Michelle’s Loosing Fibromyalgia and Weight Journal

[Ruff]

hi Michelle, I hope you are OK, I have been hearing all bout the latest fires on the internet. Keep safe.

And assuming you are safe I have found a wonderful little course you will love and can do whilst locked down, its all about identifying NZ native birds. Its free.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/tr ... ne-course/

[lmggallagher]

Katie and Buns:

Thanks for checking in on me and the kind wishes for us here. It's daunting the fires, the terrible smoke, Covid and Trump, but I was lucky to have family to go to north of me in Marin County. My Aunt lives on a peninsula in the San Fransisco Bay in an area next to Mill Valley. It gets its air flow through the Golden Gate and was generally better air then most other places in the State. but my huge Alen air purifier was running all day long just to keep the house there at healthy levels. I'm grateful that I planned ahead when buying that well in advance of fire season - and thinking that it would be enough for my house - it wasn't but it was for my Aunt's.

The fires are mostly contained and the air is much better - actually at healthy levels again. So I am home and I hope for good - though my Aunt is keeping the welcome sign up for me and I miss being with her a lot. Except that she will not let anyone sit at her dining table without feeding them - I lost weight at home and gained weight there - I'm going to blame her liberally oil laced and avocado laden salads - but I ate them ---- to avoid her pouting!

Yes Katie - the Trump postal appointee did have the huge mail sorters removed and mail boxes as well. Judges jumped on that and apparently they stopped, but the mail slow downs are still real and our postal workers are trying their best to ignore the orders that would impeded timely deliveries. That's awful but what is great is all the folks that are mobilizing to vote and dealing with all the voter suppression tactics various Trump supporting governors and election officials have tried to throw up as road blocks.

It's easy to vote in here in California but many States have people standing in line for hours upon hours - still even in those areas people are coming out in record numbers and things are looking up for a Biden win. I am hoping the Democrats are as victorious as your Labor Party. We are so jealous of what a wonderful Prime Minister you have in Jacinda! I've been reading about her win today and it's very exciting and so well deserved.

What has happened to your foot Katie? I'm glad you were out on it today but whatever did happen?

Thank you for the bird link - I'll get on that. I'm woefully behind on all I have to do before winter but that will be a break treat for sure. I signed up for a bird identifying course through Cornell Laboratory when the lock-down started - was pretty diligent with that for awhile but then the rest happened and I'm digging out from losing half the summer away from home.

Buns - I'm so glad that you've been to visit the redwood forest here - we've lost a huge part of Big Sur redwood forest and those surrounding communities, which are over the mountains from me. It was a favorite family camping area and was devastated by the fire. However, philanthropists have lined up to rebuild the historic buildings areas and redwoods do re-sprout fairly vigorously. That said looks like we have a drought year ahead so it won't be ideal for the poor trees to do so easily. Sorry for the smoke we send your way - it's bad stuff and we shouldn't share it. I fear my lungs are damaged from the last round but I'm not marching off to the doctor to find out. I've been seeing news reports that Utah is having a serious Covid spike - please be safe and well!

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Weigh in: 212.5
This Week: 212.5


Lost:0.0 pounds


1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.

2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.

2) Choose fruit for dessert.
Stress eating cookies and chips both!
3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
Stress eating cookies and chips.
4) Eliminate all animal foods.

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods.

6) Eliminate any added oil.
Salad dressing 2x this week.
7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products.
Stress eating cookies and chips.
8 ) Don’t drink your calories.

9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.
Been stuffing myself stress eating.
10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
No exercise at all - walking would be my thing I have set up a rower on my deck but that's not feasible now either?

Stress is no excuse it's a problem that I am usually not the least prone to and I do have solutions for combating it if it should crop up. Yet, I just kind of hit a tipping point this week and the bottom fell out on the usual toolbox.

I've been doing OK with Covid and the election - which is stressing those I am in contact with fairly substantially. The fires here and having to leave my house for extended periods to flee the air quality and heat - were very taxing, but still I had a place to go where I was welcome - so that I coped with pretty well.

