Hi friends,
When I was in college, I had a CIA cookbook that I scored at a used bookstore. All the recipes were huge because they were intended for feeding massive groups of people; I had to do the math to get a reasonable size recipe for a single household. The banana bread recipe was amazing. I recall that it was sweetened with honey. I think it also may have possibly had walnuts and shaved dark chocolate, but I'm less sure about those ingredients.
Fast forward to today. The cookbook has been sadly lost to the sands of time (I have no idea what happened to it. Did my ex take it? Who knows), and my google searches have not been fruitful. Does anyone have this recipe? I have four bananas that are ready to be devoted to the cause.
TIA

Tldr: This got a lot longer than I intended. A lot to catch up on! The first part is about where we were. The second is what we are doing to fix it. We organically folded into a holistic method of dealing with clutter and made a lot of important connections while doing it. The kitchen experience has been, by far, the best and most healthy decision we have made.
It's been a while since I have participated here. Some pretty sad things happened and I had not made much progress. I've never been good at sharing when I am being a fuck up or asking for help. I wasted away my entire winter and now warmer weather is rolling in, which is going to prevent me from working in the garage until this coming winter.
Its not all bad, though. I managed to avoid backsliding and engaging old coping mechanisms that compound the hoarding situation. I managed to hold the house together during a time of grief and while it wasn't ideal, it's about a lifestyle, not a meal. Right? It's not that I haven't felt any guilt over not moving forward. I definitely have. It just hasn't been a particularly helpful or motivating feeling.
Depression and grief wreck everything, though. While that part of my life held the line, I still have a drinking problem and I don't really eat my feelings, but I do care less about my body, in general. I quit being active and let my diet slip enough to gain thirty pounds of organ strangling fat, caused by pouring 2-5 beers on top of 3-6 shots of booze every night. Then day drinking on the weekends. I have never been a day drinker. I've always been a functional alcoholic - meaning I can abstain, but when I start, I dont stop until it is all gone and most of the time I want more. The majority of my life, I would probably drink once every few months. The drinking every day is relatively recent. I know this isn't AA, but I will get to how it's related.
About a month ago, I woke up and thought, living like this is going to kill me. What if something happens to my partner? Because he is right there with me. Along with the unhealthy choices and their consequences, I was not sleeping well. That hard, visceral fat makes it incredibly difficult to breath and get comfortable. That's on top of serious health problems I already have. Six months of this and something had to give.
We woke up and started searching for a healthy eating challenge. You know the whole ADHD thing and turning things into a game usually yields some type of immediate success. We made a grocery list and cleaned out the fridge. We took three garbage bags of expired food out of the fridge. I'm not a food hoarder, even. I could give a shit about anything in there. We've both just been too depressed to worry about cleaning out the fridge - for six months. He went to the store. I did a deep clean on the fridge, which was nearly empty. We unpacked the groceries together, and let me tell you. I was super giddy over seeing all the fresh produce and how clean and organized the fridge was. I opened the fridge a few times, just to look at it, it was such a beautiful thing.
We have carried on this schedule for a month. Wake up on the weekend, meal plan for the week and make a grocery list. He goes to the store, I clean out and wipe down the fridge, check the pantry, and print any recipes we need for the week or grab them from our binder, and put them on a clipboard that hangs on the kitchen wall. Only recipes we love go in that binder. Life is too short to eat mediocre food. If we don't love it, the recipe goes in the trash.
The first week, I started meal prep, which is something I have never done before. Like having smoothies for breakfast - buying just enough bananas for a week, cutting them up, splitting into servings and freezing means zero bananas go in the trash. I haven't thought about making banana bread, that I am obviously not going to make, all month. I also spent enough present and sober time to notice the walls were getting a little dusty and grimy, so I washed most of those. The one left requires moving furniture, so it had to wait.
During the second week, I did some more meal prep and did a cursory clean out of the pantry, checking dates and organizing where everything could be easily accessed and seen. That was another trash bag of expired food out the door.
I used to get so angry because I would spend a week cleaning and organizing the kitchen. He would just stuff things in there, not paying attention to how things were organized. Yesterday I opened one of the cabinets and it struck me. Seeing the contrast between the pantry and fridge and these cabinets, I don't think any of those spaces have ever been organized in a way that makes much sense. We don't have upper cabinets, but instead two six foot tall floor cabinets. One cabinet has been things we use often and the other things we use less. Kind of. Then two cardboard boxes of plastic. God knows what. Then we have a lower cabinet, with random shit shoved in there.
I spent the day reorganizing and keep in mind, I've been through all this stuff at least once in the past two years. Barely anything in the cardboard boxes has been used. Lots of tupperware from the 90s. Lids with no bowls. Stained bowls with no lids. Don't ask me why I didn't toss these last time, because they were gross looking, even when clean. All of that went away and there are no longer two cardboard boxes stuffed in my cabinet. Two trash bags and a box of (recyclable) plastic later and you can see and access everything easily and like items are together. Everything has a place and it's evident where everything goes.
So . . . Now there is no more cabinet, fridge, or pantry Jenga. It's more pleasant to cook in there, easier to clean the fridge, easier to put the dishes away. With food being such an integral part of living, it just makes life easier. I hate to admit it, but for the first time in my life, I understand why having highly organized cabinets matters. And for the first time in a long time, I am not just ready to get rid of things. I feel like going through this process is gently rewiring my brain to think about objects and space a lot differently. I felt nothing but excitement over the prospect of an organized space, as I was tossing all that plastic in the bags. I've been motivated sans the period of depression. I've never been this motivated. I have been aware for a while that I wasn't going to organize my way out of the garage hoard or the house clutter. I believe cleaning out a space, where the objects inside were meaningless to me and seeing just how much of a difference it made has highlighted how much I need to get rid of if I want the rest of my life to be as beautiful as my refrigerator.
Health wise, we quit drinking beer and went from six shots a night to four. We are cutting back as we lose weight. We no longer buy booze for Sunday. We chill and have a few glasses of wine. Cleaning and organizing, I am on my feet more and getting more activity. I'm eating a Mediterranean diet and three meals instead of two. I weighed in this morning and I have lost a total of 12 lbs in a month. I still have another 18 to get to my weight before the depression and another 20 for a healthy weight. My body is squishy again, which is better. I sleep better. I have more energy, which feeds into being able to do more work around the house. I feel better mentally and physically.
So, yeah. I missed out on garage season. It's house season, though and I have a very productive Summer ahead. It's amazing what focusing on my nutrition has done for us. That's not in the general sense that just eating better will fix your mental illness or disorder. But focusing on the entire experience of nourishment and making it easier and more pleasant to cook healthy meals. Bonus points are that we are having fun cooking together and actually saving money by not overbuying and doing a little meal prep. That also resulted in a very insignificant amount of waste over the past month.
Over the Summer, I hope to add a kitchen island for more counter space, give the cabinets a fresh coat of paint, get the brand new dishwasher hooked up, and continue to make my kitchen a pleasant place to spend time.
Anyway . . .
If you made it this far, thanks for joining me on this journey. I know it was a novel. I appreciate you!

