Strange as it is, my pants fit

I have a pair of pants (which of course my mom bought for me cause you know how much I love to shop). These are size 12 Talbot flat front navy colored khakis. I almost never wear them because they fit. Most of my pants are of the classy, stretchy Chico’s variety, with elastic waistbands. While that sounds terrible, Chico’s pants actually look very nice. But they are also very forgiving. My other fashion choices (disasters) include a couple of pair of capris that are a little too big, and jeans that are a little too big. And shapeless sundresses. So wearing a pair of pants that a) aren’t stretchy and b) fit feels a little weird. I guess its more evidence that last weekend’s food escapade didn’t result in my packing back on the 30 pounds I’ve lost.

I didn’t get up and walk this morning. I have a cold and I am pooped. I may try to get out this evening. I know I can walk since the symptoms are above the neck, but if I still feel like the living dead I’ll likely take a pass. Yesterday I ran, walked, and lifted weights. Go me!

Before I picked up the kids, I checked out the gym at his school/church. It is much smaller than the Y, but the only piece of equipment missing is the cage for doing free squats. I asked my husband to go and check it out & see what he thinks. They don’t have a hot tub either, but here is the cool thing: the community pool is located inside the Y. So, for $3.70 each/ we have access to the pool, hot tub, etc if we want it. They also don’t have spinning classes, but they have the other classes I might take. Notice I say ‘might’, since I am not much of a class taker. The Y costs us $76, an individual membership for just me would be $43 – the new gym is free. I want him to check it out and then we’ll make a decision. We’ll see – I’d love to save the money, but I don’t want to short change myself either.

I am seriously considering buying a scooter. I must contact the bloggers I read who are scooterers to find out details.

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again!

The good news is, the damage was more mental than physical, and I knew the perfect cure: I called my girlfriend and ranted. I moaned about my eating, I griped about how I had to park in a different spot due to work in the parking lot. Naturally, I couldn’t find my car and I’m roaming around this huge parking lot yesterday afternoon dressed like Nanuk of the North (I work in a frozen basement). She was laughing so hard she was near tears, and I was laughing right along with her.

Yesterday I wore my comfy jeans that make me feel small. Today I wore a red shirt and a belt and I feel powerful. This morning I ran and felt like an athlete. Everybody gets down. Strong people get back up.

I ate healthy foods yesterday – I am checking out a new gym this afternoon. If the amenities meet our needs, we’re switching as this is MUCH cheaper. I am lifting weights tonight while the boy & a friend go swimming. Getting all that crap food out of my system has me feeling better already. The mornings have cooled down enough that AM runs feel good again.

It may take me a while to get into this new routine – new school, new locale & time for tae kwon do, maybe new gym. But I will. Just because I got down, doesn’t mean I gave up.

Why did I let a $11.20 clearance rack skirt do that to me?????

My friend Robin has a theory - you should never shop during the portion of the month you aren't fertile. According to her, when you are fertile you could put on potato sack and feel smoking hot. When you aren't, you swear you are too heinous to be allowed to leave the house. I believe her.

My mom convinced me to go shopping with her Friday for an outfit for my sister's wedding. These family events are angst filled enough, given that my father acts like a sperm donor who's anonymity was violated. I found a summer skirt on clearance. I tried it on, my mom said I looked cute, I said I looked like a cow in a flowered skirt. I bought the stupid thing.

I spent the rest of the weekend overeating. I spent yesterday afternoon eating like it was my JOB and I had a deadline to meet.

Why? Why do I do this to myself?

In other news, I got all the unpacking, cleaning of the house, and cleaning out of my son's closet & dresser accomplished. I even bought closet organizers and put them up, so he can manage his stuff much better. I give him a start at the beginning of the year, but after that his clothes are his responsibility. I feel good about how much I got done.

I am reading a couple of good books - a Robert E. Howard "Conan" book my son bought me on vacation, as well as "Bobke II". That man cracks me up. I also pulled out some cross stitch stuff so I could start doing some ornaments. I love making homemade gifts for the holiday, and I like to give homemade ornaments.

I ran yesterday morning. Not very far, but I got up and did it. I feel good about that.

Next weekend I plan to tackle my wardrobe & closet - I'll be fertile, so it should be safe. Ha! Maybe I just won't eat until then (joking.....)

