DRAGON-CHICK's SparkPeople Blog

Tired today

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:15:43 EST

Not sure why.
Maybe I had too much coffee yesterday. Craved iced coffee!
Maybe it's just from all the meaningless drama in my life.
Or maybe it's simply the change in seasons, allergens and cloudy skies.

In any case, I'm tired.
And I have a huge to-do list for the weekend.
Don't feel like doing it.
Or anything.
Even the cat is passed out on the couch.

Ok, ok… Sun is getting up, and so should I.
Is this from a movie? "Get busy li...

Ramblings

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:05:25 EST

I don't have a cohesive blog topic today. I seem to be just rambling in my head. Raving might be a better word.
Ever feel like you are simply going insane?
That's me today. Again.

What's on my mind?

Not sure. Frustration, I think.
- At people at work; back stabbers and the inept
- At family, from whom there is no escape
- At myself mostly. Yeah; me.

I know, intellectually, that it does no good whatsoever to beat myself up abo...

Still not a fan of tofu

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:45:20 EST

Apologies to all those tofu lovers out there!

I tried it.
I even ATE it.
But I had the willies the whole time.
Yes, I know. It's good for me.
And it has very little taste of it's own.

So for my first try, I made Dr. F's veggie lasagna.
Lasagna is my favorite food. So I thought that would do it.
I made it.
It smelled AWESOME!!!!
It even tasted pretty good.
But I knew that creepy stuff was hiding in there.
After the first...

Out to dinner?

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:47:04 EST

(Started this blog last night)

Just passed my first month on the Eat to Live plan, and a friend wants to go out to eat for his birthday. It's some kind of pub burger joint. I said I could get a salad. No biggie. But I am a little nervous. I hope we go soon because I'm getting hungry!

Did I survive? Stay tuned…

(The morning after)

I lived! Survived to write another blog; to eat another salad.

I had a light beer, one chicken wing, a g...

E2L: It's been a month!

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:06:03 EST

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I started following Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live program on April 20th.

I've lost 12.6 pounds.

And it took me the other three and half months in 2013 to lose four and a half pounds.

The initial six-week plan is to get close to:
- a pound of raw veggies and greens
- a pound of cooked veggies
- at least four fruits
- a cup of beans or more
- a...

Not exactly a day of rest

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:29:05 EST

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, or so I hear.
I've never really seen any evidence of it. It's just a day for different tasks. With any luck they are more pleasant, homey things.

So in keeping with tradition, I will:
- Get a little more sleep
- Do a small amount of light household chores
- Do some big batch cooking for the week
- Connect with friends and family, even if only via email
- Engage in my own spiritual practices with gratitude ...

Shoulds vs Wants

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:18:02 EST

Part of me never grew up, I think.
I have a hard time choosing to do what I *should* do over what I *want* to do.

I want to drink coffee. (all morning)
I should drink water.

I want to eat pizza with co-workers.
I should eat salad.

I want to sleep late.
I should exercise before my day gets too busy.

I want to watch TV, or write, or scrap, or nap.
I should do some housework.

I want to tell my boss what I think of hi...

Payback's a ...you know...

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:27:40 EST

I've been doing really well following the Eat To Live plan, and maybe I've started to become a bit complacent. Not smart. But it's old news now.

However…

After my dietary indiscretion, the scale was a bit irritated, and I attributed it to additional sodium intake - mega. Attempted to drink thirty-five gallons of water, but that proved to be more difficult than planned. I think the physical plant folks consider shivering to be a useful sort of exercise, so they crank...

Oops!

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:49:03 EST

Oops! I made a boo-boo yesterday. Or two.
And I made the scale mad, but I'm hoping it's mostly due to the extra sodium.

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Wednesday is the day the office folk eat together at the cafeteria. The entrée was a mac and cheese bar with add-ins like hot dogs or kielbasa. The soup options were chili or clam chowder. The salad bar was limp iceberg with pale pink tomatoes, tuna salad and egg salad (mayo!) I had the chili, but it probably had too much oil ...

It's getting warm!

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:40:17 EST

Ok, it's still chilly in the morning, but day by day it's getting warmer out!

Pretty soon, I will actually WANT to drink more water!
I might even be more sanguine about eating salads.
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Ok, maybe I'm running away with this fantasy.

But I'm hopeful. And then, of course, there are the skimpier clothes I'd like to wear. Fantasy; but abandoning the bulky sweats is in my immediate future for sure!

And with the warmer weather are long...

Issues, Moods and Tactics

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:58:54 EST

I'm trying to take a proactive approach to staying on this healthy lifestyle plan, especially when life throws me a curve ball, or lemons. Or a vacation.

Not easily done, but still potentially doable.

Ok, so for happy special events like parties and holidays, I can plan to be extra vigilant before and after the event; and during the event I can concentrate on avoiding or limiting trigger foods, and allow myself to have some if it's likely that I'll feel deprived.
...

Survived

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:45:40 EST

Survived another holiday!

Survived and thrived, actually.

Ok, so there were a few moments there when I really wanted to eat something that would have derailed me. Alcohol would have been nice, too. Instead, I just smiled.

At dinner, I politely declined the twice baked potato. And the cheesecake.

I managed to stay on program. I was really proud of myself. I think I pulled a muscle patting myself on the back.

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Happy Mother's Day!!