I travel on a cheap budget and have a lot of exercise and time in the sun.
But my diet tends to have a lot of bread,jams,ramen,canned food,burgers,rice,sweet fruits like banana/mango. Dont have access to cooking anything.
Recently feeling a bit down, and considering supplementing my diet.

Thankfully I had planned to eat the whole thing anyway today but not at once.
So I got this protein ice cream from lidl that has like about 20g of protein and 330 calories for the whole pint(pretty much like Halo top but 5 euro cheaper)
I had just eaten lunch (2 meatballs and a sandwich) and breakfast was like 2 hours ago(some muesli with a frozen banana) and I wanted a treat so I was like let's have half of this now and the rest at night after dinner.
I got the ice cream out of the freezer,heated up my spoon,got my scale ready and started to attempt to get it out but it wouldn't budge,heck some got in my face and floor rather on my plate,so I got so pissed I just dumped the whole thing on my plate and threw in some zero cal chocolate syrup(it's from a site My Protein,100ml is like 5 calories,def recommend it)and ate it.
And I deeply regret it,not so guilty wise rather because I was so uncomfortably full now, I can't even get myshelf up from the couch.
I have a bad temper and I was kinda angry with myshelf for how I spaced my meals that the ice cream was the last drop.

to start, ive had undiagnosed anorexia since i was like 16 (im asian so eds don't exist in my culture 😍😍) which has evolved into binge/restrict since i started uni.
anyways, i went on a trip with my sister to japan early may, and for the entire week leading up to it i binged hard bc i restricted so much the week before. i hate myself for that one bc for the plane ride and the first day there i was so full and nauseous it was awful
however, for the rest of the trip i didn't have any restrictions or follow any food rules. this trip had me eating food covered in mayo, noodles, fried foods, white rice, white bread, (all of which i have barely touched in YEARS). i was eating anything i wanted and no matter how much i ate, the next day i wouldn't be bloated or anything. the food there is so high quality and costs like, half of what it would cost at home. after years of eating nonfat yogurt, apples, and protein shakes, i rediscovered that food can actually taste really fucking good (and without costing me the equivalent of working for an hour and a half). while i was there, i didn't worry at all about calories or anything
and to top it all off, i actually lost weight during the trip
since ive been back, its like all my fear foods are gone now. i mixed mayo into my tuna, ate fried rice made with actual rice and not just veggies, and eat the meals that my parents make. i haven't binged since ive been back either, so i havent been bloated. im able to stop when im full even when im eating chips or other foods that i used to always binge on
now, i will not lie, this has been a double edged sword because food doesn't taste as good as it did in japan, so now im like "this isn't even worth the calories" and eat tiny portions. but honestly, ill still take it over the binge/restrict i used to do. im losing weight (which has always been my goal) at a slower, and hopefully better, pace now, which im overall happy about.
its crazy to think about how this trip basically factory reset my life, bc mentally im in SUCH a better place now, and im so thankful for my sister for taking me on it
ALTHOUGH DISCLAIMER if ur thinking about taking a trip to japan and have an ed that hyperfixates on other people just be aware pretty much everyone is tiny there. im already a small person so i was okay but stores there, their clothing sizes are usually only S or M, and this one place i went to only had jean sizes from 22 (yes, waist TWENTY TWO) to 26 which was the most triggering thing ever ngl

We are beyond thrilled to introduce our assortment of springtime donut flavors now that spring is just around the horizon. The spring season has so much to offer. more daylight hours, full bloom flowers, and stunning scenery. This time of year, it seems as if nature is renewing itself. Donuts in sparkling flavors — or, better yet, donuts with spring flavors — are necessary for springtime. The ideal treat at this time seems to be a couple of vibrant, multi-colored donuts with delectable fillings. Amy’s Donuts offers the scrumptious and best donuts in Denton. The flavor is irresistibly crispy and velvety, melting into your lips.
Read also: Factors That Make Donut the Best Choice for a Family Wedding
To commemorate the arrival of spring, Amy’s Donuts is offering 5 different donut varieties.

1. Blueberry cake

Blueberry cake donuts, a cult favorite, are one of the most popular offerings on the Amy’s Donuts menu. And there’s a justification for it. We take the utmost care and affection in making our blueberry cake donuts. Fresh blueberries are included in the cinnamon-nutmeg doughnut batter before being fried till golden brown. After that, we coat it with powdered sugar glaze to give it a distinctive appearance.
The fresh and hot blueberry cake donut from Amy’s Donuts is sure to brighten your day and make the ideal spring dessert.
2. Cherry frosted
With beautiful cherry icing, these Cherry Frosted Donuts have a soft, creamy cake-like texture! Ideal for celebrations, Valentine’s Day, or just a regular breakfast. Adore donuts? Next, be sure to try these baked cherry donuts.
This sweet pink snack is a more relaxed take on a traditional Valentine’s Day treat. Your day will start right if you enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee
3. Strawberry frosted
What results when our original donuts, just out of the glazer, are covered in strawberry frosting and rainbow sprinkles? The donut was undoubtedly the freshest ever. This year will be full of joy and good times because our strawberry frosted is prepared to blossom in Amy’s Donuts. It’s wonderful, it’s pink, and it’s loaded with tart strawberry and sweet caramelized bread flavors.
4. Banana fudge
Moist-baked banana donuts with a rich chocolate butter glaze are known as banana fudge donuts. If you want to use up your overripe bananas, they are an excellent substitute for banana bread.
5. Blueberry old fashioned
Cake-like and fluffy on the inside, with a subtle crunchy on the outside. The lustrous glaze simply soaks up all the little gaps in these doughnuts. bursting with blueberries. It is tasty and moist. Because of the jagged surface’s increased glaze absorption, this donut is slightly sweeter than typical cake donuts. Moreover, it has a chubbier shape and a stronger flavor.
Conclusion:
The aforementioned spring flavor donuts were all thoughtfully chosen to complement the upbeat and vivacious feel of the new season. More than 30 different donut kinds are available at Amy’s Donuts, which also provides 24-hour service. If this holiday season has you feeling excited, Amy’s Donuts offers online delivery. You can even order donuts online in denton.
Source Url: http://mail.party.biz/blogs/150733/255379/a-very-special-spring-with-amy-s-donuts-spring-flavored-donuts

