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WRITINGBLUEHAWK's Recent Blog Entries
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Monday, March 14, 2011
The newness of my eating plan has totally worn off. I've now settled into a day-to-day routine built on weeks of habit-forming behaviors. To stay engaged and motivated, I'm focusing on strengthening the areas I've identified as weak:
1) Dirty dishes in the sink that render me too lazy to cook;
2) Not drinking enough water;
3) Not getting enough fruits and vegetables.
Here are my planned solutions;
1) 10 minutes cleaning the kitchen daily;
2) Keep a QT 32 oz cup on my desk and drink two cups while at work;
3) Drinking 1 glass of orange juice lite (50 calories) in the morning, eat fruit or a vegetable for morning and afternoon snacks, eat one fruit/veg at lunch and one at dinner.
Ain't nothin' to it but to do it. Onward and downward.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Okay, I admit it. I confess. I dine out entirely too much. I spend too much money and eat too many dishes with calorie counts that are nearly impossible to figure out. I live alone, I work full time, and I'm prone to procrastination and disorganization. I also hate doing dishes and other mundane housework. Because I live alone, no one is going to call me out when my dishes pile up.
I know this habit is costing me calories and money, so why is it so difficult to break? I think it's because eating at home requires PLANNING. Being the disorganized, no attention-span having woman that I am, planning is a foreign word to me.
The root of my problem is this: IF MY KITCHEN IS A MESS, WHY WOULD I WANT TO SPEND TIME IN THERE?
Usually what happens is I go to the store with a list. I've mapped out my recipes for the week. I pick up my food, put it away in the kitchen. During the week I'm busy so dishes pile up in the sink because I failed to put away the clean dishes in the dishwasher. Now one evening, I come home. I have things I can prepare, but because the kitchen is a mess, I don't wanna bother having to clean it before I start cooking. So I don't cook. Days go by and I still haven't prepared the food I've purchased. It goes bad, so I have to toss it.
OR
I do get around to cooking. The recipe makes six portions. It's a new recipe and the results are mediocre. I eat one portion, then refrigerate the rest. The next day, I take a second portion to work for my lunch. That evening, I come home to the same leftovers, which I have for dinner. By day three, I'm busy again. The dishes are piling up. I don't want to cook, but I'm tired of mediocre leftovers. So now the remaining three portions go bad, while I grab something to eat from Boston Market or Chipotle.
The answer is brilliantly simple. I'm pledging to spend 10 minutes in my kitchen every day. That's it. 10 minutes a day. I think that's all the time I need to put dishes away, load dishes in the dishwasher, sweep the floor, clean out "science projects" from the fridge and stay organized. I'll even set a timer. Whatever I don't finish after 10 minutes remains until the next day.
I am also going to focus on making sure my pantry is stocked and organized. I have a list of kitchen staples tacked to the door of my freezer. Anything that I need is checked off. By the end of the week, I have a partial grocery list. I add in the ingredients to my recipes and that's the list I bring with me to the store.
See, I have a system. But it doesn't work if my kitchen's a mess. Time for the dine-out diva to retire.
Friday, March 11, 2011
This has been a stressful, topsy turvy week. I have a lot on my mind these days including concern about my child, my job and all the stuff I need to do that's being neglected. I feel like there's very little going on in my life right now that I can control.
That is, except the healthy lifestyle I am trying to create for myself. It seems like it's the only thing I can control. So, despite the fact that I'm a stress eater, I chose to cling tighter to my healthful eating plan so that I can continue to see progress. I wasn't perfect this week, but considering the circus that's become my life, I'm handling things admirably well. In fact, I'm ready to give myself a high five for effort.
Staying on the plan calms me because at least one thing that's been bothering me is still being addressed. So everytime I made a misstep, I climbed right back in the driver's seat at the next meal.
Persistance--not perfection. My new mantra. Onward and downward.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Rut-Rho, as Scooby-doo says.
Ever had a time when you were so disappointed in your kid, you were ready to box them in the head? Today is my turn. Sometimes, it's hard to accept that our kids are not little angels but human beings who make mistakes--some of them damn doozys.
I am prone to overeating when stressed and these are truly trying times. How did I manage the stress today? I went out and got a one-hour massage. Calmed me right down and was worth every penny of the $70 I spent. I also drove around a bit (which is a bit crazy given gas prices, but oh, well), dined out at a small place I like to go to and hit my favorite bookstore.
Did my eating stay on track? Actually, so far it has. I kept telling myself the following:
1) Eating is not going to change anything.
2) Eating is something you CAN control--you can't control all the dumb things your child is going to do.
3) You need to find a new way to deal with the stress.
This was running through my head like a broken record. Still, I could improve my performance on my plan; I've missed several exercise sessions, but have committed to a boxing class tomorrow, so I'm nipping the laziness in the bud. I also need to drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables.
I'm still figuring all this out. Just ask for y'all to pray for me so that I can restrain myself from boxing my kid in the head. Good thing I'll be hitting a punching bag in class tomorrow, lol.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Today, I met up with colleagues at my favorite soul food buffet. The lunch date was scheduled weeks in advance so I had some time to strategize. Here's what I did:
1) I ate a salad for my first course. No fancy ingredients or mayo-based stuff; just veggies and a drizzle of dressing.
2) I opted for two small skinless baked chicken thighs, 1 small fried chicken wing, and one 4" piece of fried fish. I wanted a taste of my favorites without feeling deprived.
3) I rounded out my plate with collard greens and cooked cabbage. I avoided the mac and cheese, stuffing, cornbread and rolls.
4) For dessert, I had a very small portion of peach cobbler. This place makes the best cobbler and I didn't want to miss out.
5) I drank lots of water.
6) I ate a light dinner.
Everyone else was piling their plates high with fried chicken, stuffing, cornbread and macaroni, while most of my food were vegetables. I don't think anyone noticed because I made as many trips to the buffet as they did and I didn't get fussy about what I was eating.
For me, I tweaked my usual habits and managed to find the balance I needed to handle the buffet without going off the deep end or getting mad because of feeling deprived.
I was able to have my (cobbler) and eat it, too.
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Member Comments About This Blog Post:
I think you must be my twin! I don't live alone, but thankfully DH is extremely low-key and helpful. It's really rough to KNOW the system: Plan, Shop, Put Away, Prepare, Eat, Clean Up and not follow through, but that has been the story of my days for a VERY long time! I have confidence in you 
cheering for the Dine-Out Diva to retire! Just think of all the other ways you can use that money...more fun, too!
It is really costing you too much in more ways than one. I like your plan. It is not overwhelming. That is what the experts suggest when cleaning something overwhelming, spend a few minutes each day until it is done. Oh the difference you will see in your pockets and your weight loss once your plan is in effect. 