Dukan – Day 148

Posted on January 16, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Today was a PP day.

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.2 kg
Total weight loss: 64.7 lb/29.41 kg

I had a crappy day 😦 I had a migraine all day and woke up with nausea that led to the “V” word and then I felt a tad better. I did, oddly enough, have a very productive day. I created and finished a flow chart in Visio and wrote 4 policies… just sat at my desk pounding them out and got them done. Ended up taking migraine medicine x 3 throughout the day.

Breakfast… none… I wasn’t in the mood for throwing up eggs!
Sipped about 400mL water through the morning
Had 2 cups of Chamomile tea that made me sleepy… LOL
Lunch: 2 tea eggs and 500mL water
Dinner: Tofu w/o seasonings stir fried with onions and garlic stems
Cup of mint tea

Finished packing my bags for my big trip and went to bed early. Tuesday can’t get here soon enough… I can’t wait to hug and kiss…

Celeste:

Celeste Alena

Sydnie…

Sydnie Renae

Sadie…

Sadie Rose

Shane…

Shane Cristian

Sofia…

Sofia

Jose…

Jose

And the rest of the gang… but especially those 6 munchkins who call me “Momma” 🙂

Ciao!

Quote of the day: Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be!
~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Dukan – Day 147 – Packin’ and a WHOOSH!

Posted on January 15, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Saturday was suppose to be a PP day, but the leftover shrooms called to me!

Daily weight loss: 2.0 lbs/0.9 kg!!!
Total weight loss: 64.3 lb/29.21 kg

Wow! That’s all I can say about that! I have no explanation for that whoosh and I’ll be even happier if I stay the same and don’t gain for tomorrow morning’s weigh in. I got off and on the scale 5 times to make sure it was right. Took a battery out, put it back in, put my glasses on and then got back on… Same same.

I slept in until 804!!! Put on my yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, slapped on my shoes and went straight out into the 42 degree air and did C25K. It was pissing down the rain, so I was cautious. But it felt good and there is no one around because they all leave the city and go to their villages for Chinese New Year. I picked up 2 pretty leaves on my path this morning… One is from the heart tree and the other one looks like a mini pot leaf, not sure what the tree is, but its tiny, too! Then back upstairs for hot coffee and warmed up left overs and a catch up on the computer.

Accomplished a ton of stuff during the day, finished packing, finished my first book of the year, “The Tenth Insight” by James Redfield. Got all my laundry done, ordered and downloaded books to my iPad for reading (going to try out Val McDermid and a detective series that she writes) and had enough time for painting. I’ve had a lot on my mind and painting was a nice distraction. I actually painted two today!

Lunch was yogurt with a tea egg. And late in the afternoon, so at dinner time I wasn’t really hungry and had a bit of dodgy tummy and a lingering headache. Made myself eat a quick stir fry of onions, mushrooms and cut up tea eggs with no seasoning and then crawled on the couch feeling even yuckier 😦 Cheered up by a couple of nice long chats with my girlies. To bed with some Tylenol on board, satisfied with all I got done… Still not sure why I whooshed 🙂

Ciao!

Quote of the day: If you can’t make it better, you can laugh at it ~ The divine Erma Bombeck
I adored Erma Bombeck!

It’s National De-Lurking Day – Repost

Posted on January 15, 2012 by flamidwyfe

This is a repost from a great blog that I read each day, www.rageagainsttheminivan.com. Check Kristin’s blog out while you’re at it 🙂

it’s de-lurking time!
posted on Saturday, January 14, 2012

Today is National Delurking Day, or so I’m being told. That means it’s your day to finally leave a comment! I know . . . some of you already do. But the vast majority of you are silent readers. Maybe you are intimidated by the comment-leaving process? it’s easier than it looks, and you can log in with just your name.

Just click on the “COMMENT” button below this post, and this box will appear. Ignore all the fancy log-in options. The best way to leave a comment is to manually type in your name and email (and your blog if you have one – this lets everyone click directly to your blog instead of to an intensedebate profile). No one will see your email.

If you want your picture to show up, you should upload a photo at gravatar.com. This stores a photo associated with your email, and will show the photo on nearly every blog you visit if you enter your email when you login. (Again, your email does not show up in the comment – just the photo).

Okay, so now you know how – please leave a comment and let me know who you are. Where are you from? How did you find this blog? Why do you read it? What do you want hear more about? What would you like me to stop talking about? Talk to me, goose.

