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Psyching Up For a December Whole 30 Graduates


Jim4884

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Thanks for the good wishes, and for making me smile and giggle at the thought of, and permission to get on the sofa with the kitties! I knew I was taking today off no matter what, but I am glad it's not worse today...just the same, and lots of kleenex and tea are in order. After Hubs left the house I got up to take my time and I've been puttering around making soup, and desk time: half of it surfing for fun, half of it obligatory emails. So now it's time to get to the sofa with me tea, kleenex and kittens! 

Hooray for shiny, clean stovetop! That's a great thing, and I get it that it is practical and also symbolic somehow, giving you a feeling of satisfaction. I wonder if, when your new self-care habits are no longer "new routine" that you might get the same feeling of satisfaction? I know that it's easy for me to say, and adding things that are time consuming to an already busy schedule is a P.I.A....oh, and that's me with the hiking, for sure. Once I get in routine again, I know it will be all kinds of rewarding with a domino effect of health improvements. That's what this is all about, right? I wonder how long before those new habits feel like "old hat"?

I never thought of pre-making a bunch of BLT wraps for future meals, too...I should do that! ....I mean, I always make a double or triple batch of something I like, knowing that it's just as easy to make a giant batch as a single...but I never applied that to my lunches. I'll work on that!! That is what meal prep means, I guess...so I'm a planner, but not necessarily a whole-week prepper! We haven't gotten to the lemongrass chicken yet after all, but yes, it was in the refrigerated section. It won't expire for another week (I should re-examine what's in it, but it says Paleo!) so will report on it soon! I have chili in our future, too, as soon as the bean soup is gone that is now in the slow cooker. I know my husband doesn't like lima beans, so I'm being a little naughty making lima bean soup...I got baby spinach to stir into it when it's done after the kale fiasco last time.

Did your husband like the idea of upgrading Hulu so you can host these events instead of going out? Sounds like a great compromise...how many football fans would descend on your house? I encourage you to keep you limits, for sure. I like the old Kahlil Gibran words on marriage, being like two columns that support the temple. We don't have to do everything together, right? It sounds like you are a very good sport, and he is lucky that you are! I'm here to say, do it your way.

I have to return phone call, then to the sofa!!!

 

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Hopefully, by now, all of that kitty love has you feeling better!

You had a kale fiasco and I missed it!? :o What happened? Lima bean soup sounds wonderful. I love limas even the big giant ones when they're cooked well and not all dried up inside. I've always had limas cooked with something meaty and smoky but one day a co-worker in Louisiana brought some to a potluck that had shrimp in them. I thought that was so weird and had to really force myself to try them but, oh man, were those delicious! I tried a new bean this weekend, Rio Zape beans from Rancho Gordo. I went to the farm store at an organic farm nearby hoping to get pinto beans for my chili but they didn't have any. I read the descriptions of what the did have and found these. They're in the pinto bean family and, apparently, this is the bean that got Rancho Gordo started. They're very delicious and creamy inside. I used one pound in a batch of chili with five pounds of of meat so it's not too bean-heavy but they're definitely there. It really came out good and now we have lots of leftovers.

I wish I were but I'm not a whole-week prepper either and figure if I can get my five breakfasts done for the week, I'm ahead of the game. I've done it for so long now that I'm all messed up during the week if I don't have my breakfasts done. I decided to take a page out of @kirbz book this week and made a big batch of curried broccoli soup to go with my scrambled eggs and pork sausage. It's a bit of an experiment to see if it will hold me until lunch. I typically don't do well with smoothies or creamy soups but I'm thinking that having the eggs scrambled with the sausage and topped with some fermented radishes gives me enough to chew on that my body knows it's been fed. So far, so good but it's only been an hour:P

On 1/3/2020 at 3:11 PM, LadyLisbette said:

I wonder if, when your new self-care habits are no longer "new routine" that you might get the same feeling of satisfaction?

Thanks for putting that in perspective. Instead of thinking about it as one more thing I need to do or "health maintenance", it's much nicer to think of it as self-care/love.

On 1/3/2020 at 3:11 PM, LadyLisbette said:

Once I get in routine again, I know it will be all kinds of rewarding with a domino effect of health improvements.

Did you subscribe to Melissa's newest newsletter, XO,MU? She talks about "keystone habits" which are like "the first domino in a chain of other healthy habits." I think that every round of W30 has given me another link in that chain of healthy habits. I did a little intentional, pre-planned off-roading this weekend but I had no problem staying on track with other things. We busted out one of my homemade salsas from this summer and I had ONE tortilla chip so I could taste it properly. I had the beans in the, otherwise compliant, chili. I had ONE very delicious beer during the game Saturday and one more yesterday with some boiled peanuts while we watched the Saints not show up for their big game. Our Hoedown friends came over Saturday night for that game and we had a blast; it helped that the Titans won in a major upset. It took me a minute to talk my husband into doing the upgrade on the TV service but he finally decided to do it and now he's glad he did. Yeah, told ya so!

We didn't even leave the house yesterday and I slept pretty well last night so this weekend felt like a big hug. For a change, I feel well-rested and recharged. Hmmm...Tigerblood-ish?! This afternoon I'll either do some laps on the driveway or a Katy Bowman video (or maybe a little of both) so I can keep the action AND motivation going.

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1 hour ago, hollysmokes said:

so this weekend felt like a big hug

That is so well said! My Sunday felt that way, too, and I really needed it after a super-cranky Saturday! When I woke up on Saturday the cold had dropped down into my chest, and that pissed me off, and that I had to go to work, that pissed me off again, and then I came in to discover that I had slept through end of month procedures (what was I thinking?) and because it was the turn of a new year, too, well, I had a bunch of headaches. It took me a few hours to adjust my attitude AND give the OTC cold medicines time to kick in before I felt like a human being. The moral of the story was for me to realize that I have very few bad days...and I did my work, albeit a longer day than I had wanted while sick, and Sunday was a total purr fest, the big hug you mentioned. Yay! Today I am up early for a long day at work covering for an OOT staffer, and I do not need any cold medicine, I guess I kicked it. Yay again!

Your question about the kale fiasco tickled my funny bone - thanks for early Monday giggles! Some time back I was on a bean soup kick and trying to reduce my meat consumption and I used kale instead of the more reasonable baby spinach in the bean soup, which took it down a few notches of "palatability" if that is a word. Ooh, I love lima beans, too, and I thank my dear grandmother Dorothy for that. Limas and shrimp, I will tuck that away! As for the Rio Zape, how cool that you came upon them, and I like the way it sounds to say it. That's a big batch of chili you've got there, do you use a big slow cooker or a stove top pot?

