takes most of our time and energy. I remember Thursday was a good eating day, although I ended up not meeting Sonnet for class. She called to say she was a judge at the county Oral Language competition that evening and did not have time to go. I remember being so happy because I was working late and trying to squeeze in a few errands.

Friday started off right with the Walkie Talkies. We walked to my house and they all made their accounting. I had cereal then went in to work for a short while. We had movie day at Shannon’s at 11:00 which meant it would be a lunch. Before it was all said and done and three hours later, I had eaten 2 bowls of Jami’s tortilla soup, about 5 of Rinez’s rolls (one even had yummy jam), a bowl of salad and a few strawberries. It was a wonderful lunch but I noticed a shocking lack of chocolate. I asked Shannon where her stash was and she brought out some Skinny Cows however, I passed them by and went straight for the hard stuff. I finished off her mint chip ice cream. I went back into work all afternoon then came home to work on the remodel. That night I had leftover salad.

Saturday was busy from dawn until dusk. We got up and had cereal then worked moving furniture all morning. By noon the closet and Blake’s room were looking more normal. Sonnet was here and was nice enough to fix Stephen & I a sandwich and salad for lunch. We kept working until 4:30 when we needed to stop for showers. We had a ward party to attend. It was a partial/potluck dinner so we stopped by Marie Callendar’s to pick up a couple pies for our assignment of dessert. I ate a sampling of this and that casseroles. I also had a piece of the German chocolate pie I brought. I did have a piece of a coconut cake that was very good. When we got home, it was back to work. By 10:00 we turned in with a beautiful closet full of clothes.

Now it is Sunday – fast Sunday, which means up and out the door fasting. To break my fast I had a bowl of cereal. Stephen came home and had a piece of toast. It looked so good I had one with butter and jam. We both had a banana. Don’t ask me why but I felt like cooking. I boiled some steaks from the freezer. While they were cooking I mixed frozen chopped spinach, shredded mozzarella cheese, Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic in a bowl. On the stove I sautéed an onion in some olive oil and when the meat was done I shredded it with a fork and added it to the onions. Just for fun I poured some A-1 sauce on the meat mixture then when the onions looked tender, emptied the frying pan into the spinach mix. I thought it might taste good all wrapped up in some dough and baked so that’s what I did. It is cooked now and I’ll let you know if it was any good……Well, it was a valiant effort. Actually, it was good except I put too much A-1 sauce in it. I do not really know how much I put in of everything – just what I had and what I thought looked good. I think it was a good idea just not quite the right amounts. Stephen had a second helping so at least the dish filled the measure of its creation. I served it with brussel sprouts. Boy was that a mistake, those things are a little bitter. I had a bowl of cereal.

Monday March 2, 2009 Phase Two Day 315:
I better be good today – weigh in is tomorrow. Sonnet & I have not weighed in in two weeks and I know how easily things can sneak up on you. This morning I am off to walk with friends and I hope to get in a good walk. I think we have slowed down lately........Yes, we had a nice brisk walk! I came home and ate cereal. Off to work. I was busy all morning and I got a lot accomplished at work. Wanda is leaving for nursing conference so we went out to lunch at the Sugar Mill. I had the steak salad and couldn’t even finish it. Sonnet & I met for weight lift class. It is a good class that combines weights and aerobics. I am tired and will be sore tomorrow I’m sure. This evening I had a bowl of cereal for dinner. About 8:30 I had some sugar free hot chocolate and a granola bar.

Tuesday March 3, 2009 Phase Two Day 316:
OK – it was touch and go at 4:50 this morning when I woke up and thought, “I don’t want to go to Step class”. Luckily, I laid there and reminded myself how much I would enjoy it and how happy I would be with myself if I went. Also, I won’t be going swimming with Mom tomorrow so unless I go I will miss a good workout for a couple days. Yea! I went and it was a great class. Before I left I weighed myself and was happy with the results. Now back home I will have some cereal before heading out. I have a full day today. Lots to do at work so I think I’ll take some tuna for a sandwich at lunch. I hope I have an apple, which sounds good.