Dukan – Day 146 Tofu Stir Fry

Posted on January 14, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Friday was a PV day.

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.2 kg
Total weight loss: 62.3 lb/28.31 kg

Started my day off with a lecture to the staff at work about the importance of putting ID bands on babies… Seems I take it a bit more serious than some people 🙂 I’m thinking a few people were not happy with being called out in front of their peers! I accomplished pissing off the first group of people of the day, i was on a roll!
I had a tea egg at my desk and then headed off with the marketing department and Kitty to a community center about an hour from the hospital. We set up in a multipurpose room and they were playing the movie The Apple of Your Eye. A 2011 teen love story… In Chinese, of course, but early in the movie the kids are reciting Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in their English class. I thought that was very cool and especially poignant given that his birthday is January 15th. Watched the whole movie, Kitty stunned by my ability to translate what was going on… It was teen angst, not hard to figure it out and it didn’t have the ending I wanted it to have!
Then off for a quick lunch at a local Chinese restaurant.. I had fatty pork and a couple of bites of cabbage, brushing off the rice that you simply aren’t allowed to refuse. I also had a tea egg and 500mL water.
Here’s where I pissed off/freaked out the next set of people 😀 I specifically said several weeks ago that I wasn’t going to do anymore marketing events if the men kept smoking in the van. Smoking is a NATIONAL SPORT here. You aren’t a REAL man unless you smoke. I’ll also interject here that I smoked, like a fiend, for 25 years and I’ve been nicotine free for 6.5 years and I’m one of THOSE ex-smokers 😀 Anyhow, the driver comes to pick us up in the COMPANY van and he’s smoking a cigarette WITH THE WINDOWS UP!! I proceed to scare the crap out of him by open palm banging on the window while simultaneously yelling “PUT THAT *^%#*+% CIGARETTE OUT”!!!!! Kitty of course is yelling at the same pitch and with similar inflection in Chinese… Bless her, she really is the best Personal Assistant/Translator in the world. He freaked out and burned himself trying to get the cigarette out the CLOSED van window, which then made me erupt into an evil laugh like, “Muhahahah, that’s what ya get for smoking in the van”. Needless to say, we rode back with the windows down and it was 42 degrees, did I mention they hate cold air? I think they were trying to make up with me, because they played American rock music most of the way back to the hospital 🙂
Back to the hospital and Vivien and I took a picture together…

Which got me thinking… I wonder if I could do a before and after from when I was in China in May… Couldn’t find a pic of Vivi and I, so had her send me one from her phone and here’s the side by side comparison…

I swear to God I will never, ever, NEVER be that fat girl on the left again… Did I say NEVER!?!? The best compliment I got was from a friend in Abu Dhabi, Caroline, who said she showed the picture to her husband and he said it didn’t look like the same person in the 2 pics! They’ve both been doing the Dukan and are looking great as well…

Took the long way home again and cooked up Curried Tofu and veggies for dinner.

Block of FIRM tofu, cut into bite sized chunks
1 Tbs
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 onion chopped
6 whole garlic cloves
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 pinch cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
6 ginormous mushrooms 🙂
A handful of garlic stems (I would have loved this to have been asparagus!)

I marinated the tofu in the olive oil, garlic cloves, curry powder, cumin and cinnamon for an hour. Shaking the container gently every 15 mins. or so.

I then put a tsp of olive oil in the wok (you could substitute with cooking spray) and turned the heat on medium and sautéd the onions for 2 minutes and then added the garlic cloves for 2 more minutes.
I then turned the heat up to medium-high and threw in the tofu, stir fry 2 minutes.
Then add the mushrooms, continuing to stir for 2 more minutes, then toss in the garlic stems, turn the heat down to low, cover with lid and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

I eat my food on a side dish plate (measures 7″ across) what doesn’t fit goes in the fridge for breakfast or lunch the next day… I had lots of leftovers!

It was a yummy meal!

All in all a good day… I’m not usually such a tyrant, but I sure got my grouchiness spread all over today! I was also worried about my Mom. She was having back surgery as I slept Friday night and I was thinking about it all day (she’s fine, thank God) and I think the stress from that might have contributed a little bit to my crankiness… Can’t wait to get home! 2 more days of work and then I fly! WOO HOO!!!

Ciao!

