I’ve sent the wonda woman underoos off to the dry cleaners
Sunday I had what can only be described as “a meltdown.” About 2:30 I realized I was exhausted and nothing in the universe could make me feel better – except food! Let me back up a bit…
Saturday I got up at 5 am, hit the gym, came home and cleaned house for 2 hours, then drove to Reidsville (1 hour) to do a site walk through for my upcoming medieval event. Got home about 1, sat down and planned all the meals for the upcoming week AND went grocery shopping. Came home and made a nice dinner for the husband – collapsed into bed at 9.
Sunday I got up at 6 am, went to the gym, came home, and began cooking for the week. In between I washed and folded laundry until finally I could stand no more. I am so darn tired of doing so much by myself and I was just … done.
Unfortunately I let this funk slide until Monday evening, when I decided it was time to call a halt. I got up yesterday, walked, packed all my healthy foods – and had a pretty rough day. When I got home to a quiet house (my mom had taken the boy to spend the night at her house because she is going out of town on a cruise to the Bahamas next week), I realized I had two choices: 1) fold the laundry in the dryer and wash the dishes in the sink or 2) take a bath. Yes, the second choice won out.
I took a long bath, read a book, and ask the husband to pick up take-out from the cafeteria on the way home. I did no housework! I also decided to take this week off from the gym – I am getting up and doing my 2 mile loop around the neighborhood, but that’s it. I didn’t finish my cooking, so I have to cook every night (no pre-made dinners). Next week is going to be tough – despite saying they’d be done by the end of the month, the hub’s overtime (servitude) continues on.
My plan for next week: streamline meals so I can get my cooking done this weekend. I am making 2 meals to take to my friend I am visiting Sunday, so I can make doubles and there are 2 meals already done! Forget going to the gym in the evening – go in the morning and call it good.
The cleaning lady is coming tomorrow, so the junk must get picked up. Don’t worry about it! Just do the best I can. I know there is a light at the end of this tunnel, I just hope we see it before my poor husband loses his mind!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Sweet victory is mine!!!
You know how sometimes it’s just the smallest little thing that will touch your heart and give you a warm fuzzy? Well, the opposite is also true. It was a little thing: I’m having to switch over a car title and I had a question, so I called my husband. He was busy at work and (somewhat rudely) blew me off. It just left me feeling really angry. It was a stupid waste of time call. I had a question and he dismissed me.
It’s amazing, and honestly a tad bit frightening, how something so little and trivial can make me so mad. Are we all that close to the edge in this country, or is it just me baby?
Anyway, I turned up my music, and focused on relaxing. Foolishly, I began to think that perhaps the scale could lift my spirits.
Now, this is dumb. I know we should not give the scale that much power. But here I was, quietly reviewing my food and exercise choices for the week:
Food: Friday was free night. Saturday was pretty good but I did snack on the savory toasted cheese while I was cooking the feast. Sunday was pretty good but I had a glass of wine. Monday was good. Tuesday I didn’t overeat, but I had a tummy ache and ate comfort foods. Wednesday was a high calorie day. Thursday was excellent. Salads for lunch all week go a long way to adding to that sense of being virtuous. They may not feed my soul, but they pack in the nutrients!
Exercise: weights and interval training have been no problem. Despite some scheduling challenges, I have made 2 spin classes. I’ve als0 walked in the neighborhood – including this morning when it was a mere 16 degrees!
Walking to the scale I started getting apprehensive: What if my effort didn’t pay off? That would be 2 weeks in a row! When will I ever get rid of this mind set?!
Today the odds were in my favor and I posted a 2.5 pound loss! It’s crazy how one bad week can leave me doubting a course of action. But obviously, eating healthy foods and getting exercise works. I just need to stop doubting myself and focus on how great I felt while I was out walking this morning. Do the right things and the scale will follow. Maybe not in lock step, and there may be blips, but it will work.
My goal was to lose 5 pounds this month, and I’ve now lost 5.5. My super secret stretch goal was to be 180 by the end of the month. Since my weigh day is Friday, and next Friday is February 1, technically it’s a February weigh in. And I’d like to lose another 5 pounds in February. See how easy I obsess??? Argh!
Good job girl – keep it up!!!!
You know how sometimes it’s just the smallest little thing that will touch your heart and give you a warm fuzzy? Well, the opposite is also true. It was a little thing: I’m having to switch over a car title and I had a question, so I called my husband. He was busy at work and (somewhat rudely) blew me off. It just left me feeling really angry. It was a stupid waste of time call. I had a question and he dismissed me.
It’s amazing, and honestly a tad bit frightening, how something so little and trivial can make me so mad. Are we all that close to the edge in this country, or is it just me baby?
Anyway, I turned up my music, and focused on relaxing. Foolishly, I began to think that perhaps the scale could lift my spirits.
Now, this is dumb. I know we should not give the scale that much power. But here I was, quietly reviewing my food and exercise choices for the week:
Food: Friday was free night. Saturday was pretty good but I did snack on the savory toasted cheese while I was cooking the feast. Sunday was pretty good but I had a glass of wine. Monday was good. Tuesday I didn’t overeat, but I had a tummy ache and ate comfort foods. Wednesday was a high calorie day. Thursday was excellent. Salads for lunch all week go a long way to adding to that sense of being virtuous. They may not feed my soul, but they pack in the nutrients!
Exercise: weights and interval training have been no problem. Despite some scheduling challenges, I have made 2 spin classes. I’ve als0 walked in the neighborhood – including this morning when it was a mere 16 degrees!
Walking to the scale I started getting apprehensive: What if my effort didn’t pay off? That would be 2 weeks in a row! When will I ever get rid of this mind set?!
Today the odds were in my favor and I posted a 2.5 pound loss! It’s crazy how one bad week can leave me doubting a course of action. But obviously, eating healthy foods and getting exercise works. I just need to stop doubting myself and focus on how great I felt while I was out walking this morning. Do the right things and the scale will follow. Maybe not in lock step, and there may be blips, but it will work.
My goal was to lose 5 pounds this month, and I’ve now lost 5.5. My super secret stretch goal was to be 180 by the end of the month. Since my weigh day is Friday, and next Friday is February 1, technically it’s a February weigh in. And I’d like to lose another 5 pounds in February. See how easy I obsess??? Argh!
Good job girl – keep it up!!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Saggy britches and tv dinners
Hub is home sick today. He left work a couple of hours early yesterday, complaining of a fever. He came home and crashed, finally waking up around 9:30 this morning. Since he woke up with an appetite, I think he is beginning to recover.
Last night I had planned to make a “fish fry” dinner which hub had requested. (The fish is breaded and baked), along with sweet potato fries, cole slaw & salad – that sort of thing. But since he was sick, he had soup, the boy had shrimp fried rice, and I had a tv dinner. (I had purchased some organic tv dinners on a buy one get one free deal recently.) I usually buy Amy’s organics because they are really good!
