A Forever Lifestyle

Here we are, another Friday….my work week is almost done.  I am so looking forward to the weekend (do I sound like a broken record?).   The week has flown by and the weekend promises to fly by even faster.  (Why do weekends disappear so quickly?).  Anyway, I figured that it was the perfect time to do a check in and to see where I am at.

First let me say that I have been a goddess in the kitchen this week.  Ok, well…maybe not a goddess….but I have experimented quite a bit.  We eat at home almost every night except Fridays.  Fridays the kitchen is CLOSED…it is delivery night!  But that means that I cook a fair amount.   But this week I turned up the burners and really exerted myself on some new recipes.  On Wednesday night I made a Hamburger Casserole.  It was Italian in nature with Italian seasonings, hamburger, cheese and egg noodles. (The recipe didn’t call for it but I added a hogs load of garlic and hot pepper flakes!).   It was a winner; however we have both discussed one or two tweaks that would make it over the top delicious.  Chalk up a win for me!   On Tuesday night  I made a Turkey Rice dish.  It sounded good on paper.  I even doubled the garlic (hey, we like garlic so I almost always double the garlic in a recipe).  Yet the dish was BLAND BLAND BLAND!   It was edible…but we resorted to various techniques to make it something that we wanted to eat (I utilized a bottle of honey mustard….Jason utilized a bottle of hot sauce.) fail!! On Monday night I finally used the spiralizer that my mom gave me a month or two ago.  I made zucchini noodles and served that with garlic steak bites.  This was DELICIOUS!  It will definitely be on the meal rotation again …and soon!

My eating has been pretty spot on.  I’ve been doing really well.  I’ve been down at the low end of my calorie goal range most days.  It’s been hard for sure and  the after work snack has been a problem spot for me. (This problem is not new.....as evidenced in this previous post !).   But I’m managing regardless! 

On Thursday I packed my lunch.  It was a typical lunch, mostly fruits and some protein.  All morning I debated with myself.  I debated the merit of not eating my lunch and going to the cafeteria instead.  I debated eating my fruit and going to the cafeteria anyway.  I went back and forth!  It was a brutal battle in my mind!    I didn’t go to the cafeteria.  However, I did pull out the Reece’s Pieces that I have in my desk drawer.  I have been SO good about them.  I literally count out a portion on my napkin and put the container away (out of sight, out of mind) and I nibble on my 10-16 pieces all afternoon.  (How many pieces have been dependent on how many calories I have available in my day’s food budget.)  I eat them one at a time….SLOWLY.  I have done this every day this week and have been victorious....until yesterday.  I was so victorious over the cafeteria debate that I decided to pull out the Reece’s for a few nibbles during my afternoon.  SOMEHOW, in my celebratory haze over my cafeteria victory I sat the open container in front of me instead of counting out my portion.  I BROKE MY OWN RULE!  I failed miserably! Yes, I ate every last one that was left!  I ate probably about 30-40 …..much more than I normally eat!  Oops….Still equal to or less than a full serving (51 pieces is apparently a serving size)…but too many for me!    What’s worse?  I have no more for Friday.  It was really working to ration them out and have a bit each day.  Oh well…today I suffer! I will NOT buy more!!!

I have been able to walk most days.  The rain held me up on Thursday.  There was also one day that I just felt chilled to the bone and couldn’t see myself going out into the cold blustery day and walking in 40 degrees temps.  But I’m doing it!

 

My weight is slowly dropping.  SOOOO slowly!  I want fast!  I want speedy!  But that’s not how it is working for me.  And you know what?  That’s ok.  I haven’t given up anything I love.  Afterall, I was nibbling on Reece’s Pieces all week long.   I’m managing.  I’m making this work and not feeling deprived.  I’m LIVING LIFE in a healthy way!  And slow is ok.  Slow will still get me where I want to go.  Slow will give me a chance to LEARN and the more I learn, the better the odds that I can make this a ‘forever’ lifestyle. 

 

Run run as fast as you can, you can't catch me.........

I woke up this morning and I sooooo did not want to run.  I had made plans to run with my friend Paula. I laid in bed dreading it.  I secretly hoped that she would text me and cancel. I checked my phone….nothing!   I got up to go to the bathroom and I felt a twinge in my ankle.  I seriously thought about cancelling. I was hurt you know!  I checked my phone again when I laid back down.  No cancellation text.  Yeah, I can run on the foot, I can just wear an ankle brace or tape it up with KT tape, so I didn’t text to cancel.  Rain!   It was supposed to rain!  Maybe it was raining and I could be like “nope, can’t run it’s raining and it’s a cold rain” Yes, that was my excuse.  That worked until I pulled back the blinds and saw…..sunshine.  Well, then.  I guess I was running.  I wore and ankle brace for that twinge and I was off.

Ok, so my friend Paula runs at a fast pace than me.  YIKES!   When we go out running together, she is always running a few paces ahead of me.  I feel like she’s the carrot dangling before me and I’m chasing after it.  Or alternately, I’m the lead ball that she’s pulling along with her when she runs….slowing her down. 

The good news is that she runs intervals so if I can keep up (within a few feet)  she will stop to walk a bit.  That’s good, those walking segments allow me to catch my breath and continue on when it is next time to run.  It’s also good because I know that interval running helps with speed.  And heaven knows I need speed. 

I’m tired of the same story…so I’m not going to tell it.  I’m not going to talk about my eating that isn’t ‘bad’ but isn’t spot on.  Nope…just not gonna talk about it.  I meant to weigh myself this morning. (Gasp) but I forgot.  No, truly I forgot. I remembered when I was fully dressed, shoes on and walking out the door.  I plan on weighing tomorrow…pinky swear!

I’m still in my heel wearing kick.  And yes, it’s making me want to bike and run to really get the legs that the heels can show off!  J  Hopefully this upcoming weekend Todd and I can get out and ride on the canal….we are both off Friday, Saturday and Sunday to celebrate our 12 year wedding anniversary.

So I leave you with some pictures......dorky ...but fun from post run this morning!  I just realized that it looks like I have no arm in that baggy sleeve ....it was a Chicago hat day and why yes, I wore my glasses to run and why yes, I ran through a constant fog the whole time!   And of course Paula. She was talking about getting a new headband...something she can wear in the summer....pink of course.  I think the pink headband may be her thing.  :-)

Last but not least I give you our stats. I chose her stats....they were nicer than my stats, even though we did run side by side he whole dang time (or rather kinda side by side...me two paces behind)