Thought for the day:
"Rule your mind or it will rule you. You may delay, but time will not." -Horace
Yesterday was weigh in day and I was happy because I lost 1.8 pounds but also a little disappointed; I really wanted to have 25 pounds off by Memorial day and missed that goal by 0.2 pounds, ARGGG! I had not eaten or drank anything before weighing in, I had went to the bathroom too; so short of taking my clothes off (that may happen when I get that close to the 100 pound goal), the weight on the scale was as low as it was going to go.
The meeting was very motivating, we talked about increasing activity. Many of us didn't have weight problems when we were younger because we were a lot more active. The facilitator suggested that as grown-ups we should go out and play more.
After the meeting played with my granddaughters. We also went shopping at their favorite store and tried out the hula-hoops. None of us could keep the darned things going, but maybe I should go back and get one to practice with. As a kid, I thought they were fun. We did get jump ropes and had a jumping contest, I lost. The point is I did it, not well, but I did it.
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 60 minutes, 5 days of the week.
e. Continued the Yoga practice. It does feel good to stretch.
f. Tried the Hula-Hoop. Bought a jump rope and used it.
g. Bought a new pair of shorts, a size smaller! Yippee!
h. Went out to dinner with my Mom and stayed on point.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Find another new activity.
c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.
d. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Hot days
Thought for the day:
"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."
-Frank Lloyd Wright
The last couple of days have been so hot and so busy I haven't been able to take my lunch break walks. I did walk on Monday but finished feeling sick and light headed even though I took a full water bottle and drank several times during the walk.
This evening after work I went to the mall to get a walk in, it was good to be moving. So I guess my new challenge is going to be finding a time when it is cool enough to hit the pavement.
I'm looking forward to this long weekend, I have lots of yard work to catch up with. Gardening is good for activity points.
I will probably walk up and watch the Memorial day Parade in Pie Town, more activity points, LOL. I do hope to spend some time honoring those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country, as that is the real purpose of the Holiday. I will also go and visit my Fathers grave. Dad didn't die in service to our country, but he did serve in the Air Force, and I want to honor him.
"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."
-Frank Lloyd Wright
The last couple of days have been so hot and so busy I haven't been able to take my lunch break walks. I did walk on Monday but finished feeling sick and light headed even though I took a full water bottle and drank several times during the walk.
This evening after work I went to the mall to get a walk in, it was good to be moving. So I guess my new challenge is going to be finding a time when it is cool enough to hit the pavement.
I'm looking forward to this long weekend, I have lots of yard work to catch up with. Gardening is good for activity points.
I will probably walk up and watch the Memorial day Parade in Pie Town, more activity points, LOL. I do hope to spend some time honoring those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country, as that is the real purpose of the Holiday. I will also go and visit my Fathers grave. Dad didn't die in service to our country, but he did serve in the Air Force, and I want to honor him.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Perseverance
Thought for the Day:
"The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success. " -David Sarnoff
I'm a couple of days late in posting this, as I made a trip to visit family in southeast Missouri. Saturday was weigh in and the scale and I are still friends. I lost another 2.6 pounds. Yippee!! That is a total of 23 pounds lost!
The trip went well, My daughter drove and my grandson of course was an angel.
It was difficult eating well on the road, and when visiting out of town family I had no control over the menu. Having planned for this I saved my Flex points for the day and ate what was served. I did notice something, a few months ago I would have eaten everything offered, now I'm satisfied with about half the amount. I was not counting points, I had planned get back on point as soon as I got home. It was a day that I really didn't desire very much of the high fat food I was offered.
We stopped at a restaurant on the drive home and I ordered something that could be split up into two meals and took half in my lunch today, again feeling satisfied.
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 60 minutes, 3 days of the week. (The Rain kept me from getting a walk in every day)
e. Continued the Yoga practice. It does feel good to stretch.
f. Tried the beginners Pilates DVD. Also checked out a Play-A Way called "You on a Walk" and liked it.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Look for a beginners Tai Chi DVD at the library, I found a Pilates DVD last week last week.
c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.
d. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
"The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success. " -David Sarnoff
I'm a couple of days late in posting this, as I made a trip to visit family in southeast Missouri. Saturday was weigh in and the scale and I are still friends. I lost another 2.6 pounds. Yippee!! That is a total of 23 pounds lost!
The trip went well, My daughter drove and my grandson of course was an angel.
