Wild and Wonderful Wednesday!

Morning Everyone! Just a quick note to start my day of accountability with the BEST OP food was good yesterday.........but did sneak in one cookie........very unusual for me since sweets are not my thing........but I gave in and sort of enjoyed it...........

Today the long 14 hour day at school and I am going to pack some small protein OP snacks to keep my blood sugar balanced and me running in the awake and attentive mode!

I haven't read the rest of yesterday's posting so I apologize if I missed something important........but I will catch up on the world of BEST on Thursday..............

s and to all who need that extra special touch today, especially you Shirley; your family is often in my thoughts as of late.

God Bless
Chris

Good morning.

Wow! We are really late getting this thread rolling today!!! Almost 8 am and this is the first reply!

OP today, no doubt about it. After my Mardi-Gras-ing of yesterday, it feels good to not only be OP again, but doing a fast day as well since it's Ash Wed. Breakfast was just an orange, cranberry juice, and coffee. And lunch will probably just be a salad with some garbanzos, a piece of fruit, and grape juice. Tea and water as usual throughout the day. No snacks.

We have a silence day today, which is something I really enjoy. Sounds crazy, but silence gives you a lot of psychological space, especially when you live in community.

Dani--I didn't get a chance to respond to your post last night--what is your food plan like?

Did NOT exercise yesterday at all, so today I will do Day 2 of my Week 3 BSQ challenge. Nice weather, even though chilly, for a walk, and of course the "nightly" workout.

Chris, sounds like you have a good plan with those protein snacks! Our bodies have a great wisdom, and they do let us know when we are not keeping them balanced nutritionally. They also have a way of saying "thank you" when we do!

BTW, I've been meaning to say how much I really enjoy all of you! I tend to spend a lot of time in the Cancer Concerns forum, both because of having had endo cancer and also for hostessing purposes. There's a wonderful spirit there of camaraderie and friendship because we all share the common and traumatic experience of a cancer diagnosis (and it's traumatic no matter how early and curable it is, at least at the outset), and here at BEST I experience a different sort of friendship--but just as real. For me, it's been a great followup to my cancer experience (happily now 4 yrs past!) to be able to focus on wellness and practical ways to maintain it. The longer I'm in this "spiritual" career of mine, the more I realize how much the body's proper maintenance affects my ability to pray, meditate, and simply live mindfully and peacefully. So THANKS!

Well, BEST have a great day. See you all later.

Blessings.
Marlene

Good Morning Everyone! I went to bed and woke up with a headache, so I hope this isn't a sign of things to come today. It actually feels like a tension headache so maybe it's let over from yesterday. I don't have nearly as full of a day today, so that will really help me.

I'm spending a lot of my free time right now, apartment hunting in Green Bay, WI. Anyone know of any good or not so good areas of that city. We're going next week to rent an apartment for DD so she'll have a place when we move her there in May for her summer intership job with a paper company there. Any "good" vibes on the area would be appreciated. (Just drop me an email or PM about it). We've never been to Green Bay, so we're just going to go over Molly's spring break. It's impossible to rent an apartment, in a town you've never been to, over the internet. Just way to scary for me. I need to have that little bit of "I feel good about this" feeling.

This is my day four of the eating plan this week, and so far, so good. I'll also BowFlex and walk.

to Chris and Marlene and everyone else that follows. I'll check back in later this afternoon.
Have a wonderfully OP day.

Morning Ladies!

Chris, a 14 hour school day?!?! Wow, great job packing snacks to get you through.

Marl, I know what you mean about silence. Once when a friend and I were both in the little kids at home stage, we went away for 1 night in a beach town for a vacation. When we arrived at our hotel the very first thing we did was to agree to 1 hour of NO talking, no radio, no tv, no phone. It was pure heaven. Truly strengthening & renewing! Enjoy the time with your thoughts today.