However .... this week I realized among all the other health problems I have the air quality problems triggered more health problems. An ear/sinus infection and breathing issues. I have reactions to antibiotics so when I get sinus issues I have to do every 4 hour nasal irrigation. It eventually works for me but it really messes with sleep - I just don't get much for a couple of weeks and I feel crappy for having the infection to begin with. The breathing issues are weird and I really don't know what that is. Luckily, it's intermittent even though the out door air should be fine now for most folks? What I do know is it's reported that folks my age (over 60) are becoming first time asthma patients due to the months of bad air here. So - I am inclined to worry about that until I breakdown and see a doctor - not something I want to do with our Covid levels here just now.

HOWEVER - today I kind of got back to coping mode after earlier in the week going berserk and ordering cookies, chips and salad dressing in my last delivered food order. All of that is eaten now ( mostly a a huge binge during the debate, while texting a bunch of friends doing similar binges ). I also I slept well last night and woke up at a regular time to do my weigh-in. Boy was I surprised to find that I gained nothing. Still - the weight doesn't pile on me overnight - sometimes bad eating takes a bit to show up on my scale - so I still expect some shock!

So that was bad eating and the exercise is kind of on hold - I did get the rower set up but being on the deck where it is - is not great for my breathing issues. I have hopes though - I love rowing which is weird but it works for me USUALLY! Fingers crossed it's in my near future.

Stay well all - Michelle

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Weigh in: 212.5
This Week: 214


Gained 1.5 pounds


1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.

2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.

2) Choose fruit for dessert.
3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.
Added salt - canned tomatoes with salt was all the store had.
4) Eliminate all animal foods.

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods.

6) Eliminate any added oil.

7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products.

8 ) Don’t drink your calories.

9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
No exercise at all - walking would be my thing I have set up a rower on my deck but that's not feasible now either?

I gained from last week's bad eating binge and lost most of it except this weight. I'm back on the straight and narrow except exercise.

[Ruff]

Hello Michelle, Great to hear from you again.

I have started a Marys Mini, and I see you are MWL so we can cheer each other on. Its getting warm here, and I have been eating as I did when I was running daily...and now I dont fit in my summer frocks! I will build the running up again but I also need to lose a few pounds as well. Running allows me to maintain whilst still eating avocado, a few nuts and dried fruit, but running won't make me actually lose weight. So I decided to bite the bullet and do a mini for 2 weeks and just get the job done.

My birthday treat was a trip out on the dolphin boat. We saw loads of dolphins and 2 albatross kept us company for ages as well. I got a great photo of the albatross but the dolphins kept jumping and all I have is photos of splashes!

Yes, er are very lucky with our Prime Minister. She is picking her cabinet today. Also we are currently covid free here, so although there are very strict boarder controls, within the country life is normal, we can do as we wish. I read a commentary recently (from America) that said we (in NZ) were all trapped! It made me laugh...errr no....we live here!! We can even leave if we want but we have to do 14 days in government isolation when we come back.

[lmggallagher]

Katie:
I am so glad we are back at the same time - having you here cheers me no end! Your plan and adventures sound wonderful - all those sightings and even the splashes!! I have been home bound for so long but I am gardening some and feeding my birds LOTS. I have to start a journal of birds that come to my feeders - I think it's about 15 different types now. Some are simply ground feeders but many perch on the feeder and and I can see them from my bed mornings as I have my coffee or tea - makes it hard to get out of bed

I think my foot is improved enough to start walking slowly - I still don't know what brought on the problem exactly - but none of my shoes really fit anymore???? I am glad you're doing the running and always remember your McDougall journey was predicated by the fact that during the earthquake you could not rush to the school and new you needed to do something. With all our emergencies this summer - that thought sure got me going too!

Frocks - Katie I have but one frock - it's wadded up in the laundry basket and has been there since my Cousin Steve's wedding 2 years ago It's gorgeous but it's a size I shall never wear again

My friend Marlene had that mindset about keeping her avocados and nuts as long as she did her walks. She is super serious and does 8 mile walks a few times a wee - BUT ---- though she kept her weight down perfectly she ended up pre-diabetic!!! she thought diabetes was about sugars and I had to let her down gently and explain it's all about FATS!