I don’t eat a lot of tv dinners, but they are handy from time to time (like last night). I also bought two tamale dinners by Cedar Lane. I had one of those last night and was disappointing. For 330 (or so) calories, an Amy’s meal feels like a dinner. At 290 calories, the Cedar Lane meal looked like a snack. I added some diced chicken and a side of refried beans (the beans made the calorie count too high – the chicken was okay). Also, the texture was weird. The flavor was good though. All in all, not a “buy over.” Oh well, live and learn. I have one more Cedar Lane dinner in the freezer.
My jeans are beginning to get quite baggy, so things are happening, even if the scale is moving slowly. Unfortunately, my next jeans are a good 15 pounds away, so I may have to break down and buy a “middle” pair. I prefer not to live jeanless.
Calories were high last night, but I didn’t succumb to the siren song in the fridge. *lol* The day off exercise paid off, as I woke up this morning feeling rested and ready to hit the gym! I did weights and interval training, and I’m signed up for another spin class tonight. Exercise makes me feel good.
Weight loss is about 2 things for me: eating well and exercise. Eating is the more difficult for me. While I enjoy the things I eat, I admit there are things I do miss very much. Cheese (for example) is no longer a daily staple for me. So there is some “doing without”, whereas exercise is more about “doing” and that feels easier. But I am surprised at how far I’ve come with the eating. By giving my body plenty of nutritious food, it is easier to pass by the shite.
Hub is home sick today. He left work a couple of hours early yesterday, complaining of a fever. He came home and crashed, finally waking up around 9:30 this morning. Since he woke up with an appetite, I think he is beginning to recover.
Last night I had planned to make a “fish fry” dinner which hub had requested. (The fish is breaded and baked), along with sweet potato fries, cole slaw & salad – that sort of thing. But since he was sick, he had soup, the boy had shrimp fried rice, and I had a tv dinner. (I had purchased some organic tv dinners on a buy one get one free deal recently.) I usually buy Amy’s organics because they are really good!
I don’t eat a lot of tv dinners, but they are handy from time to time (like last night). I also bought two tamale dinners by Cedar Lane. I had one of those last night and was disappointing. For 330 (or so) calories, an Amy’s meal feels like a dinner. At 290 calories, the Cedar Lane meal looked like a snack. I added some diced chicken and a side of refried beans (the beans made the calorie count too high – the chicken was okay). Also, the texture was weird. The flavor was good though. All in all, not a “buy over.” Oh well, live and learn. I have one more Cedar Lane dinner in the freezer.
My jeans are beginning to get quite baggy, so things are happening, even if the scale is moving slowly. Unfortunately, my next jeans are a good 15 pounds away, so I may have to break down and buy a “middle” pair. I prefer not to live jeanless.
Calories were high last night, but I didn’t succumb to the siren song in the fridge. *lol* The day off exercise paid off, as I woke up this morning feeling rested and ready to hit the gym! I did weights and interval training, and I’m signed up for another spin class tonight. Exercise makes me feel good.
Weight loss is about 2 things for me: eating well and exercise. Eating is the more difficult for me. While I enjoy the things I eat, I admit there are things I do miss very much. Cheese (for example) is no longer a daily staple for me. So there is some “doing without”, whereas exercise is more about “doing” and that feels easier. But I am surprised at how far I’ve come with the eating. By giving my body plenty of nutritious food, it is easier to pass by the shite.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
You know, one of THOSE mornings
Yesterday I drove over 2 patches of black ice and spent an hour taking the boy to school and getting to work. The roads got so bad that the school system instructed the buses to park by the side of the road for an hour (with the engines running of course). Naturally, since they endangered the kids yesterday, we got a 2 hour delay today! We had fog people! So, you know… trying to work from home until boy can go to school. IM not working. Dog jumping on works pants. Just one of those mornings!!!
I did get him to school, me to work, and he even loaded the dish washer for me while I folded a load of clothes. If nothing else, my house is tidier for the delay!
I’m doing okay. I went to spin class Monday night – tiring! I had a tummy ache yesterday. I didn’t over eat, but my choices were a bit dodgy, mostly because gobs of raw veggies make me green. Soup and bread sounded far more palatable!
I found myself feeling really run down, so I decided to take today off from exercise, sleeping in this morning. Tonight I need to do a bit of mid-week cooking. Tomorrow is weights and interval training in the am, and another spin class in the evening. I really wanted to go to boot camp last night, but the tummy ache and tiredness won out.
Anyway, things are plugging along. Must continue to focus on the vegetables!
Yesterday I drove over 2 patches of black ice and spent an hour taking the boy to school and getting to work. The roads got so bad that the school system instructed the buses to park by the side of the road for an hour (with the engines running of course). Naturally, since they endangered the kids yesterday, we got a 2 hour delay today! We had fog people! So, you know… trying to work from home until boy can go to school. IM not working. Dog jumping on works pants. Just one of those mornings!!!
I did get him to school, me to work, and he even loaded the dish washer for me while I folded a load of clothes. If nothing else, my house is tidier for the delay!
I’m doing okay. I went to spin class Monday night – tiring! I had a tummy ache yesterday. I didn’t over eat, but my choices were a bit dodgy, mostly because gobs of raw veggies make me green. Soup and bread sounded far more palatable!
I found myself feeling really run down, so I decided to take today off from exercise, sleeping in this morning. Tonight I need to do a bit of mid-week cooking. Tomorrow is weights and interval training in the am, and another spin class in the evening. I really wanted to go to boot camp last night, but the tummy ache and tiredness won out.
Anyway, things are plugging along. Must continue to focus on the vegetables!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Weekend update
Friday night I just gave in and made it my ‘free day’. And boy was it free! Saturday I got in a walk but no gym time as I was running late. I ate my planned meals most of the day Saturday, but I was cooking a medieval feast that night and one of the dishes was “savory toasted cheese” (1 part brie, 2 parts butter, 3 parts cream cheese). I served it over broccoli. It’s amazing. I caged many bites of that! Yesterday I went to the gym, ate healthfully, and did my pre-cooking for the week. Today was another trip to the gym PLUS I’ve signed up for spin class tonight. I ate a honking huge salad for lunch (its salad week). I failed to bring anything hot, but I told myself I’d just have to suck it up. Hee hee hee.
I realized that I needed to banish my all or nothing thinking. Yes, I had a gain last week. But I should have figured as much given that I had planned an out of town trip where two of the three main attractions contained calories! That’s not typical for us, and I don’t regret taking the hub, so there ya go. Move on – it’s a measly pound! I could let it derail me, but I have seen the outcome of healthy eating & exercise.
They are saying possibly freezing rain tomorrow morning. Ugh! I am supposed to life weights – I may have to postpone until after work if the weather is bad. Gah! The down side of winter. I am a woman who requires a schedule. Flexibility is highly overrated! *lol*
Hub says they have been told they WILL be off this job by the end of the month. So only another couple of weeks of 75+ hours per week at work. Hurray! I’m tired of doing ALL the weekend housework solo. Yesterday I cleaned & cooked all day. By last night I couldn’t face another dirty dish, another empty Tupperware, nothing. I was like a 3 year old that had missed nap time. I’m looking forward to help!