Update, and some Friday Humor

Vacation recovery is still happening – slowly but surely. I think our house will be normal by the end of the weekend. We are also recovering from our poison ivy, and the crazy couple is leaving our enactment group. So that’s all good news.

Eating salami sandwiches & guzzling beer promotes weight loss as long as you are living in the wild. I’m back down to my new preferred weight of 150.5. I’m not gonna worry about it. Trying not to sweat the small stuff – just focus on healthy behaviors and hopefully the rest will follow.

I sometimes forget how much I love living outside (for short periods – I don’t plan to pick up & permanently move to a teepee any time soon!). We are doing a camping/enactment thing in a couple of weeks in some big national forecast in Ohio. Then we are camping with another family the weekend of Halloween. It’s just in the state park an hour from our house, but I am looking forward to it. Camping is my thing – and if I want to do it I sometimes have to prod the hub. He likes it, but he’s happy just working on projects around the house too. I guess we’ve both slipped into the whole “homebody” thing the past year. I’d like to start doing more stuff – not just running & housework.

I plan to run tomorrow. I have no idea how far – I plan to run for the simple joy of doing so. I’ll let you know what happens.

Here’s a funny “test’ to see how closely you followed this year’s tour de France: http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/?id=2005/nelson_tour_exam

Fake News from "Fat Cyclist"

Oh Lord, this cracked me up!!! http://spaces.msn.com/members/fatcyclist/


Scoop! Lance Armstrong Comes Out of Retirement!
Friends, Family, Sheryl Crow Heave Collective Sigh of Relief

Austin, TX, August 24 (Fat Cyclist Fake News Service) – Less than four weeks after winning what was presumably the final race of his career, Lance Armstrong today announced in a hastily-called media conference that he is coming out of retirement. Said the rumpled, unshaven seven-time Tour de France champion, "Uh, I guess I'll be racing the Tour de France next year." Then, after pausing for a few seconds while exchanging glances with Sheryl Crow, Armstrong continued, "I'll also be racing the Giro d'Italia." Another five silent seconds elapsed, after which Armstrong finished, "And the Vuelta Espana." Armstrong concluded the media conference abruptly by saying, "No questions. I have to go ride my bike now."

Crow Gives the Go-Ahead

Rock star Sheryl Crow, who has been dating Armstrong for more than a year now, explained Armstrong's decision. "He's racing again because I was going to completely lose my mind if he didn't get out of the house and do something. I swear, if he isn't at Home Depot buying new power tools or downstairs playing Halo — I haven't yet told him Halo 2 has come out — he's catching up on seven years' worth of television. Yesterday, he watched the entire second season of 24. You know how long that took? All day and night." Crow took a deep breath and continued, "Back when he was preparing for the Tour, Lance and I used to talk about how great it would be when he was retired and he'd have time to do nothing but relax. I had no idea he meant that so literally." At this moment, Crow stopped and took three deep breaths before continuing, "So, yeah, he's going to start racing again."

Neighbors Enthused for Armstrong Comeback

Armstrong's next-door neighbor, James Scott, reports being pleased with Armstrong's decision to re-enter the peloton. "A few weeks ago I was washing my car and Lance comes over, wearing pajama bottoms and an "I won the Tour de France 7 times and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" shirt. "We start talking about the Tour," said Scott, "and he's helping me wash my car. Nice guy, really. And then I realize he's rubbing down my car with one of his yellow jerseys. I told him he should be protecting them for posterity and he says, 'Oh, I've got a million of 'em. You want it?' And of course I said 'yes.' I mean, who wouldn't want one of Armstrong's jerseys?"
"That was nine jerseys ago," continued Scott. "Now anytime I go outside to water the lawn, trim the hedge, whatever, he's out there with an excuse to talk about glory days and try to unload one of those jerseys. I've started avoiding him, if you want the truth."

