Alcohol Free is What We Want To Be! Thursday, March 7

SHAPING UP FOR SPRING!
February 11 - March 31

Spring is coming!

Supportive Friends
Progress not Perfection
Renewal of Being
Inspiration
New Habits
Great Success!

This can be your Spring! This can be your success! No more rationalizing and making excuses.

This challenge isn't just about being alcohol free though it is the focus of the board. It is about finding and giving encouragement, getting healthy, loving ourselves, and finding what works and what doesn't. This is NOT about making ourselves feel badly about the unhealthy choices, it is about celebrating the healthy ones. So let's go for it!

As always, the rules aren't complicated. Simply no alcohol and staying on your food plan. If you get off track, don't give up....don't throw away the day, the night, the week. We are working on progress not perfection.

You may have alcohol issues that you cannot manage on your own and our group is here to support you and encourage you to get the help you might need. You may have alcohol issues that you can control but have to exert the motivation and our group is here to support you.

Spring clean your cupboard early! If you have junk food, tempting alcohol, or trigger foods in your kitchen, you are setting yourself up for failure. Give it away, dump it, GET RID OF IT! Temptation is always going to happen. Don't make it easier for yourself to give in to it. Assess your kitchen, ask if this helps or hinders me. DO NOT have sentimental attachment to food or alcohol. The stuff will always be there, it does not magically disappeared but your health can be compromised! This is your life! Make it the best!

REMEMBER….
1. Work the Plan and the Plan works! Think of your new eating plan as a lifestyle change -- one that will have ups and downs, with good days and (very few) bad.

2. Don't deprive yourself. A food plan should be about SATISFACTION. Find foods you LOVE that will help you meet your goal.

3. Drink lots of water. Water is good for you.

4. Listen to your body. It knows things. Pay close attention to your body cues.

5. Live one day (or even one MEAL) at a time. Don't be discouraged and beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon. Just get back on with lots of helping hands.

6. Get exercise with activities you enjoy. If you don't like what you are doing, then you won't stick with it.

7. Keep track of what you eat. Write it down. You WILL 100% without a doubt make better choices if you hold yourself accountable for them.

Good Morning!

Was not a fun drive yesterday but I made it! Now to let the infusion work! I'm suppose to get blood work done today but thinking I'll wait till tomorrow. I don't need to fast so we'll see how today goes. Have a dental appointment for the permanent teeth....hopefully this sets fits properly!

Will check back later.

Wishing all a wonderful day!
Hugs, Cindy

SHAPING UP FOR SPRING EQUINOX!
February 11 - March 31

THE EIGHT GOOD HEALTH GUIDELINES
1. Eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day.
2. Choose whole-grain foods, such as brown rice and oats, whenever possible.
3. Include two servings of milk precuts – low fat (1%) or fat-free – each day.
4. Have some healthy oil (olive oil, canola, sunflower, safflower or flaxseed each day.
5. Ensure that you are getting enough protein by choosing at least a serving or two of meat, poultry, fish, eggs or dried beans each day. Many dairy products are also good sources of protein.
6. Limit added sugar and alcohol.
7. Drink at least 6 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
8. Take a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement each day.

NUTRITION ACCOUNTABILITY
Drink more water: 72 oz
One or more fruit daily: Y
One or more vegetable daily: Y
AF: (mostly alcohol free since August 16, 2006): 6421; ANIM: 1 (021221)
AIM: N
ANIM: N
Fitbit Goal/burned: 2170/2135
JUST JOURNAL!

HABIT ACCOUNTABILITY

Move Accountability: 4, 13,600+ steps, 250 steps 7/8 hours, walk at the clubhouse, workout video, laps in the basement, counter pushups and stretches
Sleep Accountability: 3, trouble falling asleep, but went to bed earlier, 7.5+ hours, Fitbit score 86, stress management 92
Nutrition Accountability: 3, 32/23, 28 weeklies left, blue dot, ice cream, sweet & salty bar
Happiness Accountability: 3, enjoyed the day, watched Zone of Interest, stitched, read before bed
Habit Accountability: 3, drinking more water than diet Coke
Check in Daily Accountability: 3, I'm here!
Time Management Accountability: 3, walking, laundry, finished Saints ornament and flyswatter, started on tissue box cover
What did you do for yourself today? Reading, couch time, time outside

Please post a NSV (non-scale victory), LSP (little sign of progress), PA (positive affirmation) or motivational quote: “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” ―Marcus Aurelius

CHALLENGE START WEIGHT 2/11: 173.0
February 18 weigh in: 173.2
February 25 weigh in: 172.6
March 3 weigh in: 171.6
March 10 weigh in:
March 17 weigh in:
March 24 weigh in:
Final Weigh March 31:

2024 Goals:
11,000 steps each day: 66/66
At least 7 hours sleep: 33/66
Lift weights twice/week: Wk 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Blue dots: 57/66
Starting weight: 179.8
Get to the 160's:

DH & I drove to the clubhouse to walk so we could stop if it started raining. It sort of misted the whole time but it was okay with our rain coats. Mr. Leo was there walking, he's got to be in his 90's. He has neighborhood fame as he used to walk for hours picking up trash, but he's retired from that. He always has a friendly greeting and complimented us for walking in the rain. When we got back we stripped the bed and washed everything, including the comforter which one of the cats had puked on. It took a long time for the comforter to dry, finally put it back on the bed after dinner. We had grilled chicken, mushrooms, pineapple for dinner with green beans from the freezer. The green beans were mushy, but tasted really good. I watched Oscar movie 9/10 after dinner, Zone of Interest. It's about the commandant of Auschwitz and his family, who live in a villa with lovely gardens just outside the gates of the camp. They act like they are living in the suburbs, even though you can hear the trains, screams, gunshots, and see the fire and smoke from the crematorium. They have Jewish "servants" in the house. It is based on a real man and his family, Rudolph Hoss. Very disturbing with an odd ending. It was in German with subtitles, so not a lot of stitching done while watching. I went to bed a bit earlier, still had trouble falling asleep. I listened to Calm for a bit and sleep stories from another site, ended up taking a Benadryl. I had couch time in the afternoon, but did not nap.

It's sunny today for the first time in many days. We got 2.5 inches on Tuesday-Wednesday. DH & I are going to Gibbs Gardens today to check out the daffodils.


Carole- WTG doing ok with food except for Belvita biscuits. Glad work went well, yay for getting your hairs did. Hope the bathing suit fits nicely. Annie does seem to enjoy the company.

Cathy- Yay for fun with friends. Glad you could check in.

Cindy- Thanks for getting us started. Glad you made it for the infusion. Fingers crossed for the teeth fitting properly.

Jan- WTG steps 10/11, PU, stretches, blue dot, AF. GL to DS with his interview. Yay for a spectacular sunrise and work not being as busy yesterday. Have fun at knitting and your weekend with family. I didn't do anything with the seeds yet. I also had to throw out a small delicata that got away from me. One of the sleep stories I listened to was about a little pumpkin on the vine that wanted to grow up to be a Jack o lantern.

M-W Word of the Day

descry 
verb | dih-SKRYE

What It Means
Descry is a literary word that, like discover or find out, means “to come to realize or understand something.” Descry can also mean “to catch sight of.”

// In their research, the bryologists descried an association between a moss and the iron content of the rock it typically grows on.

// From the tops of the high dunes, we could just descry the ship coming over the horizon.