The big event I’m running is the weekend of Feb. 8-10. After that, life will get back to its regular level of insanity. Heh.
Friday night I just gave in and made it my ‘free day’. And boy was it free! Saturday I got in a walk but no gym time as I was running late. I ate my planned meals most of the day Saturday, but I was cooking a medieval feast that night and one of the dishes was “savory toasted cheese” (1 part brie, 2 parts butter, 3 parts cream cheese). I served it over broccoli. It’s amazing. I caged many bites of that! Yesterday I went to the gym, ate healthfully, and did my pre-cooking for the week. Today was another trip to the gym PLUS I’ve signed up for spin class tonight. I ate a honking huge salad for lunch (its salad week). I failed to bring anything hot, but I told myself I’d just have to suck it up. Hee hee hee.
I realized that I needed to banish my all or nothing thinking. Yes, I had a gain last week. But I should have figured as much given that I had planned an out of town trip where two of the three main attractions contained calories! That’s not typical for us, and I don’t regret taking the hub, so there ya go. Move on – it’s a measly pound! I could let it derail me, but I have seen the outcome of healthy eating & exercise.
They are saying possibly freezing rain tomorrow morning. Ugh! I am supposed to life weights – I may have to postpone until after work if the weather is bad. Gah! The down side of winter. I am a woman who requires a schedule. Flexibility is highly overrated! *lol*
Hub says they have been told they WILL be off this job by the end of the month. So only another couple of weeks of 75+ hours per week at work. Hurray! I’m tired of doing ALL the weekend housework solo. Yesterday I cleaned & cooked all day. By last night I couldn’t face another dirty dish, another empty Tupperware, nothing. I was like a 3 year old that had missed nap time. I’m looking forward to help!
The big event I’m running is the weekend of Feb. 8-10. After that, life will get back to its regular level of insanity. Heh.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Stuff
I guess I was more kerfloozled about the org announcement yesterday than I thought. I had that second piece of pizza. I went home, made a healthy dinner (no exercise) which we ate a bit earlier since hub got off work at a reasonable hour due to the ice on the roads. After that we settled in to watch a movie .. and I wanted to eat the world! And I told him that and listed all the (crap) food I wanted to eat. I had a roll, a beer, and a fake beer and went to bed.
So, it wasn't a disaster that it could have been, but I still felt bad after. The roads were dodgy this morning, so I didn't get to the gym, and they are calling for snow tomorrow! Argh!
My plan is to do my grocery shopping tonight, hit the gym tomorrow morning (after the sun is up) and then I HAVE to go to this event. I wish I could bail - I hate to drive in bad weather. :-( But I will be responsible and go since I have multiple commitments. Sigh.
I hope I'm not feeling all stressed and edgy on Sunday because we all know where that can lead to! But I'll be okay.
I guess I was more kerfloozled about the org announcement yesterday than I thought. I had that second piece of pizza. I went home, made a healthy dinner (no exercise) which we ate a bit earlier since hub got off work at a reasonable hour due to the ice on the roads. After that we settled in to watch a movie .. and I wanted to eat the world! And I told him that and listed all the (crap) food I wanted to eat. I had a roll, a beer, and a fake beer and went to bed.
So, it wasn't a disaster that it could have been, but I still felt bad after. The roads were dodgy this morning, so I didn't get to the gym, and they are calling for snow tomorrow! Argh!
My plan is to do my grocery shopping tonight, hit the gym tomorrow morning (after the sun is up) and then I HAVE to go to this event. I wish I could bail - I hate to drive in bad weather. :-( But I will be responsible and go since I have multiple commitments. Sigh.
I hope I'm not feeling all stressed and edgy on Sunday because we all know where that can lead to! But I'll be okay.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Working for the weekend
I have a fairly busy weekend planned - medieval event (luckily just 20 minutes away), with me teaching a class, helping with lunch, and fixing dinner (I have help with that). Since I knew Saturday was going to be full, I took advantage of coming in late to the office to thoroughly pick up the house (cleaning lady was supposed to come today – fingers crossed!), but also did laundry, pre-cooked a dinner for tomorrow, and did laundry. That gives me time tomorrow to pull together stuff for Saturday tomorrow after work.
Since it was snowy today, the directors ordered pizza for those of us who came in. I did very well and had 2/3 of a slice of veggie (without much cheese). Then we had an organizational announcement and I went back for a slice of meat and a diet pepsi. All my projects will be moving to a new group. But I do keep my boss, so that’s good. Stress eat much?
I have a fairly busy weekend planned - medieval event (luckily just 20 minutes away), with me teaching a class, helping with lunch, and fixing dinner (I have help with that). Since I knew Saturday was going to be full, I took advantage of coming in late to the office to thoroughly pick up the house (cleaning lady was supposed to come today – fingers crossed!), but also did laundry, pre-cooked a dinner for tomorrow, and did laundry. That gives me time tomorrow to pull together stuff for Saturday tomorrow after work.
Since it was snowy today, the directors ordered pizza for those of us who came in. I did very well and had 2/3 of a slice of veggie (without much cheese). Then we had an organizational announcement and I went back for a slice of meat and a diet pepsi. All my projects will be moving to a new group. But I do keep my boss, so that’s good. Stress eat much?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
SOS (sick of salad)
In my opinion, a well made salad is probably the gold standard of meals (health-wise). What is well made?
1. Greens. Lettuce is not a stand alone base (and don’t get me going about head lettuce!). Kale, spinach, and cabbage share this role.
2. Seeds, nuts, fruits, beans, and olives are all fair game.
3. Homemade or good quality organic dressing. Life’s too short to cut corners here.
4. Good protein source.
Sadly, even a good salad doesn’t thrill my soul. Now, if we are talking Caesar topped with something like a crab cake, then heck yeah! Also, salad is just not a winter food in my world. As I saw last week, it just leaves me craving something warm.
Rather than endure another week of uninspired lunches, I decided to turn my salad into a soup, with excellent results!
I sautéed onion, carrots, & celery, the added garlic. Added diced boneless skinless chicken breast and broth, with a dash of sea salt and pepper. I let this simmer a while, then added kale, cilantro (just a light touch) and diced polenta. The polenta acted like “mini dumplings” and reminded me of matzo balls. This was a deeply satisfying (if not quite as filling) lunch. This is for sure a do over!
I slept in this morning, which means I have to go to the gym this afternoon. Ugh. It also meant I was out walking and it was 19 degrees! Double ugh.
We are supposed to get snow/ice/yuck tonight, so I may be working from home tomorrow. Nice to have that option.
I am getting caught up from the weekend. Laundry is done, house is generally picked up, food is mostly cooked. My eating is back to normal, exercise is a bit tougher, but I’ll get it back on track today. Eating dinner so late makes after dinner snacking much easier to control, so that’s nice.
