My Daily "Weighing in"

[squealcat]

Your menu sounds delicious and healthy. I love kidney bean curry; I bet you are looking forward to that! I also miss my sweet potatoes when I run out. I think I'm a little too fond of them, but as far as vices go, a sweet potato addiction isn't so bad.

Yes, Marla, I thought I needed to switch my lunch potato to a white potato but alas, I missed the sweet ones. I will have to buy a double batch this week to get me through Christmas. I have to drive to the other side of town to get them.

No exercise today. My lazy day !

Breakfast: (11:30)
brussel sprouts
steel cut oats with pear and grain sprout topping

Lunch ? (4:30)
got back from a church thing and was hungry ! Didn't want to have a whole meal so.....
tried a little of the kidney bean curry
an oat and berry bar (just old fashioned oats , blueberries, raspberries, spices....baked into a bar )

Dinner:( 6:30)
veggie soup
Farro with kidney bean curry on top
orange

a little too heavy on the fruit today and lacking enough veggies for lunch. Not perfect but no high fat or processed food so that is good !

-squealcat

[squealcat]

Today's exercise: I walked 3 miles (very cold !) and did arm resistance exercises

Breakfast: (12:00)
cauliflower
steel cut oats
grain sprouts
splash of almond milk

Lunch: (2:45)
very large salad
balsamic vinegar and my hummus on top of salad
sweet potato

Dinner: (7pm)
veggie soup
green beans
farro
kidney bean curry
orange

My husband and I talked about Christmas dinner plans. Sounds like he will make or order his own and I will make my fav lentil loaf, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce etc. We have each made our own meals for a long time. We are used to it and it works for us. It may sound strange to others but it is fine with us! My husband is actually a much better cook than I and bakes a wonderful loaf of bread too (I have to restrain myself ) I am happy to just make up a batch of potatoes, rice, soup, beans etc. and heat that up. I am not a fancy cook. Once in a while I will cook up something (as I did with kidney bean curry ). I have to be in the mood.

This is a good and wonderful month ! I always feel a little tense with all the gift buying and preparations but I continue to appreciate all I have. I am blessed !

-squealcat

[Marla]

Marilyn it is great that you and your husband have a plan for Christmas dinner that makes you both happy! I'm also planning a lentil loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce.

Do you grow your own sprouts? I just got a sprouter this year (I got the "Easy Sprout") and have had fun growing a salad mix, but I haven't tried sprouting grains yet.

I am enjoying reading your journal!

[Ejeff]

Marilyn, thanks for sharing in your journal, love your honesty! My hubby and I also prepare our own meals. Works for us also. I am like you, I can prepare very simple food and be completely satisfied. For Christmas, not sure what hubby is planning yet, but I am making a chickpea spinach tart, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberries. Another veggie as a side dish. Also a chocolate pumpkin pie for dessert.

My hubby bakes bread too, we have not bought any from the store in quite some time. I want him to make some sourdough, but no luck so far lol.

Erin

[squealcat]

Marilyn it is great that you and your husband have a plan for Christmas dinner that makes you both happy! I'm also planning a lentil loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce.

Do you grow your own sprouts? I just got a sprouter this year (I got the "Easy Sprout") and have had fun growing a salad mix, but I haven't tried sprouting grains yet.

I am enjoying reading your journal!

Marla: I started with the "Easy Sprout". I still use it quite a lot. I purchased a beginner kit and it was fun to try the small amounts of the different mixes. There is one called "Amber Waves of Grain" that I like and just put those sprouts over my oatmeal to add crunch and flavor. It has kind of a sweet flavor. I now have enough seeds to last at least a year (maybe I have a problem?). I have a couple kinds of salad sprouts, broccoli sprouts, sunflower seeds for microgreens and just grew arugula microgreens which turned out great !

[squealcat]

Marilyn, thanks for sharing in your journal, love your honesty! My hubby and I also prepare our own meals. Works for us also. I am like you, I can prepare very simple food and be completely satisfied. For Christmas, not sure what hubby is planning yet, but I am making a chickpea spinach tart, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberries. Another veggie as a side dish. Also a chocolate pumpkin pie for dessert.

My hubby bakes bread too, we have not bought any from the store in quite some time. I want him to make some sourdough, but no luck so far lol.

Erin

My husband baked a lot of sourdough bread a couple of years ago. We always had the started in our fridge. It tasted wonderful (maybe too wonderful for me ). My favorite bread incorporates cornmeal into the mix along with various seeds (caraway is a favorite ). I try to just have a taste and leave the rest for my husband as I am following MWL right now and for probably a few months.

Let me know how that chickpea spinach tart turns out ! I have never made anything like that before.