It was difficult eating well on the road, and when visiting out of town family I had no control over the menu. Having planned for this I saved my Flex points for the day and ate what was served. I did notice something, a few months ago I would have eaten everything offered, now I'm satisfied with about half the amount. I was not counting points, I had planned get back on point as soon as I got home. It was a day that I really didn't desire very much of the high fat food I was offered.
We stopped at a restaurant on the drive home and I ordered something that could be split up into two meals and took half in my lunch today, again feeling satisfied.
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 60 minutes, 3 days of the week. (The Rain kept me from getting a walk in every day)
e. Continued the Yoga practice. It does feel good to stretch.
f. Tried the beginners Pilates DVD. Also checked out a Play-A Way called "You on a Walk" and liked it.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Look for a beginners Tai Chi DVD at the library, I found a Pilates DVD last week last week.
c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.
d. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Hanging in There
Thought for the day:
"Smooth Seas do not make skillful sailors."—African proverb
I'm experiencing boredom. It has been raining so much that I can't get outside to walk, or garden, or do anything. I'd like nothing better than to feel the sun on my face and a warm breeze in my hair.
The George Forman Grill my daughters gave me is helping with the boredom involving food. I love the thing, I could be a spokesperson! It's amazing how much grilling chicken, beef, fish, or veggies can change the taste from ho-hum to OH! YUM!
A little marinating also boosts the flavor.
Something else that occurred to me is that the more flavor a dish has, increases it's satisfaction factor. When food really satisfies me I eat less of it. I used to look at a little 3 oz. piece of chicken breast or a 4 oz steak and think, where is the rest?
Give it some flavor, slice it up and add some sauteed mushrooms, bell pepper, and onions. Put some seasonal veggies on the side add a salad with lite dressing and that little piece of protein has become a very satisfying meal.
I really can't say enough about having good quality small kitchen appliances. Paying a little extra money for something can seem a little frivolous at first; but you'll never regret getting quality.
I have two personally tested recommendations, the George Foreman Grill and Kitchen-Aid blender. The grill is wonderful, it heats to 400 degrees within 5 minutes and cooks both sides at once. I have a model that has non-stick removable cooking plates that can go in the sink or dishwasher making clean-up easy. I love my Kitchen-Aid blender and use it 4 to 5 times a week. It has it has three normal settings as well as an ice crushing setting and a smoothie setting, lots of power and it is easy to clean. I can't tell you how many cheaper blenders I have been through that wore out quickly and just did not do a good job, making this one well worth the extra money.
Now for a few food product recommendations.
Dijonase, it is made by Hellman's and is a creamy Dijon mustard that has 5 calories per 1 teaspoon serving, I spread it on sandwiches, mix it with a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of lite mayo to make a dip for veggies or pretzels, I also add it to salad dressing and marinades.
Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce, just a little of this red pepper sauce really makes every thing just taste better without necessarily making it taste hot. I use it in eggs, collard greens, veggies, fish, chicken, I could go on and on.
Fat Free Coffee-mate, adding this to almost anything will make it taste creamier and just 2 teaspoons of the French Vanilla flavor gives smoothies or a packet of 25 calorie hot chocolate a creamy flavor boost.
And last but certainly not the least of the products I depend upon.
Torani Sugar Free syrups, they come in lots of flavors but my favorites are vanilla, chocolate and hazelnut, and a little goes a long way down the flavor trail. I add them to my morning lite soy latte, plain or vanilla frozen or Greek yogurts, smoothies, fresh fruit salads and oatmeal.
There is really no end to what you can do with this sweet stuff.
Now, what will I make for dinner?
"Smooth Seas do not make skillful sailors."—African proverb
I'm experiencing boredom. It has been raining so much that I can't get outside to walk, or garden, or do anything. I'd like nothing better than to feel the sun on my face and a warm breeze in my hair.
The George Forman Grill my daughters gave me is helping with the boredom involving food. I love the thing, I could be a spokesperson! It's amazing how much grilling chicken, beef, fish, or veggies can change the taste from ho-hum to OH! YUM!
A little marinating also boosts the flavor.
Something else that occurred to me is that the more flavor a dish has, increases it's satisfaction factor. When food really satisfies me I eat less of it. I used to look at a little 3 oz. piece of chicken breast or a 4 oz steak and think, where is the rest?