We observe lent here so today is, as Marlene said, a light eating day and also, no meat. DD asked if she could make dinner tonight & she wants to serve us Swiss Mueslix. Raw oatmeal mixed with chopped fruit, and plain yogurt with a little honey. .
I told dh last night & he said with a smile, "Well. That will be a sacrifice!"

We'll smile & eat it & tell her it's good! It probably is, just doesn't seem like supper. Maybe we'll be surprised & really love it. She does. It certainly is OP!

OP today for sure. Gotta run errands & clean house. BTW, I'm not really cleaning as much as it sounds like. I often think I'm going to, then change my mind. lazy.

Yoga today for sure as my muscles are tight & neck nerves are pinched. Gotta try to stretch that out. Food is a given as it's Ash Wednesday.

I hope you all have the BEST day & get a chance to pop into CHAT tonight!

Think Spring girls, it's just about here!
xena

Just had a thought about chat: Hey you gals who have trouble getting in, I know several sisters have offered to "invite" you in if you send your AIM name. If you want, you could PM it to several of us so that at least ONE of us is likely to be there!
It's fun & it'd be so great if everyone who wanted to could get there!
xoxoxoxoxo ala Toni.

Good morning BEST girls. I seem to be adjusting to my new schedule and find at the end of the day I just don’t want to turn on the computer. Last night it was on for maybe 5 minutes tops.

Shirley, my condolences to your family. You all continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

Days 1&2 of my challenge went well. Yesterday was day 3 of my challenge, but I don’t feel like I did that great. It was quite a challenge indeed to stay OP. I caved in and had some peanut butter and crackers in the late afternoon before going to the gym. My continue to be going well, and I’m finding I like using the recumbent bike programs to challenge myself. (I just have to beat the darn pace biker ) Anyway, since the eating challenge is to follow your plan as it’s intended when the moon and stars are in alignment, etc … I don’t think I can say I did that, so today will be a day 3 do-over. Tonight is an aerobic night at the gym. Maybe cross trainer & biking. Oh yeah, and ab work.

Nancy, I’ll try to send you a PM or e-mail tonight about finding an apartment in a city you are not familiar with. I’ve done that a time or two.

To all: Have a BEST day! If I’m home and fed in time, I’ll try to make chat … otherwise I’ll be sitting at the dinner table thinking of you all.

BSQ

Hello my BEST friends!!!!!!! Sunny but chilly day here in PA. Had some trouble getting in my water for the challenge yesterday but made it at the last minute. I will continue to be OP today......no meat here as well so some left over shrimp for lunch and church made perogies for supper. Not low carb but just yummy! SBD starts Monday and things like that will be a NO-NO! Today is also a Curves day. Last night I think I sweated out a few lbs. as we were at district play-offs for our high schooll basketball team. Wow, what a game...... ...we beat a team that is ALWAYS good. They are from out your way Dawn815. So another game come Friday night. We must win to continue on to the state championship! Can you tell I just love basketball!!!!!!!!!!!! And when I am at a game I do not even think of food!

Have a great OP day and yes xena spring is in the air. Gonna be in the 50's on the weekend.

Emily

The dentist visit did not go so well. One tooth needs to be pulled as I expected, but they say second tooth is healthy. However they could not pull it themselves because tooth is too close to sinus cavity and appears to be cracked. They think it may need to be removed in several pieces. I go to see the oral surgeon on March 16th. I went ahead though and had them clean my teeth while I was there. That was a huge mistake because it hurts worse now than it did before I went! Food has been a problem for me. ...not eating enough and all the wrong things when I do eat. <SIGH> I missed the last two days of my BSQ challenge too, but hopefully I can make those up and end the week on track.

(((((Shirley)))))~ I am so sorry to hear about your FIL's passing.

Chris~ 14 hour school day......Shewww, thats a long day! Good thinking on the snacks to keep you going!