So I did eat my tuna, apple, yogurt and granola bar throughout the day. I also had two peppermint patties. At work I was passing out Almonds snacks and I ate one myself. Tonight I had to be across town at Pam’s at 6:00 for a candle party, then race over to the church for a visiting teaching conference at 7:00. Pam served artichoke dip & crackers, some Oriental chicken salad and fruit. I had some of each. At the VT conference I ate several cupcakes for dessert.

Road Trip

Wednesday February 11, 2009 Phase Two Day 296:
Let’s see, what did I do today? I started by walking with friends then home for a bowl of cereal before pickling up Mom for swimming. After that I stayed home to do laundry and get things ready for our trip. By 10:30 I snatched a granola bar and was out the door to run a few errands before work. I finally got free for lunch at 1:30 so I ordered a chicken salad from Zorba’s. Employee Wellness was today making it a late day. Didn’t land at home until about 5:00. Stephen had recently arrived so I fixed him a loaded ham & Swiss sandwich, cottage cheese with tomatoes and an orange. As for me – I choose to have a bowl of cereal. Because it was dinner I treated myself to a 2 cup bowl! Man was it good.

After dinner Stephen & I headed out to the church. The Monica ward choir was asked to sing for the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference in a week and a half – that’s right all seven of us. I sure hope the angels show up. Tonight we had an extra practice because I will be out of town this Sunday. Also it was our turn to clean the building. I had a little 100 calorie snack from Stephen’s desk in the Bishops office. They were chocolate covered soy nuts. They are pretty good. Now we are home again and I have just finished packing. Here we go on our road trip – I am very excited. I will try to eat half way decient.

Thursday February 19, 2009 Phase Two Day 304:
Wow, I cannot believe I have been tracking my eating for over 300 days! That’s a first. So we are back from our wonderful road trip. It was great adventure and especially lovely seeing the kids and grandkids. Stephen & I enjoyed the time away from phones and demands. We listened to a couple books on CD while we were on the road as well as music, talking and just plain quiet. As far as eating goes, here are the notes I took along the way.

Thursday – Alarm went off @ 1:50am. Stephen hopped in the shower and I got up about 5 minutes later. We were out the door by 2:20 and on our way. At LAX I ate a yogurt and fruit cup. On the plane I had a small bag of pretzels. For lunch we stopped at Crackle Barrel. They serve a wonderful steak salad. I had one of Stephen’s biscuits – the best biscuit I have ever tasted. Driving all afternoon, I snacked on a granola bar and an orange. When we arrived at Thad & Angela’s they fed us tacos and chips. So wonderful to see the kids.



Friday –T & A had work and the girls had school so we had the house to ourselves and we made good use of it – we slept. Getting up around 2:00am the previous day as well as traveling all day left us ready for a sleep in. Slept in until 9:30 – heavenly. Had a bowl of Cheerios then headed to Branson. We were to meet Thad for lunch at a favorite local hamburger shop. I had a salad – good for me. Stephen & I shopped @ Branson Landing, a very picturesque shopping strip along the lake. Later I had a snack of chicken wrap and a granola bar. For dinner we ate at the ‘Fish Shack’ which is anything but a shack. It is the Bass-Pro restaurant situated right on the lake.


