Journal of my journey

[sksamboots]

Great job making the next meal back on track!

[Morris]

Day 88 ~ Wow! Almost 3 months and I am still struggling to get compliant. I need to cut back on bread and crackers. I ate way too much of those yesterday. BUT, it has been 8 years since I was my heaviest. Right now I am stuck at the weight where my body wants to hang onto every pound. I am noticing when I eat the fatty foods it seems to land on my hips and thighs. I measured my waist the other day and lost an inch, but it slid down to my hips.

The unretouched photo of Cindy Crawford has been going around the internet; it is amazing at how much stir it has caused. My hubby called me over to the computer to have a look and then pulls up my shirt to look at my belly and says, " At 51, you look better." LOL I'll be 57 in August, we share the same birth year and he just celebrated his birthday.

The issue is really about health and fitness. It is too easy to photoshop how we would like to look on the outside. I remember the scan that Biggest Loser Lisa showed in her presentation and how much fat there was all around her organs in the beginning of her season on the show. My body fat % is way too high and I need to get serious about losing fat.

To help me with that I went to the store and stocked up on low-calorie vegetables, on the menu will be potatoes, veggies. beans and whole grains. I am not sure how I am going to put in all together just yet because we are still eating leftovers.

The daylight hours are getting longer and it is time to start thinking of all those 5k's I'll be doing with my granddaughter. I need to get in shape. I think I am giving up on a sub30 5k as the goal and would like to focus on being able to do the whole distance without needing a walk break ~ maybe, just maybe, the sub30 will happen.

[sksamboots]

Health is Wealth!

[Morris]

Day 90 ~ I am glad that I am sticking with this because I am noticing that my energy level has increased since I started to make a point to eat more starches. Although I am cutting back on candy, chips and cookies, I am need to cut back a bit more and also need to add crackers and bread to the list if I am going to lose weight.

Speaking of weight, my weight is going up and down and up again. My scale shows the body fat % and I really need to lose some fat.I do not like being this heavy, about 10 pounds more than where I'd prefer to be. I am trying not to be frustrated, but sometimes it seems like that emotion is a staple in my life. My husband and daughters ask me to do so much for them, but never do they do anything for me in return. Whenever someone does something bad to others, people always say, Karma, what goes around, comes around. Why don't people say that whenever someone does good deeds? My youngest daughter's hours are cut back and that means I do not have to watch my grandson as often. This is making me long for the days I could do what I want, when I want to do something. I think I need more "me" time.

I am trying to stay positive because if I do not, I find myself mindlessly shoving food into my mouth, not even tasting it. I found some Glee gum that I am using when the frustration sets in because then my mouth is busy and I find it easier not to think about chips or candy.

I made a big batch of chili and used a whole stalk (heart, what is it called anyway?). Hubby complained about there being too much celery taste. However, I do not mind it and I like how it adds to the taste and texture. He told me not to use so much next time. But, if he had his way, there would be meat in every dish. I'll take celery over meat, thank you very much.

I know I posted that I was going to start eating more vegetables, that has not happened yet. I had too many soups already cooked and I have been eating those instead. I loved that Greens and broccoli soup as a gravy over mashed potatoes. And that batch of chili I made was the best I made in a long time, of course, I did not make it recently. I managed to keep my portion control in check with the bread served with the chili, but the pretzels were another story.

~facepalm~ I need to stop buying that stuff so I won't be tempted to stuff my face with it. As the saying goes, "Eat more of the good and it will eventually crowd out the bad."

[Morris]

ha! I am rereading what I have been posting and it seems like I am doing a writing exercise where you write for a time without pausing and pay no attention to grammar and/or punctuation.

[sksamboots]

You sound good though! Have you thought about asking your Husband and daughter what you need? Sometimes we have to do that for the loved ones in our lives to get what we want. Yes, it may feel like they should just know but we are all human and sometimes just need a little guidance. Also, I like to add some spinach or kale to my soup to get more veggies in. Keep it up!

[Morris]

Day 93 ~ I am so wishing I could post lost x number of pounds, but I cannot. My weight is staying within a couple pound range. I know what I ought to be doing but it is so hard to actually do it. I need to cut out the over processed items like bread and crackers. Also, for some reason I bought donuts while we were out. I let down my resistance when I stopped for gas and hubby says, "Buy me a chocolate covered old fashioned" and I ended up buying a half dozen. UGH! Next time he can do his own dirty deed. If I wouldn't have given in and purchased those for him, I would not have bought any and therefore, I would not have eaten any.

Yesterday, I made a cake because it will be my granddaughter's birthday in a couple of days and she expects me to make the birthday cakes. I chose one from Oh She Glows

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/02/07/rustic ... ana-glaze/

And my granddaughter and I made one to check it out before the party. Sometimes my baking is not very well received by others. But this one had some brown sugar and oil in it. My granddaughter wanted a banana cake and this recipe wasn't as bad as the one that used to be a favorite of mine. My granddaughter said, "It is OK as long as we do not eat stuff like this all the time." There is some wisdom speaking in that soon to be 13-year old girl.

Other than the donuts and that sample cake, I am staying on track. Yesterday, I made a batch of Smoky Apple Baked Beans from fatfreevegan.com (I have decided I do not like the smokey flavoring), Curried Squash Soup from Jill Nussinow and some extra squash (I cooked up all we had left from our garden harvest) and some mashed potatoes. Also made some baked fries, which we ate for lunch.