I will look into XO MU, this is the first I've head of it, thank you. I really like the point you quoted...it really rings true for me. I've been marveling at how well I'm feeling considering that I am not even stretching, though this is not something to get excited about...I know I could thrive, and need that domino effect. Thanks for being a good influence on me.

Good job persuading your husband to upgrade!! What you need and how you feel counts. Good to pipe up about things! Also, good job moderating your off-roading! For me, roasting those pork loins last week was a great way to start the new year - I'm almost done with them, and finished the roast veg, so now I'll be eating my lima bean soup, which turned out more like a stew because the limas took SO long to cook, I think they were on (slow cooker) high for 8 hours, and still crunchy after soaking for 2 days! So I set it to low overnight, and finally they were tender, and perfect....it's not a pretty soup/stew, but very tasty. I used loads of minced garlic, mixed Italian dry herbs, a whole onion, 3/4 lb each of carrots and celery, and included the celery greens, a 28 oz can of crushed organic tomatoes, and chicken stock. Next up, a waldorf salad made of turkey breast, and pretty soon bison chili. I am really jonesing for some journal writing. I keep thinking of all the stuff I learned in 2019 and feel like noting it...moving forward, doing stuff with it.

Have a good week!

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Since I got home at noon with frozen chuck roasts and wanted to serve the chili Saturday night, I was rushing to get this batch done so I used the pressure cooker. I cooked the beans (20 minutes!) while I was browning the meat then put the meat and sauce in the pressure cooker then added the beans back in at the very end. It should have taken about 30 minutes to cook the meat but it wasn't getting tender. After 30 minutes +10+10+15+ another 10, it was FINALLY tender enough to shred. I like for some of it to stay in tender chunks and some to shred up to catch all of the juice. I've done 3-pound batches but that usually doesn't make enough to freeze. This way, it's not much more trouble and I get to stash some away in the freezer! 

I've been having crunchy bean issues, too! My black-eyed peas from NY and my beans for the chili both have some crunchy ones even though I keep re-cooking them. I didn't get to soak the Rio Zape beans overnight but I soaked them in hot water for a few  hours and that usually does the trick. I tasted one and it was tender but there are quite a few that aren't. The bean/kale soup I made a while back wasn't pretty either but it was delicious. I still have some in the freezer, so even though I want to add some beans into my regular line-up, I still want to keep my bean consumption pretty low. I guess I'm thinking about them like I do the starchy vegetables- enjoy occasionally but not regularly.

I managed a couple of laps up and down the driveway yesterday, got a couple of lunches put together (burger + brocc/cabbage slaw w cherry tomatoes), fixed a batch of lotion that had separated and finished the 4th Earthsea book. It was a nice afternoon even if I could have added more motion to it. I'm not sure why but I'm dragging today. I feel good but tired. Maybe a nice long walk down the hall will get me moving!

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Did you enjoy the Earthsea series? I just finished a series of 4 books for young readers by Le Guin called Catwings, before mailing them off to my 5 year-old nephew who has a special way with cats. Do you know that series? Ursula, a great cat lover, said she found herself sketching cats with wings on her grocery list, and took it from there. What a woman. Very charming! Purrrr. I think I will spend much of the rest of my life with her books. So much material.

It's long days this week, and still no conscious movement. The nature of my days at work is completely on my feet and moving around the whole time. I realize that does NOT count as exercise, but I am grateful not to have to do my work at a desk...although I long to spend more time at my home desk. Anyway, the activity, plus eating well really accounts for how well I'm feeling. Not quite Tigerblood, but I have plenty of energy all day, and looking over my shoulder at the way I'm eating since a few transgressions over the holidays, I think I'm riding my bike pretty well. I'm getting added sugar, and I do like my Arnold Palmers, but that's about it. The albondigas at the Mexican restaurant we frequent is my new meal of choice, and there is rice in the meatballs, and I think she uses chicken bouillon but it doesn't seem to give me a reaction. I'm eating chips, but just a few. So there is a lot of room for improvement but I feel pretty much in control.

Do you love your pressure cooker? I've never used one. My parents used to use one to cook chickens for their dogs, and it stunk up the whole house. I've had enough food on hand that I haven't eaten any of the soup yet, so I'll probably freeze most of it so it doesn't go to waste.

My excellent news of yesterday...digging through the bags in the hatch of my car, I pulled out the small Xmas gift bags I was saving for a good friend and her daughter to discover my journal. Ha! So I haven't lost my mind, or my secrets. I hugged my friend and told he she was my lucky charm!

I'm very cranky with our propane company because they neglected to come out and top us off (that is our arrangement of trust...and we don't monitor it as we probably should) and we had no heat last night. It was close to freezing last night, but we had space heaters upstairs in our room, and kept the cats locked in with us. We stayed comfy, and the cats were good companions, good girls!!...but the load tripped the circuit breakers for the upstairs giving me, the early-riser, a scare...I thought we had lost power! Anyway, enough excitement for the day...hopefully it stays that way, notwithstanding the tense world events.

Stay safe and peaceful! XO

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So glad to hear that you found your journal. I hate when I do things like that; a friend of mine used to call it "self-created drama"! Ugh, our propane company did that to us a couple of years ago and we ran out on Thanksgiving day so no hot water to do dishes. Thankfully, we were able to find another company that's doing a really good job and they've even moved into the tech age and have an online presence and everything! The other company would (literally) pin our bill to the side of our garage door when they remembered to leave us one at all. Then they wouldn't refill because we hadn't paid the bill that they didn't leave us! Our heat is electric so being without propane only means no hot water or cook top; we break out our camp stove and use it or the grill that has a side burner. We have options but it's a pain in the butt. 

I very much loved the Earthsea series. The fifth one is several short stories that are in different places in the timeline. I tried to start it the other day but was having a hard time wrapping my head around who/when/where. I'll sit down with it again when I have some quiet time without football or whatever in the background. I have a 5 year-old niece and now I'm thinking she might enjoy the Catwings books; I'll check with my brother to see what he thinks. Of course, I will have to read them first! Have you read any of the Hainish cycle? 

I LIKE my pressure cooker and I think I would love it if I were more adept at using it. It's done a great job the few times I've used it but I have to research everything before I do. I like it for bone broth but the broth is really ugly and cloudy- still delicious though- and gets the job done in an hour. 

