Anna's Journal

[Anna Green]

I'm having the most wonderful thoughts this morn as I'm drinking my 1/2 cup coffee. (Yes I have cut back but not sure it's worth it to me to totally give it up and I'm not ready to decide till it's easier to do the right food.)

Anyway, my thoughts this morn:

"My life can be different....full of energy and movement and feeling good"

"The SAD will never satisfy. I will always want more"

"my butter beans are in the fridge and they are so damn good and healthy"

"I can let go of this struggle"

"it feels so good to let go"

I'm sitting here typing and crying and loving life.

[Anna Green]

checkin in. I'm tickled this morn as I play with my air fryer. My bro surprised me with one and I am so pleased.

I'm worried about my sis...she has gained weight and seems depressed. So this week I'll be heading to her house after work....hour drive but necessary. I spent yesterday trying to figure out what I would cook for her. I will do Heather's blackberry crumble, lentil loaf, stuffed shroons and other enticing healthy stuff. I will make her walk with me or do Denise Austin's video workout before I let her or myself have a beer...yes we like to drink and watch bad tv together. And yes I know alcohol is a depressant but I also have to help her toward the health without getting myself kicked out of her house.

This will be good for me too. I always do well more easily when I'm helping someone else. I also know that is effed up too on many levels but it is what it is.

Oh yah...my salad bar at work was a hit. I made it for my coworkers who do administrative work vs direct client work because this is a hard time of the year for them. One coworker said she tried 3 new things. I thought I was presenting fairly normal items but I guess not. I wish I could afford to do it often. I had a variety of greens, cherry tomatoes, cukes, 4 kinds of nuts and seeds, carrots, Japanese sweet potato, celery, green onions, olives, jalapenos, lentil chili, avocado, nut yeast, peaches, grapes, strawerries, salsa, 3 kinds of dressing oil free including 2 I made myself with white beans, tahini, cashew yogurt, lemon, etc. I know i forgot to list some stuff...this thing was huge. I enjoyed doing it for them. I know my chili was good because they ate it.

This is all I got. I'm good. Not perfect but pretty dang good. My goal for the week is to get to the gym.

[SilverDollar123]

HeyAnna! Where are you? Hope you are doing well. RAS

[Anna Green]

Hey RAS! Thanks for checking in! I'm here and feeling good. Hurricane didn't get us and I did not eat crap. I got so much exercise this weekend preparing for and cleaning up mom's yard (MS) after the storm. I feel calm. I cooked a stew with Berbere seasoning today to bring to my sister's on Tues. Made a potato salad and some crunchy garbanzos. I'm feeling motivated and grateful for that. Have recently had some PTSD and am understanding that I can't handle that well if I'm not feeding myself well and exercising. Last week I exercised 3 days and this week I'm going for 5 and full compliance with food. That's all I got.

[Anna Green]

I'm sitting on my couch with a bag of Trader Joe's Kohlrabi Salad blend. I can't stop eating out of the bag. Such a problem.

Don't feel like journaling but it's been a week and I know I need to. So here I am. I just got back from shopping at Tj and WF. I have tons of food and it is so so good. My baby is coming home for a long visit and I about lost my mind buying stuff to feed her. She's lost 20-25 lbs that she didn't need to lose and we don't know why. She also needs to have a little surgery while she's here. So I've bought stuff to make smoothies...nut butters, bananas, oats, greens. I've also bought her crackers with nuts and seeds (no oil), pb pretzels, cereal, etc. I will make her bean burgers and pasta. I know I don't need the higher calorie stuff and am not worried about it. It's not stuff that I crave too much. I have my own tempting stuff like this bag of salad.

I've been making food for my sister too and it helps me stay the course. Our martini drinking however hasn't been all that helpful.

[Anna Green]

I got up early for a Sat morn. Made a casserole with spinach, peas, corn, edamame, hashbrowns, a cheezy sauce, and tempeh. Mostly for the skinny girl. I'll have a little too. Also plan to make her some pancakes. Found a good mix with no oil. She wants butter but I'll only use a nut butter and spread on the pancake and drizzle some maple syrup.

I'm doing ok. I've been struggling as usual but the place I'm in now is more woke than it was so I keep returning faster to the good stuff. For a friday night I had a weird but good dinner with hashbrowns and cruciferous crunch mixed with pasta, hummus and marinara...all oil free and it was good.

I've been getting more exercise and can feel it. It helps my motivation. That's all I got.

[SilverDollar123]

Doing good Anna! keep up the good work. Have a great week-end.Cook up a lot of yummy recipes,& share.RAS

[Anna Green]

Hi RAS. I'm doing better than I was that is for sure. Sister and I are supporting each other in making healthier choices. Got some exercise yesterday working Stand Down for the VA. Have a pot of veg soup on the stove and will make mashed potato and cauliflowers and stirfry for the week.

I really don't have much to say.

[SilverDollar123]

Hey Anna don't leave us! Hope you are doing good. Enjoy your posts&honesty. RAS

[fulenn]

Hi Anna!

Your salad bar sounds like it was wonderful! So glad to hear that you were there to reach out to your sister and that things are going well in that department.

Keep on keeping on!
Fulenn

[SilverDollar123]

Happy Thanksgiving Anna! Hope you are doing ok. How is you kid doing? RAS

[Anna Green]

RAS, Fulenn, Happy Thanksgiving! Hope yours is relaxing and filled with gratitude from people who know how wonderful you are.

I am good. I'm in the woods by myself at a friend's cabin on the river. I just wanted to have a couple of days alone. I'm winning this Thanksgiving eating thing I gotta tell you! Competition is with my own insanity of course. I brought alot of healthy food...no junk except a vegan pumpkin pie to share with friends this weekend. I am making myself what I want because I have convinced myself that cooking for myself a special meal is a good thing. I am making savory oats for the morn. This afternoon I'll make a mirliton dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy and a lentil loaf. And garlicky green beans. No oil. This weekend Im making split pea soup and cornbread for friends.

My girl was home for awhile because we thought she would need a little surgery. Meds worked though and she didn't so she's back in Seattle looking for work. She was laid off from last job because they didn't have enough clients. She also heard through the grapevine that she was one of the 3 laid off because they didnt like her being open about being trans...sigh. She'll find another job soon. She is determined and hardworking and great with kids. I miss her so much.

My birthday is tomorrow and my gift to myself is doing things that make me feel good. I feel happy and grateful today.

[f1jim]

HBTY HBTY HBDA HBTY
f1jim

[SilverDollar123]

Congrats on doing what you want for Thanksgiving. I survived! Went to be with daughters' husbands inlaws.They are the best.
I brought a cold RainBow Salad from one the the McDougall cookbooks & vegan pumpkin pie,& a lrge.
sweet potatoe that I microwaved there. The cold salad everyone loved! & Wanted the recipe. The pie....well lets just say I will
try another recipe for that. lol. The feral cats outside enjoyed the thanksgiving pumpkin pie though..so now waste there. lol

Oh & Happy Birthday tomorrow! RAs

[SilverDollar123]

Miss you! Happy New Year! RAS