I got her Dr. Barnard's diabetes book - she got right into the recipes and loved them but started loosing massive weight - not realizing that the amount of exercise she was doing exceeded the calories she took in in reduced calorie density of plant-based eating. It took me a long time to get her to understand that she's been cheating with exercise forever!!! So funny - she sorted it out with good balance and her Doctor was amazed that her very next test showed her in the healthiest range!!! Anyway beware of those avocados and nuts

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Weigh in: 212.5
This Week: 214


Lost 0.0 pounds



1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.


2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.


2) Choose fruit for dessert.


3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.

Canned soups this week - vegan but salty!

4) Eliminate all animal foods.


5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods.


6) Eliminate any added oil.

Salad dressing twice

7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products.


8 ) Don’t drink your calories.


9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.


10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

No exercise at all.

This week was a real bust - I had a significant fibromyalgia insomnia week. Four nights in a row with less than 3 hours sleep in each. I usually gain weight and have major cravings without sleep. I also hit the emergency stash of canned goods for meals because I've been just too tired to cook. Unfortunately, I was down on the boxed McDougall soups because I haven’t replenished those from all air quality home evacuations to my Aunt Evelyn’s this summer and fall. Ordered more this AM.

AND happily I slept the whole night through last night. My sleep tracker told me I actually got 212% of my deep sleep in. That’s fabulous and probably why I am not showing a gain for the week. Also think I may get a walk in the afternoon - it’s cool, foggy and the air is so wonderfully fresh after a gentle evening of rain!

I hope everyone had a great week and that we all are staying healthy and happy. I'm going to brew some tea and read all today's weigh in comments and our advisors recommendations for motivation. So helpful for me. Best to you all - Michelle

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Weigh in: 214

This Week: 211.6

Lost 2.4 pounds




1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.



2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.


2) Choose fruit for dessert.


3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.

1 Canned chili this week - vegan but salty!

4) Eliminate all animal foods.


5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods.


6) Eliminate any added oil.


7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products


8 ) Don’t drink your calories.


9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.


10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

No exercise at all this week, but I have developed a plan I will commence this week.

This week was a significant improvement - my health is not 100% - still some fibromyalgia and the sinus problems to treat - but the eating was, with one exception, very much back on track.

Thanksgiving dinner was my bok choy and shiitake mushroom stir fry - really excellent food but in no way celebratory. I turned down a plate from my neighbor too - she was fully prepared to "veganize" for me - but that would still contain foods that are not McDougall or compliant with MWL. I told her what I have lost since Covid and that I had a Saturday weigh-in I was trying to ace - she completely understood and gave me an "atta girl" of approval.

Had I been at my Aunt’s table as usual this would not have worked. On top of many courses of an over abundant Thanksgiving meal - as her birthday is the 25th and my Dad’s was the 26th - we have always celebrated those with our Thanksgiving by adding sumptuous cake to our pie dessert offerings. No one has ever left that table weighing what they did the day before!!!!

Now I will go get another cup of herbal tea and settle in to read everyone’s weigh-in and the comments of our learned advisors! Next week I will use this space (if I remember) to let Mark know how a comment he made to a post of mine completely got me rethink my operating tool kit. That comment (plus my efforts) led to this week’s 2.4 drop in pounds! Well done Mark

Best to all - stay happy and healthy - Michelle

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Weigh in: 211.6
This Week: 212.8


Gained : 1.2



1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.

2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.

3) Choose fruit for dessert.

4) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.

5) Eliminate all animal foods.

6) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods.

Avocados and then some, sigh.....
7) Eliminate any added oil.

Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products.

9 ) Don’t drink your calories.

10) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.

11) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Barely doing my Egoscue routine at this point - but improving.

I know exactly what I did wrong this week - I forgot to do my Imperfect Foods organic produce box order. If you don’t do this on schedule you will get their default box - which can be full of foods that are hardly McDougall maximum weight-loss friendly. I put particular emphasis on the many perfectly ripe avocados that came in the box, but there were other things I seemed to have eaten and shouldn’t have. It won’t happen again, but I could not pass up an avocado - sad to say.

