Looking back and forward

Howdy, all.  Your friendly neighborhood Sherrie here.

I struggle with my weight.  You know this because I've shared before.  I'll lose, then regain, then plateau for months at a time.  I've done fasts, extreme diets, and taken supplements.  I've eliminated entire food groups just to see if it would work for me.  I've been stuck on meds for one ailment or another and tried working around the weight gain side effects.  I've nearly starved myself following super low calorie plans in hopes of jump-starting my weight loss.

Bah!  I've messed up my metabolism and irritated my already aggravated system.  I've made weight the central issue instead of my overall health and that had to change. The end of extreme is here and now.  Out are all of the crazy things I've tried in the past.  In come common sense and real food.

Real food from plant sources first are foremost.  I won't tell you that you have to eat like I do, but I will tell you what works and doesn't work for me.  I operate better on plants.  Beans, greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, berries, apples, mangoes, avocados, and the rest.  Seeds and nuts are good, too, just not too many.  Olives make me smile and give me a little salty, fatty goodness in a small serving.  And I love my rice, oatmeal, and quinoa.  I just can't have huge plates of those alone.

Am I giving up all the sugar?  Not 100%; at least not yet.  I've cut back a lot over the years and even more over the past few months.  And it feels good. I get more than enough sugar from fruit 98% of the time. That other 1-2% percent? A cookie or something like that.  Or raw vegan cheesecake.  

So, that's my plan in a nutshell.  Not just my plan, but my new and much improved way of life. Are you making any changes?  Tell me about it.  You're not alone.  Not now or ever.

Happy 2014!

So, what are your health and fitness goals for the new year?

I'll keep on keeping on, even more determined to fix what ails me.  I'm not afraid to speak up or seek additional resources if I don't get the answers I need.  I spent too many years unsure and floundering.  No more!

I'm also done with worrying about how I'm not keeping up with so-and-so. I only need to compete with myself on my fitness journey.  It's mine.  My progress and results are mine.  It's liberating!  Try it!  Just do you!

So in 2014, expect more inspiration for people on all fitness levels, more meal plans, recipes, and general musings here.

Bye for now.  Time for a little snuggling with the dogs as they freak a little at the fireworks outside.  :sigh:

TV, weigh in, and injury report

Yes, another fracking injury report.  I know how many steps I have, but every once in a while I'll miss one.  Yesterday afternoon I missed one and felt something crack.  Nothing's broken, but it's swollen and oh man does it hurt!  On the bright side, I get to sit with my foot up a lot and hobble oh so sexily around the house.  Fun.

The thing that annoys me most about it is the timing.  I exercised five of seven days last week and lost a pound.  If I can't exercise anymore this week, will I gain?  I hope not.  I can still get in some Pilates and Yoga, but cardio is out. Unless throwing the ball for the dogs counts.

Anyone watching Psych Week?  I am.  I was a psychology major briefly and continue to be fascinated with the human mind.  So far this week I've been heartbroken and disturbed.

Born Schizophrenic tells the story of a beautiful little girl and her family.  She was diagnosed at age five.  Five!  I hurt for the parents and little brother who love and fear her.  I hurt for January.  She can't control what's happening to her and I cried through most of the hour.  I'm getting teary just thinking about it.I can't write about this anymore.  Sorry.  You should watch for yourself.  I dare you not to  be touched.

I was disturbed by Enraged.  Two people, a man and woman, discussed their anger issues while their families discussed their feelings about their loved ones.  The man flat out pissed me off.  He was completely disrespectful to his wife and sons.  He definitely had issues and anger was just one of them.  The woman's story hit close to home.  She was angry, but I agreed with some of the things she was angry about.  Do mom's get angry about our kids' trashed bedrooms?  Yes.  The repeated questions?  Yes. She did go overboard, but I honestly did not see her as having anger issues.  I saw her as stressed out and  in need of a break.

Getting healthier is not just about physical health.  Becoming mentally strong is just as if not more important.  You have to deal with stress, fear, anger, excitement, and sadness in a positive way.  I'm not saying live in a world of cotton candy and rainbows, but in one grounded in reality. Learn to pick your battles.  For me, as long as the kids don't have trash on their bedroom floors, and no food or wet towels in their rooms, I'm good.  I do expect them (and hubby) to clean up after themselves.  I'm here full time, but not the housekeeper.