Quote of the day: if we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we are not really living, growth demands a temporary surrender of security ~ Gail Sheely
From me: Change requires growing up… Physically, emotionally and spiritually, it’s time to grow up.

Dukan – Day 145

Posted on January 13, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Thursday was a PP day.

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.20 kg
Total weight loss: 61.8 lbs/28.11 kg

Rockin’ and rollin’! Nice walk in to work this morning. It’s warmed up into the 40’s although it’s a damp 40’s and still feels cold as ice to me! I’ve got my iPhone/iPad set up with a playlist that works well for my walk to work… Upbeat, brisk, etc. I find that I walk to the beat of the music and brisk is better! I have a Cuban jazz CD loaded up and it makes for some fun music in the mornin’!

Breakfast, at home (gasp!) before I left for work. Fat free yogurt with Splenda and bran. It was a nice change of pace, but I missed my after dinner yogurt treat!

Work this morning consisted of bathing babies…

And the afternoon, policy writing and flow charts to go with the policy…

Can I say how much I love MS Visio?!?!? The 2010 version is awesome and so easy to work with!

Then the fun walk home. I took the long route which is 1.4 miles instead of 1 mile. I love that route, it goes past the university and has less traffic. And I avoid the guy selling HOT SWEET POTATOES roasting on some cart thingy that smells so good! He’s there every day, rain or shine, hot or cold, selling those roasting sweet potatoes… I’ll shock him to death when I buy one once I’m on consolidation!

Dinner was pork loin chunks stir fried with onions, chopped garlic, garlic cloves, garlic stems, cumin, a pinch of cinnamon and 2 tsps of olive oil. Olive oil is the one thing I did not give up for this diet. To me it brings out the best in the food. I’ve always used it sparingly and still do. Using it has obviously not harmed my weight loss 🙂

It was a yummy dinner 🙂 nice cup of Yellow Label milk tea after dinner and then to bed early. I’ve been an exhausted this week for some reason. I’m sure it has to do with a couple of late nights and those early mornings! I hope everyone is having a great week! 4 more sleeps until I’m home for vacation… Woo HOO!

Ciao!

Quote of the day: You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose – Indira Ghandi

Dukan – Day 144 – Lomo Saltado

Posted on January 12, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Wednesday was a PV day.

Daily weight loss: 0.0 lb & kg
Total weight loss: 61.4 lbs/27.91 kg

So a STS day (stay the same). I got all my water, bran and walking in and I’m in ketosis, so all’s well!

Nice walk to work. It was 43F and I think that I’m getting used to the cold. However, my hands get colder now than they used to, so I’m wearing gloves (even though it interrupts my ability to use my iPhone!). I’m not sure why this is, but I suspect it’s the fact that I have less insulation 😀

Breakfast at my desk was 2 tea eggs and 550mL of water & then a cup of coffee. Busy morning at work and then for lunch I went to the yoga room here at work and did a 40 minute workout. No audience because they all sleep during our 90 minute (I’m not kidding) midday break. Then back to my office for the tuna I had mixed in the morning. Tuna with finely chopped onion, teeny bits of garlic, 2 Tbs FF yogurt and Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper (shout out to Barbara Harper who gave me the 2 jars of Trader Joe’s spices when I was last home… Hint hint, they’re both almost gone, LOL). lunch was yummy.
Afternoon snack: a tea egg
Then a nice walk after work. I follow many blogs and one that I love with the prettiest food pictures is HapaCouple they posted a recipe for Lomo Saltado yesterday and I decided to walk to Walmart after work to pick up cumin, pepper and cilantro. And boy am I happy I did! My pic isn’t so great… But click the link to see their picture… Regardless, it was yummy!

Then some nice long chats on Skype, emailing and facebooking! Several people have asked me this past week what my next goal was going to be, and I hadn’t given it any thought. After a few email exchanges from Charlotte it was decided that my next goal would be to be down 70 pounds by February 11th, that’s one month from today AND 20 of those days will be spent AT HOME socializing with family and friends… It’s quite a challenge, but I’m up for it! Thank you, Charlotte 😀

Quote of the day: Courage is a muscle. We strengthen it with use – Ruth Gordon
My message: be courageous AND use your muscles 🙂

One last pic… Me, caught blogging just now by Kitty… I really am working, I swear!

Dukan – Day 143 – Pajama Day

Posted on January 11, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Tuesday was suppose to be a PV day, but ended up being a PP day.