Armstrong Reacts

"I'm ready to get back into the routine," said the record-holding Tour winner when reached for comment. "At first, it's fun to be a full-time dad, but after a couple days you find yourself trying to remember which of the twins always wants to wear purple and which wants to wear pink, and how you're going to get Luke back home from soccer practice when it's the girls' naptime, and there are still dishes in the sink from two days ago." "And have you ever been forced to watch "Dora the Explorer?" asked Armstrong, his face growing animated. "Now, there's a time trial for you. And they want to watch the same episode like three times per day. I swear, if I hear that 'I'm the Map' song one more time...." "There've been times when I'm making three different kinds of soup for lunch," continued Armstrong. Grace likes Chicken and Stars (with the chicken bits taken out), Isabelle wants Cream of Chicken, and Luke wants Cream of Tomato, unless he changes his mind after I've made it and decides he wants Spaghettio's. That's when I think, 'OK, who's the domestique now?' So no, I'm not too upset about having to get back on the bike."
Asked about his plan to race all three grand tours in 2006, Armstrong said, "Can I win all three? I have no idea. That's not even the point. I'm just doing what I'm told." And when will Armstrong retire permanently? "I dunno," says Armstrong. "When will the twins be in school full time?"

The fitness blog where I don't mention exercise!

I am slowly getting things put away, purchased for school, etc etc. And I got a much needed haircut (my life is sooo exciting!). Eating is okay - exercise is still not really there. I recognize I would get burned out if I do too much, so I'm trying to just walk some, eat right, and know I'll get back into my exercise routine next week when my house is better.

The steroid cream is helping the boy (and me) a lot. I let him wear shorts to school today since his legs no longer look like he scratched them both with a machete.

Vacation had waaaaay more drama than anyone wanted, which sucked. In a nutshell, one couple wanted to do their own thing, without regards to equitable distribution of work, or group norms. Yuck. We met some new people we really like (which was cool) - weather was nice. I think the couple in question may be invited to leave - frankly, I hope so. We'll see.

I read this on a Pennsic message board - it summed up nicely not only how I feel about Pennsic, but why I love to run and hate the dreadmill:

'I think one of the reasons Pennsic seems so "magical" to us is because I truly believe that it's more along the lines of how we are supposed to live. We aren't supposed to sit around apartments alone. We are supposed to live in tribes, and sit around campfires, and be the social creatures that we are. The sounds in our lives are supposed to be other people's voices, crickets, running creeks, birdsong, drums and music. Instead, we force ourselves into boxes drained of color, sound, and life, fill our ears with electronic hums and engines, fill our noses with disenfectant and artificial scents to replace the ones we've lost. Instead of firelight, sunlight, lightning, and starlight we light our dark, dead world with cold electric gadgets.

We spend a week or two living on, in, and with our planet, feeling the heat, and the cold, and the rain, and the wind. We are at the mercy of the earth's rhythms and moods, being who we are for real with all the crap stripped away, and then wonder why we feel like our souls are dying when we finally come back to "civilization".'

Yeah.

Swamped

Gotta tell ya, I love vacation, but coming home from this kind of vacation is a bear. There's a 15'x15' medieval style pavillion, wooden camp bed (complete with double futon), furniture, armor, cooler, cooking gear, my son's tent, bed, armor... then there's clothes, camp shower, day shade for the kitchen... we looked liked the Clampett's going and now it looks like someone called in an air strike on my house. The car still won't fit in the garage and I haven't been running because I can't find my spandex shorts! Oh yeah, and the boy had to go to the dr this morning because he has a severe case of poision ivy (which the darling shared with me). And yesterday was the first day at a brand new school.....

However, I am pacing myself and slowly getting through the clean-up. Eating is good, and I've gotten up to walk both yesterday and today. I'm trying to ease back in and not get myself freaked out. In the olden days, I would have worked until I collapsed, then called in sick. I'm doing better than that. The boy seems to be adapting well, and he's been a total trooper about the poison ivy.

We've going back for a weekend thing in 3 weeks!

I am slowly reading blogs - sorry for not leaving comments or anything. Give me a weekend to catch up at work & home, and I'll be back to my normal self. (Is that a good thing? :-)

Back Home

Just a note to let you know I got home safely. I will say that, as always, I feel like I have gotten away from my life totally. There was good, there was bad, and now I'm glad to be back.

Thanks for the great comments!

A fun new way to feel like crap about your body, and “Genuine Soviet Service”

Don’t feel quite bad enough about your saggy tummy and baggy thighs? Go get a spray tan. Oh sure, all the doctors are telling you it’s the way to go – so much safer than the tanning bed. Sure. Right up until the point you’re in the dingy room (from all the random spray stuff going everywhere), with your arms propped up on full length mirrors (since you have to hold them up so long - make them turn the mirrors away!), stripped down to your 15 year old underpants you wore cause you knew they’d have to go in the trash after this, standing in front of a 17 year old size 2 wearing a baby doll shirt that says “cheerleader.” A tanning bed is way healthier than suicide watch at the local psychiatric ward IMO.