Excuse the semi-ramble.  Pain meds fog is making this a little difficult.

For now, I'm out.  See you again soon.

Long time no update.

I don't have much playtime these days, but that will change somewhat after finals next week.

We closed on the house & have started on the makeover. I'll share pics soon. We've picked our paint colors, have kick butt hardwoods that need just a little love (30+ years under a carpet will keep 'em pretty). DD wants a black carpet and lavender walls - we can do that. DS wants royal blue & an area rug. Hubster & I are going with cafe a lait and a reddish accent wall.

We're packing and cleaning, all excited and just plain happy. I'm fighting through a flareup from hell. ON Tuesday and Wednesday I repeatedly lost my balance while standing still. Joyous. It's a sign that I need to go back in for another evaluation. Last time I was told that if things didn't improve that surgery was my only option.

Oh f*ckity f*ck f*ck.

The family knows I'm having a flareup, but don't know how bad it is yet. I know I should tell them, but summer is almost over, we're starting a new chapter of our lives, and I don't want to deal with the same questions and odd behavior thrown my way right after my diagnosis. What I really want is them happy until things slow down a bit.

If there was a time for comfort food, it's now. I've been pretty good about that this past week. We had coconut cake and I didn't have more the one slice a day and I didn't have a slice every day. I made a wicked vegetable stew for dinner the other night and wallowed in it's almost fat free, decadent, old school goodness. I followed the recipe from the winter 2007 issue of Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk and added celery and green peas. The dumplings I didn't like much (never have) so I only had the one (about the size of a half dollar coin).

As much as food could be used to comfort me, I won't use it that way. I'm going to be on crutches soon enough at this rate - I don't need to use food as one. Or alcohol. I'm so tempted.

I'm probably going to disappear for a day or two while I complete assignments and get more moving stuff out of the way.

Until next time.

Man it's been a long Monday!

But I had a Doctor Who marathon on Sci-Fi today to help pass the time while I typed, cleaned, and worked on school projects.

As far as food it wasn't a bad day. I responded to my craving to sweets with a cinnamon roll and was thoroughly disappointed in it. It wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be. I'm glad I didn't go over in points to have it. I came in at 26 points and 1 activity point - not too shabby, especially since I get 26.

I've decided to follow the old point rules that gave me 26 daily points instead of the 27 under the newer rules. I tried going with 27 for a while and made sure I got in that point most days...and went over more often than not. I love those 35 flex points, and used to allow myself to go over 5 points every day just because I could. I didn't gain anything back while OP (on plan), but I think I could have lost more weight by staying closer to my daily points alone.

This isn't about how I did before. This is about how I'm doing now and will be in the near future. I need to keep that in mind so I don't slip into a negative state.

I'm going to hit the sack in a few. Yep, me. I'm going to bed at a decent hour. Bout time, eh?

Here's to Tuesday!

The next 4 weeks

...will consist of final exams, a huge IT Networking project, new house stuff (cleaning, painting, ripping up carpet & finishing hardwood floors, reglazing bathroom tiles, work, school stuff for the kiddos, snuggling with hubster, being knocked over by dogs (as usual), and following the routine that helped me when I started on a weigh loss journey a few years back. This will be my typical weekday routine:

• Get hubster off to work
  
• 15-20 minute walk with the dogs (well, hobble for me until my knee is back to 100%)
  
• 8 Minutes in the Morning
• Breakfast and supplements (multi+iron, GLA, CoQ10, joint formula, flaxseed oil, magnesium + calcium, something for pain if needed)
  
• School & work
• Family stuff - lunch with the kids, torturing them with my 'uncoolness,' dinner with my three favorite people
  
• Afternoon or evening walk or yoga; meditation

On weekends I'll get to skip the am dog walking cause hubster & the kids take over, and I may not have work, but everything else stays the same.

Program and personal goals

• Start 7/14
• 6-8 pounds down by 8/10 (218-220 the goal weight)
• 190 by 12/31

Overall goals

• 150 pounds
• 45 minute to 1 hour karate or kickboxing class (or video) at least twice a week

I will look at myself the way hubby sees me.

When this 4 weeks is over, I'll start a new cycle. I can eat what I want; nothing's forbidden. I will play with my food as always, but will try new things more often. I'll weigh in weekly, but will stay away from the tape measure for at least 2 weeks.