I'm trying to get quicker and reduce my run times. I've only been an In-Store Shopper and Curbie for about a month, so I'm sure I'll improve a bit, as I already have, but to help give some perspective into my thought process: I try to be at or beyond the upper echelon of people in my department when it comes to work in my previous career experiences, so it is pretty demoralizing watching people when I'm on a dry run pass me, despite me having started at least 20 minutes earlier at times (might be a slight exaggeration).
Today was the first day I had a dry run that was sub 1h20m, but the total units for the run wasn't even at the 160 cap, I think it was more like 137. Some runners in my store had like 157 UPH last week, but I can't hit the requested minimum of 120 UPH.
That's just on dry, too. On frozen, I think I've only ever had a sub 30m and that was today on a relatively low unit run in terms of what I'm used to getting, when that pace is the requested maximum completion time for frozen altogether. Cold, I've only done two or three of, so I need to get to know that environment more, and same can be said for production runs. It seems like it would be cheating to feel good about fast bulk because they're rarely ever over even 30 units, so I'm able to knock those out in usually under 30 minutes, sometimes 20 now, but if it isn't "cheating" to feel that way about those runs then I guess I'm comfortable with bulk.
I try to incorporate things I see others be successful with, so here's two things I can think of that I've definitely started using more, regardless of how little it feels like they improve my overall pace.

• I've started picking a few items at once if they are in a more reasonable distance from each other than the shelf is from the cart instead of running to and from that same shelf more than once.
  
• I try to wait to bag until a slot has enough items to fill a bag in its entirety with the exception of bread, chips, and bananas, all of which I tend to keep in their own designated bags as soon as they hit the cart (which I feel is what makes the most sense because all of them are more sensitive to weight than most items in store).
  

I also try to move pretty fast physically speaking. Even if a partner doing a run at the same time as me takes what feels like 50 seconds to narrow down where an item is that they are having trouble finding, they catch back up to me within minutes if not seconds.
I know it's not that big of a deal, it's just a job and I'm still figuring life out so this isn't my end all, be all career by any means. I don't need to be the best, but I want to be good, and exceed quotas. What are some suggestions to improve my pace on runs? If there is different advice for different run sections, please, enlighten me.
TL;DR - What can I do to get faster on runs?

I’m working in another state than where the rest of my family lives and I need to send as much money home as I can. So I’m trying to come up with a very cheap but still healthy and enjoyable meal plan and grocery list. Here’s what I’ve got so far: - 18 eggs ($3) - Bread (bread, buns, rolls, whatever) ($5) - Bananas ($2) - Apples ($5) - Blueberries ($4) - Oatmeal ($4) - Frozen vegetables ($5) - Pasta ($10) - Sausage ($5) - Soup ($10) - Large potatoes ($10) - Pulled pork ($10)
Dinner - Pasta w/ sausage and vegetables - Baked potatoes - Soup
Breakfast - Boiled Eggs - Oatmeal - Fruit
I could really use some help, thank you

I’m working in another state than where the rest of my family lives and I need to send as much money home as I can. So I’m trying to come up with a very cheap but still healthy and enjoyable meal plan and grocery list. Here’s what I’ve got so far: - 18 eggs ($3) - Bread (bread, buns, rolls, whatever) ($5) - Bananas ($2) - Apples ($5) - Blueberries ($4) - Oatmeal ($4) - Frozen vegetables ($5) - Pasta ($10) - Sausage ($5) - Soup ($10) - Large potatoes ($10) - Pulled pork ($10)
Dinner - Pasta w/ sausage and vegetables - Baked potatoes - Soup
Breakfast - Boiled Eggs - Oatmeal - Fruit
I could really use some help, thank you

I’m working in another state than where the rest of my family lives and I need to send as much money home as I can. So I’m trying to come up with a very cheap but still healthy and enjoyable meal plan and grocery list. Here’s what I’ve got so far: - 18 eggs ($3) - Bread (bread, buns, rolls, whatever) ($5) - Bananas ($2) - Apples ($5) - Blueberries ($4) - Oatmeal ($4) - Frozen vegetables ($5) - Pasta ($10) - Sausage ($5) - Soup ($10) - Large potatoes ($10) - Pulled pork ($10)
Dinner - Pasta w/ sausage and vegetables - Baked potatoes - Soup
Breakfast - Boiled Eggs - Oatmeal - Fruit
I could really use some help, thank you

I’m working in another state than where the rest of my family lives and I need to send as much money home as I can. So I’m trying to come up with a very cheap but still healthy and enjoyable meal plan and grocery list. Here’s what I’ve got so far: - 18 eggs ($3) - Bread (bread, buns, rolls, whatever) ($5) - Bananas ($2) - Apples ($5) - Blueberries ($4) - Oatmeal ($4) - Frozen vegetables ($5) - Pasta ($10) - Sausage ($5) - Soup ($10) - Large potatoes ($10) - Pulled pork ($10)
Dinner - Pasta w/ sausage and vegetables - Baked potatoes - Soup
Breakfast - Boiled Eggs - Oatmeal - Fruit
I could really use some help, thank you