[squealcat]

Exercise for today: Walked 2.5 miles in the cold . I quit after those 2.5 miles and called it enough ! It was about 26 degrees this morning (brrrrrrrr!). It will get colder so I better face up to it. There is always the gym when it gets too much for me but did I tell you how it felt to wear a mask for an hours walk at the gym?

Breakfast:
green beans (ate them cold)
steel cut oats topped with grain sprouts and cut up pear
splash of almond milk

Lunch:
Very large salad with my newly cut arugula sprouts (I don't think these keep very well so had a bunch today and will probably finish them tomorrow ) A couple "plops" of my hummus on top with balsamic vinegar as a dressing
Japanese sweet potato
small bit of mashed potatoes that I just made (to taste ) and handful of oyster crackers (I stopped myself from more.....I don't want to mess up this week )

Dinner:
veggie soup
green beans and broccoli
mashed potatoes and kidney bean curry
orange

That's it for today !
I feel pretty comfortable with what I ate today. last night I was tempted to have something sweet (good thing we have nothing sweet here except fruit ) I gave myself permission to wait until this morning to get that something sweet. This morning I didn't want it. I am usually pretty strong in the morning and can resist temptation but later in the day??? Very difficult ! I am grateful that my husband doesn't have to have a lot of snacks in the house. He has some snack crackers but that is about it. My son brought over Christmas cookies last Sunday and they were gone Monday morning. Either the husband ate them or just made them dissappear. He is a very big help. I wish he would eat the way I do but I am happy he supports me.

-squealcat

[squealcat]

Exercise: Walked 3 miles outside. Temp was 26 degrees. Very cold but today I wore a scarf to keep my face warmer and that was better. Had some pineapple and a small yellow potato before my walk as I was feeling pretty hungry

Breakfast: (11:00)
Steel cut oats
grain sprouts
peaches
forgot about having veggies with breakfast

Lunch: Very large salad with arugula sprouts , my hummus and balsamic vinegar on top
2 yellow potatoes

Dinner:
Veggie soup
broccoli
kidney bean curry
mashed potatoes
orange

I am typing this as I wait for a church concert to continue. Something is wrong with the transmission via the parish web site. John Angotti lives in Tennessee (I think) and is giving our parish and anyone who listens in a free concert over the internet. There is some buffering going on. Will see if it corrects. I was looking forward to it. Love his voice .

Anyway, that is my day. My Christmas shopping is complete. Just have to wait for the rest of the packages to arrive and then the wrapping begins! I have to send one package to my son so I hope everything arrives for him tomorrow.

Have a great rest of your day and wonderful Thursday ! This has, so far been the best I have done for a week on the MWL program. Will see what the scale says on Friday. Whatever it is, my goal is to just follow the program and keep on moving on !

-squealcat

[squealcat]

Exercise: none today unless you count going up and down stairs at my daughter's house.

Breakfast: (9:00)
old fashioned oatmeal
pineapple
forgot to add grain sprouts today (boo!)

Lunch: (12:30)
large salad with arugula sprouts
my hummus and balsamic vinegar for dressing
orange
Japanese sweet potato

Dinner: 6:30pm
veggie soup
brown rice
kidney bean curry
broccoli
apple

That's it for today. Babysat my grandson today so that is all I did except chop up my kale when I got home and a couple other unimportant things.

-squealcat

[squealcat]

Exercise today: 3 mile walk (31 degrees) Ate 2 small yellow potatoes before exercise

Breakfast: (11:30)
Steamed kale
steel cut oats
grain sprouts
pear

Lunch: (4:30)......had an appointment and other business so couldn't eat earlier
Large salad with spicey salad sprouts on top
my hummus and balsamic vinegar as dressing
mashed potatoes
still hungry: had an oat/raspberry/banana/blueberry mixed into a bar and baked

Dinner: ( 7:00)
Veg soup
brown rice
kidney bean curry (getting tired of this so may freeze the rest)
orange

I cooked up a cauliflower soup today and blended it all up. It also had carrots, celery, onion and a can of beans in it. Tasted pretty good! I will have to add a touch of salt to it or maybe siracha sauce. Will see. Recipe is from the Straight Up Food cookbook author (don't remember her name ). I skipped the cashews and it tasted just fine !

Sent out a package to my son and his family in Illinois today. Hope it gets there by Christmas! Tomorrow I will start wrapping up the rest of the presents. I have "stuff" scattered all over the spare bedroom. Will be happy to get it all done.

Husband's birthday is coming up too. I ordered him a gift but it won't be here until after Jan. 1. I have to get him a card but wondering if I should get him a little something else? Not sure.

I was tempted to put margarine on my rice today....close call ! Decided it was too high a risk so stopped myself. Also thought about oyster crackers for a quick minute but still too risky. Eating a potato or two or my oat/fruit bar usually helps. makes me feel more full and not so antsy to eat anything else. I would really like to make it through this Christmas week feeling good about myself.