As noted last week, I have made a positive change in response to one of Mark’s advisements - which was to reconsider my “toolkit”. My toolkit was developed years back as the product of a pain management course I took through my health provider. The point of the toolkit was to help one reduce periods of flare or move out of flare episodes successfully through good eating, sleeping and exercise habits.

Mark was completely on target here and recently two things collided that made this the ideal time to do some big tweaks and hacks. First, my Aunt got me a book just out from Mayo Clinic on fibromyalgia - of all my ailments this is the most pernacious this time of year. Simultaneously, I got tired of looking at my day planner calendar continuously stating “down day fibromyalgia/insomnia”. I read most of the book and subsequently, got a new system of uniquely flexible day planners.

The book was so-so and clearly written by committee. For instance, in one paragraph it said diet has not been shown to have much impact on fibromyalgia and next sentence - vegan diets have shown effectiveness in helping with fibromyalgia symptoms. Though they didn’t get the food part right - there were things to be gleaned about exercise and coming in and out of flares.

The new planners - yes, I now have 5 planners in one - are my big breakthrough. Now instead of one listing a thousand things I can not accomplish during high flare days - I have several. The main one is my health triage for the day - my daily health data sleep info from my Apple watch, my food log and my symptoms level of pain and fatigue. This data determines the level of activity I can reasonably do in a day to stay or ease out of flares. What is very clear from keeping this data and evaluating it - is deep sleep is the key for me and getting deep sleep is completely tied to WHAT I EAT! The other planners are each tailored with preassigned levels of activity that I can reasonably accomplish to avoid worsening my situation.

I can’t control weather and other unknown factors that can cause my pain flares, but I sure can modulate the level of pain and ease in and out by not going boom and bust on activity. Significantly, it’s completely clear that eating a McDougall diet is the primary constant I must maintain.

Hard to explain all of this without a visual show and tell - but the fact is - Mark did a huge service suggesting the “toolkit” might need an update. Exercise has been my downfall on the weekly checklist for a long time - it’s a boom bust issue. It’s now clear that I ease into this with my Egoscue then my PT exercises (includes weights) and increasing my daily steps before embarking on a formal walking or rowing routine. The key is keeping track of sustained progress before jumping to the next level - essentially, I have to recondition out of each flare while keeping good eating constant - which I hadn’t really comprehended well. My goal is eventually to get back to my gym and hopefully by the time gyms open back up post Covid that might not be a pipe dream - IF - I do this right.

Many thanks Mark!!!!


Stay well all - Michelle

[Rosey]

Weather definitely doesn't help with the Fibromyalgia Flares. I've had issues with Fibro as well. Wish We could control the weather. I'd keep it in the 70's year round.

[lmggallagher]

Hi Rosie:

Yep weather is a big one for fibro flares for me - but this WOE sure helps me. We just had a storm last night and one coming tomorrow too - usually this sparks flares in me but not this time. I did get the water retention though just in time for weigh in, sigh. I do have fibro symptoms now but just in my a hands and arms - my hands swell up So I guess it's water retention the scale bounced up big time so I think it is. Hope you aren't feeling the pain too badly this winter. Best to you always - Michelle

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Weigh in: 212.8

This Week: 215..4

Gained : 2.6 YIKES!



1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.


2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.


2) Choose fruit for dessert.

I guess cookies that are fruit filled don't fit this category as intended.

3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.

Ah, those cookies again.

4) Eliminate all animal foods.


5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods.


6) Eliminate any added oil.


7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products.

Cookies.

8 ) Don’t drink your calories.


9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.



10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
and
I got out for a walk this week because it was a gorgeous day and the result was I was thrilled to be out but my knee is still very unhappy - absolutely proved Egoscue routines until I'm realigned!


Just last week I'd included a statement that I have to ease into exercise by starting with the Egoscue regimen - and I immediately break my own rule - not to mention the Christmas cookies lapse. I know better of course but I have absolutely no will power when a perfect day for being outside presented itself and on my return I find my neighbor left a box of "completely vegan" Christmas cookies on my doorstep. I ate every crumb in two days - at least I have avoided eating any of the two homemade jams also included therein.