I’m working in another state than where the rest of my family lives and I need to send as much money home as I can. So I’m trying to come up with a very cheap but still healthy and enjoyable meal plan and grocery list. Here’s what I’ve got so far: - 18 eggs ($3) - Bread (bread, buns, rolls, whatever) ($5) - Bananas ($2) - Apples ($5) - Blueberries ($4) - Oatmeal ($4) - Frozen vegetables ($5) - Pasta ($10) - Sausage ($5) - Soup ($10) - Large potatoes ($10) - Pulled pork ($10)
Dinner - Pasta w/ sausage and vegetables - Baked potatoes - Soup
Breakfast - Boiled Eggs - Oatmeal - Fruit
I could really use some help, thank you

Hello,
Recently diagnosed In March and trying to test my BG as often through finger pricking when I’m trying new foods especially cheat meals or if I feel off. It seems my fasting #’s are at 90-100 and after meals it can be 95’s-110’s.
For example, I’ve had a 1.5 slice of pizza went on a walk, was out for 3 hrs to run errands and didn’t check until I came back home to see my BG around 100. Yesterday, had chicken cacciatore with lupin flour pasta, a cup of watermelon after dinner yesterday and tested 2 hrs after with BG is 94. Month ago, I got Chinese food and had this sweet sticky breaded chicken with sweet potatoes and a meat veggie dish. I was afraid it would spike me but it was only somewhere in 100’s when I went to check later that night.
My question is do I exactly have to time it (1-2 hrs after eating) testing myself to know when I spike? I’m scared that I have already spiked when I’m out. How long does it take if to go down if you do spike? I just haven’t hit a high number yet when checking, It feels like I’m doing something wrong. I’ve paired a fat/fibeprotein to balance anything that has carbs and go on walks. 2nd highest I’ve had was 118 getting Korean bbq, tofu soup, had 4-5 rice cakes, and 3 tablespoons of purple rice. The highest I’ve had was being hospitalized in March eating stacks of pancakes with bananas at BG of 150.
Sorry if this sounds silly, I’m just worried.

So I had some over ripe bananas that I mashed up to make banana bread last night, but I was too tired to make it right then. I ended up putting the mashed bananas in a Tupperware in the fridge overnight (should have used the freezer smh) but today the entire top layer is brown, like when you leave guacamole in the fridge. Is this still okay to use in my banana bread, or is it bad now? Sorry if this is a silly question.

Monday
Mexican shredded cheese-topped blueberries. It’s what’s for breakfast when Minnie is on breakfast duty, in charge of monitoring your glucose, and you’re two years old.
Waterskiing for soggy sandwiches is the new skiing for donuts. Ski-vie Kate wanted to go first but had to wait for the larger of her two handlers to demonstrate how to use the ski trainer while her other handler ruptured her eardrums. After she waterskied to her parents’ satisfaction, it was time for a nap in her swimsuit, but the Contentot broke free from the blackout tent looking for juice and pajamas. Back out on the water again, Sea-Doo Kate was fed more sandwiches to perform for Instagram. During her break from filming, Stevie Chalk colored Belle’s fur pink and declared her love for the number one guy in the group, Tanner, with sidewalk art.
Tuesday
The Tuesday after Memorial Day means it’s back to work for the Turtles… just kidding! When you’re a Houghton, every day is a vacation day and they’re all still at the lake.
Feral Kate woke up with hair bigger than Sam’s but at least she didn’t have to spend the whole night sleeping in a dirty swimsuit. As the hardest working Houghton, she was immediately tasked with executing today’s content plan: Stand Up Waterskiing for a Two Year Old. Failure was not an option. Her wages? Unlimited sandwiches on the boat 🥪 and Rice Krispies doled out to her like cat treats off the side of the ski trainer.
In fact Stevie Sandwich consumed more sandwiches over Memorial Day weekend than Jen has eaten in her entire life - regular bread, Sola bread, or otherwise. Who can blame the little bread lover though. She was just trying to eat enough so that the giant life jacket they gave her would actually fit.
Snap Crackle Kate exceeded everyone’s expectations for waterskiing content and was rewarded with ice cream by coach Uncle Tanner. She seemed to love her moment in the spotlight on the water, smiling, hamming it up for the camera and singing along to her favorite Frozen songs.
Howler Monkey: Steven makes THE BEST peach cobbler in the world better cobbler than Tiffany. All you do is put peaches in the bottom of a baking dish, sprinkle cake mix on them, and slice up a stick of butter and put it on top of that. Because I never eat food or cook, I think it’s absolutely BRILLIANT. Wowowowow.
Wednesday
Dimwit took the day off IG but Jen storied what the Junior Turtles were up to today. Jen awoke to find Sleepy Kate blacked out in the kitchen and Dim and Dum asleep on the new sofa surrounded by a sea of plastic water bottles and cereal bowls. Apparently the A/C had gone out in their bedroom. Dimmy reported for Shilly babysitting duty while Tiffany and Adam went jet skiing. Tiffany had a case of mom brain which apparently made her forget riding a jet ski three weeks postpartum would be a bad idea. But somehow she bopped right through and Adam was the one left doubled over in pain. It was right back to work for Snap Crackle Kate as she waterskied again for Rice Krispies doled out by Tanner. Training Stevie Canine was such a success that Dummy didn’t even have to pull out his iPhone notes to reference his Fix Whining Plan.
Turtle time check. Jen shared stories from Saturday and tried to pass them off as today’s, of the Dirtles touring the new $5 million lake house she and Sr bought. In today’s depiction of Saturdays tour, SK seemed more impressed by the Castle o’ Timber, while Dimmy was ready for Jen to give it a Sarah Knuth-inspired makeover.
Back in real time, Jen shared her favorite family moments from the week at the lake house, and poor Dummy wasn’t featured in a single photo, while Dimmy was in one photo and Stevie Kate featured in five photos.
Thursday
Stevie Kontent’s wake up call: bright lights, big shrieks, and a phone shoved in her face. You can only hide under a blanket for so long before your handlers make you greet the internet with your good morning script and declare your love for all the fat poors who fund your travel. Next up it was time to force Shein Kate into some commissionable, linkable fast fashion while pretending the Contentot put together the cheap look all on her own.
Dummy updated us she got her period and is not pregnant with SK 2.0 (whew we’re all relieved to have a brief reprieve from turtle pregnancies).
String Cheese Kate had blueberries, a bracelet, a piece of cheese and avocado toast for lunch while Kimmy had a Go Hydrate drink containing 5 calories for lunch. So 👏🏻 so 👏🏻 yummy and it totally fills her up. After less than just one day back at home, Kimmy announced it’s time to travel again - to Arizona to see friends Brooke & Justin and then to a friend’s wedding in Utah - so she’s packing all her powders and supplements and shit to shill for the next several days.
Stevie Shaving Cream played with the neighbor boy in the tub with shaving cream but they didn’t like it, probably because their stupid moms couldn’t figure out that the tub is also a great place to rinse off the mess when they’re done. So the dim moms dragged the dirty tots through the house and plopped them outside at the water table to hose them off.
Dimmy was excited when a giant box was delivered - more shit to shill! - only to realize the package contained dozens of rolls of toilet paper addressed to Stevie Charmin. Was the tot’s BFF Sam behind this? Maybe he sent the package to SK to encourage her to TP Turtle Creek Lane as his punishment to the Senior Turtles for the Mormon bucket trek! Unbothered that strangers could be sending her weird stuff through the mail, Return to Sender Kate unboxed the rest of the day’s packages while reciting The Gruffalo and dumping a plate of her food on the floor.
Continued in comments due to character limit