BSQ~BEST wishes on your do-over day...You Can Do It

Xena~ Your kiddos are very lucky to have such a great Mom like you! I KNOW you will enjoy tonights dinner no matter how it tastes and I just LOVE that about you!

Ann~ I am so sorry I missed your birthday Hope it was a great day for you!!


Ok, Hi to everyone else...Hope you all have the BESTEST OP day ever!!


Take Care, Dawn

Evening Ladies - I'm late checking in today .. its been a really busy day today at work and If I've not been in meetings I've been trying to do some work ... guess thats what I'm paid for !!!

After my pancake flipping activities of last night, I have had waffles this evening - only 2 small ones, as a treat !!
to begin with was a course of pasta carbanara, nice and plain with extra lashings of freshly ground pepper yum yum yum !!! lunch was a sandwich, in a meeting and breakfast was fruit !

This evening will be study study and more study .. got an experiment I need to do ... lexican word experiment to be precise .. some mumble jumbo in cognitive psychology !! I will try to be OP, and there are no munchies in the house, so fred should STAY AWAY !!! This is the time when I struggle ....

Anyway, thanks Xena for reminding me that I can't do chat .... although, after all the studying I plan to do I might still be up burning the candles at both ends again !!!

Right girls, catch you later ...

Toni xxxxxxxxx

On my way out for a walk...week 3, day 2, part 1!

I saw Jodi's name on a post in another forum and sent her a pm just to see how she's doing. Still medical problems, but hopes to be back with us before long. I think being "OP" is hard right now for her. She sends her best and thanks us for our messages.

Changed plans for lunch and instead of garbanzos and salad, I had a small indiv-sized can of water-pack tuna over garden salad, with rasp vinaigrette FF dressing. And 1/2 grapefruit.

Nanc, hope your headache is gone by now.

Xena, you ARE a wonderful mom -it's so neat the way you let your DD make meals for you--gives her creativity an outlet. Who knows, someday you and DH may be the parents of a world-famous chef. (And of course all your BEST friends will get discount rates on OP meals at her restaurant!)

BSQ, sounds like your exercise program is going really well! You're an example to us all!

Emily...those homemade pierogies sound like heaven. My mother used to make them by the hundred....well, once you're on SBD and have a craving for them, you can just send 'em to me!

Dawn, sorry about all the trouble with your teeth....hopefully at least it's on the way to relief.

Toni, don't you hate it when your week gets clogged up with meetings?

Well, off to walk in the nice early afternoon sunshine. This silence is really nice. We had a group of extremely inner-city 7th & 8th grade kids here for a retreat morning, but wherever they were, they didn't disturb the silence and they were really well-behaved when they joined the community for Midday Prayer.

See you tonight.

Blessings.
Marlene

Hi friends, remember me?

Shirley, deepest, deepest sympathy to you and your family.

Dawn, I am so sorry about your tooth problems. I HATE having my teeth worked on!

Ann, belated happy birthday to you! I hope you had a good day. As I recall this is 49? Enjoy it! May you have many more happy birthdays!!

I have been MIA and way off Program for a while but things are settling down some. The dog has moved to NJ and is with a lovely foster home. My sister and her DH have headed to the coast to see her son and grandbaby. Last night we had a great meal of broccoli (sp? nothing looks right for that word today!) and cooked cabbage and slaw and salad and some chicken. I mostly ate the broc, my favorite. Have been eating lots of oatmeal for breakfasts, with cottage cheese, of course , some peanuts and raisins. DH made some great soup that I had for lunch yesterday and will have shortly today. It was quite thin, had some of those fresh green soybeans, some mushrooms, and some chicken, a couple of scrapings of carrot and I guess some cilantro. Very simple, but it was one of the very best soups I ever ate except for creamy soups, and it was filling. That's saying a lot for me, whose grad school reputation was one of shopping bag lunches.

Back to the grind. I do hope to drop in to chat this evening, if only for a few minutes. I've missed you all a lot.

Desk