Give it some flavor, slice it up and add some sauteed mushrooms, bell pepper, and onions. Put some seasonal veggies on the side add a salad with lite dressing and that little piece of protein has become a very satisfying meal.
I really can't say enough about having good quality small kitchen appliances. Paying a little extra money for something can seem a little frivolous at first; but you'll never regret getting quality.
I have two personally tested recommendations, the George Foreman Grill and Kitchen-Aid blender. The grill is wonderful, it heats to 400 degrees within 5 minutes and cooks both sides at once. I have a model that has non-stick removable cooking plates that can go in the sink or dishwasher making clean-up easy. I love my Kitchen-Aid blender and use it 4 to 5 times a week. It has it has three normal settings as well as an ice crushing setting and a smoothie setting, lots of power and it is easy to clean. I can't tell you how many cheaper blenders I have been through that wore out quickly and just did not do a good job, making this one well worth the extra money.
Now for a few food product recommendations.
Dijonase, it is made by Hellman's and is a creamy Dijon mustard that has 5 calories per 1 teaspoon serving, I spread it on sandwiches, mix it with a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of lite mayo to make a dip for veggies or pretzels, I also add it to salad dressing and marinades.
Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce, just a little of this red pepper sauce really makes every thing just taste better without necessarily making it taste hot. I use it in eggs, collard greens, veggies, fish, chicken, I could go on and on.
Fat Free Coffee-mate, adding this to almost anything will make it taste creamier and just 2 teaspoons of the French Vanilla flavor gives smoothies or a packet of 25 calorie hot chocolate a creamy flavor boost.
And last but certainly not the least of the products I depend upon.
Torani Sugar Free syrups, they come in lots of flavors but my favorites are vanilla, chocolate and hazelnut, and a little goes a long way down the flavor trail. I add them to my morning lite soy latte, plain or vanilla frozen or Greek yogurts, smoothies, fresh fruit salads and oatmeal.
There is really no end to what you can do with this sweet stuff.
Now, what will I make for dinner?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Another Milestone
Thought for the day:
"Everything that is happening at this moment is a result of the choices you've made in the past."
-Deepak Chopra
Guess I did made some good choices last week, I used a 20 my Flex points last week because I felt so darn hungry; but scale was still my friend. Yesterday when I weighed in I had lost another 1.6 pounds Yippee! That's a total of 20.4 since I began this challenge. That is 20% or 1/5 of that 100 pounds! Whoop-Tee-Do!
I can't tell you how good this feels! I'm getting into clothes that I haven't worn in a while, and my knees don't hurt as much; I also have more energy. Who would have thought only 20 pounds could make so much difference.
I feel like dancing a Happy Dance!
I bought some yummy scented Bath and Body Works shower gel and lotion to celebrate the milestone. A non-food splurge!
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 60 minutes, 5 days of the week.
e. Continued the Yoga practice. It does feel good to stretch.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Look for a beginners Tai Chi DVD at the library, I didn't get there last week.
c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.
d. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
"Everything that is happening at this moment is a result of the choices you've made in the past."
-Deepak Chopra
Guess I did made some good choices last week, I used a 20 my Flex points last week because I felt so darn hungry; but scale was still my friend. Yesterday when I weighed in I had lost another 1.6 pounds Yippee! That's a total of 20.4 since I began this challenge. That is 20% or 1/5 of that 100 pounds! Whoop-Tee-Do!
I can't tell you how good this feels! I'm getting into clothes that I haven't worn in a while, and my knees don't hurt as much; I also have more energy. Who would have thought only 20 pounds could make so much difference.
I feel like dancing a Happy Dance!
I bought some yummy scented Bath and Body Works shower gel and lotion to celebrate the milestone. A non-food splurge!
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 60 minutes, 5 days of the week.
e. Continued the Yoga practice. It does feel good to stretch.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Look for a beginners Tai Chi DVD at the library, I didn't get there last week.
c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.
d. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Battling Hungry
Thought for the day:
“Health food may be good for the conscience but Oreos taste a hell of a lot better.”
- Robert Redford
For the last couple of days I have been feeling so hungry. I'm eating three meals a day and 3 small snacks but I’ve still felt very hungry!
This evening I just had to try out the brand spanking new George Foreman Digital Grill that my daughters gave me for Mother's Day. Aren't they thoughtful? The chicken grilled on it was delicious. I know that lovely little appliance is going to get plenty of use.