You may not being doing conscious movement right now but you're still moving so don't sell yourself short! Almost all of my work is at my desk in front of a monitor so I have to make myself get up and walk around- like right now. Heck, sometimes I feel like I need to remind myself to blink! And, I'm finally getting used to the new glasses and really like them. No one has said a word about them and it makes me wonder if they just haven't noticed or if it's more "if you can't say some thing nice..." B)

I'm feeling pretty good about being in control of what I'm eating, too. I'm still staying mostly compliant and only veering off-road with a plan except for stopping at Trader Joe's a couple of days ago and buying a spur-of-the-moment Rx bar- banana, which is a flavor I had never seen. It was weird and I wasn't crazy about it but I ate it anyway:angry: I've been enjoying some sparkling water beverages lately and not just when we go out as a cocktail substitute but I'm starting to think that's how my brain's thinking about it. If I have one in the evening, am I just substituting that for wine? And is that OK? It's not like I'm craving a glass of wine or some other adult beverage and using the sparkling water as a crutch. It doesn't cross my mind to have wine/cocktail/beer but I want something tasty instead of just having another glass of water. I guess I need to pay attention here. Yesterday my husband was munching on some peanuts and, even though I didn't really want peanuts, it kicked off an urge to have SOMETHING so I had a Waterloo watermelon with a big hunk of Meyer lemon in it and it was just what I wanted. The ever-evolving process!

 

 

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I carefully read your thoughts and self analysis re the sparkling water, and FWIW you seem very safe to me! Unless it becomes a gateway thing for your palate, and you can catch that if it happens. If it's a substitute for wine, that seems not just ok, but great. Don't we pace our own trends...like since I was sick I enjoyed a big jar of ginger tea with honey in it. And now I'm on to something else. I would encourage you to relax from self-judgment, trust yourself, and love yourself xxoo And yes, I know that is an ongoing process, too, there's an understatement.

Ah yes, Tales from Earthsea. Like you, I tried to read it on the heels of completing the 4 book, and I needed some time for the stories to settle. I think I gave it a couple of months, then I really enjoyed it. Peace and quiet helps, too, right? I've been picking up her books here and there, and I have read a couple of books from the Hainish cycle. Usually I try to read in sequence, but I started with the 4th book, The Left Hand of Darkness, then went back to the first book, The Dispossessed, both of them earning U. such high accolades. The latter challenged me to stick with it, but I'm glad I did. If I could do it all over again, I would start from the beginning, and plan to read them in sequence without too much time in between to make a deep acquaintance with and study what she was up to. I appreciate her revolutionary spirit and presentations of otherness.  She's so imaginative! Apart from the Hainish cycle, I have also read The Lathe of Heaven, and have passed it to friends. I think it would do me good to lose myself in fiction (pleasure, please) as I've been reading a lot of nonfiction for the last few months. And since the kittens came I haven't been reading much at all, but I know things will settle down eventually. Oh, and a coming of age story called Very Far Away from Anywhere Else. I have collected many more titles that I haven't ready yet, but that's the beauty of a library, right?

Turns out that our 150-gallon propane tank may have been appropriate in 1957 when the house was just a small cabin, but now it's way too small to accommodate our 3-story house. We wonder what the previous owner/builder did...I seem to recall that many of the heat vents were closed when we moved in, and I suppose that is how he managed to get away with such a small tank. We're going to use up the fuel, then upgrade to a 250 gallon tank. The learning curve continues.

I'm so glad you are liking your new glasses! That is the only thing that counts. Probably people are being self absorbed and not paying attention - I know that sounds cynical, but there, I said it....maybe it was your conversation, but I got to missing my old frames and have been dropping in different places looking at frames, and am sad that the ones I had before I will probably not ever find again. I'm due for an eye exam soon and we'll see if I need a new Rx.

The soup is just ok....I need to get something tastier going on soon. 

Back to the races now...

 

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18 hours ago, LadyLisbette said:

I would encourage you to relax from self-judgment, trust yourself, and love yourself

Thanks for the support and encouragement; I really appreciate it. I think I'm making really good progress breaking my mindless glass(es) of wine in the afternoon but remember Melissa addressing that habit and suggesting that substituting another beverage in its place may not actually be breaking the habit. I'm being mindful about it, though, and don't feel like I'm just substituting. When I have my pretty, sparkling glass of whatever, I'm not having it as a mechanism to not have something else but, like you said, even that is better than keeping up the old bad habit. 

All in all, I'm feeling pretty great today! I slept pretty well but woke up 30 minutes before the alarm so I put the time to good use and did 30 minutes of mobility and stretching. I've been slacking off in that department so it feels good to get back to it. I feel a little slimmer today, too, so that's nice. Once again, it's going to rain a couple of inches this  weekend but may clear up by Sunday so any activity I do will have to be indoors. We have a concert Saturday night that should be really good, The Traveling McCourys and Sam Bush so it should be a great mix-up of bluegrass/newgrass/jam band and we upgraded to VIP in an effort to get seats in a venue that has no seating. My husband's back and knees really start screaming if he stands very much. The downside is that one of the football games that we'd like to watch is also Saturday night but since that game didn't even exist until last weekend, we had no way of knowing and have had the concert tickets for a couple of months. Oh well, the Titans will likely get their rear ends handed to them anyway. I'll have to find something fun to do during the other three games but we may have friends coming so that will make it fun.

I have no idea what my cook-up will consist of this weekend but I do need to replenish a couple of spice blends. Maybe some tuna salad for lunches next week? I've really enjoyed soup as part of my breakfast this week and its nice to know I have three different textures as the base of my breakfast now: hash, quiche-ish and soup! I think I might do the quiche-y thing this week. I scored a bunch of grassfed meat at 50% off last week so I have a good supply of ground pork and some beautiful collards but need to go vegetable shopping at some point soon. Last night we blistered a bunch of carrots and brussels sprouts in ghee to go with a couple of the mini NY strips I got on sale. Apparently they have a hard time selling them because they only weigh 1/3 lb but I think they're perfect, especially for half price! 

I have a busy day today with an education-type meeting at noon so I'd better get a move on! 

Have a lovely day!

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So that soup worked out well, that's great! Tell more about blistering the vegetables, I might like to try that out. You got a great deal on that grassfed meat, and isn't it strange that their smaller size makes them less appealing to some? Sounds good to me. Yum. Oh, we have an organic grower here who don't have a brick and mortar presence locally because they take their goods to market in Los Angeles, 5 hours away. I'm acquainted with the farmer-owners, and I understand their farmstand is back! Their location is not on my usual route, but I know their hours and will go soon...it's an un-manned honor system, and she is especially excited about their arugula...so, I'll report back when I have been there, but this may be really dreamy.

Yay for feeling slimmer, getting your mobility and stretching today, and for the mindfulness habits, woo hoo! Those sparkling drinks are truly artisanal creations made with love, there can't be anything wrong with that, it seems to me. I slept pretty well last night too, and the kitties started pouncing on me around dawn, so I indulged it, figuring it was time for me to get up anyway. But it wasn't dawn, that was moonlight I saw outside at 4 am, so I tossed them out. Sorry, kitties. I hope to teach them that if they want to share the bed they have to have good manners. Recently one of them licked my chin, and then just below my collar bone, and it actually hurt. I think my skin is getting thin, it must be an age thing.