This is us inside the restaurant. I had a southwest chicken salad. After dinner we walked around Branson Landing then visited a place called ‘Andy’s’ for ice cream. Alexis was very proud to give the daily password at the order window. It seems there is a daily password and anyone that mentions it gets free ice cream. That’s right. We all got free ice cream – super. Actually, it is not called ice cream it is called custard because it is mostly egg with only a little dairy. It is the smoothest, creamiest ice cream type dessert I have ever eaten. Fabulous!
Saturday – we said our goodbyes early and were out the door and on the road by 6:30. About an hour down the road we stopped for egg McMuffins. I know, I know McDonalds again. I only had one muffin and no hash browns or OJ. The night before we left I packed a cooler for the car filled with apples, pickles, bananas, carrots & celery, tuna mix and bread. We hope to snack on those things today and only stop for gas, bathroom and stretches. That is of course, unless I see something or some shop I can’t pass up. Stephen is the best travel companion for me. Although he is cognizant of road conditions weather and destination timelines; he is very accommodating to a spur of the moment whim. I am very spoiled. Traveling went smoothly today – dry roads. We decided to stop at Crackle Barrel for an early dinner and am I glad we did. We pulled in about 4:00 and by the time we left the place was crowded with waiting patrons. It was Valentines Day and everyone was out in force. Crackle Barrel is a delightful restaurant chain throughout the mid-west and south. It has down home cookin’ at low-down prices. The best part is the extensive gift shop. Beautiful things at reasonable prices. I found some Valentines Day salt and pepper shakers – just what I have been looking for. I had another steak salad and two biscuits. When we pulled off the highway for the night there was a DQ right by the hotel. I decided against getting a treat because I did not want it bad enough. I think that is a basic concept of good eating maintenance. That is, having something outside of smart eating on occasion or when you really desire, yet being able to let a treat pass when it is no big deal. Good for me!
Sunday – We slept so great. Upon check in we had the option of a regular room or, for only $20 dollars more, a huge room with Jacuzzi. There are some things in life that are no-brainers. We had a wonderful soak in a hot Jacuzzi. The King size bed was about two-thirds too big as we sleep pretty cuddled up, but we felt awfully pampered. Not a lot of churches around here so we just got on the road, read from the Ensign and ate from our car stash. We pulled into Reisterstown about 4:00. Although we ate good food on the drive, once we arrived @ Tiff’s it was a different story. A couple of cookies and a banana began the snacking. Dinner was a pulled pork hogi sandwich, salad, and baked potato. We finished off dinner with a dessert of - what else – ice cream and hot fudge.



Later as we played Canasta, peanut M&M’s were consumed in large quantities. Not a very good end to an otherwise good eating day. I must admit I am glad to be out of the car and hope to be able to take a power walk tomorrow. Two days of sitting is foreign to me and I feel the need to move!

That is the end of the record. Can’t really remember the eating details of Monday or Tuesday. It was more of the same – pretty good with an occasional goodie. Now that I am home it has been back to my exercise schedule. I walked with friends yesterday as well as swam with my Mom. Today I went to step class and plan to meet Sonnet at the gym this evening for our 24Camp class. Not sure what to have for dinner. Won’t get much of a chance to fix anything anyway because I have a boy scout coming at 4:30 and gym class at 5:30. That means it will be after 6:30 before I get home. I might make a sandwich and heat some soup for Steph but if I know me I will reach for mixed berries or cereal.

Skinny Cow

Wednesday February 4, 2009 Phase Two Day 290:
Today I walked with friends then came home and ate cereal with strawberries. Picked up Mom for swimming then came home and got ready for work. Ate a granola bar on my way in. Had a good productive morning at the office. I ended up ordering a chicken salad from Zorba’s for lunch. On the way home I ran to the store to pick up a few last minute things for dinner with the missionaries. It sure was yummy. We had salad, rolls, roast, potatoes, celery, onions, carrots and gravy. Of course I served a jello mold with yogurt. I was good and only had one roll. I served Skinny Cow for dessert. I know, I know, I just finished the box I had. My plan was to but the Skinny Cow ice cream cones because they come in a box of four but then Sonnet decided to join us so I had to get an additional box. Now I have extra Skinny Cow again. After dinner I cut up all the leftovers into a pot, added two cans of stewed tomatoes and some vegetable broth. Now we have delicious stew and for the next couple days I don’t have to cook! I am so lucky my husband loves soups and stews. He is happy if there is a pot full of something or another. Oh, before the missionaries arrived, Sonnet & I went for a half hour power walk – good job.