Change of plans, sigh

Turbo Jam will have to sit a little longer because my knee and hip are not having it. It doesn't usually cause problems with my hip, but since me knee is swollen, screaming, and kind of crooked (damn dogs), I have to go low impact.

A buddy of mine is also on a journey toward better health and recently discovered 8 Minutes in the Morning. I have the book and followed the routine while walking up to an hour a day or popping in an exercise video. I was losing inches, gaining strength, and looking hot. I was following a low fat eating plan (not the one in the book but similar) and was feeling great. I only stopped following that routine because of my accident. I dropped EVERYTHING after the accident.

Hubby pulled out the book and restarted a couple of months ago and supplemented the routine with time on the elliptical. Lucky thing hasn't changed his eating habits and is losing weight and inches. (Sometimes men just SUCK!) It's hard to be completely supportive when his progress makes me a little jealous. I love that man and am proud of him, no questions, no doubts. But damn! There are weeks that I'm on target 110% and lose a pound while he loses 3. Grrrr!

Speaking of, have you seen those Slimquick commercials? The woman struggles with her loss while her guy loses effortlessly. They're cute ads but hit too close to home for me to laugh at. Smile, yes, but not laugh out loud.

Speaking of laughing out loud, it's really late and I'm going to get a fix of my new guilty pleasure, dumb criminal shows. Most Shocking is on and this episode covers stupid naked criminals. Then I'm going to fall asleep (hopefully) and have a good Friday.

Hope you have a good one, too.

Here's how my week went

It's been stressful, but not bad overall. I exercised, ate ok, and made it through two potential binges. I won't bore you with too many details.

I bought a pedometer and logged my walks and elliptical strides.:
Monday - 8,000 steps
Tuesday - 3500 so far (stupid pedometer reset during my morning walk)
Wednesday - 3672 steps
Thursday - 2200 steps (not a good day at all)
Friday - 4200 so far

21,572 for the week! Not too shabby!

I also made it through the week without Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb knocking me off my feet during their morning walk/run. They did, however, destroy dog bed #4, a pair of sunglasses, and a battery for one of s-son's RC cars. Lovely, eh?

I've been a slacker about getting in a sweat-inducing workout lately. I have Turbo Jam just sitting here, so I've decided that I'll follow the schedule for a month to see how what progress I make. I really liked the workout. I just feel strange about working out with an audience. Silly, isn't it? I like how it feels, but blow it off in case I hear giggles or a snide comment. It's all in my head. My kids like when I exercise and have joined me. The last ones to giggle were hubby and my brother when I pulled out one Richard Simmons' Broadway videos. And they quickly shut up once they saw that it was work - I challenged the slackers and they left me alone after 5 minutes, lol. I need to shut those bad inner voices out and get back to work. Feel free to give me a shove if I slack off.

Have a wonderful weekend! Get your grill on - lots of healthy alternatives out there that taste just as good!

Monday and Tuesday so far

Monday June 30 -
I'm at 226 - gained back two that I lost at the beginning of June. Ick. I feel fat and bloated. I need to get back on track and stay there!

I hurt today. I didn't sleep well over the weekend and am having a little flare-up. Woohoo! Fatigue + pain always makes me want to eat for comfort, meaning starchier stuff. And I fed that craving but kept the fat content down. A little victory is better than none.

8000 steps (I forgot to put it on while running errands)
30 minute walk

Tuesday July 1 -
Summer is already half over. Wow.
My stupid pedometer reset during my morning walk! Grrr!

B: 3 cups fruit salad (strawberries, blueberries, & pineapple), coffee, water, & supplements

L: Homemade vegan sausage on bun w/jalapeno hot sauce, pickle, cucumbers; water

Snack: coffee, water, & Oreo cookies

D (planned): big ol' salad - romaine, cukes, grape tomatoes, celery, onions, & Morningstar Farms chik'n strips (vegan) w/Annie's Goddess dressing or Green Goddess dressing; lemonade or iced tea

3500 steps
45 minutes walking
15 minutes elliptical

I've been quiet, but busy

We're house hunting. Well, we've put in a bid that was accepted and are now in the appraisal and inspections stage. Everything else is in line, so much so that we could close within 2 weeks of the appraisal. It's terrifying and incredibly exciting at the same time. I'll give a heads up if I have to disappear for a day or two to move.

