Just checking in to say Hello to everyone. This morning the scale said 116.8 lbs.  This is the lowest weight I've been since April, and I'm very pleased about it.  Especially since my calorie count has been about the same, ...which of course is really very low... and I haven't been exercising.

The only thing I'm doing different right now is my zero wheat experiment.  I've having some veggies and fruit, and even had some potato chips, so my carbs aren't super-low, ...that is...not super-low when we consider my calorie count totals. 

It looks like this house repair, construction guy intrusion, is going to go on for a couple more weeks. My little repair job is the kind that the construction company schedules in between other bigger jobs, so it's hit and miss, here and there, which I find difficult.

This past week, I've also been putting in 12 to 15 hour days on my computer dealing with small technical details on my videos which are stored on the companion Diethobby YouTube channel. Tech things to do with YouTube navigation and rating issues etc.  It isn't that technically difficult, but it involves hitting the keys over and over and over and over and over and over for hours and hours and hours and hours.

I've become obsessed with getting that organizational detail done, and hopefully after a couple of more days,  I'll have accomplished it.
 
 I'm also spending a lot of time as the YouTube Grandma answering the comments and questions of people
who are visiting the DietHobby channel.  I've noticed some new registrations here at DietHobby.com, this past week, and I think they might be people that I've directed here for more info and support re dieting and weight-loss.

Life goes on....as I'm always writing here. We have to be committed to our food plan and follow through even in the busy, stressful times in order to be successful with weight-loss and maintenance of that weight-loss. That's what I'm working very hard to do as well.

Today I'm rather lacking in inspiration, except for sharing my own life's details.  However, there are many very inspirational and informative articles in the Archives.
Take the time to read some.

I've noticed over time that it is common
to feel that Life gets in the way of one's Goals
and keeps us from reaching them.

Life is full of unexpected events.
Some of them are pleasant, and some are not.

Weekends, Holidays, Vacations, Celebration Events
happen for us all.

Everyone experiences Crisis Situations.
Things like health problems, financial problems,
relationship problems, family problems,
We go through changes in our environment, our homes, our jobs,
our daily routines.

Sometimes a crisis involves us on a personal and physical level,
other times it involves us emotionally because
it is happening to the others we care for.

The Point is, that even in such difficult times,
it is up to each of us to keep our ultimate goals in mind.
If weight-loss or maintaining weight-loss is an important goal for us,
then we need to work to keep our eating behavior off a roller-coaster
in these Life Situations.  
  We need to work to stay steadfast,
and learn not to use these "unusual" times
as "Exceptions" which give us permission to eat in a manner that won't  
keep us directed toward our goals.

Right now I'm experiencing a small and very minor "life crisis".
The hot water pipes under the concrete foundation of my house broke,
and early next week, all of the hot and cold water plumbing
will be re-routed through my attic
and down my walls to my sinks, tubs, toilets etc.

We have been living with only cold water for the past week,
and in a couple of days we will have to leave our home
and stay in a nearby hotel for several days while the work goes on.
Our 10 year old moody cat....who has never left my house and yard
(except for brief visits to the vet) will be coming with us.

Upon our return it will be up to me to deal with contractors who will
be repairing our walls. This will also involve painting walls,
as well as a strip on the front of my house
from the water source to the ceiling,
and new wallpaper in both bathrooms,

 I am very fond of my home. I've owed this house for 37 years,
I raised my children in it, and I'm finding this emotionally difficult,
as well as being a big time nuisance.
This is also a large and unexpected expense, although
I am fortunate enough to have homeowners insurance
that will pay about half of it.

So, this is one of the times that I could use to justify
Life getting in the way of my eating goals.
However, I am working very hard to keep from doing this.
Although there are routine things my situation keeps me from doing,
there are other things I can do to balance that.

I am working to avoid that mentality of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
that natural tendency that many of us have to say,
"oh well, I'll just eat what I want and deal with it later".
If I dent my car, I don't ram it into that obstacle over and over again.
But that is the kind of thinking we dieters often justify.

 So it goes. 
Maybe I'll be offline here a few days,
and maybe I won't.
But for certain, I'm going to be working really hard
toward eating behavior that will help me
toward my ongoing goal of maintaining my current weight.  

DietHobby has active for 7 months now,
and as one can see by the archives,
during that time I’ve posted a great many articles.

Now that DietHobby is established,
I’ve decided to experiment
with a more irregular posting schedule.
My plan is to post new articles several times a week,
but not necessarily every day.

Those who’ve registered at DietHobby have the option
of receiving e-mail notices telling them
when a new Blog or News article is posted,
and if they’ve made a comment on an article,
they also receive a notice of additional comments on that article.

So, registered users who allow notification will know when I’ve posted.
Those users who haven’t registered will still see frequent posts when they check in,
and if they don’t see a new post, they can go to the Archives
and pick one of the many past articles to read.

I receive an e-mail every time someone makes a comment,
so please continue to make comments on any current or past article.

This is just one more experiment in my life of ongoing experiments.
My plan is to give myself more flexibility in my posting schedule,
and I want viewers who come here daily to know about that plan.

Sometimes I will post daily, and sometimes I will post less frequently.
This doesn't mean I'm ill, or away, or depressed or binging.
It just means that, at that moment, I need to spend my time another way.

I'm still going to be here,
and I hope you will be too. 

Gratitude is feeling or showing
an appreciation of kindness, of Thankfulness.

It is a way of recognizing
the importance of a source of pleasure.

Gratitude is an emotion that
expresses appreciation for what one has.
It is currently receiving a great deal of attention
as a facet of positive psychology.
Gratitude is what gets poured 
into the glass to make it half full.

Studies show that gratitude
not only can be deliberately cultivated
but can increase levels of well-being and happiness
among those who do cultivate it.

In addition, grateful thinking
-- and especially expression of it to others –
is associated with increased levels
of energy, optimism, and empathy.

I am grateful to each one of you who participates here
by reading or commenting or watching a video.

 Thank You.

For those who are following my “Ask Grandma” videos
click to see my latest one: “ School Bullies & Mending Relationships”
which is located in DietHobby under RESOURCES, Videos, Ask Grandma.

The Fall season has started here in Central California.
The weather is getting cooler,
Days are getting shorter,
and the leaves are beginning to turn and fall from the trees.

Fall brings many changes,
but my commitment to maintain my weight loss isn't one of them.

I continue.

Minute by Minute
Hour by Hour
Day by Day
Week by Week
Month by Month

Some would say,  "It should be easier
after consistently following this behavior
for a 7 year period.

Possibly it should be.
But it's not.
And That's Okay.