I love small kitchen appliances the way a man loves power tools.
I'm trying to add some extra protein with my flex points and hoping that it will satisfy my appetite. I'm afraid if any more fiber is added to my diet I may get a little too rumbly in the tumbly.
A while back when I was having an evening when it seemed I just couldn't get my hunger satisfied and I didn’t want to use up all of my flex points, so I tried using the filling foods. I cooked a crown of broccoli and ate that but still wasn't satisfied. I ate a can of green beans and when I still felt hungry I ate a can of sauerkraut.
BIG MISTAKE!
The next day I had so much gas I had to turn my radio up while I was at work to try and cover up the other sounds coming from my cubicle. As if that weren't enough, I was doing twist and shout to the bathroom repeatedly all evening.
Boy, did I learn to be careful with the fiber.
“Health food may be good for the conscience but Oreos taste a hell of a lot better.”
- Robert Redford
For the last couple of days I have been feeling so hungry. I'm eating three meals a day and 3 small snacks but I’ve still felt very hungry!
This evening I just had to try out the brand spanking new George Foreman Digital Grill that my daughters gave me for Mother's Day. Aren't they thoughtful? The chicken grilled on it was delicious. I know that lovely little appliance is going to get plenty of use.
I love small kitchen appliances the way a man loves power tools.
I'm trying to add some extra protein with my flex points and hoping that it will satisfy my appetite. I'm afraid if any more fiber is added to my diet I may get a little too rumbly in the tumbly.
A while back when I was having an evening when it seemed I just couldn't get my hunger satisfied and I didn’t want to use up all of my flex points, so I tried using the filling foods. I cooked a crown of broccoli and ate that but still wasn't satisfied. I ate a can of green beans and when I still felt hungry I ate a can of sauerkraut.
BIG MISTAKE!
The next day I had so much gas I had to turn my radio up while I was at work to try and cover up the other sounds coming from my cubicle. As if that weren't enough, I was doing twist and shout to the bathroom repeatedly all evening.
Boy, did I learn to be careful with the fiber.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mother's Day
Thought for the day:
"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."
-- Lin Yutang
Happy Mother's Day!!
It's a great day! A day to appreciate mothers, and I like to get appreciated.
When my children were still little, it was the day I was served breakfast in bed. My three children would get up and fix a breakfast tray with Fresh Dandelions from the yard in a little vase, toast, cold cereal, milk and orange juice. I could always hear them in the kitchen getting things ready, but so as not to spoil their fun I would lay in bed, playing "Possum" until they came in to awaken me with their surprise.
Preparing my own breakfast this morning, it occurred to me how important a healthy breakfast is to get the day started. It also occurred to me how much my idea of breakfast has changed in the last couple of months. While I have always eaten breakfast, I didn't always have a good breakfast. Often, the most important meal of the day consisted of sugary, starchy, doughnuts and coffee with lots of cream, a bagel with cream cheese, an Egg McMuffin with deep fried Hash Rounds, or a supersized coffee shop muffin slathered with butter.
These choices often had me hitting the vending machine about an hour later for more sugary or fatty starches to hold off my hunger until lunch.
Now my morning meal and snack looks a lot different. Often it resembles the simple breakfast my kids would prepare on Mother's day; cereal with milk and a side of fruit. Now the cereal, either cold or hot, is whole grain; the milk is low fat and the fruit is fresh and in season. On weekends, I might have eggs turkey bacon or sausage and whole grain toast with fruit spread.
The great thing about this change is that I am not hitting the vending machine an hour later. I don't need a snack until coffee break. Even then it’s usually fruit and yogurt, which keeps me satisfied until lunch.
Our Mother's were right about a good breakfast being the most important meal of the day.
Yesterday was weigh-in and the scale was my friend again. This week, I lost another 3.2 pounds. The total amount of weight I've lost since beginning this "Challenge" is 18.8 lbs, Wow! That's like losing 6 cans of shortening!
Like James Brown, I FEEL GOOD!
This is definitely a work in progress.
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate a good Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 60 minutes, 5 days of the week.
e. Actually tried some Yoga moves from a beginners Yoga DVD. I liked it well enough to repeat the experience after the back my legs stopped hurting enough to give it another try.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Look for a beginners Tai Chi DVD at the library
c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.
d. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."
-- Lin Yutang
Happy Mother's Day!!