Aside: I have no idea how people who live in households of SAD eaters, with fridges and cupboards full of animal derivatives - along with sugar, oil and salt - have to will power to avoid those temptations . I am in awe of these dedicated people - I bow down to those who continue to be compliant during the Holidays!!!!

Meanwhile, both incidents provided very clear data for my new daily health scan planner. Sugar appears to be a definite deep sleep killer, which is absolutely key to keeping the fibro at bay. I have guessed sugar might be a problem after weeks of logging ample deep sleep following days of compliant eating. However, immediately after the cookie binges of Sunday and Monday - I had two nights of no deep sleep at all. However, once back wholly on MWL foods again I have great deep sleep and the fibro symptoms are back down. Also, the knee pain clearly let me know that this weekend I will be purging my office to gain sufficient space move the Egoscue area in from the deck (where it is now to cold to use) and into a warm and inviting space!

Stay well all and good luck with Holiday temptations - Michelle

[lmggallagher]

Leave it to Mark of the Weigh in moderators to have the best check in list.. And obviously looking at his daily log the best accountability - not to mention exercis commitment. I will never be able to fill those shoes - I will try but the man does handstands - like dailu - Lord Have Mercy

the template for daily use - big order can I do it???

Weight change +/- in lbs:

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9 lbs.
GW: 150.0 lbs.

Last Weigh in: 215.4 lbs.
This Week: 214.0 lbs.

Weight change +/- in lbs: 
Lost:1.4 lbs.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

This is my first week using the exact list Mark posted. All week I thought, except for exercise, I was doing the very best I could. However, he has listed some specific foods to avoid in his list and yikes - dry cereal!!! Until the fires here in California I'd never been a dry cereal eater. I always have oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. But it was easier to have Cheerios in my go box when I was on the run from the air pollution this summer and fall. I immediately went back to oatmeal when home but this very week - being pretty busy Christmas-wise - I decided dry cereal was the fastest breakfast I could do. I didn't even ponder it's compliance. but wouldn't you know there it is -- well, I still have a middling weight-loss and yet again learned something

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9 lbs.
GW: 150.0 lbs.

Last Weigh in: 214.0 lbs.
This Week: 213.4
Lost: 0.6


Weight change +/- in lbs: 

Lost: 0.6 (not really sure about this my scale has become erratic and is being replaced).

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Well, Christmas week good grief the temptations tossed my way were overwhelming, but for the most part - I've done OK. I hope wildgoose drops in today and reads this as while Mark was away - she read my post about my neighbor (thin as a rail and exercise addict) who KNOWS I am dieting yet regularly brings my cookies and muffins. This time her daughter added her homemade Christmas cookies to the assortment of vegan muffins. I did as wildgoose suggested tossed them - with only one bite of each. However - note this The card that came with the delightful morsels began thusly ..... "I know you are dieting but....."..

But let's not stop there - this week my Instacart delivery came with a bag that was not my order. Due to Covid they can't take back and assure the bag gets to the right home after all. You're stuck with someone else's groceries. Just some of what was in this errant bag - 2 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips, one big bag of walnuts, a pound of butter, a bottle of olive oil, garlic croutons and 2 boxes of Pomi tomatoes. I kept the tomatoes and put the rest in my car. The idea was to take the eventually to the Food Closet, however just now the Food Closet is taking no donations except "rubber bands and zip lock bags. They are stuffed to the gills with food from the Second Harvest. I know because I write up their request list every week for various church bulletins.

However, as luck would have it - my Cousin Steve came by to do a present drop. I asked him if he'd be interested in those items. He said indeed and I grabbed up the butter from the fridge before he left.

However...... among my gifts was a box of See's chocolates from my dear Auntie Evelyn - at this point I succumbed from being virtuous (as the Gods, I presumed were going to continue to toss me food grenades until I caved) and I ate three - just three - and tossed the rest.

I know this is nothing -compared to the restraint of folks who live with SAD eaters and these types of foods are in their cupboards and pantries all the time. But I am not a Saint when it comes to avoiding sweets - but I could have been so much worse than I was this week.

Hope all is well with everyone and that we all had safe and Happy Holidays - Michelle