Didn't take my lasix until just now, 6 PM.  Kastels were still here this morning, and I wanted to leave all possibilities open, like going shopping or going out to eat.  Then after they left, I did some embroidery with the TV on and fell asleep.  After waking, I plain old forgot to take lasix.  Until now.

So I stepped on the scale and it told me 305.  So that means I didn't gain anything because it included some water weight, which is at least 2 lbs.  I was 304 a few days ago, so I at least stayed the same and at best lost another 1.  I am eating leftovers from Guadalajara and drinking Cherry Limeade.  Bob went out on some errands.  I'll be cutting fabric for the baby quilts while watching TV.  Bob can trade TVs with me.  I plan to also do a few 9-patch squares.  I only have  8 more of the 34 embroidered squares left to finish.  It will cost me about $45 to have Dakota Quilt Shop topstitch each baby quilt.  Becky and I went there and decided they are THE place in Watertown to have quilts finished.

Tomorrow morning we are going on a branch temple trip to the Winter Quarters Temple in Omaha.  Stan Lamb will ride with us.  We'll eat at a buffet afterward, so that will be easy to pick legal foods.  I still expect to weigh 299 by next Wednesday, September 25.

304!!  I'm sure this is the lowest I will weigh today.  Hooray!  Only 5 til I get to my goal for September 25.   9 days away.  I can hardly wait to see the first numeral of my weight be a 2!

Gotta go eat and then help Bob with the dinner for the missionaries.  That will be 5:00.  It's almost 2:00, so we only have 3 hours to get it done.  Meatloaf and potatoes in the oven.  Green beans from a can.  Jell-O brand instant cheesecake from a package.  Bob adds cream cheese.  Then we put canned pie filling on top of the individual pieces.  I'm the meatloaf expert!  I also am the potato baker.

305!  Wearing underwear.  Lasix taken 2 hours ago.  I expect the weight to go down more.  But I just HAD to record this right away.  Every 5 is a goal marker.  Only 6 more to lose in 9 days.  I can do this!
I'll probably make another entry today since I will probably record a lower rate after a few more trips to the bathroom.  Yes, I seem to be getting a bit obsessive.

It's 7 am on a Sunday.  I've been eating fairly decently and have not gained.  I have been the same weight for a long time.  Just now I weighed 308.  After a couple of hours I will weigh less because I took my lasix about 6 am and have urinated once so far.  I suppose that later I will go down to 305 without clothes.  I'll take a shower before going to church.

I'm starting to sound like this character from Law and Order, a young model (?) who weighed everything she ate and everything she excreted.  I think she even saved some of the waste products in plastic bags.  But she kept exact track of all of that in a notebook with dates and times.  Except she was very, very thin.  In fact, painfully skinny by anyone's standards.  While I don't weigh what I excrete, I do sometimes weigh myself after each trip to the bathroom after having taken my lasix.

Bob and I can see we are having difficulty living on our fixed income of his annuity and my Social Security.  I applied to the local hospital for "clerking" at the cardiology clinic.  That is where I see Dr Jones.  They are looking for full time, but I only want part time.  So maybe there will be other openings in the future.  One of the admitting clerks I talked with when I was registering for my monthly blood test said they are always looking for help.  I should also look into teaching freshman English at the local junior and technical colleges in town.  The main problem there is that my English experience is 20 years old!  And it would be more work for less money, probably.

A HUGE problem with Bob and me working is that we would not be free to return to visit family in Minnesota much.  But then, it really is more important that we be able to afford to live.  We could do okay on what we have coming in, though.  We have to decide.  That is something we have been putting off or avoiding even talking with one another.

So he wanted pizza yesterday.  We got a Papa Murphy chicken with white sauce.  I ate 2 pieces for dinner.  It is allowed on my eating DASH, but it is on the list of things to have once a week.  I had eaten some from that list earlier in the week.  So I was not true to DASH.  I shouldn't keep calling it DASH, but can't think of a better term right now.

"Legal?"  No.  I don't want to make myself a criminal!

I'll think about it another time.  Gotta go to the bathroom.  Again.  I seem to spend most of my mornings going back and forth to the bathroom!

311 today.  I am paying for our anniversary dinner at Lunker's with 3 re-gained pounds of flesh!!!  Why oh why does it take a day to gain 3 pounds, but then about a week to lose it?

I guess I could lie here.  Or I could not mention weight again until I get down to 307.  Or I could simply not write until the weight is down.  After all, I don't do daily posts here.