Though my lima bean soup is not as delicious as I wanted it doesn't suck, and I notice I feel really good for hours after I eat it, and the side of browned sausage that I eat with it. I bought a big three pack of organic chicken thighs as Costco recently, so I think I'll roast them with mushrooms on a sheet pan. The lemongrass chicken was pretty good, though I just had a bite and let Hubs eat all of it. Glad my local Costco is getting with the program. I have lots of good food in the freezer and pantry, I just have to decide what to make. Time seems in short supply. I have to learn to manage my time better. I was going to take today off to clean the house and do laundry, but there's a big tee shirt sale today only so I'll go in to organize a big order, then come home...that is the plan....once I go in, it's hard to leave.

Happy weekend, and enjoy concert, and the VIP view!

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Happy Monday!

We had almost 2 inches of rain- AGAIN! The water coming down the hill sounded like a river but all is well, even if it is rather soggy. Thankfully, we didn't have to go anywhere during the deluge and it was over by the time we needed to head into town for the show. The show was great!!  We had some friends come by to watch the football games yesterday and that was fun, too. It was a last minute decision so our goal was to have something to snack on that didn't involve going to the grocery. I made MJ's spiced nuts and Michelle Tam's Asian meatballs. One person brought a nice cheese board (normally she cooks but was sporting a freshly sprained ankle so we gave her a pass!) and another brought sausage balls which I normally wouldn't have eaten but since she used a really good cheddar and made her own baking mix instead of using Bisquick, I had a few. That was my first exposure to wheat since November but I've never had a reaction to wheat so I didn't expect one this time either. They were good but not great so I should have stopped at one but it was dinner time and our selection was pretty slim. I think we're finally going to get our meatball party rolling! Since that was our primary snack, we started talking about how fun it would be to "have a ball" one night soon. One person has already claimed traditional Italian meatballs and someone else wants to make some truffles so I think we'll wind up with a nice variety. 

This never happens but I got everything done this weekend that I had planned on doing! I was out of some spice blends and some cleaning products and I got all of them made on Saturday since I didn't want to venture out in the weather. Yesterday I decided to make things easy for myself and defrosted a batch of hash that I had frozen back in September and used that with the last of my garden zucchini puree to make my breakfast casserole. I even have three lunches put together plus a few leftover Asian meatballs AND I made a big batch of stuffed collard leaves baked in marinara so that's a couple of dinners in the bag, too. Again, I took the easy route and used some of the marinara sauce we jarred during tomato season so it was super easy!

I started today with 30 minutes of stretching and mobility! Melissa had two IG posts this weekend that were just what I needed. Nedra Tawwab told her "Whatever you say after the words 'I am' are the most powerful words you'll say all day." The second thing was "Show up!" to whatever habit you are trying to make stick or whatever it is that defines you, or you would like to define you. The two ideas went hand-in-hand this morning: I want to be a person that moves in the morning so I resisted the Monday morning inertia and showed up. I didn't plan to do 30 minutes but one thing flowed into another and it felt so good. I used the same mindset a week or so ago to get myself walking the driveway! I was trying to think of how I wanted to finish the "I am..." statement this morning and wound up with "I am the person that showed up!" and I'll take that.

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I was keeping my eye on the weather this weekend, and hoped you were faring well! "Have a ball" sounds like heaps of fun. I've been saving new (to me) meatball recipes on IG and  find that I'm such a creature of habit, with so many good ones already in my folder that are tried and true, but I'm thinking I'll try out some new ones soon. Your weekend sounds really fun and also so productive - what a great feeling. And lots of food to eat!

Thanks for the mantra etc - I will work with that. "I am the person who showed up!" - love it!

I got the house cleaning done in two parts, on Thursday, and again before work on Friday, which was its own kind of workout, moving fast on deadline. I don't like to be in a hurry, but I think there is a lot of value in cleaning the house when I have a definite time limit. Then I had a baby shower to attend on Saturday, so I had someone cover for me at work, and I made it my errand day, too. So it felt busy and harried...Yesterday was a store-cleaning day, but i got up early and did some chores and also made Michelle Tam's Sheet Pan Chicken and Mushrooms https://nomnompaleo.com/sheet-pan-chicken-and-mushrooms which I had had my eye on for a while, and it was really good. We ate some for dinner last night and there are leftovers because I used that 3-lb organic chicken from Costco finally. This morning while my laundry is going I'll make a waldorf salad, and later today will finish up the last of the soup. Looking at more soup recipes because I've carved out some time on Wednesday. Both Michelle and MJ have recently posted some tempting looking soups.

The off-roading has been minimal, and I want to say to no ill effect...but truthfully something is going on with my left knee, and it reminds me of the strain after our 6-day hike a couple of years ago, so I'm not sure what's up with that. Still procrastinating hiking. I'll work with your words of wisdom.

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The chicken and mushrooms looks delicious. My husband is mushroom-averse and only eats white meat but I think I might make a pan of that for me the next time I get one of those big packs of thighs from Costco. Or maybe I'll do what you did and use a whole chicken so I can have the dark meat and ALL of the mushrooms! :) I made a Costco gas + produce stop yesterday on my way home so it was nice to have dinner plus all of my work food all ready to go. I didn't have to do anything except vacuum up Asian beetles-ugh- they look like lady bugs but aren't! Your Waldorf salad sounds good too; I've been craving either chicken or tuna salad and, like my grandmother taught me, I always put lots of celery and apple in mine so I guess it's sorta Waldorf. 

I did another 30 minutes mobility session this morning and added in some weights for variety. I ride in with my husband for the rest of the week so my morning sessions will have to be a little shorter. Sorry to hear your knee is acting up. I have something wonky going on in my right elbow and I'm not sure what the deal is. I think it might be some flavor of tendinitis so I'm trying to be careful and mindful. The last thing I need is two dysfunctional arms! When it first started getting cranky, I was using a CBD balm and it really helped so I think I need to start that again. 

I slept really well last night!! I haven't been able to say that in forever! We went to bed a little later than usual so we could watch the LSU game but realized at half time it was already past our bedtime. I slept ALL night and didn't wake up until around 4 when my husband got up to go to the bathroom and the cat go out of bed shortly after but I fell back asleep both times until the alarm went off at 5. That's amazing for me!. My ring said I was awake for 39 minutes but I don't think I really was. I'm a little short on the number of hours I slept because we went to bed late but the quality of my sleep has been improving. That's real motivation to keep my off-roading to a minimum!

