Optimal Health Journey

[StarchBeet]

Yes Chile--lets hope that my stupid stomach pains will now be a thing of the past. No more thinking I'm going to die and not being able to get myself to the hospital. I'm hoping I'll stay motivated to keep my health foremost in my daily activities and get down even closer to my ideal weight. I am almost blown away that I'm approaching 140's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thank you Ege for your best wishes and kind words. I find them very comforting.

My shoulder pain has moved down into my arms...and the pain comes a few times a day. This morning I was in the garden early and after I'd worked every-so-delicately for about 15 minutes the arm start to burn on fire. It was time for more pain meds. I had the pain now even lower in my arms, by my elbows. I'm drinking as much water as possible, doing light walking and activity and eating what I can.

I had 1/3 the amount of my usual hash browns with kale for breakfast. I ate the rest for lunch. Now i'm considering making South of the Border Salad tonight if I find the energy.

I may put on some slow cooker beans for enchiladas tomorrow.

I need to make a lot of dishes with cucumbers and zucchini-salads.

[StarchBeet]

I get on the scale and in my healing I find my weight to be 149. I think it will come back up when Im eating closer to normal portions. I am hoping to find a new normal and that it's closely associated with satisfaction while "breaking bread" with others, enjoying cooking fresh beautiful foods and eating them at a pace that the body and soul will most enjoy so I am full and know it. Then I'll acknowledge being full and happy. And I'll be keeping my weight at a good healthy level and living life with appreciation and satisfaction.

[sksamboots]

what a pretty bird. sorry for your loss. ((HUG))

[StarchBeet]

Hugs gladly accepted sksamboots.

And that was his favorite thing to say: "pretty bird". He was also a silly bird. So once when he was young, about 14 years ago, I got to hear him talking and it went like this:

Me: Hi tweety
Tweety: Pretty bird
Me: Pretty pretty bird
Tweety: Pretty pretty pretty bird
Me: laugh
Tweety: Pretty pretty, pretty, silly bird
Me: laughing hysterically, yes you are.

Birds know what they are saying...and I sure can't fly!

[StarchBeet]

I wasn't hungry till mid morning.

Two bowls of cantaloupe and blueberries
Plate of soba noodles and asian stir-fry

My appetite is coming back.

I had some dull upper-back pain that seems like its the last of the CO2 leaving my body. I crouched and pulled some grass up from the garden and it seemed to have caused discomfort for the gallbladder area-liver and clips they leave in you. I had the gall to ask the surgeon if she'd consider sootchers (spelling?) instead of clips because I've heard people are bothered by their clips. She didn't consider it and I have pain that feels like something rubbing on my liver when I roll or crouch down. Maybe this is what they meant. Oh well, I tried.

[StarchBeet]

Thanks Debbie. Yes I had my gallbladder removed and a hernia repaired. They just pulled me together rather than adding that mesh thing since I've lost 65 pounds I had extra fascia to pull together, I think.

Healing is slow. I don't feel like cooking since I've already done the garden, done some errands, done the clothes, and cleaned the kitchen. The clean kitchen will be waiting for me when I have energy to put together some good salads. I keep saying I'm going to do it and I'm frustrated that I haven't yet.

My youngest son's returning tomorrow, from his trip to visit gramps and granma in the Keys, so I'm getting motivated to cook some things for him after I get my salads together.

B: cantaloupe and blueberries, two bowls
L: small chunk of whole grain berry bread, potato soup
D: large bowl of beans and tomatoes with Moroccan spices (cloves and strange things-but tasty) and I added cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, black olives and something else.

[StarchBeet]

I took my usual walk and wow it was like I was 80 years old or something. The past few days of unbelievable heat might have played some part, in addition to having had two surgical procedures...

I say don't focus on weight and here i am doing so..sorry. I stepped on the scale, curious to see about that reading below 150 and it read 148. Wow I was happy. That lead me to walk. I'd like to be in the 140's for August.

I'm posturing for cooking, good grief recovery is slow and painful.

I'm planning on making some good banana muffins, some noodle dish then my green salads. I may have to call for assistance at some point.