I am very tired of hub working so much. (I know he is too.) It’s just there are things around the house that I can’t do very well, and he never has the energy. So things that need to be done aren’t getting done in a timely manner, whish stinks. Oh well, he has a job he enjoys (even if he doesn’t enjoy all the overtime). It’s a gripe, but a small one.
My son actually helped with some housework yesterday! Amazing. I think he was happy because I let him go to the store with his grandma to buy the drift car he’s been saving for (it’s a kind of RC car. A pricey one!). So that helped a lot.
Slowly getting back to normal after the weekend. I hope that gets easier.
In my opinion, a well made salad is probably the gold standard of meals (health-wise). What is well made?
1. Greens. Lettuce is not a stand alone base (and don’t get me going about head lettuce!). Kale, spinach, and cabbage share this role.
2. Seeds, nuts, fruits, beans, and olives are all fair game.
3. Homemade or good quality organic dressing. Life’s too short to cut corners here.
4. Good protein source.
Sadly, even a good salad doesn’t thrill my soul. Now, if we are talking Caesar topped with something like a crab cake, then heck yeah! Also, salad is just not a winter food in my world. As I saw last week, it just leaves me craving something warm.
Rather than endure another week of uninspired lunches, I decided to turn my salad into a soup, with excellent results!
I sautéed onion, carrots, & celery, the added garlic. Added diced boneless skinless chicken breast and broth, with a dash of sea salt and pepper. I let this simmer a while, then added kale, cilantro (just a light touch) and diced polenta. The polenta acted like “mini dumplings” and reminded me of matzo balls. This was a deeply satisfying (if not quite as filling) lunch. This is for sure a do over!
I slept in this morning, which means I have to go to the gym this afternoon. Ugh. It also meant I was out walking and it was 19 degrees! Double ugh.
We are supposed to get snow/ice/yuck tonight, so I may be working from home tomorrow. Nice to have that option.
I am getting caught up from the weekend. Laundry is done, house is generally picked up, food is mostly cooked. My eating is back to normal, exercise is a bit tougher, but I’ll get it back on track today. Eating dinner so late makes after dinner snacking much easier to control, so that’s nice.
I am very tired of hub working so much. (I know he is too.) It’s just there are things around the house that I can’t do very well, and he never has the energy. So things that need to be done aren’t getting done in a timely manner, whish stinks. Oh well, he has a job he enjoys (even if he doesn’t enjoy all the overtime). It’s a gripe, but a small one.
My son actually helped with some housework yesterday! Amazing. I think he was happy because I let him go to the store with his grandma to buy the drift car he’s been saving for (it’s a kind of RC car. A pricey one!). So that helped a lot.
Slowly getting back to normal after the weekend. I hope that gets easier.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Mission accomplished
We returned, with a husband relaxed, rejuventated, and ready to make the final push until this work project is over. He enjoyed Helen, the hot tub, and the amazing German food! Lunch Saturday was at a Bavarian restaurant, but the chef at the dinner restaurant was from northern Germany, so the seasonings were much more familiar to me. I had goulash like I haven't eaten since I left Berlin. Yum. For the record, my family is from the Bremen area.
The hotel was okay - we obviously paid for the location, but that's okay. I'm getting back into my routine - it's amazing how a weekend away can completely get me off schedule. I wish I were a bit less rigid with my habits, but there ya go.
We returned, with a husband relaxed, rejuventated, and ready to make the final push until this work project is over. He enjoyed Helen, the hot tub, and the amazing German food! Lunch Saturday was at a Bavarian restaurant, but the chef at the dinner restaurant was from northern Germany, so the seasonings were much more familiar to me. I had goulash like I haven't eaten since I left Berlin. Yum. For the record, my family is from the Bremen area.
The hotel was okay - we obviously paid for the location, but that's okay. I'm getting back into my routine - it's amazing how a weekend away can completely get me off schedule. I wish I were a bit less rigid with my habits, but there ya go.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Zest for life
This morning I told my mom that Jordan was “the dog of my heart”. All our dogs love us all, and they all are happy dogs. They have good food, a comfortable home, and people that love them. But Jordan lives life with reckless abandon. I guess it’s the terrier in her – everything she does she completely throws herself into it. She isn’t just happy – she loves life! It’s not just energy – it’s joy. I’ve decided to take a page out of her book and live life with joy. Which is why I’ve decided to go to Costa Rica.
Last night at the dinner table, I casually mentioned to my husband I’d like to try to save money this year and go to Costa Rica next year. Hub likes Costa Rica, but this was news to him! (Well, I just thought of it yesterday). I realized that if we worked at it, we could probably save the money. And really? Who doesn’t want to go swinging through the jungle on a zip line with their teenager? I have no idea whether we’ll go or not, but you know what? I need to live my life with zest. We have a ton of bills to pay down this year, and we’ll do that, but I want to have a bit of fun too!
I lost 3 pounds this week – which is great. But mainly? I just feel so much better since I started eating healthier. There have been a couple of nights when I felt unsure what to do without snacking, but overall it hasn’t been too difficult. And the feeling good makes it worth it!
Life is good, vegetables are good.
This morning I told my mom that Jordan was “the dog of my heart”. All our dogs love us all, and they all are happy dogs. They have good food, a comfortable home, and people that love them. But Jordan lives life with reckless abandon. I guess it’s the terrier in her – everything she does she completely throws herself into it. She isn’t just happy – she loves life! It’s not just energy – it’s joy. I’ve decided to take a page out of her book and live life with joy. Which is why I’ve decided to go to Costa Rica.
Last night at the dinner table, I casually mentioned to my husband I’d like to try to save money this year and go to Costa Rica next year. Hub likes Costa Rica, but this was news to him! (Well, I just thought of it yesterday). I realized that if we worked at it, we could probably save the money. And really? Who doesn’t want to go swinging through the jungle on a zip line with their teenager? I have no idea whether we’ll go or not, but you know what? I need to live my life with zest. We have a ton of bills to pay down this year, and we’ll do that, but I want to have a bit of fun too!
I lost 3 pounds this week – which is great. But mainly? I just feel so much better since I started eating healthier. There have been a couple of nights when I felt unsure what to do without snacking, but overall it hasn’t been too difficult. And the feeling good makes it worth it!
Life is good, vegetables are good.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Sit down and have a nice cup of tea
I am trying a one two punch on the whole ‘hot lunch’ issue: today I brought about ¼ cup of black eyed peas to eat prior to lunch, after lunch I am having a cup of hot tea with a bit of milk. Perhaps that will be the signal my body needs. Next week I am packing soup!
I got home yesterday afternoon, and even though I was a bit tired (and thus tempted to grab a 20 minute nap), it was so gorgeous I decided I had to get outside! Killing 2 birds with 1 stone, I walked Jordan for a mile, then came home, grabbed Bess, and took her on a half mile walk. By that time it was definitely twilight and since she’s small and blends with the pavement (to a certain extent), I was glad to be heading home. The air smelled so amazing! It was a terrific walk!