Oh, and be sure to ask Miss Cheer how long it takes this mess to dry. “It just really like depends on the person. Maybe 20 minutes, sometimes and hour and 20. It shouldn’t be that long though.” Great – me feeling like I’m being crucified between 2 full length mirrors showing me all my flab in heinous detail. He!! on earth. What was I thinking?

The tan looks great – maybe I’ll get one for my sister’s wedding next month.

Next errand on my vacation checklist (after I’d gone home, dried, and hosed the excess off in a shower): Wal-Rip. I needed 6 or 7 last minute things. First there is waiting at the deli counter for 20 minutes. I thought that was bad. Oh no, just the warm up.

There is (was?) this great Russian restaurant in San Francisco called Cinderella’s. The food was amazing. And they offered what my Russian instructor sardonically referred to as “Genuine Soviet Service.” Actually, service in the Soviet Union was better in my experience.

Anyhooo….. So, they’ve remodeled our local W-M, removing half the cash registers and replacing them with the self serve ones. Only the scanners don’t work very well and the one girl who is looking out for a 8 of these things is on the phone. I couldn’t help it – I let loose a loud “Jesus Christ!”, complete with sigh and eye rolling. The people in front of me wouldn’t look at me as they tried (in vain) to scan 67 little things of cross stitch thread. I wasn’t mad at them – the people next to us were having the same problem, only nobody was helping these people. You have no idea how close I was to walking out. If I had a machine gun, I would definitely remove the self checkouts in favor of the people they replaced. (For the record, the self checkouts at the local grocery work fine – W-M was being cheap by buying crappy ones I guess).

But I’m outta here in less than an hour! Woot!

Things I've Missed This Summer

I read this post this morning, and it reminded me why I love running. I go on and on about weights, because I do love them. But running doesn't always get so much press around here.

Summer has been hot. The weight room at the Y has been packed with annoying teenagers (while as individuals they might be fine, in large packs they quickly become obnoxious). It's been difficult for me to get out and do much running, other than an early morning quickie. When the temps hit the upper 90s or 100s, with the humidity at 80%, they're telling people NOT to go out & exercise.

All this adds up to workouts that have become rather perfunctory - I do them so I can lose more weight. But I seem to have misplaced my joy. And I've begun to get that frantic feel about losing the weight again - like, if I don't get below 150 by tomorrow, the world will end. I hate feeling like that. I continue to struggle to find the happy place between manic and apathetic.

I love summer, but now I am feeling ready for the fall. Ready to be able to go out & run for 2 or 3 hours without having heat stroke. I miss the time where it's just me & the thoughts in my head. When I don't feel so frantic to lose weight, get stuff done, etc. Time to slow down & enjoy the run.

Picture of the day

Brought to you by "Is it vacation yet??????"

Mom’s night off

Yes, I declared a mom’s night off last night. Food was heated up (I’d cooked it over the weekend) and TV was watched. I watched the interview with Lance Armstrong. I thought it was interesting to hear him talk about the different stages of the Tours he has won. Worth watching.

Then we watched “The Village”. I have to say it was totally not what I expected. A suspense flick for sure, I was thinking it was more along the lines of horror/supernatural. Not at all. Very good. Then we watched part of “Aliens” until time for bed. I love that flick. Bill Paxton has some of the funniest lines ever.

I wanted ice cream, and of course my husband was going to drive to the ice cream shop to get me some. I told him no, but I see a scoop of coffee ice cream in my future before too long.

I don’t like feeling low energy. Luckily it’s not permanent.

Food, Exercise, & My friend

So, I walked 3 times yesterday for a total of 6.5 miles. I also lifted weights (tris, bis, & shoulders). It was pouring rain this morning, so no run. :-( I’ll hit the elliptical or something when I go to the gym after work today.