It's a great day! A day to appreciate mothers, and I like to get appreciated.
When my children were still little, it was the day I was served breakfast in bed. My three children would get up and fix a breakfast tray with Fresh Dandelions from the yard in a little vase, toast, cold cereal, milk and orange juice. I could always hear them in the kitchen getting things ready, but so as not to spoil their fun I would lay in bed, playing "Possum" until they came in to awaken me with their surprise.
Preparing my own breakfast this morning, it occurred to me how important a healthy breakfast is to get the day started. It also occurred to me how much my idea of breakfast has changed in the last couple of months. While I have always eaten breakfast, I didn't always have a good breakfast. Often, the most important meal of the day consisted of sugary, starchy, doughnuts and coffee with lots of cream, a bagel with cream cheese, an Egg McMuffin with deep fried Hash Rounds, or a supersized coffee shop muffin slathered with butter.
These choices often had me hitting the vending machine about an hour later for more sugary or fatty starches to hold off my hunger until lunch.
Now my morning meal and snack looks a lot different. Often it resembles the simple breakfast my kids would prepare on Mother's day; cereal with milk and a side of fruit. Now the cereal, either cold or hot, is whole grain; the milk is low fat and the fruit is fresh and in season. On weekends, I might have eggs turkey bacon or sausage and whole grain toast with fruit spread.
The great thing about this change is that I am not hitting the vending machine an hour later. I don't need a snack until coffee break. Even then it’s usually fruit and yogurt, which keeps me satisfied until lunch.
Our Mother's were right about a good breakfast being the most important meal of the day.
Yesterday was weigh-in and the scale was my friend again. This week, I lost another 3.2 pounds. The total amount of weight I've lost since beginning this "Challenge" is 18.8 lbs, Wow! That's like losing 6 cans of shortening!
Like James Brown, I FEEL GOOD!
This is definitely a work in progress.
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate a good Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 60 minutes, 5 days of the week.
e. Actually tried some Yoga moves from a beginners Yoga DVD. I liked it well enough to repeat the experience after the back my legs stopped hurting enough to give it another try.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Look for a beginners Tai Chi DVD at the library
c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.
d. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Nurse's Day
Thought for the day:
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
- Voltaire
Today I was pleasantly surprised. Our "Nurses Day" luncheon was totally friendly to my weight loss plan. We were offered rotisserie chicken or beef brisket, roasted potatoes, iceberg salad with or without vinaigrette salad dressing, and a delicious fresh fruit salad. Believe it or not, there was no bread or cookies in sight! Yippee!!!
My plan was in place but not needed.
Now, I was offered muffins and Danishes this morning, but I had already eaten breakfast and brought fruit, low fat cottage cheese, and a high fiber lite English muffin to eat for my morning break. After rationalizing that the average super-sized muffin would cost me about 500 to 600 calories, probably about 10-12 points, and I would much rather have a couple of margaritas made with a sugar free margarita mix this weekend for those calories. The muffins didn't tempt me at all.
Overall the day was pretty good and I stayed on program - even after having eaten seconds of the chicken and fruit salad!
Flex points are wonderful!
Do you think my employer is reading this blog?
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
- Voltaire
Today I was pleasantly surprised. Our "Nurses Day" luncheon was totally friendly to my weight loss plan. We were offered rotisserie chicken or beef brisket, roasted potatoes, iceberg salad with or without vinaigrette salad dressing, and a delicious fresh fruit salad. Believe it or not, there was no bread or cookies in sight! Yippee!!!
My plan was in place but not needed.
Now, I was offered muffins and Danishes this morning, but I had already eaten breakfast and brought fruit, low fat cottage cheese, and a high fiber lite English muffin to eat for my morning break. After rationalizing that the average super-sized muffin would cost me about 500 to 600 calories, probably about 10-12 points, and I would much rather have a couple of margaritas made with a sugar free margarita mix this weekend for those calories. The muffins didn't tempt me at all.
Overall the day was pretty good and I stayed on program - even after having eaten seconds of the chicken and fruit salad!
Flex points are wonderful!
Do you think my employer is reading this blog?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Be Prepared
Thought for the day:
“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.”
- Kung Fu-Tzu Confucius
Tomorrow is Nurse's Day, so my employer is planning a luncheon for us.
The food is supposed to come from the St. Louis Rotisserie. It’s a menu of rotisserie roasted meats and poultry, with sides of salads. Sounds good, right? I guess the real question is can I stay on point?