A week or so ago, I set a goal to weigh 299 by Wednesday, September 25.  I will not change that.  I've done that many, many times in the past.  (I've changed goal weights, that is.)   So, that is 18 days.  12 pounds in 18 days.  Hmmmmm. . . ..  I can do it.  I will eat mostly vegetables and drink only water; diet soda seems to help retain fluids, PLUS, I think it stimulates the appetite.

Monday Bob and I are going to the rec center to use free passes and to decide if that is where we want to buy a membership.  I would like to join there because several women in the branch have memberships.  Sheila and Nancy are two.  The 3 of us are dieting and supporting each other.  So we could do water aerobics together or just use the equipment.  I think I will try to walk in the mall today.  I know I will be sorely tempted to buy some Cherry Blossom Body Lotion at the Bath and Body store. I'm almost out, and I love the scent.  But then I think I should use up the lotions I have that don't smell as good first!  When I die, my kids will probably find multiple bottles of partially used lotion.  I really must sort more.

Gotta do my daily embroidery.  I scheduled myself to do 2 embroidery blocks per day for the first baby quilt, the one for Dan and Jenny's girl that is due Oct 21 by C-section.  I'll be done with the embroidery next Wednesday.  After I finish their quilt, I'll start Ginger and Gerald's quilt for their baby coming Dec 3 (?), also by C-section.  If I don't get anything but the embroidery done today, I will consider this day a success.  I would like to also made suckers for Mary and for Bob and our friends here in Watertown.

308!!!  Today is our wedding anniversary.  #44 already!  I've got a hair appt this afternoon and need to have my blood drawn to check my INR because I'm on Warfarin.   Then I plan to get some more Sugar-free Cherry Limeade at the local Super Walmart.  That is the BEST sugar-free pop I've ever tasted.  I drank a lot of Diet Sunkist Lemonade yesterday, and I think that is what made me itch all over in the evening.

So I'm thinking I should drop below 300 within the next 2 weeks!!  I can hardly wait!  I need to lose about 25 inches from my waist; that keeps me humble.  We still haven't joined the rec center yet.  But I can't have a discussion about it with Bob today.  For one, it is our anniversary.  And two: Miranda and Amelia are here doing laundry.  With such a small house, one can hear everything said within its walls.

I'm curious to know what Bob thinks of my menu pages.  Blanks for us to fill in for meals and snacks.

310.2  Hooray!  Glad the plateau has passed.  But I know more plateaus lie ahead.

I can hardly wait to lose enough--I'm hoping by tomorrow--so the second digit is a zero in my weight.  And then I will be thrilled beyond belief to finally get below 300 so the FIRST digit will be a two!!!

It must be a rare occasion to find anyone who looks forward to such a high weight as a goal in lowering their weight.  And then to be so joyful in the anticipation.

I found myself wanting to apologize to Andrea and Madelyn for seeming not to enjoy what they made for meals!!!  It points out how I learned (probably from childhood) to eat a lot to make others happy, to not insult their cooking.  I'm not blaming my parents, but it has been a habit.  While I might not have apologized directly, I do remember saying to both that I enjoyed the food, but that I was watching my portion size.  What I ate was enough, but I realized that often I have eaten beyond satisfaction to please a host.  I even kind of apologized to a waitress at Famous Dave's for not finishing my soup!  "It's delicious, but I didn't have enough room in my stomach to finish it."

Can you believe?  Apologizing to a complete stranger--one who I will probably never see again, and if we did meet up again, we'd not remember that restaurant visit--for not eating my soup.  AND for not taking the rest of it home!  At least taking leftovers home, it says "I like the food, and I'm not going to insult you and the cooks and the management."

But it doesn't always go like that.  Often I have left food and made no comment.  Well, none to the employees.  I have apologized to Bob for wasting food at restaurants when I leave it uneaten and do not take the leftovers home.

It must have been frustrating to my mother when it came to feeding us kids.  She was born in 1910 and married in 1933, during The Great Depression.  Her family was poor, as were most back when she was a child.  Between her background and the rough financial times when she and Dad started their family, it was great that they were able to care for and feed their family.  We were taught to always "clean our plates."    After all, there were plenty of less fortunate children all over the world who didn't ever have enough to eat.  Membership in the clean plate club was how we showed our appreciation.  But then, two of us girls had weight problems growing up, thus the frustration for Mom.

Someday I might mention other factors I believe added to my seeming determination to remain obese.  But I wonder if that is really even necessary in journaling today's plans and efforts to eat right, exercise, and lose weight.

Going forth with prayer in living today!