I listened to an interview with MU while I ate breakfast this morning: 

 and it was really good. This title is a little misleading; it's about so much more than that. Not sure what I did; I pasted the link in then it exploded into this giant pic/link!

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Good sleep - oh yeah! I'm happy for you, and wonder to what extent is the mobility/stretching groove that you are in right now impacting the good sleep, even when you are up a little later than you are used to? It bodes well, doesn't it? Woo hoo!

I think I "misspoke" a little - I actually did use a 3 lb pkg of chicken thighs for that mushroom dish, not a whole chicken, as it sounded like! And you know me, I am all for making a batch of something just for "oneself" and I don't think that's selfish. Maybe that kind of thing is actually essential, in the right proportion and timing! So, go for it! The recipe reminded me e Paleo Running Mama's Creamy Tuscan Chicken, have you ever made this? https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/creamy-tuscan-chicken-paleo-whole30-keto/ I've also printed out MJ's Italian Vegetable Soup, Michelle Tam's Lemongrass Chicken and The Defined Dish version of W30 Salmon Croquettes. The turkey waldorf salad is making for easy meals with chopped romaine, and I am looking forward to tweaking the dressing. I'll shop tomorrow and am ready to get everything I need for a seriously devoted and compliant few weeks to get myself back on track. I realize that even when I'm more or less on program, I wing it too much, and I deserve to give myself more time and thought. So I'm looking at the importance of keeping my own promises to myself, and this is a big one.

It's perfect that you linked the above interview in a giganto way because let me tell you, I have been in some serious straits over here, and making a Herculean effort to pull myself together. I'm not overeating or going off the rails, but have been feeling depressed about being in a rut, and then the knee thing. Argh. I came home early from work yesterday to get R.I.C.E. onboard, and that helped a lot. I'm wearing a brace and it feels better that way. I had a walking date with a friend for tomorrow, and I had been a tad disappointed because she wanted to avoid my steep hills in favor of a gentle stroll. But now I'm not wanting to even do a gentle stroll as I monitor and rest my knee. The "emergency" feeling, though relatively benign compared to what it could be, is motivating me to keep the eating very much on program. I think movement will help it, but I'm still getting the information, and listening to all the snap crackle pops it's making, and observing how serious it is before I decide if I need to pursue orthopedic pathways.  I sympathize with you about the elbow...what happens with the elbow when you are on your hanging bar, is that part of the routine of late? Anything different that is challenging the joint?

Not sure exactly what excited me knee...but it is definitely serving as "impeccable ally". The main takeaway is that I need to drop pounds, and love myself by increasing my strength and in general getting back in touch with my body...so the interview you posted is right on. I watched the first 5 minutes and will continue later...I was really honest about all of it with my husband, and he said that since we moved, he too has been in a rut. He is only on the bike once a week, and feels himself putting on a little weight, which I only see because he points it out. His issue is exhaustion. Mine is not that so much as struggling to find routine. Feels like an extra set back right now, but I am looking for it to be a helper....

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Annnd...not such good sleep last night. Can't win 'em all and I know it's a process so I need to appreciate my victories and not dwell on the less-than-good nights. I managed not to snack yesterday and did an hour of Katy Bowman "how to squat" while my husband was stuck at the DMV so I had a good day. Squeaky "helped" me improve my squat by taking up the entire pillow I was using as a bolster. He also talked to me a lot and made me rub on his head every time I stretched. Funny? Yes. Efficient? Not so much!

I need to do some extra work on strength, too. I did some weights yesterday and today so that plus my hour of "how to squat" left me with a few nice twinges of soreness to remind me that I showed up. I'm slipping back into my morning routine fairly easily; that's always been my favorite time to work out. It's too easy for me to have conflicts or make excuses as the day goes on. My main problem right now is my husband and I can't find a way to work around his routine that also suits my needs. He works from home two days/week and we carpool into town together the remaining three days and, even though both of us can come and go at work whenever we want to, he is always in a race to fly out of the door as soon as possible. I started to get up at 5 instead of 530 to make time for myself in the morning so he gets up at 5, too, and is ready to leave before 530 even though leaving at 6 was perfectly fine when I was getting up at 530. It's driving me crazy and I'm about ready to stop riding in with him. I hate to do it because it uses so much more gas but it might be worth it. He's also back to interrupting me during my mobility time so that's not helping either. Kill All The Things is not just for strict W30 anymore! :angry:

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Well, I showed up for myself today. I spent about a half hour or so doing the gentle yoga series that I used to share with others, and slipped right back into being my own teacher. It was also a chance to study what I CAN do with my knee/s and explore, and it was a feeling of caution but also celebration and return. I think I broke the dark spell of inertia, and a wave of grateful tears came in meditation. Then over breakfast I listened to more of the MU interview, and this has neon light around it for me (not verbatim but I'm sure you remember it): "sometimes I tell people they should not do another W30, and I ask them if they are in therapy." Hello. That is me. I know I could benefit from therapy. I've made lots of progress, but there is more. My lady is far away, and I would like to find someone closer. So far to no avail, but the search needs to continue. I have been following (sorry if I'm repeating myself) The Wholistic Psychologist on IG, and so are my brother and sister-in-law, who are both neck deep in the deep work of re-parenting themselves. Melissa mentioned that phrase, too, and it is really speaking to me, the idea of keeping promises I make to myself. The tension between rights and responsibilities to self. Letting go of old hurts and betrayals, and being my own parent and fierce best friend.

I'm feeling your jubilation at returning to your morning practice! Showing up for yourself is certainly an act of self love. And it sets a great example to me. You are getting up extra early in the morning, even when you don't sleep well in order to take care of yourself. And you need to not be interrupted. Both are admirable and reasonable. Have you been crystal clear with him about what you need? I have struggled with this kind of thing ALL of my life, and it is getting better as I get older. You too?

Big shopping day now...happy hump-day, and happy sore muscles that sing a life-filled tune to you!

 

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Well, another day of KATT so I decided it was better to not say anything until I could say something nice and keep reminding myself that, this too, shall pass! I showed up for myself yesterday in spite of interruptions and managed 30 minutes of glorious peace and quiet this morning. I have had this discussion with my husband before and we were watching something one night (I can't for the life of me remember what!) that mentioned how meditative a movement practice can be and he asked me if I did that. I told him I did and that was why it was important to me not to be interrupted and to have quiet and solitude. He acknowledged it but apparently that has worn off so I need to have that conversation with him again but I needed to wait until I wasn't annoyed. Like Melissa's advice about not having conversations about food at the table over food, I want to wait until we are not in the process of getting out of the house/getting to work or otherwise distracted so I'm hoping maybe tonight or tomorrow. I think my best strategy is to ask him for a solution to the problem of him interrupting me. I don't want to bar him from certain locations in the house at certain times so it has to be voluntary on his part which means he needs to be mindful of what I'm doing and that's a tall order.