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.20 kg
Total weight loss: 61.4 lb/27.91 kg

What a fun day off. I switched to a day off because I was suppose to make a run to Shanghai for a friend, but that got cancelled and I slept in!! To 708 a.m.! Slapped on my running shoes, pulled on my wool coat OVER my jammies and went out and did C25K. I knew if I didn’t get my butt out the door first thing, it wasn’t going to happen! When I was done I grabbed my daily allotment of water from the little shop and had a pajama day 😀

Even though I schlepped around in my PJ’s the entire day, it was pretty busy. I checked emails and responded, read all the blogs I follow and commented, did 2 loads of laundry, finished all the packing I could do for my trip next week, cooked more tea eggs and wrote my blog. I chatted with a few people on Skype and had a TWO HOUR IM chat with my wonderful daughter, Jenni. I have no idea when she became smarter than me! Her sage advise was amazing and her love felt across the world, thanks my child… You’re pretty awesome 🙂

I also watched The Hangover. The first one. Oh my… I laughed so hard my sides hurt! I love stupid comedy, and looking at Bradley Cooper ain’t so bad either 😉 The pictures at the end were the best, I’m glad I watched this at home where I could laugh with abandon and not have to worry about stuffy people in the theatre!

Breakfast: Left over pork chunks and onions from last night… Even yummier in the morning reheated! 500mL water and a coffee.
Snack: Cup of milk tea (yellow label tea with skim milk and Splenda)
Lunch: I took a can of tuna, finely chopped a small piece of onion, chopped up a tea egg, grated on a tsp of curry and 1.5 Tbs of fat free yogurt and mixed together. Delicious! Thanks wwangel for the reminder that tuna is a yummy Dukan friendly meal! 500mL water, Coke Zero
Snack: Cup of milk tea (Earl Grey with skim and Splenda)
Dinner: Beef chunks sautéed in olive oil with onions, edamame and curry seasoning. I’ve been asked to describe how I cook my dinners, so here goes. Prep & Cooking time tonight 8 minutes! I put 2 Tbs olive oil in my wok and allow it to heat slowly while I chop 1/2 large onion. I like my onions chunky and toss them in the wok. Add some curry powder and sauté for 2 minutes. While that is cooking, I wash my meat (I live in China) and then cut it into bite-sized chunks. Toss that in, toss on some more curry powder, stir well and let simmer for 4 minutes. I then turn the gas up on high for one minute to brown the meat and put in the bowl. Yum! The curry, meat juices and olive oil make a lovely gravy.

I have no veggies in the flat, besides onions… So my PV day ended up being a PP day. I will walk through the fresh market on my way home from work to pick up some veggies.

And lastly… Over 200 people read my blog on Tuesday. The only other time that happened was in August when I was selling my furniture. It was very exciting to track the stats through the day! I also reached 60 followers, meaning that 60 people receive an email whenever I post a blog. I am humbled beyond words. I keep this blog about my diet to track my journey and my main motivation 5 months ago was to hold myself accountable, it is so much more than that now. Thank you 😀

Ciao!

Quote of the day: You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.
– Beverly Sills

Pic of the day: My Curried Beef and Onions…

Dukan – Day 142 – It’s Funday Monday… and a WHOOSH!

Posted on January 10, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Monday was a PP Day.

Daily Weight Loss: 0.9 lb/0.4 kg
Total Weight Loss: 61.0 lb/27.71 kg

I have no idea where the whoosh came from, but woo hoo! 😀 I am 6 pounds less than the goal I set for Jan. 13th! I am very happy with that! I was just reading the blog I linked to earlier in this sentence and had lost 34 pounds at that point, it was Day 64… I couldn’t even fathom having lost 61 pounds. In fact, I’m saying it out loud and having a hard time believing it! This diet really works!

Nice walk to work in the morning… we had a warm up and it was 46 when I left for work! I wore my boots, though I’m not going to be able to wear them much anymore. They are, alas, too big 😦 I am very distraught over this… how do your feet lose weight!?!? These are expensive boots, dammit! I had on my stirrup leggings (no comments!!! they are in fashion here!) and TWO pairs of thick wool hiking socks to prevent the sliding that happens when I wear the boots now and I nearly twisted my ankle. So, I will wear them for looks, but no trekking the mile to and from work in them 😦 Breakfast was 2 tea eggs. I made some of my own and here is how I made them:

Ingredients: 8-10 eggs, 1 tsp. Salt, 3 cups of water, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS BLACK soy sauce, 1/4 tsp Salt, 2 TBS black tea leaves (you can get this in bulk), 2 pods Star Anise, 1 cinnamon stick.