On the food front, I'm doing better. I'm getting 6-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day and 100 oz. or more of water daily. I've also gotten a new pedometer and have been walking myself stupid. We even made a family day an active one - we took a tour of Ft. Sumter and walked on the beach afterward. Saturday I helped my brother and sister in law with their yard sale and got in some heavy lifting. I also got a reminder to get enough water on a hot day. I felt quite ill by the time the sale ended and it took many ounces of water, a cool shower, and a night's sleep to feel better.

It' s almost July, so I'll have new stats to share on the first. So far it looks like June was a good month for me. But July will be even better!

BTW, June 30 is Please Take My Children to Work Day, a plea for a day off for SAHMs. It's a great idea, and MommaSaid.net is the brainchild. So, give a SAHM, WAHM, SAHD, or WAHD the day off. A few hours off would be nice, too. It would be appreciated!

Wonderful Wednesday

Why is it wonderful? Because my stepson hits the big 10 today! I met him when he was 9 months old, about a month after hubby and I met. He was so quiet and serious. And gorgeous. Man, was he a cutie with his big brown eyes, chubby cheeks, and mop of curly hair. He's still a cutie, but then again I'm biased.

He's an amazing kid and I feel so blessed to have him in my life. He's funny, brilliant, talented, and obsessed with all wheeled things. He's been lobbying for both a dirt bike and gasoline RC car, but apartment living and anything that requires gasoline and needs to be brought inside do not mix. Once we're in a house, maybe. I love that little boy! Sorry, big boy. Young man. Tween, complete with angst, fuzzy pits, and a few pimples.

He's requested an ice cream cake (gulp) and pizza at one of the family favs for dinner (double gulp). Today is one of the days that I enjoy food without guilt, but mindfully. The pizza place is a buffet - nope,not CiCi's, so I'll go nuts on the salad bar - tons of veggies with fat free Italian dressing and a little fruit. Since they take requests, I'll order a thin crust veggie special and have two. If I need something else, I'll get more fruit or salad. And get in a little extra sweat time.

Tuesday night was well, interesting. It was a starch and protein fest! I had a grilled teese (soy cheese) on Ezekiel sprouted bread, then a cold cheese sandwich, pickles, and could not bring myself to have salad. I did grab some pineapple, but that was it as far as getting my five a day. Today has to be better, period. I need to snap out of this funky eating pattern before I regain any weight.

Happy birthday, R!

Aaaah, detox!

I feel 75% better already! Give me a few more days and I'll be back up to speed!

I'm not following a specific detox regimen, just getting in my green smoothies (cucumbers, strawberries, lemon juice, and romaine or cucumbers, celery, kale or spinach, lemon juice, and pineapple), lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Very little fat, little caffeine, dandelion and green teas, and tons of water.

If only I could sleep. But if we could find THE house, I would sleep better.

Monday = ick

I still feel like crap and am not sure how long this will last. I hate it, that's for sure.

Food was ok today - kept it simple and on the bland side. No coffee. Lots of water. Portions in check. I forgot to have dandelion tea, so I think I'll brew a cup while I take the dogs on their last walk.

The kids have been good with me, but snarky with each other. How uncomfortable would I be if I slept in the car tonight? Is it wrong to wish that school was in session for them year round?

Exercise was non-existent, but then again I haven't been taking days off or burning the calories like I should. It's been so very hot, busy, crazy. I get at least 40 minutes each day with the dogs, walking about 2 1/2 MPH for most of it. I need to jump on the elliptical for at least 10 minutes each in the am and afternoon to help shake thing up a bit.

But for now, I'm going to get that tea on, get the dogs out, kiss the snarky ones goodnight, & make the sleeping hubby give up my side of the bed.

Father's Day '08 - good times with good people, but crap food at lunch

It started like a typical Sunday - I took the dogs out around 7-7:30 then grabbed a few more z's like the rest of the family. Around 2 pm or so we decided to take a short road trip to visit sis-in-law, niece, & nephews. Eldest nephew graduates from high school tomorrow, so we figured it was worth it. The weather, however, decided we were stupid.

It poured! Rained, thunder booming, lightening crashing, idiots speeding through it and a few slamming into the median. Gah! Visibility was low - no more than 1 1/2car lengths - but we kept going. It was one of those 'we're already halfway there' situations.

