Journal for Health

[keithswife]

I went to my son's baseball game last night, totally unprepared food wise. The only thing I could find to eat was a soft pretzel, that in retrospect contained oil and maybe dairy. Stomach and other digestive organs were not happy and made their displeasure known. So, here we have boys and families of all ages and the only thing offered to feed them is copious amounts of junk food with nary a piece of fruit or veggie in sight. From now on I'm packing a cooler.

I'm supposed to have lunch with a friend today. I'm hoping she let's me pick where to eat, as the stomach upset just ended and I don't want it to start up again.

Today's eats:

Breakfast: a piece of cornbread with honey, applesauce
Lunch: not decided
dinner: leftover beans and greens

[keithswife]

I need to grow a spine when it comes to eating out. I can cut meat and dairy with no problem. It's the oil that keeps tripping me up. And mysterious restaurant veggie burgers. I tend to order them instead of questioning the server over what I can get without added oils. Yesterday at a family function, I ordered a veggie burger that was full of oil, and steamed broccoli that was covered in butter. I ate them both.

Today's eats:

Breakfast: just coffee. I had a huge bowl of grape nuts cereal before bed last night. Just not hungry
Lunch: veggie sub from subway
Dinner: baked sweet potatoes, brown rice and broccoli

[moonlight]

Hey, for what it's worth, for me, I've gotten more assertive eating out as I have become more successful on this diet plan. I think you will develop the attitude that this way of eating is what you want in a restaurant. I don't go to the extreme that others might, but I have gotten comfortable quizzing the server on options. If you tend to go to the same restaurants, a bit of reflection on how you could have made better choices helps on your return visit. Another strategy I use is looking at the menu in advance, if possible, and making a decision of what I will eat, then I don't look at the menu when I sit down in the restaurant.

[keithswife]

That's encouraging, Moonlight. I'm sure the servers would be very helpful if I would only open up my mouth and ask. But yes, menu searching before I even leave the house would be productive, instead of waiting until we get there and seeing nothing I can eat.

I was having an anxiety filled morning (over nothing, really), so I booted myself out of the house and took a 2 mile walk. It did me a lot of good. While I was walking, I thought about all the good changes that have happened since I changed my diet. It made me realize that the best may be yet to come if I went 100% compliant and kept up the exercise. I could stand to lose 10 pounds or so. So, today after work I will sit down and menu plan and rearrange my schedule to include more time to walk. A small commitment, when I think about how much time I can waste just reading facebook.

Today's eats

Breakfast- pancake with flax, coffee
Lunch- baked sweet potato and leftover green beans
Dinner: no clue. This is why I need to start menu planning

[keithswife]

I've decided to tweak my diet a bit and shift it to stay on the low glycemic range to see if I can spark a bit of weight loss. Especially since I read that maple syrup has 210 calories per quarter cup, and I've been drowning my morning pancake in it. So, the new pancake topping will be applesauce without added sugar.

I took another 2 mile walk this morning and feel terrific. I 'm going to try to make a habit of this. I found a few walking trails nearby and maybe will drag my unsuspecting sister out with me the next time she visits. It will be good company and we can go out for a nice vegan lunch afterwards. I wish I could change my sweet hubby's mind about his health. He's obese, his sugar is up, and he is so stressed out and depressed all the time. But he won't, and I know enough that I can't change him by arguing, so just have to cook him somewhat healthy meals and lead by example. Breaks my heart, though.

Today's eats:

Breakfast: whole wheat pancake with blueberries and flax, coffee
Lunch: Leftover pasta and tofu casserole, green salad
Dinner: stir fried veggies over a brown rice pilaf, banana nice cream

[keithswife]

It's another beautiful day. It's so much easier to stay on plan when the weather is nice. I've already walked 3 miles today, food is planned out. Let's see how I do in December when it's 20 below zero and dark most of the day. That will be the real test.

I'm playing around with pizza ideas. My pasta and tofu casserole had the tofu seasoned to resemble ricotta cheese in a traditional baked ziti dish. I'm thinking I can use that in place of cheese, add some veggies and see how it works. Maybe pressing the tofu to get most of the moisture out of it first. Hmmm

Today's eats:

Breakfast:

whole wheat and flax pancake, coffee

Lunch:

2 spinach and bean burritos

Dinner: still up in the air

[moonlight]

Hi keithswife, you are giving me energy talking about your nice walks I bet by December you'll have so much energy you'll be determined to be out walking somewhere! I hope you have a good day.

[Rosey]

It's another beautiful day. It's so much easier to stay on plan when the weather is nice. I've already walked 3 miles today, food is planned out. Let's see how I do in December when it's 20 below zero and dark most of the day. That will be the real test.

Colder weather keeps me from wanting to go out as well. I have a mini trampoline inside for those cold days.

[Morris]

2 spinach and bean burritos

I think I now know what's for dinner

[keithswife]

Colder weather keeps me from wanting to go out as well. I have a mini trampoline inside for those cold days.