Food yesterday was weird. Total calories: 1360. I did NOT plan enough food, and three times was so hungry I had to add in something. So, I was a bit unrealistic in my planning. However, I ate pretty darn healthy, so that is good. For the curious:

After run: popsicle (15) – extra – I woke up hungry
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs & beef chorizo (190)
Snack: 4 c air popped popcorn & baby carrots (85)
Lunch: green beans & okra from cafeteria (100), soy ‘chicken’ patty & dip (180)
Snack: 4 c air popped popcorn & nectarine (127)
Snack: chocolate milk (150) again, not planned
Snack: popsicle (15)
Dinner: Gorton’s grilled fish fillet (100), can of turnip greens (123)
Snack: fudgecicle & beer (NOT together!) (140)
Snack: tomato sandwich (125) – I could not go to bed this hungry. I just couldn’t

I am proud of how many veggies I ate and I limited my low quality carbs. Well, until that sandwich – I was so hungry and of course I never have any good snackie stuff in my house (with good reason!). Once I counted it all up, I realized there was plenty of room for a couple of add-ins. Everything is the same for the rest of the week, except lunch veggies are from home for the rest of the week, so they are lower calorie. I’ll probably have a sandwich again tonight – just not that close to bed (I think it was 8:30 or so when I ate that).

A friend of mine just had WLS. I think she is one of the people who will be successful with it. She is talking about how much she is looking forward to going running and was asking for web sites with food ideas etc. Several people here at work have had it now – the ones who embrace changing their life seem to do very well. The ones who don’t seem to struggle more.

I was reading the web site of a man who chose to follow the diet without having the surgery. He had the same loss as a WLS patient, without the cost, missing work, etc. Still, to follow a diet that strict is pretty amazing. I don’t think I could do it.

Please Pennsic don't be late!

Can't wait to get to vacation (which is currently occurring in my absence!)

Change Management

First, thanks for the encouraging words. It helps so much to know I have people rooting for me, who know what I’m going through.

If my weight problem were solely due to my husband’s behavior, then I would have lost all the weight while he was working out of town. His behavior does contribute, but I am responsible – both for my actions and also for the feelings that drive those actions.

But this has got me thinking about what a big change losing weight is for so many of us. And the biggest change isn’t the weight we lose – it’s the way we change: how we spend our time, the activities we want to take part in with friends & family, the way we eat, the way we view ourselves. Those are huge – and our spouse or kids or whoever, they didn’t sign up for it. It’s not like we held a committee meetings, looked at the long and short term outcomes, and had a vote. Let’s face it: I bet most people have no clue what they are signing up for when they decide to drop a few pounds. I had no idea how much my life would change.

Don’t get me wrong – all the changes are worth it, and for the better. I feel better, I look better, I’m healthier. I’m enjoying my life more. But I certainly understand when families get hurt or angry or just plain confused – they never saw it coming.

I had a nice weekend – food was good. Exercise was okay – 3 mile run Saturday, but hub rode without me yesterday. I had so much to do and so little time to do it (I worked 5 hours yesterday), so I told him to go ahead & bike without me. He really enjoyed it – it was a nice morning.

There is so much to do to get ready for this vacation. Son’s clothes are packed, the kitchen is packed, and I started on my clothes. The weather is so unpredictable, and I need clothes for working, fighting, and looking nice. It’s a lot of stuff to pack! Hub is making us some nice wooden camp chairs (I’ll take pictures Jack!) – he is nearly done with those.

I have a somewhat strict food plan for the week – we have a clan meal plan for next week. I helped plan the food, but I know I will eat more than normal (something about living outside) and not as well. Oh, and the alcohol will be flowing freely in the party atmosphere of camp every night. Luckily this is once a year!!

But for this week, I have my food all planned, purchased, & prepped for the week. I have set myself up for success, and I have given myself permission to weigh less than 150. That may sound silly, but like I’ve written before, I have a lot reasons to treat my extra weight as a security blanket. I feel a little like I’m 3 and giving up my wubby.

Here are some pics of the boy's room redo - didn't it come out great?

"The Talk"

So, I sat down & talked with hubby last night. He agreed that the issue isn't so much me losing weight, it's that in the evening when he wants to sit around & snack, he needs a "partner in crime" to help justify the behavior.

He has own food issues, and he needs to lose weight as well. I'd like for him to, but I can't control that. I make him healthy meals, try to encourage an active lifestyle (although I know I cross into "nagging" territory from time to time), and try to set a good example.