Once again, I need a backup plan.
I have left-over salad from tonight's dinner. It's definitely part of the backup plan. Experience tells me the salads that will be served are going to likely be saturated with oily dressing rather than served with the salad dressing on the side.
The main course meats should be pretty lean but are likely sliced for sandwiches. I'm taking a leftover chicken breast, just in case. Usually the bread is either dinner rolls or white and wheat breads, but not whole grain or anything with much fiber. I'll take an alternative, maybe a low carb tortilla or one of those Healthy Life sandwich rolls. I'll also take alternative condiments, like lite mayo and my favorite Dijon mustard, just to be safe.
I'm sure there will also be desert, but I'm not holding out much hope for fresh fruit so I had better take some strawberries, a 1/2 cup of Vanilla flavored Greek yogurt, and a ¼ cup of Fiber One Cereal to sprinkle on top.
OK! Now I'm ready for the Nurse's Day Luncheon.
It will be a pleasant surprise if I don't need anything I'm packing.
Experience tells me otherwise.
“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.”
- Kung Fu-Tzu Confucius
Tomorrow is Nurse's Day, so my employer is planning a luncheon for us.
The food is supposed to come from the St. Louis Rotisserie. It’s a menu of rotisserie roasted meats and poultry, with sides of salads. Sounds good, right? I guess the real question is can I stay on point?
Once again, I need a backup plan.
I have left-over salad from tonight's dinner. It's definitely part of the backup plan. Experience tells me the salads that will be served are going to likely be saturated with oily dressing rather than served with the salad dressing on the side.
The main course meats should be pretty lean but are likely sliced for sandwiches. I'm taking a leftover chicken breast, just in case. Usually the bread is either dinner rolls or white and wheat breads, but not whole grain or anything with much fiber. I'll take an alternative, maybe a low carb tortilla or one of those Healthy Life sandwich rolls. I'll also take alternative condiments, like lite mayo and my favorite Dijon mustard, just to be safe.
I'm sure there will also be desert, but I'm not holding out much hope for fresh fruit so I had better take some strawberries, a 1/2 cup of Vanilla flavored Greek yogurt, and a ¼ cup of Fiber One Cereal to sprinkle on top.
OK! Now I'm ready for the Nurse's Day Luncheon.
It will be a pleasant surprise if I don't need anything I'm packing.
Experience tells me otherwise.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Staying On Track
Thought for the day:
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
- Maya Angelou
The work week begins anew. Working in the yard, out in the sunshine yesterday improved my attitude tremendously, so I was ready for the office this morning.
Finding a new snack helped too. Emerald makes 100 calorie packs of Cocoa Roasted Almonds and they are yummy! With a pack of these in my lunch pail, that Snicker bar in the vending machine doesn't call my name nearly as loud.
I have been looking for a yogurt based recipe for creamy salad dressings, specifically Cesar Salad dressing. I found a recipe in an American Heart Association cookbook for Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing. It was good fresh, but not so good after it had sat in the fridge overnight. Back to the drawing board.
Now, as promised, I exercised! I got the Yoga DVD out, rolled out the yoga matt, and managed to pull off Bharadvaja's Twist, Baddha Konasana, Sukhasana, Simhasana and the Virasana seated poses okay. When I tried Padangusthasana – the one where you stand up, bend over, and grab your big toes - I just couldn't get there. The Dolphin pose didn't work for me either. The Adho Mukha Svanasana or the Downward Facing Dog, I could do, but it hurt the back of my calves.
Obviously, flexibility is an issue. Oh well, no pain no gain, right?
My body is so sore today.
My favorite part of yoga is the meditation and breathing exercises. They may be useful for stress relief and focus. Both are weak areas for me, so I probably need this.
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
- Maya Angelou
The work week begins anew. Working in the yard, out in the sunshine yesterday improved my attitude tremendously, so I was ready for the office this morning.
Finding a new snack helped too. Emerald makes 100 calorie packs of Cocoa Roasted Almonds and they are yummy! With a pack of these in my lunch pail, that Snicker bar in the vending machine doesn't call my name nearly as loud.
I have been looking for a yogurt based recipe for creamy salad dressings, specifically Cesar Salad dressing. I found a recipe in an American Heart Association cookbook for Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing. It was good fresh, but not so good after it had sat in the fridge overnight. Back to the drawing board.
