January 11 - Day 2

                                                                                                                                                                  (Above)Flank steak, spicy sauce, black beans,couscous, salad, and rice pudding, ice tea   
     (Left)Turkey slices, Bagel, Smart butter, Onion. tomato salad, Fruit, Lemonade              

You don't have to feel sorry for me thinking I am starving!!  Just look at these meals!

The temperature was 17 degrees this morning when I left the house. By the time I left Duke at 6:30 PM, it had risen to about 40 degrees. The temp is supposed to moderated to the mid 50's by the weekend.

Today was spent in orientation meetings plus a complete physical exam and a psychological interview.  I passed everything. The one test I sort of failed on was walking in a straight line one foot in front of the other.  I had better not get pulled over for expected drunken driving, cause I will fail that sobriety test cold!!!

The good news is I can begin working out in the gym and pool tomorrow after a consultation with the head of the physical fittness center.  He will go over my exam today, look at what my doctors  in York have noted, and begin to perscribe a program suited to my limitations....I'm excited! They have some really cool equipment here. The doctor who gave me my physical has suggested two possible reasons for my shortness of breath and chest pains.  She is going to bring me up at the group meeting to see if they agree.

We spent and hour learning how to plan our meals keeping the calorie count between 1200 and 1500 per day. Our homework today was to plan the rest of the week.  I was able to keep them in the 1300 - 1400 range.  The image above is the sheet we use.  We are given suggested meals, however, on the back of the sheet are substitutions we can use so long as the calorie count stays within the 1200 - 1500 range. Snacks that we can take home with us are include in the calorie count.  Tomorrow I am having blood tests so I am fasting tonight, no snack. No problem, I am not hungry in the least.

I have signed up for a Chinese cooking class tomorrow night, Wednesday night is Bingo night, and I have planned a trip to the movies on Friday night.  Saturday is pretty free with the pool and gym open and a special nutrition class in the afternoon titled, "Feeding the Need: Finding new ways to fill the cookie jar.". After talking with some folks who are returnees from previous years, I plan to go to the Duke Chapel on Sunday.  The architecture is supposed to be spectacular and the organs are magnificent! 

I thought I was tired last night, not even close compared to tonight!  As soon as I Skype with Sudie, I'm off to bed.