But I have food issues of my own I struggle with, and sometimes I can't be strong in the face of someone bringing home food & sticking it under my nose. Yes, having a husband does make it more difficult at times! :-)

I won't say the problem is solved, but I have raised his awareness of what he is doing and its effect on me. That is a step in the right direction.

Very nice evening last night. Dinner was broiled white fish and green beans. I did 50 minutes of cardio - a combo of biking and walking. When we realized we still had 50 minutes of the train wreck that is the movie "Alexander" remaining, we hit eject and watched an episode of "Forever Knight" instead. Life's too short to waste time watching a crappy movie. Really.

I got up this morning after re-setting the alarm. I decided I could afford to sleep until 6 before my long run. While sitting on the toilet, I realized that it wasn't Saturday - it was Friday! I never do that. Here's the funny thing. I re-set the alarm, got up to pee, and while I was sitting there I wondered about my weight. I realized I didn't know what it was because I hadn't weighed for the week (I have weighed myself on Friday for 3 years or so now). That's how I knew it wasn't Saturday. I'm not sure if that's funny or sad, but there it is.

I did weigh today - 150.5. No, I did not lose 5.5 pounds of fat in a week, but that shows how much water I was hanging onto. I am now sitting beside the proverbial virgin fat territory - yet again. Third time's a charm right? Oh 140s, I haven't seen you in nearly 5 years, but I've got a date with you next Friday!!!

Beyond mere frustration

I have decided that my husband doesn’t want me to lose weight. Why do I think this? Here is a fairly typical scenario that plays out all too often in our house:

I have certain trigger foods. I cannot banish them from the house. I have tried, but my husband agrees to do so, but then brings them home anyway. (And sometimes I do too even if I’ve banished them).

Instead, I’ve asked that we bring home one evening’s portion if it’s coming into the house. So, if we want cheesy poops (for a hypothetical example), then we will buy 2 single serving bags, or one “grab bag” and split it. We agree we will not purchase a big bag, because everything that comes into the house will be gone by bed, regardless of the quantity.

Husband agrees, but then comes home with the “family size” of last night's heinous trigger food of doom (yet again). Oh yeah, I won’t argue – I’m the one that shoveled the excess into my pie hole. But I didn’t bring it into the house. I’ve sat there in tears begging him not to bring it into the house, and then he does anyway. Last night at 2 am, utterly furious, I told my husband that next time he brings more than one evening’s portion into the house at a time, I will dispose of it. I will not allow it to remain.

I hate that there are certain things over which I apparently have no control. But keeping them out of the house DOES work. I just can’t get my husband to do that. It makes me want to cry – or hit him with a 2 by 4.

Splitting Headache and Eating Out

I slept in this morning, having woken up in the middle of the night with a splitting headache. Punishment for having a second beer last night???? Despite that, I did walk 2 miles this morning. Joking aside, I think it’s weather related as my sinuses feel pretty clogged today. But I’m glad I got my walk in.

We had a coupon for a free dinner at Seoul Garden which we used last night. Have you ever heard someone say “I love Italian (for example) food so much. I could live on it!” And you think “Yeah, right.” Well, I did live on Korean food when I lived in Hawaii, sushi and field exercises aside. And hub moonlighted for several years as a bouncer at a Korean club in DC, so he’s all about it too.

We both ordered bulgogi, which is like a grilled teriyaki beef dish – really good. The thing I love about Korean restaurants is that your dinner comes “pan chan” – with all these little bowls of different kinds of kim che, veggies, fish cake – usually 5 or 6 bowls of different stuff. Hub doesn’t like the traditional cabbage kim che, so I get it all to myself! I don’t think you’re supposed to wolf down the veggies while waiting for dinner, but we always do.

It was a super healthy dinner and we both really enjoyed the mid-week (almost mid-week) break. Veggies, grilled lean meat, and I did not eat all my rice. I think steamed white rice is the perfect starch. Any place where McDonald's offers steamed rice with breakfast is cool with me.

Typically I would order “chi ghe” – that is Korean for “nuclear stew.” Often I have seen chi ghe served in stone bowls with a lid. These bowls are placed into a river of molten lava, so that when your stew arrives it is literally boiling hot. Like, still doing a rolling boil in the bowl.