Fast forward to lunch. I wasn't really hungry, so McD's was selected. I decided to have some fries (shared fryer = bad idea) and the family all had their usual. It was at a truck stop, and Subway was right there, but there were no seats for Subway and I'd already had my share of subs this month. Around 8pm we all began to feel kind of off. My stomach is currently jumping and rolling about. Hubby felt the same way before he fell asleep. The kids and their cast iron bellies are fine. I know better than to let them grab that stuff, but I decided that I would not be the food police 24/7. When we go out, we vote on where to go and they won. We all lost, though.

Dinner was much, much better. We went to an old fav, Waffle House! I had a double order of hash browns with peppers & onions (then splashed on some picante sauce - yum), coffee, water, & a bottle of hot & spicy V-8. Yes, I go spicy when I have an upset stomach and it works well for me.

We finally rolled back in at 1:23 am and the family is asleep - everyone but me and the dogs. Hubby loved his Daddy's Day. He scored The Boondocks season 2, the traditional t-shirt, and a funky card. We also let him sleep until 11, which he apparently needed because he was feeling great when he finally got to moving.

Sigh, Monday....

Ah, Saturday!

It was a semi-crappy day. I didn't sleep well Friday night and am not sure why. Could it have been the assignments looming that I hadn't quite finished? Maybe, but I finished everything and turned them in on time. Sort of. I had a laptop malfunction and Ms. Brainiac here did not back up anything. Why? Because I took it for granted that everything would be ok. I'm usually paranoid about my work, but for some reason today I was blase'. Won't make that mistake again this session.

Food wise it was good. I started with a smoothie made with particularly juicy pineapple slices, frozen strawberries, and Shaklee soy protein powder. I skipped the agave nectar this time and it was perfect. I'd walked the dogs for over 40 minutes this morning and started laundry before grabbing anything, and the last thing I wanted was anything heavy. We had dinner out again, and hit Fazoli's. My choices include cheese pizza, fettuccine Alfredo, and a tomato and cheese panini. I chose the panini because I relished the thought of 'maters, even with the scare. And I'd seen another diner's pizza go out and it was crazy oily. I was not expecting the breadsticks, but ate mine, both of DD's, and one of hubby's. My sandwich was bland. Even after I salted and hit it with red pepper flakes, it was still blah. Sigh. I will never suggest it again.

My detox experiment will begin soon. I've been reading more raw blogs lately. I started looking at first to find soup and smoothie recipes, but became entranced by the stories of weight loss and improved health. Every raw experiment I've tried beyond breakfast has failed so far. Either I realize that an ingredient wasn't raw or just caved and ate something cooked. I know it doesn't have to be all or nothing, but I have a problem with moderation. And being the main cook in my home doesn't help me avoid temptation. I hit the library and borrowed the Raw Foods Detox Diet. I took the quiz and am a level 3 according to the results, and should go for a raw until dinner sort of plan. I can do that, but have to remember to ignore my Annie's Goddess dressing at lunch. I'm going to finish reading while continuing on my current plan, then jump on in. I so should wait until school starts in fall before starting so that I'm not as tempted by the kids' lunches (their evil I tell ya, EEEVILLLE), but feel like I need something. My fruit and veggie consumption has slipped since summer started and I'm not really sure why.

But, it's really late (or early depending on your time zone) and I should be trying to sleep instead of typing. Besides, I need to finalize the plans for hubby's day.

Happy Father's Day, dads, granddads, stepdads, and father figures! And to the moms who fill both roles.
Be well and be blessed!

Friday wasn't a bad day after all

I thought that after my dogs slammed into my right knee at full speed that I'd end up sitting most of the weekend. After a little while on my butt (and a little ice) it was okay. They were as apologetic as ever, tiptoeing around me, kissing my feet until I pet them. I'm so whipped - but don't ever tell them that.

Last night we split into 2 teams and the boys did their thing while DD and I did ours. She and I had take out for dinner - Taco Bell - chatted, and caught up on Blue Dragon and Code Geass. If I hadn't mentioned it before, she's awesome!