Race Information

• Name: Rock n Roll Marathon - San Diego
• Date: June 4, 2023
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Location: San Diego, CA
• Time: 4:03:36

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Sub 4	No
B	Sub 4:10	Yes

Splits

Mile	Time
1	9:17
2	9:13
3	10:10
4	8:49
5	8:57
6	9:01
7	9:01
8	8:46
9	8:38
10	8:43
11	8:42
12	8:43
13	8:33
14	8:29
15	8:52
16	8:57
17	9:04
18	9:08
19	8:42
20	9:00
21	9:12
22	9:46
23	10:52
24	11:35
25	10:08
26	9:07
27	8:08

Training

I am a 28F that has been a runner since high school (ran XC). I didn't run competitively in college but still continued running for my main source of exercise as an adult with an average weekly mileage of 5-15 miles. That changed last year when I started training for my first half marathon. I raced that in late February and felt great, being able to complete my first half in 1:47 on a flat course but with extreme rain and wind conditions (and taking a wrong turn, oops). I had a great time and felt that the weather conditions robbed me of a proper first race experience. While training for the half, I had been running most of my long runs with a local run club in which most folks were training for the LA marathon, so figured I was half way on to marathon training already. I took about a week and a half off after the half and began training for the full marathon the second week of March.
This gave me about 3 months of training time. I did the NRC half marathon training plan and really liked the guided runs (especially the speed runs and the long runs with coach Bennett) so decided to do the NRC marathon training plan as well. I had to cut the first few weeks out due to time constraints (the full plan was 18 weeks, but I only had 13 until race day) but figured my base fitness was in a good place from the half marathon training so would be alright. I followed the plan fairly well and completed each week's long run and speed run. The main difference from the plan is that I only ran about 4 days a week while the plan included 5.
I did about 2 days of strength training each week as well (usually one day of lower body focus, one day of either upper or full body focus), incorporating at home YouTube workouts after runs.
About a month before the race, I started experiencing major knee pain in my right knee. I figured it was IT band related and took it easier on runs. I stopped running altogether the last week before the race in hopes it would heal.

Pre-race

I had been trying to adjust my sleeping schedule to waking up earlier to be able to be ready and rested for an early wake up for a 6:15 am start time. We arrived to San Diego the day before the race and got brunch at a local Mexican cafe where I ate pancakes and eggs. We checked into our hotel and relaxed for a few hours. I ate pizza for an early dinner at about 4:30 (I didn't want to feel too heavy during the race) and came back and watched some tv at the hotel. I turned in for bed at 8:30 and luckily fell asleep at 9:00 pm despite my nerves.
I woke up at 3:45 and ate 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and banana which is what I had eaten before all of my long runs during training. The only bad part which I hadn't planned for was that the hotel didn't have a toaster so I had to eat the bread without being toasted. It was drier than I wanted and I definitely didn't feel hungry but forced it down anyways.
I also didn't anticipate the start to be so chaotic. I knew there was going to be thousands of runners, but I showed up at 5:45 expecting to be able to use the port-a-potty at least once before the start. When I arrived at 5:45, the line was super long. I waited in it for about 15 minutes and it barely moved. I was still a block or two away from my designated corral so I made the decision to bail the line and hold my bladder. I barely made it to my corral (4) with about 2 minutes to spare before the start of the race.

Race

When I crossed the start line, I felt extremely excited and loved the energy from the other runners. I was prepared for the start to be crowded since the marathoners and half marathoners started together, but due to the corrals there was actually more space than I anticipated. From the start of the race, I had a lot of discomfort in my bladder and figured I'd have to pull over to the port-a-potty fairly soon.
Luckily I had run the first few miles of the course a few weeks prior while visiting SD (and I used to live there) so I wasn't surprised by the rolling hills in the first 3 miles and felt good. I saw my family at mile 2 which gave me even more of a burst of energy but my bladder was telling me otherwise. I gave in and stopped at the next port-a-potty but unfortunately had to wait for one to be available. I probably lost ~2-3 min in the ordeal (during training I had stopped to use the restrooms during long runs and timed it would take about a min or so) so I knew I would have to make up for the lost time to reach my goal.
Despite that, I tried to start the first 3 miles on a slower pace. It was hard due to the energy of the other runners and spectators, but I tried to keep the pace slower knowing there would be many more miles to go.
I started feeling minor pain in both of my knees around mile 5. I was worried as this was super early on but felt great with my energy overall and told myself to keep going. By the time the marathoners and half marathoners broke off around mile 8, I felt great. I passed my family again at mile 9 with a huge smile.
Mile 12 started a descent downhill for about a mile. This is when the knee pain became overpowering. I had trained on hills but never such long, steep downhill portions on a slant. My knees were in A LOT of pain at this point.
I tried to keep pushing through the knee pain and was able to make it to mile 19 focused and at a good pace. I saw my family again which brought my spirits up even more.
Mile 20 is when things started to turn in a different direction. Although I had been fueling throughout the race (had 3 gels already) and drinking water at each aid station, I started feeling a bit light headed half way through mile 20. I was worried since I had never run more than 20 miles in my training but I knew I just needed to focus. At the next water station, I stopped to walk when I took it, and walked while I drank. After a few seconds of walking and getting myself together, I started running again. This was huge for me as I had never stopped to walk on any runs while training.
Mile 22 is when the gradual ~1.5 mile hill (~200 ft of elevation gain) began on the freeway. Of course the pavement was even more slanted than other parts of the course on the incline. At this point, the pain in my knees became unbearable and my right quad was extremely tight (almost to the point of feeling like it was completely cramping). I started walking and ended up doing a walk/run combo (walked about 3 times in total) for the remainder of the hill.
Once I got to the top of the hill, my knee pain felt so incredibly strong but I was determined to finish. After walking on the hill, I came to terms with the fact that I would likely not finish under 4 hours but I still wanted to finish with the best time I could. I had long lost sight of the 4 hour pacer and the last miles were a mental battle of wanting to walk but pushing myself to jog. Once I got to mile 25, I was determined to finish strong despite the pain.
It's probably cheesy, but I even made a hand catered playlist for the marathon in which I placed songs in the exact order of when I wanted to hear them. I knew that if I finished my goal of just under 4 hours, I'd hear a specific song (Congratulations by Post Malone lol) while crossing the finish but I ended up hearing the song on that playlist right after (which was disappointing). I was still proud and tried my best to go all out for the last .2