I tried looking up The Wholistic Psychologist on IG but it came up with a giant list of results so I wasn't sure which one was the correct one. Yesterday I looked at Nedra Tawwab's IG and also Lisa Bilyeu's that did that interview with MU and that helped me get into a better frame of mind but it was a real slog. I feel much better today and am looking forward to having friends over on Sunday for more football. The Titans are the early game so we're going to grill some burgers (in almost freezing temps!!) around 5 after the game. My plan is to have lots of different toppings for the burgers so everybody can customize and other people are bringing snacks and sides. That means that I'll need to hustle tomorrow to get everything done for the game as well as for the week ahead! And it's Saturday so that means it has to rain!

We've been leaning pretty heavily on boneless, skinless chicken breasts lately and I managed to put together a pretty tasty saute night before last. We cut the chicken into chunks and pan fried it and in a separate skillet sauteed onion slices, green beans and cherry tomatoes then we put it all together with some capers and a bunch of lemon juice. It was really, really good. We ate almost all of the vegetables so last night we just did another batch of onions, green beans and cherry tomatoes and added that to the leftover chicken and really enjoyed it again. Now I just have to remember it so I can replicate it. The stuffed collard leaves came out really good too and I have enough to freeze for one more meal. I've done it with Swiss chard before and that was good, too. I just make a meatball-type mixture and roll it up in the blanched leaves then dump marinara sauce on it and bake. Now I'd like to think of something to batch-cook for next week but I'm drawing a blank. Something will come to me, hopefully.

What's on your menu this week? Good for you for showing up with some self love of your own! I think it's a pretty big NSV that we can slip back into these practices after pausing. I'd like to NOT pause: I am the person that shows up every morning for herself!

XO

 

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This has been a theme all day...waiting until we aren't mad to make our point. My neighbors are talking about this, too, in the context of family meetings. It makes all kind of sense. I have said, at work and at home, at various times, in the moment that the interruption occurs, "I can give you my undivided attention when _____" but then it's more likely that there is a little heat of intensity in the communication - which also might be okay or even perfect!  I think we just do the best we can....my husband has also lost track of things I've asked him to do or not to do and then shampoo rinse repeat....my friend uses the expression the dance of marriage. You sound to me like a very reasonable, loving, and generous partner. I'm here to cheer you on to get what you need!!

I forwarded to your IG account a posting from (paying more attention to her punctuation and spelling) the.holistic.psychologist to make it easier. I checked out the accounts you mentioned, and I tell you, that Lisa B. is hard to turn away from. That smile! That Bad Ass example - I love it! Well, glad you're feeling better today and have social time on the near horizon. That is so important. Sounds fun! I've never BBQ'd in the freezing cold - impressive! Your improvised sautee sounds yummy! I'm feeling pretty good lately, myself, and eating well. Yesterday I got up at 6 to make Mel J's Italian Vegetable Soup for the first time, and loved it. I followed the recipe to a TEE and then added some deboned chicken, which fell apart so nicely as the soup simmered down. We both really love it, and next time and SOON I'll make a bigger batch. Next up is the Tuscan Chicken and I'll use organic drum sticks that I found at Costco. I picked up some grapes to make more of the turkey Waldorf, and soon I'll also make Michelle Tam's Lemongrass Chicken. Meanwhile, I have a couple bags of slaw mix, which I am loving with compliant sausage for a quick breakfast. I am taking organic whole milk in my coffee, and occasionally adding Greek yogurt to dressings, but otherwise, pretty darned compliant, and it feels good. My sleep is better, too. As you said, a definite NSV to jump right back in.

The best news is that I'll have plenty of time to cook and rest this weekend as we have both Sat and Sun OFF. Hubs was off today too making it a 3-day staycation for him, but I went in to support our crew for a hectic day. But I'm super excited to have some time off - what a relief.

I recall reading a rule of communication about showing up - nothing happens until we show up. Thanks for putting that back in to a personal context. Here's to showing up for ourselves!

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It sounds like the main theme is showing up: in our communications, our intentions, our self love, all of it! I'm working on it; just being mindful of it is a big step. I struggle to communicate my needs/wants so that's a biggie that I need to show up for- today! Thanks for the encouragement and thanks for the holistic psychologist link. OK, I have to confess that I am unskilled in the ways of social media. :blink: I created an IG account so I could follow people I was interested in but have never learned how to actually use it. I tried to find what you sent me but didn't see it so I just cut and pasted instead. I'm going to make a project of actually learning how to IG; it doesn't creep me out like FB and twitter and I've come across so many things that bring me joy and knowledge. 

Aside from my breakfast stuff, I have no idea what I'm cooking up this weekend so it may be a "winging it" kind of week but that's do-able since I have produce, a bag of frozen shrimp, some chicken breasts and I'm heading out to pick up some ground beef. Yay for you both being off this weekend! My husband is off on Monday but I'm working. I've been being mostly compliant as well. I had a tiny serving of dairy last night and a couple of squares of dark chocolate but, otherwise I've been on-track. I'm a little disappointed that I haven't relinquished any more weight back to the universe, though. I was planning a major off-road this morning but the evil scale whispered some nice numbers so that discouraged me from making a decision that wasn't going to serve me well. I'm trying to set my mind not to go veering into a ditch tomorrow with snacky stuff. I know one person is bringing frozen french fries to go with the burgers so I should be able to avoid those. It will be interesting to look at the ingredient list on them, though! I'll bet you a dollar that there's sugar! I'd rather have a nice, festive glass of wine than crappy frozen french fries so that's the choice I'm making. 

The rain has slacked off so it's time to venture out so I can get stuff done. Enjoy your time off and watch plenty of "kitty TV"!

 

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I totally understand your feelings about using IG. Like you, it is the one social media universe  that I am willing to swim in (I do peek at my husband's twitter feed sometimes because I learn things from him, and most of the time I've already heard it), and mostly I use it for W30 recipes, my heroine Patti Smith, and therapy type accounts like Tokopa, whom I love. When I threaten to delete IG because of their FB ownership, my husband asks me what I would miss, and the aforementioned are my answer. That, and tracking a couple of teenage girls/daughters of friends who I care (and worry!) about. Anyway, I used to post pretty nature pictures, which seemed very cumbersome at first to do, and once a two-shot of me and my husband at Jazz Fest (a selfie! Did I do that? ha ha), but I haven't posted in years now!!! To your point, in case it's helpful, when I'm on my phone, on the homescreen of IG, there is a paper airplane icon in the top right. That link goes to messages. Having said that, cutting and pasting is one thing that continues to work. LOL!