So, I have my starches made for the next few days. I love topping mashed potatoes with greens. I'll be making some chickpea gravy for those mashed potatoes.

My husband had a friend visit, they wanted to go to the steakhouse. Before they left they were talking about eating healthy, I had to leave the conversation because it was too frustrating to listen to their ideas of healthy eating. I think there is a lot of confusion as to what "healthy" is.

As I was looking for a recipe for the birthday cake, I read a lot of recipes that included "Healthy" in the title but I am not sure why it was claimed to be healthy. Although, there was one that has fewer calories than the one I chose, but that one has more sugar, eggs and milk in it. It appears the lower calorie count comes from cutting the cake into more servings. There is so much more to a "healthy" dish than just the numbers of calories.

[GlennR]

We used to stop at a donut place on the way back from the cottage. I just get a bottle of water there now and leave the donuts to others but I understand the urge, some of which is just habit. Buying something for myself, even water, seems to quiet my more damaging urges.

[sksamboots]

There is so much to healthy than what modern society thinks is healthy. It's very complex! Looks like you have a great game plan for next time with the donuts. Progress, not perfection!

[Morris]

Glen, That is a good idea about buying water while others are buying something else. Often, I end up eating to satisfy a "craving" when all my body wants is water. I am slowly transitioning to drinking water instead of reaching for a bag of chips. It is taking a lot of resetting my thinking. In time, in time...

It has been a rough few days; my son-in-law's grandfather passed away, my mother-in-law was admitted to the hospital; (turns out she fractured her spine some time ago) but she wasn't able to pass a bm and when she did it was bloody. My youngest daughter has bronchitis. And my granddaughter is now officially a teenager!

Day 95 ~~I am finding that I really like to have mashed potatoes topped with spinach, but I have also been added a bit of garlic, maybe a bit too much, because I am smelling like garlic. I have been trying to make a few dishes to have all ready to grab and reheat and it is a huge timesaver on the days I do not need to cook.

I went to the gym today and did the 5k101 Week 7 workout, 12 minute jog, 3 minute walk x 3; it was about 4 treadmill miles. I ended up taking an unscheduled walk on the last jog. Afterwards, I did a hill workout where I upped the incline 3% after 3 minutes and then decreased. I did about a mile on that. I am looking at what races I want to do this summer. There is a running class that I'll be taking with my granddaughter that starts next month.

[sksamboots]

Family has so much going on! My thoughts are with you. Nice day despite it all!!

[Morris]

Day 99 ~ Almost 100 days since I started this journal. My weight is about the same as it has been for the past couple of weeks. I am stuck at a plateau, it seems my body likes this weight, but my body fat % is too high. I need to get serious about losing the excess body fat.

These past couple of days have been difficult managing my eating. It started with the the birthday cakes I made for my granddaughter I tried to add in more vegetables, but then all I could think about was "I gotta have something sweet". I started craving things I haven't even eaten for years, for instance chocolate cream pie. I have no idea why all of a sudden I wanted a piece of chocolate cream pie. It was so weird to crave something like that. Also, I craved Tootsie Rolls and gave in to that one, but they tasted like shortening.

I realized that I was not eating as many vegetables as I ought to, so I started to include more of the lower dense foods to my meals. I know from past experience that adding more greens helps me control eating junk. One thing I am glad in that Dr. McDougall says that this is not all or nothing and the more you eat right the more you will benefit.

That is what I will be focusing on this next week, to get the most benefit from the foods I choose to eat.

[sksamboots]

Yes! Great job noticing

[Morris]

Day 101
Started the day with coffee then 2 chocolate zucchini muffins from Happy Herbivore ~ those muffins are soooo good. I only used half the sugar and they were sweet enough. Later, I steamed 1/2 pound broccoli, 1 cup green beans, some celery and carrots.

Went for a 4+ mile run/walk, week 7 supplement of the 5k101 program. It was 5 min warm-up, 20 minute run, 5 minute walk x 2. I actually made it the whole 20 minutes.I am still not fast, but that is ok because at least i am out there moving.

I was moving in more ways than one, I think those veggies went right through me. I will spare you the details. I drank some water and realized I was hungry so I steamed spinach and heated 1 cup mashed potatoes and 1/2 cup squash. And I ate another muffin.

Any one seeing a pattern here? I know why I am not losing weight. Can anyone say Chocolate Zucchini Muffins? I do not know why I have no control over such things.

Saturday, I went to the Costco heart screening:
BP 120/64, pulse 74
TC 182
HDL 71
LDL 70
Triglycerides 202 ~~ I need to get this # down. Of course, they were pushing the fish oil supplement and told me to take that and I would see that number drop. I told them I wouldn't consider taking fish oil but perhaps adding flax seeds. She told me no. I thought flax seeds would provide the omega 3, am I wrong on this? But, if I stop eating the junk with all the saturated fat and hydrogenated oils I am sure I will see this number drop.

Over 100 days eating more starch and I am finding that I am sleeping better most nights and seem to have more energy throughout the day.

[sksamboots]

It's the sugar. It does something to your brain that's why you have no control. Check this out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ndTEu_qDGA