In a large saucepan I placed the eggs and 1 tsp of Salt. I then covered it with cool tap water and brought to a boil, then turned down and let simmer for 20 minutes. I then put them in a colander and let them drain and cool for 10 minutes. When they are cool I roll them VERY GENTLY across the counter to form little cracks… DO NOT PEEL 🙂

In a large saucepan mix all the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the eggs. Bring that to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours. You then turn off the heat and add the eggs. Let them steep over night, at least 8 hours. You can reuse the liquid. I put mine in the fridge in a tight sealed bowl and bring back to a boil and let the eggs steep again. I have reused this liquid 3 times, then tossed. Also, you can store the eggs up to 4 days in a tight container as long as you don’t peel them. Mine NEVER last that long, lol, I eat 5 a day.

Tea Eggs Cooking

Tea Eggs finished

The recipe is easy! The eggs are yummy! If you can’t find Black Soy Sauce, you can use 2 TBS of regular soy sauce. The Black Soy Sauce is a bit thicker… nice for sauteing beef and pork in… yum 🙂

Lunch I wandered over to the hospital canteen. They serve some yummy food in there but it’s all laden in gravies and MSG… I had 2 tea eggs and a couple of bites of tofu that was in a spicy chili sauce.

For dinner I sauteed pork chunks seasoned with Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper seasoning with onions and the last of my garlic stems 😦 I discovered through an expat here that you can actually order groceries on line that are delivered from Shanghai to your door. The delivery charge is 20CNY, which is like $2.60! LOL I was able to get some lovely meat and fat free yogurt!!! I also got some organic milk… My life has changed dramatically with this new found information! Anyway, they were out of garlic stems, but had everything else, so tomorrow I will have to hoof it down to the fresh market for garlic stems. I had so much food, that I only ate 1/2 and boxed up the rest for Tuesday. Being on this diet, your appetite is way less than before. I eat a small bowl of food. Anything more than what is equivalent to the size of my fist, makes my tummy hurt!

Fat free yogurt with Splenda and bran for dessert and a nice finish to the day. I have a few people on my mind today, my friend having shoulder surgery today and my mom having back surgery on Friday… here’s a prayer that the surgeons heal you and you’re both up and active in rapid time 🙂

Ciao!

Quote of the day: Your journey has molded you for your great good, And it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think that you’ve lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now… is right on time! – Asha Tyson

Dukan – Day 141 Of Sambuca and portraits…

Posted on January 9, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Sunday was a PV Day.

Daily weight loss: 0.2 lb/0.1 kg
Total weight loss: 60.1 lb/27.31 kg

Sunday was supposed to be a PP day, but it was the hospital’s 1 year anniversary party at a fancy schmancy restaurant and my veggie choices were limited. I think the 0.2 lb weight gain is from dinner out 2 nights in a row. Not worried about it 🙂

Breakfast: 2 tea eggs in the company van on the way to a marketing event. It was at the public library, which was lovely. Kitty and I had a good time, talked to lots of people and had McCafe skinny latte x 2. 500 mL water. Cute kids and one amazing portrait…

Couldn’t get this little girl to smile for anything! Even the clown couldn’t make her smile! She did, however, do the peace sign that is so popular here 🙂

I do what they tell me to… they want me to wear light up reindeer ears, I do.

Me with the head pathologist… she’s wonderful!

I LOVE this portrait! It was on the wall at the baby fair/marketing event that we attended.

Lunch: 2 tea eggs and a beef steak… Last one, will totally stock up on these when I’m home. I am SO grateful that Cathy brought these to me! 500mL water. Then back to the hospital just in time for our annual award ceremony. My personal assistant, Kitty, won top employee in the International department and she deserves it, what with the sometimes cranky boss she has 😀