My husband and I agree that training for Mt. Whitney is off the table. Because of my knee, I feel that I need to make it my main job to get healthy, lose weight, and heal my knee and launch from there into the best, highest health I am capable of! W30 ways to the rescue! He is supportive. For his part, he feels he has lost a lot of fitness since we bought the house, and he is too tired to resume the kind of training necessary for the climb we had in mind. He is saying that maybe when the bank loan is paid off in 3 years and 7 months and he can bring in a sub a couple of times a week, then he can afford the time and energy to such training. His exhaustion has me a little worried, but there is no reason to think he has heart issues...I just worry. But he's wicked smart, and I know he will do what is best for him, and if he doesn't, then I have to take a deep breath and communicate as we have been comparing notes on....

I share the difficulty of expressing needs and wants. Not sure if you will relate to this but I signed up for newsletters from Dr. Jonice Webb. I just paused to see if she is on IG, and ta-da, of course she is. Anyway, it's painful for me, so I've been taking small sips of her offerings, but her thing is about childhood emotional neglect. Not sure if that applies to you or not, but those of us who fit that bill have a very difficult time understanding that our feelings matter, and it's hard to say what we need and want. The good news is that we can heal from this, and that is what I'm working on. And finding closure with the surviving parent-figure who did harm to me. That's another story.

This morning for breakfast I made bacon and eggs and his favorite toasted artisan crusty bread for hubs, and for me, a fresh batch of cole slaw and compliant sausage browned, with a pile of good olives. I read a paleo ranch dressing recipe somewhere that included coconut milk, with mayo, and just salt, garlic powder and onion powder. So I broke out a can of coconut milk and gave it a whirl. Maybe I used too much garlic, but it was good, and very creamy. With the remaining coconut milk, I heated it up with whole milk, added a little coconut sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and cocoa powder to use as the au lait for my beloved cafe au lait. What a rich treat! I should probably not do that every day. It didn't even taste sweet, my thing is just enough sugar to enhance the other flavors. Danger, danger...but I'm exploring my FF. I made enough for today's coffee, and will use smaller quantities of what is left over the next 3 or 4 days to stretch it out. It's such a revelation to enjoy coffee in place of the eggs that were the real culprit to my stomach. I'm sort of over it, although breakfast dates with friends will be hard, as yesterday. I opted for eggs and paid the price. I'll have to be that person who dares to ask for the steak minus eggs, and as many vegetables as the kitchen is willing to give me. I must ask for what I need, right?? I want to see an item on the menu called Breakfast a la Lisbette consisting of steak, coleslaw, and steamed cruciferous things. Ya think?

The women at work are weighing in again these days, and invited me to join them. I'm a little tempted, but then NO. The thing is, I do intend to lose weight, to set that goal and keep it, to follow my own rules, and all of that....maybe use my own scale at home as you are doing. It has been years now since I did it. I think it needs a new battery. For your part, did the evil scale give you a number you liked or didn't like that motivated you to not off-road today? You said evil scale, but you also said nice numbers, and my husband is so sarcastic all the time, I wasn't sure how to interpret your story! Congrats if the number was lower, and also congrats if it wasn't because you made a good decision!

I found dried hibiscus flowers at the grocery, and am sipping blood red tea, and enjoying it without sweetener, it's so earthy and a little sour. Yummy.

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I would order Breakfast a la Lisbette! It sounds delicious and it's also a major NSV that you were able to figure out what was causing your gastric distress. The reward for that is getting to enjoy your creamy delicious cafe au lait. It's funny, we had a version of your breakfast for lunch yesterday- smoked poblano sausages with coleslaw so it was spicy and creamy. I'm planning on having the leftovers for a quick lunch before people show up for game time. 

Thanks for the IG mini tutorial; I found your message. I forget that the IG app has features that aren't on my laptop. I need to think about whether I want to start IG-ing or not but I may since I was able to get "Fermentopia" as my handle. I came up with that as a name for a possible fermenting business and have used it on labels when I made a batch of mead several (whoa, FIVE!!) years ago but I didn't buy the domain name or really pursue it. A couple of years ago I realized that someone in CA was using it and it wasn't available on IG either so I was mad at myself for not grabbing it while I could. It's out there again so I'm trying to gear myself up to do something with it. There is a guy in CA that started The Fermenter's Club and he posted that their goal for this year is to start 10 new branches of it worldwide. I filled out the application and submitted it but one of the questions was about social media presence. I responded that I had an inactive IG account but that that could change. Maybe that's the nudge I need to get Fermentopia moving?

I know you both have to be disappointed about having to postpone your Mt. Whitney plans. It sounds like it's the right thing to do but that doesn't make it any less disappointing. Are you going to plan a less strenuous outing? I also need to focus on strength and weight loss and am being motivated by my big birthday coming up this summer. I am so very thankful that I have no chronic illnesses or debilitations (I count my shoulder as an  inconvenience) and I very much want to keep it that way. "Mindfulness of movement is more important than how many sets/reps are performed."- gaithappens. So, while I want to be stronger, bendier (have your seen any of MU's Year of Strong and Bendy"?) and slimmer, I want to do it in a manner that protects and improves my joints and body. HA- I guess that's a pretty tall order, isn't it?! Patience! The scale number was a tad lower, which is what I'm aiming for, but the lure of the scale is the evil part. The real truth is that I'm feeling stronger and less jiggly:rolleyes:

14 hours ago, LadyLisbette said:

launch from there into the best, highest health I am capable of!

Exactly!

My husband and I had a little conversation yesterday. I started by asking him for help finding a way to make my morning routine work for both of us and told him I didn't want it to mean I was locking him out of a certain space. He responded back by saying that he felt bad because he felt like he was chasing me around the house so that cleared the air a bunch. I don't know that I have a definite plan yet but it's definitely a couple of steps in the right direction. Progress is what we keep looking for, right?

It's about time for me to start getting ready for football festivities. So far, I think we have about 6 people coming over and that's a nice number. Our living room is an awkward shape so there's not much room for lots of people to comfortably gather around the TV. I got my breakfasts put together yesterday. On what planet does it make sense to take two things you don't like, mix them together and think it's going to turn into something tasty? I have duck meatballs in the freezer that I really didn't like (too livery) and also some smoked, stuffed jalapeños that I like but don't love that I've been thinking about incorporating into a breakfasty thing. I broke up the meatballs and sauteed them with all of the odds and ends vegetables in the fridge then scrambled a bunch of eggs and added the chopped up stuffed peppers to that and mixed them together. I could smell the meatballs pretty strongly so I'm afraid I just made something awful that I'm going to have to eat five times!! And I still have five more meatballs in the freezer. 

