Alcohol Free is What We Want To Be! Monday, April 22

New Challenge: CARING April 1 - May 31

“Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care" - Buddha

This challenge is about caring about and for yourself. So often we get caught up in taking care of everyone else that we don’t give ourselves the care we need. Or we give up caring about ourselves. A variety of reasons and for no reason, it just happens. The hard part is to recognize it and once you do, it is hard to explain because very few want to acknowledge it. You get kudos for taking care of others, not so much for taking of yourself. Not caring about yourself can leave an emptiness that you may try to fill with food and alcohol. The emptiness remains, just stuffed down. We want and need more for ourselves. So let’s begin!

Treat yourself the way you’d treat someone you love.

Love yourself first and the rest will follow.

Focus on health and well being

So how do you begin to care about yourself?

Eating fruits and vegetables sounds like a plan. So does drinking water!!

Walking up a flight of stairs without gasping for breath. Your heart will thank you.

If you don’t want to be AF then restrict the amount and limit the days you will allow yourself a drink. But remember if 10 is not enough, one is too many.

Start with baby steps. Making too many changes at once can be discouraging so start small. Have you been slacking on flossing
daily? Then start making it a ritual. Do you drink soda for energy? Start cutting back by one.

Treat yourself to something you enjoy. Buying the store brand face cream will sit on the counter. If you have a favorite, budget it in as a necessity….better than buying alcohol! Maybe getting a manicure or pedicure is important to you yet you deny it for yourself. Ask yourself why.

Make a list of indulgences that aren’t food or alcohol and start sprinkling them into your life.

Ask for what you need. Too many times we get into a funk and we don’t ask for help. You are loved and we want to help each other.

Curb all the justification. Sometimes you just have to do something because you want to do it. You don’t have to explain yourself!

Think of your successes….add three things that went well today to your daily journal. What?? you aren’t journaling? Journaling is caring!

LET THE CARING BEGIN!!

Good Morning!

A bright sunny though chilly morning. Should eventually get up to seventy! Yesterday got lost in basketball...not at all productive.

Will be back!

Hugs, Cindy

Out the door in 2024!

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: 56 oz
One or more fruit daily: Y
One or more vegetable daily: Y
AF: (mostly alcohol free since August 16, 2006): 6468; ANIM: 1 (021221)
AIM: N
ANIM: N
Fitbit Goal/burned: 2170/2254
JUST JOURNAL!

HABIT ACCOUNTABILITY

Move Accountability: 4, 12,100+ steps, 250 steps 7/8 hours, walking video, laps in basement, counter pushups, stretches
Sleep Accountability: 3, up late reading, then slept well, <7 hours, Fitbit score 87, stress management 79
Nutrition Accountability: 3, 23/23, 55 weeklies left, blue dot, ice cream, protein sweet and salty bar, no cake or coffee cake
Macrosfirst: Protein: 79/137, Carbs: 120/100, Fat: 50/45, Calories: 1207/1353
Happiness Accountability: 3, enjoyed the day, watched Hallmark movies, 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, made peach salsa, couch time, stitched on Santa #4
What did you do for yourself today? Reading, couch time

Please post a NSV (non-scale victory), LSP (little sign of progress), PA (positive affirmation) or motivational quote: “It’s Monday … time to motivate and make dreams and goals happen. Let’s go!” —Heather Stillufsen

Start weight, April 1: 168.8
April 8: 168
April 15: 167.8
April 22: 166.6
April 29:
May 6:
May 13:
May 20:
May 27:
End of Challenge, May 31:

2024 Goals:
11,000 steps each day: 109/112
At least 7 hours sleep: 54/112
Lift weights twice/week: Wk 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13:only once, 14, 15, 16
Blue dots: 101/112
Starting weight: 179.8
Get to the 160's: March 10, 2024
150s:

It rained off and on all day yesterday until late afternoon, so never got out for a walk. I puttered with different stuff, including downloading and figuring out the Macrosfirst app. It’s free, has a good barcode reader, and is much easier to track food than the WW app currently is. I’m going to give it a try and will probably drop my WW subscription, since I’m only using it for tracking. I had a pretty good day yesterday, but was low on protein, over on carbs and fat, but under the calorie allowance. I don’t feel too badly about the carbs b/c the app doesn’t take fiber into account, so I was probably ok on net carbs. Hopefully it’s motivation to reduce the carbs and up the protein. It also doesn’t have a water tracking function, but there are plenty of places to do that. I did get outside briefly to cut some cilantro and noticed the green bean seeds are sprouting.  I got the peach salsa made yesterday and froze some extra cilantro. It always takes longer to make salsa for canning than I think it will and I was tired and ready for couch time when I was done. I got 6 small jars, with a partial jar that we had with baked fish for dinner. Also had some creamed spinach and some sliced tomatoes. After dinner I stitched a bit while watching TV and went to bed before midnight. I’m reading “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Piccoult which is about a 13-year-old who was genetically engineered to be a donor for her sister with leukemia. She’s had enough of the endless donations and is drawing the line at donating a kidney for her sister her is dying anyhow and is suing for medical emancipation from her parents. Her father is supportive, the mother will never give up trying to save the older sister. It’s written well and hard to put down.

It’s sunny this morning, but chilly in the mid-40’s.

Jan- WTG steps 11/11, PU, stretches, tracking, AF, throwing out the apple pie. Sorry about the problem with your knitting, I hate ripping out mistakes. The crumble sounds good. I planted glads this year, fingers crossed they actually come up and produce and come back next year. Hope your passports arrive soon.

GG- Glad you had a good time with family, loved the FB pics. Our family farmhouse is in pretty good shape except for the white aluminum siding needing painting. My brother and nephew keep the yard in good shape. Glad your cousin is doing well with the injections. Hope you have lots of hummers soon.

Cathy- The pudding tasting sounds interesting, hope you are able to attend.

Cindy- Thanks for getting us started. Seems like your weather is similar to ours, just a day ahead. Glad you enjoyed basketball.

M-W Word of the Day

noblesse oblige 
noun | noh-BLESS-uh-BLEEZH

What It Means
Noblesse oblige refers to the idea that people who have high social rank or wealth should be helpful and generous to people of lower rank or to people who are poor.

// As the inheritor of a great fortune, he was raised to have a strong sense of noblesse oblige, not only volunteering and donating to charity, but advocating for structural change to address inequality.

Hi friends! I tried posting yesterday but my phone was not having it—not sure why. I had a good eating day, except for pizza with my dad and brother. BUT no ice cream or Belvita. So far the kitty is staying here. He is so cute! Bowie is afraid of him, it’s pretty funny!

Amy, how long will you be gone?

Jan, I love that you put in entries to the fair! I bought a bunch of fabric to replace the canopy and cushion covers. I bought turtles for the canopy, pelucans for 2 of the cushions and flamingos for the other one.

Gg, I loved your pictures on Facebook

Cathy, I hope you’re feeling better and can go to the pudding party!

Cindy, how is DS feeling?