One of the most awesome things about going to the gym 3 days per week is the ability to get up and go for a walk in the neighborhood, which is what I did this morning. I walk at a moderately difficult (for me) pace – it’s not super intense exercise, but its wakes up my body and gives me some quiet time in my own head. I’ve stopped even using my MP3 player on these walks, and instead listen to myself or the sounds of the outdoors.
My poor husband got home at 7:45 last night!!! Poor guy. He is working some crazy hours. Luckily, he had asked for this weekend off a while back since we had planned a family get-away. He didn’t get Monday, so we shortened our trip, but he at least has the weekend. We are going to Helen Georgia, where we will enjoy a hot tub on a deck overlooking the river, wander around the village, and eat German food! The boy decided to go to the beach with his grandpa (I think there is a girl involved), so it will be just the two of us. Sweet!
I am trying to think of creative ways to get more vegetables into the guys’ lunch boxes. I asked my son if he’d eat sushi if I made it (He loves sushi). At first he couldn’t believe that I knew how to make it! Then he said he would eat it, but only if I “don’t use that boil-n-bag brown rice crap you feed us. Give me the good rice like you make for the dogs!” (He means white rice). I laughed so hard I thought I would cry. Kids are so funny and fun!
As I’ve tried this year to up my vegetable intake, I’ve come to realize that the guys eat NO vegetables other than dinner. I do a decent job of making healthy dinners, but its hard to get a day’s worth of veg into 1 meal. They both do pretty good with fruit, but vegetables are a bit dodgy. I’m thinking things like sushi rolls, 3 bean salad, baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, celery with peanut butter, those sorts of things.
I bought kale! I plan to put it into a Mexican black bean soup for lunches next week. Trying new vegetables is fun. I love how much food I can eat while keeping the calorie count in line with my needs.
This is what I’m eating this week (for the curious):
Pre workout 1 or 2 prunes with natural peanut butter
Breakfast: Millet with margarine and a protein shake made with unsweetened cranberry juice, frozen mixed berries, and protein powder.
Snack: 1 omega-3 egg with mustard and ½ tsp. may, clementines or apple.
Lunch: Huge-mongo salad of shredded cabbage, spinach, celery, carrots, grated broccoli stalk, parsley with 3 oz diced rotisserie chicken and dressing.
Something warm.
Snack: 2 baby cucumbers with homemade hummus
Dinner: varies.
Snack: varies.
Anyway, thus far my efforts to increase my veggie intake seems to be working!
I am trying a one two punch on the whole ‘hot lunch’ issue: today I brought about ¼ cup of black eyed peas to eat prior to lunch, after lunch I am having a cup of hot tea with a bit of milk. Perhaps that will be the signal my body needs. Next week I am packing soup!
I got home yesterday afternoon, and even though I was a bit tired (and thus tempted to grab a 20 minute nap), it was so gorgeous I decided I had to get outside! Killing 2 birds with 1 stone, I walked Jordan for a mile, then came home, grabbed Bess, and took her on a half mile walk. By that time it was definitely twilight and since she’s small and blends with the pavement (to a certain extent), I was glad to be heading home. The air smelled so amazing! It was a terrific walk!
One of the most awesome things about going to the gym 3 days per week is the ability to get up and go for a walk in the neighborhood, which is what I did this morning. I walk at a moderately difficult (for me) pace – it’s not super intense exercise, but its wakes up my body and gives me some quiet time in my own head. I’ve stopped even using my MP3 player on these walks, and instead listen to myself or the sounds of the outdoors.
My poor husband got home at 7:45 last night!!! Poor guy. He is working some crazy hours. Luckily, he had asked for this weekend off a while back since we had planned a family get-away. He didn’t get Monday, so we shortened our trip, but he at least has the weekend. We are going to Helen Georgia, where we will enjoy a hot tub on a deck overlooking the river, wander around the village, and eat German food! The boy decided to go to the beach with his grandpa (I think there is a girl involved), so it will be just the two of us. Sweet!
I am trying to think of creative ways to get more vegetables into the guys’ lunch boxes. I asked my son if he’d eat sushi if I made it (He loves sushi). At first he couldn’t believe that I knew how to make it! Then he said he would eat it, but only if I “don’t use that boil-n-bag brown rice crap you feed us. Give me the good rice like you make for the dogs!” (He means white rice). I laughed so hard I thought I would cry. Kids are so funny and fun!
As I’ve tried this year to up my vegetable intake, I’ve come to realize that the guys eat NO vegetables other than dinner. I do a decent job of making healthy dinners, but its hard to get a day’s worth of veg into 1 meal. They both do pretty good with fruit, but vegetables are a bit dodgy. I’m thinking things like sushi rolls, 3 bean salad, baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, celery with peanut butter, those sorts of things.
I bought kale! I plan to put it into a Mexican black bean soup for lunches next week. Trying new vegetables is fun. I love how much food I can eat while keeping the calorie count in line with my needs.
This is what I’m eating this week (for the curious):
Pre workout 1 or 2 prunes with natural peanut butter
Breakfast: Millet with margarine and a protein shake made with unsweetened cranberry juice, frozen mixed berries, and protein powder.
Snack: 1 omega-3 egg with mustard and ½ tsp. may, clementines or apple.
Lunch: Huge-mongo salad of shredded cabbage, spinach, celery, carrots, grated broccoli stalk, parsley with 3 oz diced rotisserie chicken and dressing.
Something warm.
Snack: 2 baby cucumbers with homemade hummus
Dinner: varies.
Snack: varies.
Anyway, thus far my efforts to increase my veggie intake seems to be working!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Random acts of thinking
Last night was .. odd. I went home just beat. Made dinner and dog food and that was all I was good for. I took a hot bath, but after that couldn’t seem to settle down. I felt restless and dissatisfied. I thought about doing my yoga, but I just couldn’t make myself. I thought about looking for food to make myself feel better, but really didn’t want to eat out of boredom. Finally I just went to the room, crawled into bed, and read a book while the guys watched a paintball movie.
I woke up at 3 am – hungry! Really hungry. Tummy growly, uncomfortable, can’t get back to sleep hunger. So I finally got up and had a prune with natural peanut butter – it was just enough to take the edge off. The down side was that I was right in the middle of a sleep cycle when the alarm went off – it took several repeats of my morning mantra “Feet on floor!” to get out of bed. Still, last night was much less severe than some of the insomnia bouts I’ve had the past few months, so it wasn’t a huge deal.
I had another prune with peanut butter, then hit the gym! Had a really good workout – can I say how much I am loving only going 3 days per week?
This week for lunch I’ve been making these huge vegetable salads with 3 ounces of chopped chicken and 2 tablespoons of dressing. It should be plenty of food, but I’ve discovered that until I’ve eaten something hot, I’m just not convinced it’s really a meal. Monday I had a Lipton ‘cup o soup’ from my desk drawer (aka ‘salt lick’) and yesterday I brought a small portion of leftover shrimp creole. I forgot to bring anything today, so its either more soup or a veggie from the cafeteria. I have no idea why I feel that way, but truly – my register doesn’t read ‘full’ – or even ‘satisfied’ until I’ve had something hot. Weird, huh?