Enjoy your hibiscus tea. If you're looking for something pretty and sparkly, try brewing it double strength with a cinnamon stick and some ginger and allspice berries then mixing it with sparkling water. Delicious and festive! I think it'll be even better in the heat of the summer.

Time for breakfast, hair washing and burger making. Enjoy your day off!

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A spot of good news: if you ever spill your hibiscus tea all over the bed, and you worry that if it doesn't come out, it will forever look like a crime scene...don't worry, it comes out without spot remover, even. = ) Hope you are enjoying your company today!

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I love mead. I used to get it at an Ethiopian restaurant in San Francisco, the same one where I once saw Isabella Rossellini! I'm not star struck, really, but that was memorable. Hey, I love the name Fermentopia, that is a great one. Awesome to have such an interesting opportunity to move forward with that, if you choose to. More will be revealed, right? A wide new world, if you choose to build a presence on IG. It sounds like it's been a labyrinth so far, and I'll be interested to follow you if you proceed in that direction.

I think my mate is more disappointed than I am about postponing our big hike, as it's his bucket list thing, and I have enthusiastically agreed to go with him after years of saying, "nah...this is your thing". I think we're both over the disappointment now, and to your question, YES, we are planning a less strenuous hike along the same trail, but just a day or two in, day hiking from one camp, and spending two nights. My knee is feeling much better, and I am really on my game with self care, and feeling a renewal. So we are on the same page with a focus on strength and weight loss...I was thinking about Food Freedom, and the changed mind-set on so many levels with W30. I think this will be a year for me to use the scale with moderation, towards my goals, and will watch out for any mental/psychological pitfalls the same way I watch out for the sugar dragon when I off-road. I still haven't used the scale, but am doing lots of other things, and the two days off really made a big difference! I love the term strong and bendy! I have always been bendy, but seldom been strong, seldom been as slim as feels best for me, and always known I am capable of expanding that. What you described as a tall order, maybe it is, but I know we are capable of it! Like you, the knee thing is more of an inconvenience than a disability, and I echo your feelings of gratitude, and made it a big part of my journal writing yesterday. My friend would say these things are impeccable allies. I heard that knee pain like a trumpeting clarion call to action, and I have answered it!

I am celebrating that you are feeling slimmer, stronger, AND seeing the scale go down! That is so telling, because doesn't muscle mass weigh more in its density...so you are really getting somewhere with your efforts, Holly! I am happy for you! Keep it up, I'm with you! 

Over the two days I did a bit of re-organizing and re-arranging in our dining room/my office, and I figured out a way to set up a good light at our table for my writing. So I still dream journal from bed (or the new orange wing back by the tub!) while it's fresh, but I finally have an easy and comfortable set up for journaling, and I spent a good couple of hours yesterday reviewing all that I learned last year, and it's quite a list! I might review here when I have more time, but I have to fly soon, to senior movie day and then work.

I made a gigantic batch of that Italian Vegetable Soup, and added black beans, lentils, and yellow and green split peas since I didn't have any already-cooked chicken, and a new Italian spice blend that I like, so I feel very secure, and everything I need to make the lemongrass chicken, and the Tuscan creamy chicken is in the cue. (queue?)...and the house is in good shape, not including outdoors, of course...

Poop, there's more but I have to go. Merry Monday! Hope you are feeling good and that your house is resounding with the good vibes of friends over. 

 

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How nice that you were able to create nice places to journal! I love the idea of moving to your orange chair for dream journaling; it seems so fitting. I've gone back through some of our earlier posts when I was looking for a link or something and it's kinda weird but interesting: Did I write that??!

Thanks for tip about the hibiscus tea crime scene clean-up!:lol: I can SO see me doing that. I make my own tooth powder instead of buying expensive chemical-free toothpaste and I knocked the open container onto the floor Sunday night. It looked like an explosion in a flour factory but smelled minty-fresh!

Good for you not using the scale! It only went down a teeny, tiny smidge and then I had some (yes, more than one) cookies Sunday night and a couple of my favorite craft beers that they're not brewing any more so I save them for special occasions. I felt pretty bloated and puffy yesterday but did 40 minutes of stretching before work and a 50 minute KB hip mobility video in the afternoon to show myself that I can still show up after off-roading more than I had planned. My W30 ended on Dec 22 so I'll probably weigh myself tomorrow morning for an official 30 day post W30 number. The number isn't the end-all and be-all because I do feel better but it would be nice. I have been strong but not aas bendy as I would like so I'm trying really hard to work on my bendy-ness because I see it as a mechanism to move mindfully and correctly so I don't injure myself trying to get stronger. In all honesty, though, I think I need to push a little harder on both. I have been working hard on hip mobility and stretching quads and hamstrings is part of that and I can tell the difference. Yesterday KB showed me a way to bolster under my knee when I do lunge/squats so I can do them ONLY using my legs and not momentum or upper body counter-balancing or any of the other little cheats. Now I'm on a mission to be able to do them without the bolster! I thought I was going to be sore today but I'm not so I'll work on some more of those this afternoon.

Not much cooking going on but I sure have enjoyed my tuna salad that I made on Sunday. I made sure we had leftovers for dinner last night so that was quick and easy- pork roast with some steamed cauli that I mixed with the sauteed onions and peppers left from our burger feast at the ball game. Your bean-y, pea-y Italian vegetable soup sounds hearty and warm. 

Time to run off to a meeting! Later 'gator!

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I forgot to get sparkling water, but I'm looking forward to trying out that drink of yours...yesterday was a busy day in town because I also saw a matinee of Little Women with a friend, and I liked it more than I even expected to! I'm rushing and all over the place, but wanted to check in.

Yes, we have posted a lot of great stuff here, I understand and relate to your comment about discovering old posts - a windfall of insight and personal history!

How did the weigh-in go? I'm procrastinating with the scale, but am currently thinking that for the time being I might do a monthly weigh-in to keep myself honest, and monitor how I feel about that. 

I'm on program, and feeling really good! Even Tigerblood! I had lemonade in my iced tea yesterday, which I am otherwise reserving for Saturdays or cleaning days, but other than that, compliant, and feeling the rewards. My knee is not secure feeling without the knee brace, but I am hopeful that in another week or so I can try going without it. I'm doing a gentle yoga series most mornings, and feeling the benefit, as modest as the work is. I'm feeling better in my body, and can feel the absence of inflammation - I doubt the scale would reflect it, but my clothes are just a little bit, and I am feeling more comfortable in my body,overall,  so I'm headin' in the right direction!

I have to problem-solve a scheduling thing now since a staffer is sick, and I had a half-day volunteer commitment, so I'm off to the telephone and email, and then it will be a long day at work instead of a half day off to vacuum and cook. A good problem to have, actually, with lots of work to keep me busy, right?

 

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