Post-race

I crossed the finish and immediately felt all of the pain in my knees and quads that I had tried my best to suppress. I hobbled down the finish chute and chugged a full bottle of water that was handed to me by a volunteer. I made it a few tables down and opened half of a banana when I put both hands on a table and felt frozen, scared to move for a few moments due to the pain. Luckily I heard my parents call my name through the crowds and I slowly made my way over to them. I felt so much better seeing my family.
Overall, I was happy to finish. I knew I had signed up for a fairly hilly course for my first marathon but was still optimistic I could meet my sub 4 hour goal. Although mentally prepared that it would be there, I was still extremely humbled by the massive & brutal hill at the end. While I never felt any shortness of breath or physical fatigue at any point of the race (I had an avg HR of 163), the physical joint pain was something I had not prepared for. I'd definitely love to hear any feedback on how I could've done better (and open to answering any other questions). Now a a day later, I know there was for sure some things I could've done better in hindsight:

• More core exercise: my core strength has always been weak and I did not do any additional training to improve it which I'm sure was a factor in my knee issues
• More single leg exercises: while I had been doing consistent strength training (and have always had naturally strong legs), I wasn't doing a lot of single leg focused exercises to holistically strengthen both legs and also a huge factor in the knee issues
• More longer distance runs: The longest run I did while training was 20 miles. I personally think doing a 22 or 23 mile run would've helped me mentally prepare for race day in terms of confidence and visualization of the last few miles
• Upping my MPW: I averaged about 25-32 mpw over about 4 runs during training. I think running 5 days a week or just a few more miles a week could've helped
• Prioritize recovery: I know sleep is key to recovery but I was averaging about 7 hours a night while training. Additionally, I wish I would've made an appt to see a PT about my knee pain when it started

Ultimately, I am happy that I did it regardless of the result. It was a huge accomplishment and felt so grateful for the presence and support of my family on race day. Having lived in San Diego for some years, it was a beautiful experience running through some of my old stomping grounds and running routes. While I knew I had done the training to finish the race, I am still amazed and grateful at my body for being strong enough to finish.
Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.

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Note: Not all products arrive in all stores at the same time and some might only be available regionally. Please contact your local store for product stock questions and estimated arrival dates.
There were a few new May products that were VERY limited and may no longer be available in stores as of June (Beach Day Gummy Candy, Madagascar Vanilla Bean Crème Fraîche, S'mores Clusters). 😔
Please leave a comment if you've seen a new or seasonal item from May that's not listed here!
As always, please upvote this post if you find the monthly product list Megathreads helpful to you.
🆕 New for May 2023 (some may have shown up end of April or beginning of June)

• Aura Berry Ginger Collagen Tea - $2.99
• Beach Day Gummy Candy (Very Limited) - $1.99
• Blueberry Preserves, Organic (Limited Availability) - $4.49
• Brazil Nut Body Wash (Limited Availability) - $5.99
• Breaded Cheddar Cheese Curds - $4.99
• Black Tea + Lemon Cold Brew Iced Tea, 18 Tea Bags - $2.69
• Campanology Peach Ale (Limited Availability, YMMV) - $7.99
• Chocolatey Coated Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Bites
• Coffee Syrup (not new, but hasn’t been around for years - has anybody seen this?) - $4.49
• Crunchy Chili Onion Hummus - $3.99
• Diamond Crystal Salt Co. Kosher Salt Flakes - $8.99
• Diamond Reserve Pauillac, YMMV - $19.99
• Donuts Forever! Donut Shaped Chocolate Truffles - $4.49
• El Cortijo Dorado Cow’s and Sheep’s Milk Cheese
• Enchanted Jangle - $4.49
• French Heritage Orange Rind Saint Paulin Cheese (May’s Spotlight Cheese) - $3.99
• Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins - $4.99 for 4
• Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Strips (refrigerated, not sure if new, or new in some regions?)
• GT’s ALIVE Ancient Mushroom Elixir - Lemon Lime
• Madagascar Vanilla Bean Crème Fraîche (Limited Availability) - $3.99
• Mafalda Corta Pasta Macaroni Product (Limited Availability) - $2.49
• Milk Chocolate Bar with Corn Flakes - $2.99
• Mini (Almost) Everything Bagel Sandwich Crackers with Cream Cheese Filling
• Oat Chocolate Bars with Crispy Rice & Cocoa Nibs - $2.49
• Organic Blueberry Preserves (Limited Availability) - $4.49
• Organic Chiapas Mexico Small Lot Coffee (not new, but hasn’t been available in years) - $10.99
• Organic Mafalda Corta Pasta (Limited Availability) - $2.49
• Organic Plain Cream Cheese Spread - $3.49
• Pink Insulated Bag - $7.99
• Raspberry Icelandic Style Skyr Lowfat Yogurt
• Salted Caramel + Pistachio Scented Candle (Limited Availability) - $5.99
• Shortcake Biscuits (not new, but new to some regions) - $4.49
• S’mores Clusters - (Very Limited Availability, no longer available) - $3.99
• Spicy Honey Sauce (bigger 12 oz. bottle is new, no longer organic) - $4.99
• Super Sweet Marzanino Whole Peeled Tomatoes in Tomato Juice
• Sweet & Salty Umami Crunchies Rice Snackers - $2.99
• Trio of Soft Licorice Twists (Raspberry, Mango, and Green Apple)
• Whole Grain Waffles - $2.69