My attitude lately has been odd. I am noticing (and caring) much more about the connection between what I eat and how it makes me feel. I care more about feeling good in the coming hours than I do about eating whatever it is I might want at the moment.
I know I wrote a while back about not truly believing that I can create change in my body. Someone posted to a fitness yahoo group I’m on yesterday the phrase “if you train like an athlete and eat like an athlete, you will (eventually) look like an athlete.” As weird as it sounds, I think that’s true, but I don’t believe in my heart that it’s true. On one level I understand the connection between food consumed, exercise done, and fat on the body. It’s scientific fact, right? But in the deep recesses of my heart, I don’t believe it. It’s like I’ve gotten so far out of touch with my food and my body that all understanding of how any of it works or feels has withered away from lack of use.
But lately I have noticed that healthy foods and exercise make me feel good. And I want to feel good. Life is good and I want to appreciate and enjoy it on new levels. What if I eat the proper amounts of food and exercise and feel fabulous and don’t look like an athlete? Is that okay? Is the feeling good enough to keep me going? I dunno. Weigh in days seem far away and the feedback from the scale seems mighty small in the day of day of making food choices. Maybe after I’ve wracked up some genuine improvement I will believe the feedback. In the meantime, I have to go forward with it based solely on the desire to feel my best.
Last night was .. odd. I went home just beat. Made dinner and dog food and that was all I was good for. I took a hot bath, but after that couldn’t seem to settle down. I felt restless and dissatisfied. I thought about doing my yoga, but I just couldn’t make myself. I thought about looking for food to make myself feel better, but really didn’t want to eat out of boredom. Finally I just went to the room, crawled into bed, and read a book while the guys watched a paintball movie.
I woke up at 3 am – hungry! Really hungry. Tummy growly, uncomfortable, can’t get back to sleep hunger. So I finally got up and had a prune with natural peanut butter – it was just enough to take the edge off. The down side was that I was right in the middle of a sleep cycle when the alarm went off – it took several repeats of my morning mantra “Feet on floor!” to get out of bed. Still, last night was much less severe than some of the insomnia bouts I’ve had the past few months, so it wasn’t a huge deal.
I had another prune with peanut butter, then hit the gym! Had a really good workout – can I say how much I am loving only going 3 days per week?
This week for lunch I’ve been making these huge vegetable salads with 3 ounces of chopped chicken and 2 tablespoons of dressing. It should be plenty of food, but I’ve discovered that until I’ve eaten something hot, I’m just not convinced it’s really a meal. Monday I had a Lipton ‘cup o soup’ from my desk drawer (aka ‘salt lick’) and yesterday I brought a small portion of leftover shrimp creole. I forgot to bring anything today, so its either more soup or a veggie from the cafeteria. I have no idea why I feel that way, but truly – my register doesn’t read ‘full’ – or even ‘satisfied’ until I’ve had something hot. Weird, huh?
My attitude lately has been odd. I am noticing (and caring) much more about the connection between what I eat and how it makes me feel. I care more about feeling good in the coming hours than I do about eating whatever it is I might want at the moment.
I know I wrote a while back about not truly believing that I can create change in my body. Someone posted to a fitness yahoo group I’m on yesterday the phrase “if you train like an athlete and eat like an athlete, you will (eventually) look like an athlete.” As weird as it sounds, I think that’s true, but I don’t believe in my heart that it’s true. On one level I understand the connection between food consumed, exercise done, and fat on the body. It’s scientific fact, right? But in the deep recesses of my heart, I don’t believe it. It’s like I’ve gotten so far out of touch with my food and my body that all understanding of how any of it works or feels has withered away from lack of use.
But lately I have noticed that healthy foods and exercise make me feel good. And I want to feel good. Life is good and I want to appreciate and enjoy it on new levels. What if I eat the proper amounts of food and exercise and feel fabulous and don’t look like an athlete? Is that okay? Is the feeling good enough to keep me going? I dunno. Weigh in days seem far away and the feedback from the scale seems mighty small in the day of day of making food choices. Maybe after I’ve wracked up some genuine improvement I will believe the feedback. In the meantime, I have to go forward with it based solely on the desire to feel my best.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Just at a loss
So, a good friend of mine (I can't remember whether I've mentioned it here) has Sjögren's Syndrome - an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the glands that produce tears and saliva. There is an infusion drug for it. But 1. The drug isn't approved for Sjogrens and 2. the drug may not help any of body pain. (She is in a great deal of pain every day.) 3. Side effect - the drug has about a 20% risk of death on the first injection - it depends on the amount of pre-dosing drug you get, how well you tolerate it and if you react to the first shot (you take it in 2 infusion doses 2 weeks apart). Also some people - maybe 20% - get serum sickness and can't take the med.
Well, B went for her first treatment yesterday. They were unable to complete the infusion because she began having chest pains. So that's it. The end of the line in Western medicine.
There is no cure, only treatment. And without that treatment, all they can do is try to relieve her symptoms.
I found out yesterday that her treatment failed. I just couldn't deal with it. Here is this young, vibrant woman who has been fighting the good fight for 6 long years. A woman who lost her husband, her home, friends, her livelihood. And its the end of the medical road for her.
Beer and jalepeno poppers may not solve problems, but on days when problems are too big to be faced and emotions are too raw to be felt, they are very effective at postponing having to feel.
Don't worry - I had my millet for breakfast (this time made up like grits!) and I packed my healthy food. I'm not sinking into a vat of cheese dip or anything, I just needed an evening of not feeling this hurt.
So, a good friend of mine (I can't remember whether I've mentioned it here) has Sjögren's Syndrome - an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the glands that produce tears and saliva. There is an infusion drug for it. But 1. The drug isn't approved for Sjogrens and 2. the drug may not help any of body pain. (She is in a great deal of pain every day.) 3. Side effect - the drug has about a 20% risk of death on the first injection - it depends on the amount of pre-dosing drug you get, how well you tolerate it and if you react to the first shot (you take it in 2 infusion doses 2 weeks apart). Also some people - maybe 20% - get serum sickness and can't take the med.
Well, B went for her first treatment yesterday. They were unable to complete the infusion because she began having chest pains. So that's it. The end of the line in Western medicine.
There is no cure, only treatment. And without that treatment, all they can do is try to relieve her symptoms.
I found out yesterday that her treatment failed. I just couldn't deal with it. Here is this young, vibrant woman who has been fighting the good fight for 6 long years. A woman who lost her husband, her home, friends, her livelihood. And its the end of the medical road for her.
Beer and jalepeno poppers may not solve problems, but on days when problems are too big to be faced and emotions are too raw to be felt, they are very effective at postponing having to feel.
Don't worry - I had my millet for breakfast (this time made up like grits!) and I packed my healthy food. I'm not sinking into a vat of cheese dip or anything, I just needed an evening of not feeling this hurt.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Who knew?
I am not a big fan of oatmeal. I use oats in all sorts of things, but oatmeal? Not so much. Steel cut oats are better, but what I dislike is the slimy texture.
