Hello and Aloha!

I just realized it has been over 2 weeks since I last posted. Hub and I arrived in Hawaii on Friday and will be here for 3 weeks. It looks like we escaped the freezing/snowy weather that was headed toward the Seattle area when we left (I just saw that it is currently 36 degrees in Seattle). It was 80 in Honolulu yesterday, will be 80 today, 80 tomorrow, 80 Tuesday…well, you get the picture. The sun is shining and the sky is perfectly clear except for some puffy clouds in the distance. Here's the view from our condo early this morning.

The last 2 weeks leading up to this vacation were hectic and a bit of a blur. I'm sure I could have found time to blog, but I didn't. I didn't even read anyone else' blogs, so today I'm catching up.

While we are in Hawaii, it is my intention to eat healthy, walk everyday, and either maintain or lose weight (not much, maybe a pound or two). Here's my plan:

1. Eat healthy. We bought lots of healthy food at the grocery store for the duration. Hub and I also have a pact that we will not eat any sweets while we are here. We've already been tempted a few times, but so far so good. We don't eat out every day, and when we do, there are usually lots of delicious fresh items to choose from...fish, fruit, vegetables, etc.

2. Walk 10,000 steps every day. I walked yesterday for 45 minutes and we also did some shopping at Costco and Sears. I ended up at 10,500 steps and that will be my goal for each day here. Today we will go to church at a beautiful cathedral in downtown Honolulu, then we are going to the Aloha Stadium Swap meeting. I should be able to get in my steps there.

That's about it. Not much to it, not complicated.

Well, time to get ready for church. While we are here, I'll try to update more frequently, and visit some of my favorite blogs.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

A Dog's Purpose

About a month ago, I started listening to audio books. My first download was The Help, which got me hooked. So far I've also listened to Eighteen Acres, and The Kite Runner. All were excellent. I love listening to books on my iPod when I take B to the park, while working around the house or in the yard, or driving to/from work.

Today I just finished listening to A Dog's Purpose: A Novel for Humans. This book was just amazing. If you are a dog lover I definitely recommend this one. If you have ever lost a dog, this book will mean even more to you. Listening to this book made me want to rush home and hug B.

However…caution…do not listen to the end of this audio book while driving (like I did)! You will not be able to see the road through your tears.

Now I am trying to figure out what to listen to next. Does anyone else listen to audio books? If so, do you have any favorites you can suggest?

Weekend update

The weather has been so nice lately, and the trees have been gorgeous, although they are quickly losing their colorful leaves. It's cooled off a lot today and is supposed to rain this weekend. But here's a (very) short video to show you how beautiful it's been.

I took B to the vet this morning. We saw a new doctor who was totally charmed by him (of course) and B did all his tricks for her. Unfortunately, he's gained 1.5 lbs since last year, which is not good for a small dog. He should weigh about 17 lbs, but today he weighed 18.5. Weight is an issue for dogs too, although I don't think B worries about whether people will like him if he weighs 18.5 lbs instead of 17…lol. With his elbow dysplasia, he can't go on long walks, so he doesn't get the exercise he used to. And any excess weight gain can exacerbate his limping. It's a vicious circle. So, I guess we will need to start feeding him a little less. A smaller dinner, and not as many treats. Hmmm, I don't think he is going to be happy about THAT!

I am definitely struggling with the fact that I've gained a bit. Today I'm stressing because Hub and I are going out to dinner tomorrow with some friends, and the last time they saw me was this summer, when I weighed 162. The "mean voice" is telling me they will both be absolutely shocked at how fat I am, at how much I've gained. And although I won't do it, it's actually crossed my mind to starve myself until we see them tomorrow. That's how strangely screwed up I still am in my head. I hate it. I'm trying to listen to the "new voice" telling me that they won't probably even notice, but right now the "mean voice" is louder. ♫Sometimes I feel like a nut, ♫ Sometimes I don't♫. And right now, I am feeling like the Queen of Nutville.

At just slightly taller than 5'9", 162-163 is a good, healthy weight for me, and Dr D has assured me that I will get back there if I just don't worry about it and continue to eat normally. Sometimes when people with eating disorders start to eat normally, their weight will bounce up and down a bit before they settle at their ideal weight. Her main concern is that I not beat myself up about it. She said that it might even be a good idea to see a nutritionist who deals with patients with "food issues." We talked about this about a year ago, but I wasn't ready at that time to give up the restrictive eating. I was still trying to "do my own thing." I'm feeling more open to the idea now. Hub and I have a 3-week vacation coming up (we leave Nov 19), then there is Christmas and New Years. So now is not the time to start some new experimental eating. But maybe I'll explore that after the first of the year.

Well, time to get a bit of housework done. If I keep busy, I'm less anxious.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!