Not new but may be changing suppliers or packaging in some regions, YMMV - please comment with your region if you’ve noticed new packaging for the Pesto, Pizza Sauce, Tabouli, or Tzatziki):

• Balsamic Glaze
• Pesto Genovese (refrigerated)
• Pizza Sauce (refrigerated)
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• Tabouli (I think they spell it Tabbouli)
• Tzatziki

🌷Returning Spring & Seasonal Limited Items that returned in April / May / June:

• BBQ & Black Pepper Toscano Chopped Salad
• Blueberry Dreams Frozen Dessert Bars
• Blueberry Fields Hard Cheese - $4.99
• Body Essence Aloe Vera Gel - $3.49 (is this new or returning?)
• Brazil Nut Body Butter
• Brazil Nut Body Scrub
• Brie Cheese with WIld Mushrooms - $11.99/lb.
• Brie Cheese with Green Peppercorns - 11.99/lb.
• Cajun Style Alfredo Sauce -$3.99
• California Sun-Dried Tomatoes - $2.49
• Cheddar Cheese with Scotch Bonnet Chili and Red Peppers
• Chive Cheddar Cheese - is this seasonal?
• Chocolate Fudge Oat Bars Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
• Coconut Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate - $5.99
• Coffee Bean Mini Hold the Cone! Ice Cream Cones - $3.79
• Cold Brew Black Tea Concentrate (Organic) - $4.99
• Cold Brew Coffee Bags - $7.99
• Crunchy Jalapeno Lime & Onion - $4.29
• Dark Chocolate Watermelon Sticks - $3.49
• Dill Pickle Mustard - $1.99
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Snackers - $3.99 (not sure if seasonal or back in stock after TOS?)
• Glazed Sour Cream Donuts
• Grapefruit Scented Candle
• Halloumi Cheese (not sure if seasonal or returning after TOS) - $5.99
• Horchata Inspired Ice Cream
• Jalapeño Limeade Lime Juice Beverage (shelf stable) - $2.29
• Just The Lobsters Lobster Shaped Soft & Chewy Gummy Candy
• Key Lime Pie (frozen) - $5.99
• Mango Flavored Black Tea
• Mango Jicama Slaw - $5.49
• Marshmallows - $2.99
• Mini Cheesecake Cones - $4.29
• Mini Chocolate Mousse Flowers
• Organic Poppy Seed Dressing
• Organic Sugar Cones - $2.99
• Out Of This World Ice Pops
• Patio Potato Chips - $2.69
• Peaches & Cream Tarte (frozen) - $5.99
• Peanut Butter Caramel Coated Popcorn - $3.79 (not sure if seasonal or back in stock after TOS)
• Peonies (Peony Flowers) - $9.99, YMMV
• Peony Blossom Candle - $3.99
• Peony Blossom Foaming Hand Soap - $2.99
• Pink & Whites Dark Chocolate Bar - $2.99
• Pink & Whites Shortbread Cookies with Yogurt Coating and Sprinkles - $4.49
• Portuguese Custard Tarts - $2.99
• Salt Water Taffy
• Seasoning In A Pickle Seasoning Blend - $2.49
• Shortcake Biscuits (bakery) - $4.49 (may be new in some regions, and returning seasonal in other regions)
• Sparkling Strawberry Juice Beverage - is this seasonal or year-round, I thought it was year-round but the Watermelon one is seasonal? - $3.99
• Sparkling Watermelon Juice Beverage - $3.99
• Spicy Buffalo Cheddar
• Spicy Mango Lemonade (refrigerated) - $3.29
• Strawberry Basil Vinaigrette - $3.99
• Strawberry & Jalapeno Crisps - $3.99
• Strawberry Lemonade Joe-Joe’s Sandwich Creme Cookies - $3.49
• Strawberry Shortcake Sandwich Cookies
• Strawberry & Vanilla Flavored Yogurt Pretzels
• Sweet Basil Foaming Hand Soap - $2.99
• Sweet Corn, Burrata & Basil Ravioli
• These Sprinkles Walk Into A Sandwich Cookie - $3.49
• Tomato Ketchup with Black Summer Truffle - $3.49
• Tres Leches Cake (frozen) - $7.99
• Truffle Aioli
• Truffle Flavored BBQ Sauce - $3.49
• Ube Ice Cream - $3.79
• Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix - $3.99
• Ube Pretzels
• Ube Spread - $3.99
• Ube Tea Cookies Purple Yam Shortbread Cookies - $4.49
• Watermelon Cold Pressed Juice - $2.99
• Watermelon Cucumber Cooler Juice Beverage - $3.49
• Watermelon Lemonade Sparkling Water - $3.49
• Watermelon & Peach Macarons - $5.49
• When life Gives you Lemons Make Ice Cream - $3.79
• White Stilton Cheese with Mango & Ginger - $11.99/lb
• Wildberry Cheesecake Ice Cream - $3.79

Back In Stock after being Temporarily Out Of Stock (YMMV, may not be back in all regions):

• Bamba with Hazelnut Creme Filling
• Crispy Crunchy Mochi Rice Nuggets
• Crispy Crunchy Spicy Mochi Rice Nuggets
• Daily Facial Sunscreen
• Mee Krob Snackers
• Salsa De Cacahuate
• Savory Banana & Nuts Trek Mix - I thought this was discontinued, but may be back?
• Squiggly Knife Cut Noodles
• Tangy Turtles Tart & Sweet Gummy Candy

Temporarily Out Of Stock in some regions, YMMV:

• Candy Coated Chocolate Peanuts
• Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips
• Instant Cold Brew Coffee has been recalled
• Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings
• Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings
• Sweet & Salty Umami Rice Crunchies
• Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes
• White Miso Paste?