So, I've been reading this book about the "12 Super Foods" by Gillian Mckeith - she has that show "You are what you eat" on the BBC. ANYWAY..... she suggests eating millet and quuinoa like you would oatmeal. So I bought some of each and this morning tired the millet. Yum!! not at all slimy - the texture is more like couscous, but with a nice nutty kind of flavor. Since it takes 25 minutes to cook, I cooked about 4 day's worth yesterday, and then reheated it with the add ins this morning.
Morning Millet:
1/2 pre-cooked millet
2 T ground flax seed
6 chopped almonds
1 c mixed berries
2 prunes
2 T organic half n half
Very good!
Prior to hitting the gym, I've been having 1 or 2 prunes with some natural peanut butter on top. It really helps when I wake up hungry. You know you're getting old when you refer to prunes as "nature's candy" to your spouse - and mean it!
Hike was fantastic yesterday. Really nice path - we'll be going back with bikes or dogs. Forgot to take the Christmas tree though - they have a tree recycling drop off there.
Still really enjoying Turbulence Training. The power glitch meant I ended up doing 3 workouts in a row - not the best plan. But I don't feel tired or overtrained, and its so nice to have some mornings where I'm not scheduled to go to the gym. I can walk in the neighborhood or something! Nice.
The veggie boost plus taking my vitamins seems to be helping - I feel better than I have in quite a while!
I am not a big fan of oatmeal. I use oats in all sorts of things, but oatmeal? Not so much. Steel cut oats are better, but what I dislike is the slimy texture.
So, I've been reading this book about the "12 Super Foods" by Gillian Mckeith - she has that show "You are what you eat" on the BBC. ANYWAY..... she suggests eating millet and quuinoa like you would oatmeal. So I bought some of each and this morning tired the millet. Yum!! not at all slimy - the texture is more like couscous, but with a nice nutty kind of flavor. Since it takes 25 minutes to cook, I cooked about 4 day's worth yesterday, and then reheated it with the add ins this morning.
Morning Millet:
1/2 pre-cooked millet
2 T ground flax seed
6 chopped almonds
1 c mixed berries
2 prunes
2 T organic half n half
Very good!
Prior to hitting the gym, I've been having 1 or 2 prunes with some natural peanut butter on top. It really helps when I wake up hungry. You know you're getting old when you refer to prunes as "nature's candy" to your spouse - and mean it!
Hike was fantastic yesterday. Really nice path - we'll be going back with bikes or dogs. Forgot to take the Christmas tree though - they have a tree recycling drop off there.
Still really enjoying Turbulence Training. The power glitch meant I ended up doing 3 workouts in a row - not the best plan. But I don't feel tired or overtrained, and its so nice to have some mornings where I'm not scheduled to go to the gym. I can walk in the neighborhood or something! Nice.
The veggie boost plus taking my vitamins seems to be helping - I feel better than I have in quite a while!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Sorta like winning the lottery!!!
I am waiting for my son to come home from his grandpa's so we can go for a hike. In the meantime, thought I'd post an update.
Thus far, this has been a very good weekend!
Friday I came home and worked on the house a bit. Saturday I got up, hit the gym, then came home and finished tidying the house after I had eaten some breakfast. My (former) cleaning lady was coming by with her daughter, who agreed to take me on as a customer. J and her partner A got here promptly at 9 ready to clean! I was thinking they might want to check out the lay of the land, so to speak. But I guess Marilu had given them a good idea of what the house was like, what she did, and what I paid. And they were okay with it! An added bonus is that they aren't afraid of the dogs. I had to put them outside when Marilu came, but now I can leave them in on cold days! I was thinking I'd have to clean this weekend - but they did it. Sorta like winning the lottery!
I hustled off and did some errands - Costco, gas, that sort of thing. Came home for lunch, did the grocery shopping, then took a very nice 2 mile walk in the neighborhood. I'd bought pre-made chicken enchiladas from Costco, which we had for dinner. Very good, lots of chicken, not too much cheese. Yum-o! I love Mexican food!
This morning I slept in before heading out to the gym again. I'd forgotten my water (oops!) but I got in my workout anyway. I tell you, when I realized I'd forgotten the water, I nearly turned around and went home! It's amazing how little it takes to get me off track.....
Today I did laundry and did my cooking for the week. This week's lunches are salads - I picked and measured out chicken from a Costco rotisserie chicken for the meat. For the green part, I have a box of organic spinach, a bag of shredded cabbage, and I made a mix of the following: carrots, celery, parsley, and grated stalk of broccoli. The tops are going in a stir fry for dinner. But why waste the stalks?
I was going to try sprouting some grains, but since we are going to be out of town next weekend, I decided to wait until we get back. Sprouts are so nutritious, but the variety is limited in the store. I bought some millet and quinoa to use like oatmeal for breakfasts - I decided to try sprouting a little of each to add to my salads.
The weather here is going to be nice for the next few days, so I want to take advantage of it by getting outside. Hence the hike this afternoon.
This has been a very good weekend so far!
I am waiting for my son to come home from his grandpa's so we can go for a hike. In the meantime, thought I'd post an update.
Thus far, this has been a very good weekend!
Friday I came home and worked on the house a bit. Saturday I got up, hit the gym, then came home and finished tidying the house after I had eaten some breakfast. My (former) cleaning lady was coming by with her daughter, who agreed to take me on as a customer. J and her partner A got here promptly at 9 ready to clean! I was thinking they might want to check out the lay of the land, so to speak. But I guess Marilu had given them a good idea of what the house was like, what she did, and what I paid. And they were okay with it! An added bonus is that they aren't afraid of the dogs. I had to put them outside when Marilu came, but now I can leave them in on cold days! I was thinking I'd have to clean this weekend - but they did it. Sorta like winning the lottery!
I hustled off and did some errands - Costco, gas, that sort of thing. Came home for lunch, did the grocery shopping, then took a very nice 2 mile walk in the neighborhood. I'd bought pre-made chicken enchiladas from Costco, which we had for dinner. Very good, lots of chicken, not too much cheese. Yum-o! I love Mexican food!
This morning I slept in before heading out to the gym again. I'd forgotten my water (oops!) but I got in my workout anyway. I tell you, when I realized I'd forgotten the water, I nearly turned around and went home! It's amazing how little it takes to get me off track.....
Today I did laundry and did my cooking for the week. This week's lunches are salads - I picked and measured out chicken from a Costco rotisserie chicken for the meat. For the green part, I have a box of organic spinach, a bag of shredded cabbage, and I made a mix of the following: carrots, celery, parsley, and grated stalk of broccoli. The tops are going in a stir fry for dinner. But why waste the stalks?
I was going to try sprouting some grains, but since we are going to be out of town next weekend, I decided to wait until we get back. Sprouts are so nutritious, but the variety is limited in the store. I bought some millet and quinoa to use like oatmeal for breakfasts - I decided to try sprouting a little of each to add to my salads.