Afterwards I race-walked home because I had 45 minutes to change and hoof it back to the restaurant! Being a midwife, I have amazing powers that have been given to me to change clothes, do hair and put on make-up in record time 🙂 I spent exactly 12 minutes in my flat before racing back out the door, party ready! Then the mile walk back to the restaurant near work… And boy do these people know how to celebrate 😀 I really had a great time! Pretty much stuck to Dukan with the exception of the 4 ozs of moonshine, errr Chinese “white wine”. It tasted like Sambuca, had quite a kick and everyone else at my table consumed enough to not notice that I didn’t refill my glass. Dinner for me was: broiled fish with liberal chili powder, beef, peel and eat shrimp, steamed veggies, tofu and beef that was in a clearish gravy with tiny bits of hot chili peppers… YUM! I think I avoided gluten, didn’t have that YUCKY belly and I really had a great time. I did not, however, sing Dancing Queen, and now regret that I cancelled 😦 The rest of my quartet were not there… Lucy left Friday, Chiara changed jobs and at the last moment Steve had to cancel because he was assigned to go to Wenzhou for their party. Dancing Queen is not a solo performance. After watching some of the other acts, however, I wish I had just done it. It would have fit right in. There’s always next year. Lots of pictures and then the walk back home, just in time to chat on Skype with some of my favorite people in the world and then a nice, hard sleep. Long, but really fun day!

The corporations lead administrators (CEO in the middle) singing 🙂

Li’an the Senior Midwife and me.

Dr. Jiu, the Medical Director

The girls that work in the main reception.

Fiance Dept. in black and the girls in blue are our inpatient nurses!

This lovely gentleman and his wife work in our housekeeping department… they keep up my house once a week, too… 🙂

Tracy and me… Tracy is Steve’s PA and my buddy 🙂 She sang “My Heart Will Go On”… braver than me!!!

Me and KaKa… KaKa is our driver… he’s the only one I let drive me to the airport!

Our Assistant DON dancing with the audience!

OK… this guy is from the Marketing Dept. I have no bloody idea what he was saying, but he was hilarious! There is a story behind it, I’m sure!

Our lead Anesthesiologist singing traditional Beijing Opera. I’m telling you, these people are talented!

Me and SuZong, my CEO.

Ciao!

Quote of the day: When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others – Peace Pilgrim, Spiritual Leader

Dukan – Day 140 – 60 POUNDS GONE!

Posted on January 8, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Saturday was a PV Day (Protein/Veggie).

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.20 kg
Total weight loss: 60.3 lbs/27.41 kg

Yay ME! I am more than delighted. I didn’t want to get on the scale this morning. Yesterday was my 1st PV day after setting my body back in motion with 4 PP days.

Morning walk to work included a look at the frozen pond in front of my building. It better be warm when I get to Florida!

Breakfast: The usual, 2 tea eggs 🙂
Lunch: Beef jerky brought all the way to China from Illinois by my buddy Cathy (I thought it was the last one, but I found one more this morning… Score!) and 2 tea eggs.

Watched Steve and Tracy give a prenatal exercise and participated in the exercise part… Got the blood flow going! Worked on my annual report and a policy on Induction of Labor 😀

Then off to dinner with Steve and Vivien to the Vineyard. This is the place I had dinner on Thanksgiving. The kitchen is run by a Bostonian named Reuben and the place feels like home! He’s fabulous, cruises the tables, makes you feel welcome. He reminds me of my son, Nick! Very similar personalities. He made sure my order was low carb, semi low fat and definitely gluten free! I got the Philly steak w/o the bread or fries and with extra onions and green peppers and a bit of mozzarella cheese melted on top. The cheese was a bit of a cheat, but I earned it and once a month isn’t going to hurt, LOL, but was a bit of the reason I was afraid to get on the scale this morning (obviously didn’t effect me). I also had a beautiful green salad with cucumber strings, tomatoes and carrot strings and some grilled chicken. I shared it with Steve and Vivien. What a yummy dinner and while they sipped Jack Daniels and coke, I had a diet coke and 2 skinny lattes. Nice evening out in a very cool place that almost makes me forget where I’m living.

Dropped off and I took my backpack upstairs and got right back out the door for a 20 minute walk… No easy feat at 845 pm! I just wanted to get on my jammies! Back upstairs to read some wonderful comments from my post yesterday, some on the post and 11 private messages… All touched my heart. I’m on this amazing journey with some awesome people, some I know in person, others through the Internet over the years and some, my new friends through this blog, and we’re all just ordinary people working hard to make ourselves healthier. Thank you all for the inspiring messages xoxoxo

Ciao!

Quote of the day: “Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.”
—Janis Joplin

Pics of the day:

On Frozen Pond..