Straight Up Atkins- Day Two

This is my second day doing Atkins Induction for the second time.  I was getting tired of not seeing any progress so I decided to "restart" and see if that helped.  After seven months, things had gotten kind of "loose" around here with the "rules".  Still not gaining.  But not losing.

177 yesterday morning and 174 this morning.  Fascinating.  I cut way back on the Splenda in my coffee. I'm eating when hungry, but just enough to where I feel satisfied.  It doesn't take much.  I think I have been having too much food.  And, true to Atkins Induction, I am jazzed up with energy.  I am waiting for the peeing to begin.  I remember peeing a great deal the first time I did this.  I mixed up a half gallon of carb free green tea and lemonade to drink during the day.  I can swallow a flavored liquid but NOT plain water. The only downside is the caffeine in green tea which I am not used to having.  I had to dig around in the garbage to find the can of tea mix which I threw away on Thursday, thinking I didn't need it.

I pulled on a pair of J Jill size 14 pants yesterday.  Not tight.  No wedgie when I sit.  I think they fit for about 10 minutes back in 2007.  J Jill runs small. I have them on now and they are comfortable. Wide wale corduroy, the good stuff they don't make anymore. My other pair of pants is also a 14.  So I am feeling pretty okay right now.  I did manage to wear size 12 by the end of 2007 and early in 2008.  I want to be moving in that direction again. I gave all the 10/12 stuff to Goodwill long ago (as my diet strategy was a complete failure).  So, I get to buy new things, if and when I reach my goals.

Does this read like I am talking a mile a minute?

G left me a note saying he was concerned with the plants I had on the sunporch.  The night temps have been 40 and below out there (at night, but very warm all day) and he was afraid things would freeze and die.  And I would be sad.  Bringing them in is not that easy.  I had to remodel the kitchen area that you see here.  I turned the rolling kitchen shelving sideways to make room for this table, in front of the bay window.  The table will be heated from below as the baseboard heaters radiate heat upwards.  The coral geranium is something a customer had in a pot.  She wanted a "new" geranium in the pot and said I should throw that one out.  No. I kept it.  I don't like the color but it's a very healthy plant and it's almost three years old.  Way to the left, closest to the front is one of my favorite new geraniums.  Dark, dark red.  It was probably too cold out on the sunporch.

I still have to move the citrus.  Five small shrubs.  Orange, Calamondin orange, kumquat, lime and lemon.  And a gardenia (not the easiest plant to keep healthy).   Those things will be going upstairs.  As soon as I make room up there for them. I went up to gather the plastic trays the plants downstairs are sitting in and discovered things needed watering.  The fabric closet is getting too much sun so I also need to cover the fabric with something.  To protect it from fading along the folds.  I also BEGAN but never FINISHED the movement of fabric and projects from downstairs to upstairs.  I have piles.  And empty boxes to fill.  And box labels to make.  And the Pilates machine is staring me in the face up there.  Need to get back to that.

I got a great deal done yesterday.  Not as Energizer Bunny as I am today, but all the laundry and ironing is done, fresh sheets on the bed and a good dinner.  I even read my book and walked the dog.

Today I will work on the plant situation, which, because I am clearing things out to make room for new things, there will be a great deal of collateral cleaning.  I've already moved furniture.  I am also agitated by the clutter I keep seeing in my "new" excited state.  I foresee a great many bags of trash by the end of the day.  And many trips up and down the stairs to the second floor bedroom (where the citrus and orchids will spend the winter).  I still need to purchase a humidifier.  And dose every plant with systemic insecticide.
Professional Plant Person Mode.  I already made a little bamboo trellis for the ivy to climb.

I think a Pier One batik bedspread and some clothes pins will solve the closet problem.  Riley wants to go outside.  I have coffee to finish.

Three readers want to "play" along with 12 by 12 with me.  Very happy about that.  Now we wait to see what the new 12 by 12  challenge is going to be and when they will announce it.  I also am considering doing 12 inch Four Seasons pieces or perhaps 20 inch squares since there will only be four.  And the work can extend to a 3 month period.  The Winter Equinox is approaching.  December 21st.  Then the days will start to get longer.