B: Lightlife baked ham (70 calories & 0 fat for 4 slices!!!!) on rye w/Nasoya & a pickle; supplements, water, & coffee

L: massive bowl o' fruit - berries, pineapple, & kiwi; Crystal Light

S: 2 slices Ezekiel toast w/jelly; tea

D: Taco Bell - 2 fresco style bean burritos (beans & onions thanks to the salmonella in tomatoes), side beans & rice, chips, empanada; Crystal light

Exercise: 40 minute walk, 2 yoga sessions

Wednesday, my third favorite day of the week!

Hump day rocks! It's a sign that it's almost over. And this has been one of those weeks that I'm ready to end. It's been stressful, and stress makes me want to eat. I don't think I'll have to worry about that much today because my tummy is doing flip-flops. No, make that an entire Olympic-caliber routine.

I'm feeling every bit of the ick that follows a fatty & dairy-heavy day. I can handle a little cheese and maybe a dollop of cream, but a monster scoop of ice cream on top of full fat mayo on egg salad is too much. and let's not forget the friend stuff.

A detox may be in order. But not today. I'm going for healthy comfort food and bunch o' veggies.

B: PB&J on Ezekiel bread; coffee & water; supplements

L: McDougall Vegan Chinese chicken Noodle low sodium soup, bunch o' steamed broccoli & cauli (w/ginger dressing for dipping), Crystal Light tangerine strawberry [2 g fat! Yay!]

S: chickpea 'tuna' salad, crackers, & coffee

D: tasted cookie dough; Veggie sub from Subway. I so needed the veggies & kitchen break!

And the cookie dough tasting was it. I burned the cookies while playing with the kids. Totally forgot they were in the oven. D'oh!

Totally vegan! Yay!

Ex: 20 minute walk, yoga

Tuesday temptations, oy!

Tuesday started really well, although it was hot again! I got in a lot of walking and some yoga, lots of water, only 2 cups of coffee, and ate really well until dinner time rolled around. I got in plenty of fruit and veggies (more than 6 servings today) and thought a little splurge wouldn't hurt. Oh man. I had root beer (not diet, full sugar) for the first time in ages, and lots of fried and fatty stuff. I won't lie, it was fabulous all around, but more fat and sugar than I've had in months.

B: 2 cups strawberries, kiwi, 1/2 c Silk vanilla yogurt, tsp ground flax; water; supplements

L: chickpea 'tuna' salad (mashesd chckpeas, Nasoya mayo, celery, kelp, & Crazy Mixed-Up salt), crakers, cukes & carrots; coffee & water

D: egg salad on rye with lettuce and locally grown tomatoes; 1/3 basket onion rings + sauce (a spicy, mayo based concoction), 1/4 basket fries; root beer; scoop mocha ice cream with hot fudge sauce & dollop whipped cream

Lots of water today

Ex: 20 minute walk (x 2), 10 minutes strength training; 15 mins. yoga

I'm not sure how much exercise I'll get tomorrow since my back and hip are going haywire. In a big way. Yoga will be a big part of it regardless. And I think I'll pull out the physical therapy routine. Along with the joint and muscle cream, ginger tea, pineapple juice as a smoothie base, and ice pack. Ouch.

Monday wasn't a bad day.

It was crazy hot yesterday and nearly as hot today. My poor dogs are miserable because they loved their afternoon walks before these temperatures. They'll adapt; eventually.

On the exercise front, I got in over 60 minutes yesterday between the walks, my group's challenge exercise, and my usual. And I'm sore today. I'm heading into my monthly flareup and it won't be pretty. I had to crawl out of bed this morning and that's a sign that I overdid it on top of the flare up.

On the food front, yum! I had berries, kiwi, and Silk soy yogurt from breakfast, a McDougall soup cup for lunch (black bean & couscous low sodium), and a spinach, tomato (sadly canned), and fat free feta fritatta with vegan sausage for dinner. For an afternoon snack I had a smoothie (banana, strawberries, double portion Shaklee soy protein, & agave nectar) and my late night snack was a leftover slice of veggie pizza with extra banana peppers & chipotle sauce. Yeah, a naughty late snack, but it's now outta here and cannot tempt me. I'm working on an assignment today (its due tonight; I'm such a slacker sometimes) and am making sure I don't let the stress get to me. I have plenty of healthy sweetness and quick dinner fixings on hand.

I got pretty good sleep on Monday, but some was due to the crap night of sleep on Sunday and Monday's heat. Tonight should be better. Hopefully.

So. how is everyone else doing?