The weather here is going to be nice for the next few days, so I want to take advantage of it by getting outside. Hence the hike this afternoon.
This has been a very good weekend so far!
Friday, January 04, 2008
This 'n that
Our power came on around midnight. We built a fire and slept in the living room. Our house looked like a set from "Phantom of the Opera", what with all the candles. While I could skip the "no heat" bit, the lack of power was otherwise rather pleasant!
Instead of looking at the glass half empty, I'm working on the whole half full concept. So, rather than think "I can't have beer" I'm thinking "I choose to limit unhealthy foods to improve my health." It seems to be helping!
Due to the circumstances last night, I didn't get to the gym and I didn't get to fix dinner. I ate out, but chose something off the 'healthy" menu so I at least knew some of the nutritional data. I had the veggie burger at 396 calories. I didn't get up this morning and make it to the gym, but I'm going this afternoon. That's tougher, but it's okay!
This weekend I plan to experiement with my "more veggies" idea. I want to play with some salad to pre-make for my lunches, and buying some stuff from Earth Fare (it's like a Whole Foods) to experiment with sprouting. It sounds pretty simple!
Like is good, and this is going to be a nice weekend!
Our power came on around midnight. We built a fire and slept in the living room. Our house looked like a set from "Phantom of the Opera", what with all the candles. While I could skip the "no heat" bit, the lack of power was otherwise rather pleasant!
Instead of looking at the glass half empty, I'm working on the whole half full concept. So, rather than think "I can't have beer" I'm thinking "I choose to limit unhealthy foods to improve my health." It seems to be helping!
Due to the circumstances last night, I didn't get to the gym and I didn't get to fix dinner. I ate out, but chose something off the 'healthy" menu so I at least knew some of the nutritional data. I had the veggie burger at 396 calories. I didn't get up this morning and make it to the gym, but I'm going this afternoon. That's tougher, but it's okay!
This weekend I plan to experiement with my "more veggies" idea. I want to play with some salad to pre-make for my lunches, and buying some stuff from Earth Fare (it's like a Whole Foods) to experiment with sprouting. It sounds pretty simple!
Like is good, and this is going to be a nice weekend!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Rodney Yee doesn't have dogs
A while back, I decided to order the AM/PM yoga set, with the intent of doing yoga sometimes. I chose to get them on VHS because we don't have a dvd player in the bedroom, and I didn't want to do them in the living room. Let's just say the dogs had other plans.
In their minds, me being on the floor is a signal that I want to play. So while Rodney was spouting tranquility from some tropical beach, I had a hound dog perched between my legs and a husband farting in the bed. Uh, yeah. Note to self: must do yoga at some time when doga aren't in the room.
Also, it was 17 degrees so I decided to take a pass on the AM walk. This afternoon won't be much warmer, but at least the sun will be out.
Hub has been working 11 hour days. The one up side to us eating dinner at 7 pm is that I don't get hungry or want a snack before bed if we eat that late. Hmmm..... could I be on to something???
A while back, I decided to order the AM/PM yoga set, with the intent of doing yoga sometimes. I chose to get them on VHS because we don't have a dvd player in the bedroom, and I didn't want to do them in the living room. Let's just say the dogs had other plans.
In their minds, me being on the floor is a signal that I want to play. So while Rodney was spouting tranquility from some tropical beach, I had a hound dog perched between my legs and a husband farting in the bed. Uh, yeah. Note to self: must do yoga at some time when doga aren't in the room.
Also, it was 17 degrees so I decided to take a pass on the AM walk. This afternoon won't be much warmer, but at least the sun will be out.
Hub has been working 11 hour days. The one up side to us eating dinner at 7 pm is that I don't get hungry or want a snack before bed if we eat that late. Hmmm..... could I be on to something???
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Just post it.
A lot is running around in my head right now. If my 2008 goals were to be summed up in a single word it would be: mindfulness. It's not bad to eat candy, but if you do a thing, "own" it. Don't feel guilty. Do it, accept it, and embrace the consequences. Be more in the moment. Enjoy a thing, focus on an activity, don't spend mental energy rushing through each thing I do, more focused on the next thing than the present.
Some things I'd like to do:
1. Spend less time on the SCA. It's sucking my soul. There are some wonderful folks, but learn to let some of the politics go.
2. Spend more time on other family centered activities. Look into PATH (the local group that maintains a section of the App. Trail).
3. Worry less about weight loss and more about health. Enjoy what I'm doing. It's been so tough this year largely because I have viewed exercise as a punishment for gaining weight than a positive and necessary thing to do for my body and mind.
With that last bit in mind, I have adopted a weight routine that is intense, but effective. And brief enough that I can do cardio the same day. This means hitting the gym 3 times per week rather than 6. Leaving me time for things like dog walking and hiking and bowling. I went to the gym this morning and lifted AND did cardio.
Eat more vegetables.
I am tired of being a slave to punishing goals or resolutions. Do I need to lose 20 pounds? Uh, yeah. But eat more veggies sounds more palatable than "drop the lard, tubby."
A lot is running around in my head right now. If my 2008 goals were to be summed up in a single word it would be: mindfulness. It's not bad to eat candy, but if you do a thing, "own" it. Don't feel guilty. Do it, accept it, and embrace the consequences. Be more in the moment. Enjoy a thing, focus on an activity, don't spend mental energy rushing through each thing I do, more focused on the next thing than the present.
Some things I'd like to do:
1. Spend less time on the SCA. It's sucking my soul. There are some wonderful folks, but learn to let some of the politics go.
2. Spend more time on other family centered activities. Look into PATH (the local group that maintains a section of the App. Trail).
3. Worry less about weight loss and more about health. Enjoy what I'm doing. It's been so tough this year largely because I have viewed exercise as a punishment for gaining weight than a positive and necessary thing to do for my body and mind.
With that last bit in mind, I have adopted a weight routine that is intense, but effective. And brief enough that I can do cardio the same day. This means hitting the gym 3 times per week rather than 6. Leaving me time for things like dog walking and hiking and bowling. I went to the gym this morning and lifted AND did cardio.
Eat more vegetables.
I am tired of being a slave to punishing goals or resolutions. Do I need to lose 20 pounds? Uh, yeah. But eat more veggies sounds more palatable than "drop the lard, tubby."
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year!
My resolutions are as follows:
1. Worry less.
2. Enjoy more.
I believe the rest will follow from there. In keeping with my recent post(s), I am NOT deciding to lose 30 pounds in 5 weeks or 5 years or anything. I am simply going to focus on making each day as successful and positive as possible. While I doubt I can be that mindful ALL the time, the effort to walk the path is, in this case, more important than the destination.
My resolutions are as follows:
1. Worry less.
2. Enjoy more.
I believe the rest will follow from there. In keeping with my recent post(s), I am NOT deciding to lose 30 pounds in 5 weeks or 5 years or anything. I am simply going to focus on making each day as successful and positive as possible. While I doubt I can be that mindful ALL the time, the effort to walk the path is, in this case, more important than the destination.
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