Thursday February 5, 2009 Phase Two Day 291:
Started my day with step class – always good. Came home and had cereal before getting out the door to work. I packed some tuna & crackers, an apple, a granola bar and leftover jello all of which I enjoyed very much. Now back home it is early afternoon and I have the munchies. I ate lunch early so I guess I will have a cup of stew for dinner early as well. Ummm that was warm and cozy on this rainy day. A Skinny Cow should top it off nicely. Now I want to get packages for the grandkids all ready to take to the post office. I think I’ll have time to mail them before Sonnet gets here. She & I are trying a new exercise class at the gym later this evening…..OK, so we tried this new class called Camp24, oh my, it was fun and hard. Back home I had a banana but I kind of want something else. Not sure what I’ll do…..So I ended up having the last tiny bit of leftover salad, a granola bar (not the usual one – more like nuts and fruit smashed together.) and a cup of hot chocolate.

Sunday February 8, 2009 Phase Two Day 293:
It is Sunday, let’s catch up. Movie Day! Friday was Walkie Talkie movie day. We walked as usual then I came home and had cereal. I made a pan of cranberry muffin mix and topped it with a blend of cream cheese frosting and cranberries. It was pretty good. I took that with me to Gaye’s fro movie day. Gaye made scrambled eggs and Rinez brought nectarines. It was all yummy but I ate too much. Gaye had some leftover brownies that I polished off – that was not good. Stephen called and we were able to get away to the coast a little early than we expected. We picked up McDonalds on the way out of town. Crazy I know- that does not happen often. We left for Cayucos in the rain, arrived in the rain and stayed in the rain for a couple hours. I really did not mind because it was such a treat to be on the coast. Luckily it stopped before all the kids arrived. Before they got there we visited our friends the Gabbitas who were at heir beach house. It was a gathering and they invited us to dinner but we left to make final preparations for the youth conference and went out to dinner alone. We sampled a variety of delicious breads that came in the bread basket and both had delicious meals. The conference began when the YM/YW pulled in. The leaders served popcorn and hot chocolate. They did not have any Styrofoam cups so I ran quickly to the corner liquor store. Yea – I picked up cups for them and a chicostick plus chocolate chip cookies for me.

I was not involved in with the youth conference so I did not stay the whole time Friday night. Saturday morning after straightening up the beach house I dropped in at the conference and ate leftover scrambled eggs and pancakes. I ran errands all morning then Stephen called to say they were eating lunch. By the time I got there the taco salad was all put away. Monya sent the best cookies over and I had some of those. Later we all went to the Sea Shanty and I ordered a steak salad and of course if you are at the Sea shanty you have to get an outrageous dessert (their specialty). I decided on a Shanty Pie which is mint chip ice cream on a chocolate crust smothered in hot fudge and whipped cream. The kids left for home and Stephen & I shopped a little and were about an hour behind them. In Paso Robles, don’t ask me why, but we stopped in at McDonalds again. That’s twice in a two day span. I bet I could count the times I have been to McDonalds over the last two years on one hand. Anyway it was not one of our finer moments.

It is good to be home. I began my day with cereal then church. At home again Stephen polished off the last of the stew. That means I had to punt. I was all over the board. I had the last of my cranberry muffin cake from Friday; I had a piece of peanut butter toast, a Skinny cow and an orange…weird. Tonight we put on ‘One Night with the King’, the story of Esther. I had been thinking about that movie for a couple days and was glad to get a chance to see it. Anyway I ate one bowl of cereal and a bag of popcorn while I watched. Tomorrow I need to get back to some semblance of order.

Monday February 9, 2009 Phase Two Day 294:
It is a holiday so the Walkie Talkies decided to walk @ 7:00 instead of 6:000 this morning. I came home and had cereal. I think I will go into the office today. Steph has to work and rather than stay home I want to get some things done at work. I like going in when no one else is there – I am much more productive. It is raining outside. I do love the rain and we sure need it. If I stay at work all morning I will probably pick up a Zorba’s salad for lunch. I need to commit not to have any candy that is always around the office – OK, I will not eat any pieces while I am there today – done!