OUUUCHHHH...I was going to have my youngest put a netting around the hanging tomato plants to protect those TWO BIG tomatoes almost red. The dang deer got the branch with the two big toms last night.

Finally I got to the banana muffins!!!! Just fresh out of the oven.
The Moc-cheese and Mac is now in cooking. I am making food again!

B: med plate of hash browns with kale
L: couple banana muffins
D: two plates of moc cheese and mac (no salads )

I'm going to try something different. I'm going to make bread crumbs out of the berry bread, artisan from Costco, and top the mac dish with the sort of sweet berry bread crumbs. I bet it will be a good combination.

[StarchBeet]

I know its ridiculous Debbie. I had surgery just one week ago. I am incorrigible.

The painful thing is how slow I am when I have so much to do. I'm so confused and unable to rationally consider my condition. I'm now making the banana muffins and mock cheese and mac. Those darn salads will have to be with my sons help. To top it all my daughters seizing.

I'll try to relax after I get my son to put up something to block those darn deer from eating the rest of everything.

There are a lot of bugs that eat things too. I saw a bunch of different beetles. The bunnies don't go without their share too. It can be discouraging not to get results Debbie, but I have enjoyed the sun and time I put into the garden anyway. It takes a while to get good at things.

[simoncat]

Thanks, Starchbeet. I have never heard of breadfruit. Was it sweet?

Hope you recover quickly from your operation.

[StarchBeet]

They can it with sweet syrup and without syrup, but this was just canned starch, if you will. Its interesting stringy texture makes it similar to something like pulled-pork, which is big in the carolinas.

The sauce was sort of sweet though.

[proverbs31woman]

Starchbeet,

The story about your "pretty bird" just touched my heart. Sorry for your loss, but it's good that you have those fond memories.

Congrats on the weight loss!

[StarchBeet]

Thanks proverbs. He was such a funny bird; he laughed too.

Another story: A person was coming to look at a bike we had for sale. I let him in the house and he looked funny for a minute...then I showed him the bike and on the way out I introduced him to the bird who did his usual charming talking and posturing. Then the guy said, "Ohhh, that's what I heard. I heard your phone ringing when I came in the door and you didn't answer it and I wondered why not." The bird imitated the sound of the phone and everything.

He also used to be able to get me out of the kitchen because he knew that when ever the screen door squeaked I would poke my head out of the kitchen to look. He copied the squeak as though it was the real door opening. He copied all noises...in fact. I won't go to the embarrassing ones

lol yes he was some character he was.

[StarchBeet]

B: plate of hash brown and kale
L: banana muffins (forget what else )
D: pad thai noodles in a cup

My energy is on slow mode again. I slept about five hours till midnight then woke up at 4 am to chase away any deer and make sure the netting is up. They will be back in about a week to see what else is ready to nibble.

I have the quick compost ready to dump on the garden (my youngest is helping); I'm getting close to restarting the quick composter and I have a tons of things than can be cut up for both quick and slow composting. I have to see if the deer have done damage to the pumpkin patch since there is a way they can easily get in, from the back.

I put some almond butter and tahini on the woodpecker feeder since I'm not using the stuff fast enough. I can't wait to see the squirrels cleaning themselves after getting covered in nut butters.

SALAD IS STILL not put together but I AM going to get to it today.

[StarchBeet]

I'm up early to prepare for close to 100 degree heat tomorrow. I need some nutrition tomorrow since my energy is so low. I have potatoes boiling and my salad is almost done. I just need to peel things and put them in the blender for the dressing and I'll do that in the morning.

I'm looking forward to some mashed potatoes and boiled potatoes tomorrow as well as the beautiful South of the Border salad.

And I'm breaking into the 150's. I'm very pleased even if it's partially due to being ill in the hospital. My eating is almost down to what's normal for my low energy and my body that's getting leaner.

71 pounds...hey where did that kid go anyway? I lost a small kid in the past year. lol

[Chile]

71 pounds...hey where did that kid go anyway? I lost a small kid in the past year. lol

Back when I'd be losing weight more successfully, I once posted about losing my 60 lb best friend (like your "kid"). Talked about how she liked to graze through the food samples, order the buttered popcorn and large soda at the movies, etc. until I decided I couldn't hang out with her anymore.

Nobody got it.