That's it for today !
squealcat

[squealcat]

This is a report on Saturday 12/19

Exercise: took a 3 mile walk

Breakfast:
steel cut oats
grain sprouts
splash of almond milk
pear (they have been really nice this year !)

Lunch:
very large salad with zesty sprouts, my hummus and balsamic vinegar
mashed potatoes
kidney bean curry

Dinner:
cauliflower soup
pea sprouts

now I will not post what I ate after this. It was not good

I didn't know if I should skip this day or not. I had two really good meals though and really just one that was off. This is life and I am reporting it but not everything I ate so as not to tempt anyone or make people think it is ok. It is in the past now.

I think the stray from the plan was partly due to the fact that there was really nothing prepared that really "spoke" to me. Getting tired of the curry and really didn't love it anyway. I will either toss the rest or freeze it today.

My plan for today is to make a batch or hummus and maybe a bean soup or something with lentils. Haven't had lentils in a long time. Having something all ready is important for me so I can keep doing what I am doing. I WAS planning on cooking up a stir fry of some sort for dinner and that is partly what tripped me up. I simply don't like to cook at meal time. The microwave is my friend. I like to cook earlier in the day and just heat it up. When I am hungry I need to know I can eat within a few minutes. That is just me.
I do have small cooked potatoes all ready and should have eaten some of those yesterday. Two or three of those with mustard on top (I can eat them cold) really squelches my urge to eat other things. They mostly work well.....mostly. If you get into trouble like this, try it ! Have some cooked up and in the fridge all ready. Of course, if you don't use them you can make a meal out of them .

That is all for the Saturday journal.
Today should go a lot better !

[squealcat]

Today was 100%. Yesterday was not so much. Yesterday's breakfast was the usual that I eat every day and lunch just wasn't good at all. I started with my usual large salad but didn't have any hummus made. I then started looking around for different recipes and went on Instagram etc......not a good idea at all ! Today I decided to stay away from any pictures , recipes, facebook things and anything that might remind me of foods I used to love. I have made sure I have things made ahead of time. I have little yellow potatoes and sweet potatoes all cooked up and a big batch of Heather McDougall's lentil soup. Today I went to the health food store and got a supply of Japanese Sweet potatoes and some other things. I walked right by all the sweets.

Exercise: 3 mile walk

Breakfast: steamed broccoli
steel cut oats
pear

Lunch: large salad with zesty sprouts and my hummus and balsamic vinegar on top
pasta (whole wheat )
fat free pasta sauce
lentils

Dinner: not very hungry since I ate lunch so late
cauliflower soup with onion and pea sprouts sprinkled on top
orange

that is it for today! Much better day for me.

[squealcat]

Exercise:
walked 2 miles
Went grocery shopping early today and that always makes me hungry (hadn't had breakfast yet) and kind of tired or worn out from decisions and walking around the big store etc. A two mile walk works just fine on those days.

Breakfast:
broccoli
old fashioned oats
chopped up apple

Lunch:
large salad with zesty sprouts, my hummus and balsamic vinegar on top
two potatoes with spicy mustard on top (just before my salad....I was hungry!)
two small regular sweet potatoes

mid-afternoon:
had a tough time again Not going to go into it but I tried to ward it off but just had this feeling like I didn't care.....of course, now I DO care. I am done now. I know that if I stop now and have two more good days that will be 4 good days out of 7. I know I can do this . I have stayed away from food pictures, recipes and posts on the internet. That has helped. Now I just have to not enter into that path of eating those rich foods ! I really do like what I have ready here in my house. I just need to fill up on those things....even if I just feel like eating and am not hungry. Having a full tummy keeps me away from those rich food. I have to think and act like a turtle who keeps on going while just looking forward in the direction he is going in. He doesn't see well . He sees just what is right in front of him. He just get there.

Dinner:
not very hungry
veggie soup with a few pea sprouts on top for crunch
water

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday. Glad we don't do a big cake and ice cream thing. I thought about it but he really doesn't care about it. I bought him a gift and card. I reminded the kids to text him. It will be a nice day for him. We don't do a lot of fancy things for our birthdays. We like calm and plain.

See you tomorrow !
squealcat

[deweyswakms]

mid-afternoon:
had a tough time again :

See you tomorrow !
squealcat

I hear you on the tough times!! Hard enough to change what we eat (and too often how we comfort ourselves) in the craziness in which we now live.

But you are doing it. I can just do one day at a time, and then have to remind myself during the day!

Happy Holidays, Marsha

[squealcat]

I am taking a couple of days off for the holiday. Things are a little busy and off-schedule right now. I will probably be back Saturday or Sunday.

I DId get my walk in today at the gym. 23 degrees outside and snow ! Hard to wear a mask for an hour while walking but I did it !