So I left for the office before 10:00. I ate a granola bar on the way and boy am I glad I did. True to my word I did not have any snacks at work, only a glass of water, some gum and a few almonds in my desk. I finally left after 3:00 and stopped by the store on my way home. By the time I was through shopping and putting away groceries it was 3:45 and I was hungry. Sonnet & I had a weight lift class coming up at 4:30 so I ate a quick bowl of cereal. I did not want to go to class on an empty stomach. Class was great. I think we should see marked improvement by the end of this month if we keep up the classes. Weight work is what really takes the inches off.

Tonight I made delicious fajitas. Nice and light. I had a Skinny Cow for dessert.

Tuesday February 10, 2009 Phase Two Day 295:
Weigh in day. All I have to say is what I expect to happen when I stop into McDonalds twice in one weekend. Actually it is not that bad but I did not go down any. I started my day with step class, cereal then off to work. I took and orange and a granola bar to snack on. Back home I had left over Fajitas and a Skinny Cow as a late lunch. Now I need to clear out the closet in Blake’s room and pull up the old carpet. Then I want to get outside and do a little pruning. Sonnet will come over sometime this afternoon to measure. For dinner I want to make yummy salads. Maybe Sonnet & I will walk tonight.

I am a little nervous about the road trip Stephen & I are taking. Not the trip itself but the eating on the trip. We have two full days of driving and he mentioned that he does not want to have fast food the whole way. I couldn’t agree more. Normally we could take an ice chest and pack good stuff but we are flying into Missouri then driving from there. I guess we could stop by a store and put a little set up together. Well, we will figure something out. Also, not sure how much fit day journaling will happen. Stephen is not taking his computer so it will be up to me to record on paper then transfer when we get back home. We’ll see.

OK, so tonight there was a RS ‘make and take’ thing at the church. I went and made my stuff and visited a while then an amazing thing happened, I did not, I repeat, did not have the offered cupcakes, pizza or chocolate suckers. Good for me! I must admit, as I was driving to the church I anticipated there might be treats and I really could not decide whether to commit myself to abstain. I mean if I decide ahead of time I will stick to it which is why I wasn’t sure if I wanted to commit or not. I thought to myself, ‘wouldn’t you like to be able to write a success instead of yet another moment of gluttony?’ Then I answered, ‘It all depends on what they are offering?’ I think that is when I got disgusted with myself and stopped talking to me. I just went and did my thing and when the time came for treats I really did not want to partake. It was easy to let them pass. Yea! Oh, we ended up having Huevos Rancheros and salad tonight, very tasty.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Thursday January 29, 2009 Phase Two Day 284:
Yesterday was so weird I never made it to the computer. I walked with friends, ate cereal and decided to stay home. I don’t know why but I just didn’t want to go into the office. First thing I puttered around the house putting away the January snowmen motif and replacing it with Valentines Day loveliness. It was fun to decorate. The previous day I purchased new garden flags for the front and was anxious to see how they looked. Next I got out the quilt fabric I am using for Tiffany’s forthcoming baby girl and started to work. That’s when things began to fall apart. I thought I’d have a lunch before getting started and planned to have leftover taco soup but reached for the tuna & crackers instead. I followed that with a granola bar then heated a big bowl of taco soup. While the soup was warming I ate chips that were meant for the soup. I loaded the soup with more of the chips and added cheese. Wow- what a huge lunch! That did not stop me from having a Skinny Cow. If I would have just got started on the quilt I would have been OK. Finally I made myself begin and then I was on a roll. Later that afternoon and into the evening, if I stopped for a phone call or some other distraction, I would grab a granola bar or Skinny Cow – crazy day!

Today I went to step class then home for cereal. It is my hair day so I left the house and headed across town. Sonnet had a dental procedure that required a driver so I picked her up and got her settled before going to work. I ate a granola bar on the way to work about 11:00. I find that when I eat my cereal early around 7:00, I get hungry earlier. Wanda & I had a date for lunch today – steak salad at the Sugar Mill! It was fabulous! Back home I went to work on the quilt. It is Ladies Night Out tonight. There were tons of sisters from the ward at Frugattii’s. I was not hungry so I just flitted around visiting until people started getting their food then I left. The evening was fun. All I had was a roll and water.