Soon-To-Be-Discontinued:

• Cookie Butter Sandwich Cookies - can anybody please confirm if these are being discontinued or not?
• Golden Berry Blend (Raisins, Cranberry, Blueberries)

​

• Discontinued in 2023:
• Arugula & Parmigiano Reggiano Ravioli
• Bamba with Hazelnut Creme Filling is still showing as “discontinued” in California stores, other regions may vary, supposed to be returning to Northeast region in May
• Big Soft Pretzels
• Chili Sesame Oil
• Cilantro and Jalapeño Hummus
• Classic Hummus
• Cocoa & Sea Salt Instant Oatmeal
• Coconut Cashews
• Corn Poblano Chowder
• Dark Russet Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips discontinued in California only
• Dried Bing Cherries
• Grass Fed Angus Beef Burgers
• Herbed Tahini Sauce
• Hi-Protein Veggie Burger
• Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks
• Just… Grilled Chicken Strips
• Glucosamine Chondroitin for Dogs
• Goat Cheese & Sundried Tomato Ravioli
• Multigrain Toaster Waffles - replaced with Whole Grain Waffles
• Organic Valencia Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter
• Ricotta & Lemon Zest Ravioli
• Savory Banana & Nuts Trek Mix
• Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage
• Spicy Hummus Dip
• Uncooked Ground Buffalo Burgers ?
• Vegan Ranch Crunch Salad Kit

🔮 Sneak Peaks rumored to be coming sometime in 2023:

• Golden Caramel Swirl Ice Cream (not new, but returning previously discontinued product)
• Organic Midnight Moo Chocolate Syrup - looks like it might be from a new supplier?
• Portuguese Bacalhau Pie (Tarte de Bacalhau)
• S’mores Ice Cream
• Taco Gouda Cheese
• Tiny Fruity Cuties Sweetened Corn & Oat Cereal

I'll cheerfully talk about how I'm eating more regularly, working out, and haven't binged and purged in my longest streak yet. They take it as a sign of recovery and congratulate me and I act like things are improving, but the whole time I know this is all just my restriction getting worse. I'm eating too low for 2 hours a day working out, only eating "more regularly" to cram in protein at minimal calories. Avoiding grabbing a drink and suggesting a walk instead of brunch because I'm too scared of going over 1000 calories in a day, can't even b/p because I'm now too scared of how much food I won't get out. I miss rice, I miss pasta, I miss bread. I try to work them into my diary then delete them out of guilt. Some days I can't make myself eat until like 10pm. I almost cried yesterday because a friend wanted to have a last minute picnic and I didn't have time to think of something safe to eat. Not giving up entirely on building muscle to reshape the body I hate so much is the only thing still getting food into my mouth. I smoked cigarettes all weekend just to feel like there was some form of indulgence I could still have. I don't tell them the truth. I just let them think I'm getting better and worst of all they compliment me for it. It makes me feel like a terrible person. I'm so exhausted.

bf is 6ft1, male, 190lbs. currently on 60mg of omeprazole a day (two 30mg doses daily) and 40mg of pepcid a night. occasionally acetaminophen for headaches and body aches.
family history is largely unknown (no contact with his dads side; a lot of his moms side have passed away) but his mom mentioned she also has stomach issues of some kind and his youngest brother has had similar issues to hers. other than that the only known family history is heart failure and cancer. cancer took both grandparents and most of his male family have died of heart attacks or heart failure.
only other relevant history is he drank during the time of symptom development and he currently smokes marijuana, and he smoked cigarettes when he was 12-15. biopsies taken during endoscopy were benign and ulcers were observed in the esophagus. he did not smoke either marijuana or cigarettes at the time of developing symptoms and not smoking has no effect on symptoms, aside from pain management aspects of marijuana. the only blood lab ran has been H. Pylori and it was negative
hes also a very picky eater, to the point where he doesnt have any "okay" foods. the only options are his favorite foods, if a food is not prepared to his standard he cant eat it. he doesnt like very many vegetables (the only vegetables i can confidently he likes are mashed potatoes, corn, green beans and raw broccoli) but he likes a lot of fruit. citrus, bananas, berries are typically what we have on hand. other than that he only really eats meat and occasionally bread.
he had an ultrasound before his endoscopy and the ultrasound tech kept talking about how he had the most textbook perfect organs hed ever seen. we never heard the results from imaging or got a follow up.
anyways, symptoms as following:
every morning he wakes up, groans, says his stomach hurts, and within 20 minutes of waking up, has to shit. he will spend a consecutive hour in the bathroom and makes multiple trips after. its often diarrhea but hes complained of soft stool regardless. saturday he reported having diarrhea that was yellow in color.
often he also pukes in the mornings. orange/yellow bile if theres actual puke but if not then he will just cough until he pukes up phlegm. it does not matter what he has eaten or how much. he will go multiple days without eating and will not eat after 6pm and he will still spend an hour + in the bathroom and wake up in pain
at the time of symptom development he, reportedly, puked blood
sulphur burps but sour candies specifically. i located egg whites in the ingredients of the candy that caused him to complain about the sulfur burps but it was less than 2% and at this point i dont know whats causation or correlation
the only time he has not had any symptoms since initial symptom development was late december 2022/early january 2023 when temps got as low as -20°F acrossed the midwest, but during that blizzard from hell we were sleeping in a family members basement so maybe that had something to do with it as well?
im at a loss. nothing helps. the only lab thats been ran is the H. Pylori test and the biopsies. they took 3 biopsies from the esophagus, stomach and duodenum each and all were thankfully benign. it took 9 visits to 4 different clinics to even get the H. Pylori test, and they referred him to the gastro after that, but the current care plan the gastro has him on doesnt seem to be working and he doesnt return till august.
its affecting his ability to hold a job. hes quit one job, been fired from another due to this and he has already had to call out of his current job twice, and he only started 3 weeks ago, due to the intensity of his illness. he also finished highschool in an alternative schooling program due to his illness preventing him from going to school. he cant keep living like this and i dont believe he should have to live like this at all but i dont know what to do for him.
ETA: also, marijuana edibles dont work for him. i dont know if thats correlated at all but both times hes tried edibles they had no affect on him.