The stew itself is red due to all the peppers in it. Red broth, red-crusted ingredients. It usually contains some meat, tofu, kim che, other veggies etc. Some places let you specify how hot you want it. If you need it mild, don’t order it. Mild chi ghe is still nuclear. Also, don’t tick off your waitress before she brings it. She will very likely go to the back, pull out the pot they are cooking for their dinner, and serve you some of that as punishment. It will be so spicy the inside of your mouth will disintegrate, but you will have to eat it all with a smile or lose face after arguing with her when she asserts “White people no eat chi ghe.” Ask me how I know this.

But it was too hot to eat chi ghe, so I had bulgogi. They brought lettuce leaves to make wraps. I have never seen that before. So I don’t know if that’s traditional or not.

I sure do talk about food a lot. No wonder I’m overweight!

I did have a second beer while watching the end of “Rose Red” (pretty good flick, but I wish they had gotten into the characters more). But no munchies to go with it – so not too bad. We needed a night to eat a nice meal together & go home & die on the sofa. Hub worked late & I had errands to run after work, so we were spent. Back to the salt mines tonight – front lawn needs cutting and the kitchen needs to be bombed. Er, cleaned.

Dangerous Liasons

I don't know how to break the news, but I've been seeing other vending machines.

I'm not one to visit the vending machine often - an occasional meeting every 2 weeks or so. But today, oh today I really wanted some buffalo pretzels (crack must be the main ingredient). Not seeing any in my first floor vending machine, I grabbed my wallet and went hiking. I found some, but the vending machine wanted exact change. How rude! I of course came all the way back to my desk, rooted around for change, and went back.

What is sitting in my lunchbox is worth 135 calories. What I ate had 280 calories. So I can either skip my evening snack (as if!), eat less dinner, or burn 150 calories on the dreadmill. Where are my running shoes??????

Another Good Run

Good morning! I dragged my butt out of bed for an excellent 3 miler this morning. The cooler weather (only 90!) seems to be helping. Although my afternoon bike ride yesterday did not go well. I think the air quality is still too poor for me to be outside exercising in the afternoon. So, mornings it is.

I am trying to give to give myself a little "snack" every evening while we are watching tv. Sometimes I want more, but I remind myself that I can have more - tomorrow night. Knowing I don't have to wait until the weekend and doling it out a little at a time seems to be working.

Last night we made the valences for the boy's room - they look good! And we watched some more "Rose Red". I think we'll finish tonight - it was a mini-series. I'm enjoying it, but it is long enough that it has to be spread out over several nights.

I made stir fry for dinner last night - that was really good. Hub picked up some hot & sour soup to go with it. So that was a very tasty & very healthy dinner. Not cooking much this week. Taking a break from it until school starts back up. So, I'm sticking to simple stuff.

Tonight is lifting weights.

Neca’s “I Need Chocolate” Muffins

I made this recipe up this weekend. These are healthy enough for breakfast, but decadent enough to fill in when the only thing keeping you from re-enacting a scene from “The Road Warrior” with your minivan is some chocolate!

1 c + 2 T buttermilk
1 c oats
½ c packed brown sugar
¼ c splenda
½ c oat bran flour
½ c whole wheat flour
½ c cocoa powder
½ t salt
1 ½ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
snack cup apple sauce (1/3 c I think)
3 T mini chocolate chips
2 oz chopped nuts (optional)

Note: You can use any kind of flour – I used this to up the fiber.

Pour buttermilk over oats & let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir in the egg, sugar, splenda, & cocoa powder.
Next add apple sauce, then all dry ingredients but flour. Then add flour & mix.
Add nuts & chips last.

Spoon into 12 muffin cups & bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.

No Chain

I dunno the running equivalent for that cycling phrase, but that was my Saturday run. 5 miles of effortless joy. Reasonable eating this weekend - not always the healthiest choice, but moderation in all choices. Didn't get to ride yesterday - it rained all day! :-( Gonna try again after work today.

I'll post more later. Just wanted to thank you for the comments. For the record, I weigh once a week on Fridays. I try not to be a slave to the scale, but sometimes I do let it get me down. I weighed this morning and was down those 2 pounds. Still have plenty of work to do (14 pounds or so), but that reinforced what I knew Friday: water weight.

It's not so much the scale, it's that despite my best efforts, I haven't beaten this emotional eating thing. I'm beginning to think I'll never really beat it - just get it mostly under control. On the plus side, I don't have to worry about getting a DWI after scoring a 6 pack of ice cream treats. *lol*