Friday January 30, 2009 Phase Two Day 285:
Good Morning! From the church we walked to my house this morning to make an accounting on ‘Friends through Thick & Thin’ (hereafter known as FTT&T). Everyone did pretty well. I think the $ and actual accountability to one another is a huge help. They were all in for another week. I threw in a few mixed berries to my cereal just to add a serving of fruit to my day. Now I am off to work. Not sure what I will take for lunch.

I snatched a granola bar from the cupboard before leaving and had it on the way to work. I stopped first at the farmer’s market at on of our sites. They offered an apple so I ate one – a Pink Lady, my favorite apple. When I got to the office there were a few leftovers in the break room. I ate some tri-tip and green beans. Sitting around chatting I had a roll then a chocolate bar. Very much an impulse munch. I should have brought in the fruit from the farmer’s market I had in the car to nibble as I talked but I didn’t think of it. I worked all afternoon then went home. After visiting with my Mom (no, I did not have ice cream while I was there. I told myself as I drove over there that I would not have anything to eat there but wait until I got home), I made it home and ate the last cup of Taco soup. I wanted something more so I had a bowl of cereal then topped it off with a Skinny Cow. (Don’t worry they are almost gone).

Saturday January 31, 2009 Phase Two Day 286:
What a fun day. I decided to get up and go to the dump this morning. The trailer is getting pretty full from the remodel and Stephen will have to pick up some sheetrock and other supplies soon, so, I thought I’d get the trailer empty for him. Before leaving I ate a bowl of cereal. Steph was up when I returned. I fixed scrambled eggs with salsa, toast and fruit. ( I only had a bit of eggs.) Sonnet came over and we set out on a few errands. When we returned Stephen had finished framing the wall and setting the door. We cleared out the rest of the room and Monday I think I will try and scrap the entire ceiling.

For lunch I had tuna and crackers and a tangelo. We continued working and puttering all afternoon until it was time to get ready for a friend at work’s wedding. I must say it was a beautiful wedding. The bride looked stunning. Talk about weight loss – here is a young person that had been a chunky little girl and heavy all her adult life. (I only know this because she told me) Now a mature woman of 26, she stands about 5 foot 8 or 9 inches. When we hired her two years ago she was large. Over a year ago she decided she’d had enough of being heavy and took control of the contour of her body. She put herself on Weight Watchers on the internet – she never went to meetings. Well, the rest is history. She began to melt before our eyes. She learned weight management and menu planning by the WW point system and followed it. I do not know the total weight loss in pounds but it would be somewhere around 50 pound I would guess. She has probably dropped about 6 dress sizes. Her wedding gown was shapely and elegant. Good for her!

We arrived early at the Petroleum Club for the reception. A full dinner was served. The place settings had a luscious chocolate ball filled with peanut butter at every plate. They were so delectable I was tempted to go around to empty tables and pilfer them before the unknowing occupants arrived – but I restrained myself. While waiting for the bridal party to arrive hor de’ vors were served. I had pulled pork and avocado on a cracker and a cheese brochette. The dinner began with rolls which were quite good and I did have several during the course of the meal. The entrée was delicious baked chicken, green beans and potatoes. For dessert we, of course, had wedding cake. Back at home I had a Skinny Cow before bed.

Sunday February 1, 2009 Phase Two Day 287:
Today is fast Sunday so nothing before choir. Now at home I am going to heat up the two chicken dinners we came home with last night. A couple at our table left early so we had their dinners boxed up to go. Anyway, I think even though I have a roast with veggies all prepared and sitting in a pot in the frig, we will have the chicken.

Stephen mentioned to me that he read last weeks Pigs to Twigs and thought I should read it not just write it. He said he noticed I indulge more than I adhere. I think he thinks that by reading, I would see that when I let up a little, I open a flood gate of poor eating choices that leads to carefree abandon. What – like that would be a revelation? I know this about myself. I write this about myself. To get a real grasp on the situation he would benefit by reading from the beginning. One week is not a microcosm of the total experience. Now, before I go any father – my husband is my biggest fan. He is more complementary and attentive to me than any husband I know of. He does not criticize my weight, in fact, quite the opposite; he praises me for my progress. He always makes me feel beautiful. I had to add that disclaimer lest any reader might misinterpret my sweetie’s comments.