I've always wanted a mini trampoline. I bet they're tons of fun. I may have to get one of those.

I walked another 3 miles today. I always start off feeling like a teenager and end up feeling very much 47 the last ten minutes. My energy level is definitely up. My sister wants me to start jogging, but I don't think so. I have broad hips so my jog is more of a fast waddle. I'm pretty sure the neighbors don't want to see that, lol.

I'm getting in a food rut. I've got to drag out my cookbooks and put some plans together. I keep saying this. Maybe when I run out of food I'll actually do it.

[Rosey]

Colder weather keeps me from wanting to go out as well. I have a mini trampoline inside for those cold days.

I've always wanted a mini trampoline. I bet they're tons of fun. I may have to get one of those.

I walked another 3 miles today. I always start off feeling like a teenager and end up feeling very much 47 the last ten minutes. My energy level is definitely up. My sister wants me to start jogging, but I don't think so. I have broad hips so my jog is more of a fast waddle. I'm pretty sure the neighbors don't want to see that, lol.

I'm getting in a food rut. I've got to drag out my cookbooks and put some plans together. I keep saying this. Maybe when I run out of food I'll actually do it.

They are fun. I hurt when I try to run but as for the neighbors who cares what they want to see if it's helping us get better. HUGS!!!

[keithswife]

I think I may die from my own cooking. No worries about heart disease here. I have an elderly Seventh Day Adventist cookbook. Yesterday I picked it up and made a potato veggie casserole from it. I don't know if I left something out, put something I shouldn't have in, but it was bland and nasty. I'm not sure what to do with the leftovers. Maybe pan fry them into a hash. I've learned that whole wheat pasta can go from al dente to mush in the blink of an eye. And my well meaning sister gifted me with a bunch of vegan cookbooks that I really can't use. They are all heavy on the coconut oil and bizarre ingredients that I have no prayer of finding, let alone convincing myself to taste.

Thankfully I found Jan Tz's quick bread recipes and have been consoling myself with her gingerbread recipe. Who knows what I will make for dinner. I need to dig out my old McDougall books and get some new ideas.

[keithswife]

The casserole disaster indeed made a great hash, especially when served with BBQ sauced. I just have to accept the fact that cooking is now a necessity and not an option. I got so spoiled with delivered pizzas, drive thru windows and convenient packaged foods most of my adult life. I'm just going to have to keep it simple until I improve in the kitchen.

Today's Eats:

Breakfast: whole wheat and flax pancake
Lunch: potato casserole hash, apple sauce
Dinner: Boca Burgers on the grill, baked beans, salad

[keithswife]

Our first hot day of the season. I took the horse out for a ride this morning, as by 10:30 it was already quite steamy and his allergies were bothering him. I may go for a walk later this evening to try to get more exercise in. I have to say, my energy level is through the roof. I don't think I've ever felt this good. Even in my 20's, I was very low energy and loved napping.

My sister quit her diet already. I'm not sure how to help her. She works 12 hour shifts at her hair salon and doesn't get breaks. She comes home starving and eats whatever she can grab before crashing on the couch. I'd probably do the same after being on my feet all day without proper meals. I'm trying to talk her into getting an instapot to make food prep easier. She is considering it.

Today's Eats:

Breakfast- oatmeal with flax
Snack- gingerbred
Lunch- microwaved sweet potato, green salad
Dinner- red beans and spinach over brown rice pilaf

[keithswife]

I'm so discouraged this morning. Instead of the healthy dinner I had planned, my hubby took me out to a local restaurant. He had had a stressful day and wanted to relax with a beer and a big meal. No biggie. The place we went to had those Impossible Vegan burgers on the menu. I wasn't sure exactly what they were made of, but I just couldn't bear to eat one more portobello mushroom sandwich. It turns out I should have. These vegan burgers look, bleed, and taste like meat. As I found out after I ate it (it didn't taste too bad), they are made in a lab and engineered to taste like meat. Their target consumer are earth conscious meat eaters who want to stop eating beef. I get that. But, it made me so sick. I immediately got heartburn, bloated stomach, and nausea. All the crap I suffered with before Mcdougall. I looked up the ingredients and found out they are loaded with coconut oil and have just as much saturated fat as the real beef burger. So after a couple of hours of listening to me complain, hubby suggests that I go back to the doctor for more tests. Maybe there is some kind of medicine I can take so I can eat "normally" again. Poor long suffering husband. He meant well. He really did.

So, my new resolve is to just eat out on plan no matter what. Even if it's just a salad topped with dressing I brought from home. I will also brush up on my conversation skills to reassure my family (who thinks I've gone insane), that I really am there for their company and not the food. I will also diligently learn how to cook better meals at home. I have to be a better advocate for my health. No one is going to help me, and no one is certainly going to make things easy.

Todays Eats:

Breakfast: just my morning coffee. Still feeling sick from last night's dinner
Lunch- red beans and spinach over brown rice
Dinner- baked sweet potatoes, salad