Now, as promised, I exercised! I got the Yoga DVD out, rolled out the yoga matt, and managed to pull off Bharadvaja's Twist, Baddha Konasana, Sukhasana, Simhasana and the Virasana seated poses okay. When I tried Padangusthasana – the one where you stand up, bend over, and grab your big toes - I just couldn't get there. The Dolphin pose didn't work for me either. The Adho Mukha Svanasana or the Downward Facing Dog, I could do, but it hurt the back of my calves.
Obviously, flexibility is an issue. Oh well, no pain no gain, right?
My body is so sore today.
My favorite part of yoga is the meditation and breathing exercises. They may be useful for stress relief and focus. Both are weak areas for me, so I probably need this.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Losing My Attitude
Thought for the day:
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”
Thomas Jefferson
Wow, it has been a very taxing week, work was a bear, resulting in my having a less than enthusiastic and quite irreverent attitude about it and until today I have been too stressed out to do anything but come home and vegetate.
I can't count the times that Snicker bar in the vending machine at work called out my name, between it and the Bar-B-Que potato chips there was quite a cacophony in my head. I do love the JUNK FOOD when I'm feeling stressed. At least I didn't give in. I just kept remembering 13.4 pounds down and those other 86.6 pounds aren't going anywhere if I cave in.
While all the office drama didn't weigh me down enough to keep from taking my after-lunch walk. In fact, a walk in the breeze actually blows the stink off my attitude just enough to get me through the rest of the day. However, those good intentions of adding to my exercise regimen didn't happen so there were some feelings of apprehension on facing that onerous scale this morning...
I stepped up to face the results of my past weeks efforts and deprivations. The news is good, I have lost another 2.2 pounds, for a grand total of 15.6 pounds lost. CAN I HAVE A DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!
Now to work on those other 84.4 hideous pounds of unflattering flab, in the coming week I vow to add more exercise, even if I do break out in a sweat.
In review, the week actually sucked; but I did some stuff right anyway.
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 45 minutes, 5 days of the week.
e. Had 2 teaspoons of healthy oils daily.
f. Had at least 6 hours of sleep a night.
What I can do better-
a. Try a new recipe so I don't get bored.
b. Get in some additional kind of exercise by trying a yoga DVD that I bought. (I'll do it this week, I promise)
c. Find a way to improve my attitude.
d. Load my I-Pod with some up-tempo music.
e. Find some non-food and non-alcohol ways to unwind and reduce stress.
I can feel my attitude improving already losing 2.2 pounds helps.
I want to be a BIG LOSER!
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”
Thomas Jefferson
Wow, it has been a very taxing week, work was a bear, resulting in my having a less than enthusiastic and quite irreverent attitude about it and until today I have been too stressed out to do anything but come home and vegetate.
I can't count the times that Snicker bar in the vending machine at work called out my name, between it and the Bar-B-Que potato chips there was quite a cacophony in my head. I do love the JUNK FOOD when I'm feeling stressed. At least I didn't give in. I just kept remembering 13.4 pounds down and those other 86.6 pounds aren't going anywhere if I cave in.
While all the office drama didn't weigh me down enough to keep from taking my after-lunch walk. In fact, a walk in the breeze actually blows the stink off my attitude just enough to get me through the rest of the day. However, those good intentions of adding to my exercise regimen didn't happen so there were some feelings of apprehension on facing that onerous scale this morning...
I stepped up to face the results of my past weeks efforts and deprivations. The news is good, I have lost another 2.2 pounds, for a grand total of 15.6 pounds lost. CAN I HAVE A DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!
Now to work on those other 84.4 hideous pounds of unflattering flab, in the coming week I vow to add more exercise, even if I do break out in a sweat.
In review, the week actually sucked; but I did some stuff right anyway.
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 45 minutes, 5 days of the week.
e. Had 2 teaspoons of healthy oils daily.
f. Had at least 6 hours of sleep a night.
What I can do better-
a. Try a new recipe so I don't get bored.
b. Get in some additional kind of exercise by trying a yoga DVD that I bought. (I'll do it this week, I promise)
c. Find a way to improve my attitude.
d. Load my I-Pod with some up-tempo music.
e. Find some non-food and non-alcohol ways to unwind and reduce stress.
I can feel my attitude improving already losing 2.2 pounds helps.
I want to be a BIG LOSER!
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