Last week on my own, before he said anything, I reread week one and two just to remind myself what I was thinking and going through when we began this thing. I wanted to get a bit of strength from earlier days. It was good to relive it. My biggest asset is the exercise component. When I exercise regularly things go better – not perfect but at least I can work off my indulgences so they do not totally derail me. Sonnet is supposed to come over tonight for an evening stroll.

Sure thing we ate the leftover chicken with green beans and potatoes. I fixed a salad to go with. Before it was ready I shared a banana with Stephen. Wonderful dinner.

Monday February 2, 2009 Phase Two Day 288:
What a great day but oh am I pooped. I started today like most Mondays by walking with my friends. Came home and had cereal then I was off to pick up my Mom for swimming. When I got home I grabbed an apple and headed upstairs. For the next few hours I scraped the ceiling and moved furniture from Blake’s room and the new closet. The ceiling chore was very messy but I got the closet done and now have only to finish Blake’s room.

I packed a lunch of salad and tuna & crackers and got to the office just in time to eat it. I worked all afternoon then ran home to change into gym clothes. Sonnet & I planned to try a weight lift class at the 24 hour on this side of town. It was a killer and I know I’ll be sore. Three exercises in one day is more than enough for me. To top it off, when I got home, the last thing to be moved out of Blake’s room was a huge roll of carpet. Stephen & I picked that monster up and hauled it to the balcony. That was the final physical straw for me, I couldn’t believe how pooped I was.

For dinner I made Stephen & I steak salads and they were goooood. Last week when some of the ward girls had a Girl’s Night Out at Frugattii’s, my friend Ann had me try a salad dressing they make there. It was delicious – a subtle blend of creamy Italian and garlic. I bought some and lightly dressed our salads then topped them with steak pieces right from the broiler. I had the last Skinny Cow for dessert. Tomorrow is weigh in day and I am expecting good things. One last thing, today my Blakieboy left for the Army. Wow. I tiered up once when a solder song came on the radio. I sent flowers to Sara. I prayed for them both.

Tuesday February 3, 2009 Phase Two Day 289:
Boy was it hard getting up this morning. Stephen really likes the movie Ground Hog Day and yesterday being Ground Hog Day he wanted to watch it. So, when he finish working on the remodel we started the movie around 9:00. I had a hot chocolate and tried to stay awake, no that is not true. I don’t think I really tried to stay awake. I fell asleep more than half way through. After all the workouts yesterday I was just too tired. I started my period today so that might be another reason for my drained feeling. Anyway, I had a hard time getting up for step class but I sure am glad I did.

Weigh in - Yes, I was down another pound. Slowly but surely wins the race. I just ate cereal and now I need to go in and scrape the rest of the ceiling. Not a fun job but, I just keep thinking of the rooms when they get finished – glorious!

What should I take for lunch today……..the tuna and crackers yesterday was wonderful……maybe. Tonight I will put on the pot roast and veggies that has been waiting in the frig all put together since Saturday night.

.....Here it is 1:30 and I still haven’t had my shower. I have done so much around the house then Stephen came home and we ferried the Jeep into the shop to replace a flat tire. The crossing guard came over last night to let us know the tire was flat. Stephen aired it but it did not hold. Since Steph was in town on business he swung by and together we took care of it. Forget lunch at the office, I had tuna & crackers here but while I was fixing it I had a granola bar. Afterwards I wanted something else, so I treated myself to a banana cut into a bowl of cereal. Yum! Stephen just called to say he will be working a little late so I guess that leaves out the pot roast. I told him I would work late too because I won’t even get there until 2:30 or so. I guess we will be on our own for dinner tonight.

Late afternoon I had an apple and tonight after errands I ended up scrambling some eggs and topped them with salsa and having a tangelo – very good.