Sun, 12 May 2013 06:35:00 EST
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and expectant mothers out there!!

You earned a special place in heaven for all your hard work and patience.

Celebrate! You deserve it!!

Just Another Water Blog

Sat, 11 May 2013 07:01:52 EST
Why is it so hard to drink water? My reasoning brain chides me for being so silly. Just do it. What's the big deal?

It's boring.
It makes me feel COLD. (My office is freezing.)
It makes me need to run to the ladies room at inconvenient times. (Middle of the night, during meetings, on the way home from work...)

Losing weight is so much about NOT doing things; not eating too much, not eating unhealthy food.

Drinking water is something I can activel...

Eating when hungry?

Fri, 10 May 2013 05:50:50 EST
This is unreasonably, illogically, impossibly hard!

Any parent of a 2-3 year old will say the opposite. Trying to get their kids to eat is a daily torture.

When did I learn to eat for recreation?

Childhood, I'm sure. Nothing else to do? Might as well get some ice cream. Fall down and scrape a knee? Ice cream! Kids at school were mean, go home crying but don't want to talk to Mummy about it? Yeah, you guessed it. Ice cream. Or PB&J would do quite nicel...

Emotional Eating

Thu, 9 May 2013 10:16:42 EST
A Sparks Friend posted an article on emotional eating.
www.healthyeatingstartshere.com/less
ons/weight-loss

Some Strategies To Limit Emotional Eating
1. Eliminate the triggers.
2. Change your reaction to your triggers.
3. Replace the food in reaction to your triggers.

Hi. My Sparks name is Dragon-Chick, and I'm an Emotional Eater.
Cliché? Yep.
True? Big time!!!

I've read almost every article I could fin...

What's next?

Wed, 8 May 2013 12:34:43 EST
I'm doing well on the Eat to Live plan.
Ok, aside from the massive amount of leafy greens I'm supposed to ingest, and struggle with.

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Next on my plan is to attempt to get in a little exercise.
The E word.
I'm not a fan.
Make it fun. Yeah, yeah.
It's not fun.
There are 10,000 things I'd rather do.
But I'd like to be healthier and fitter.
Tired of being winded all the time.
Tired of having a cranky back.
...

More cooking!

Tue, 7 May 2013 05:16:15 EST
I am a big fan of meatloaf. Not just any meatloaf, though. I make a really yummy meatloaf. Italian style. I miss it.

So when I saw Coach Nicole's vegetarian lentil loaf, it sparked my interest. Then I saw another version on the Oh She Glows website, I knew I had to try making one.

My version is based on those two recipes I'd seen, and on what I had on hand.

(I didn't measure anything but the oatmeal!!)
• ~ 2 cups cooked green lentils
• less ...

Did some cooking

Mon, 6 May 2013 07:15:33 EST
I took some time this weekend to do some cooking and prep work. I found a few recipes that I wanted to try.

Easy Three Bean Vegetable Chili
- lots-o-beans
- lots-o-tomatoes, diced
- onion, diced, sautéed
- soy crumbles
- chili powder (I only had taco seasoning)
- red pepper flakes
Simmered for a couple of hours.

Very filling. I'll probably make it again.

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I'm about 60% through, so I should be g...

Doing the right thing?

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:37:58 EST
Do we want to do the right thing?

People, in general, I mean.
And any right versus wrong.

Do we do the right thing only because of the consequences?
Fear of getting into trouble with the law, going to hell, or having your mother be mad at you?

Ok, this is too deep for 5am.

I am struggling to do the right thing for my health, my body.
WHY is it so hard to eat the right foods, avoid junk food and over-eating? I know what the right th...

Stunned

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:31:43 EST
Boston Marathon.

A celebration of the human spirit. A competition against our own limitation. A massive show of support and encouragement.

And some low-life needs to kill innocent people.
I keep looking for the reason WHY people do such horrible things. A show of strength or power. To murder a child.

I need to stop doing that. I could go insane. There is no good reason beyond the fact that some people are just damaged.

The human spirit i...

All revved up

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:42:13 EST
Somehow this morning it just clicked.

I've been avoiding eating plain and simple healthy foods. Not entirely sure why, other than I'm tired and on the lazy side.

I *know* that I want to eat healthy foods. Ok, I want to WANT to eat healthy foods. I want to NOT want to eat junk food. I want to stop having cravings, and I want to stop mindless eating.

I've been reading NOMORESTALLING's blogs about eating healthy food and following Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live d...

Spring Cleaning

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:24:34 EST
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I'm not sure why, but I prefer to have the sun out when I do my spring cleaning. I want it to be bright and cheerful. Maybe it's the whole hope and rebirth thing. Or maybe it's just that the sun makes me happy, so I feel more energetic, and more apt to heave my lazy dead butt off the sofa.

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Today, the sun's be...

Dreary days still have value

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 06:46:08 EST
So what if it's rainy and cold out?
Yes, I do want to go back to bed. A lot.

But a dreary day has value, and shouldn't be wasted.

- It's good for staying in and doing household chores.
- It's good for re-evaluating your goals and your approach.
- It's good for spending time on SparksPeople.
- It's good for doing some big batch cooking.
- It's good for naps and watching old movies.
- It makes us appreciate nice days all the more!!
...

I made the scale mad.

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:29:42 EST
Yeah, I know, everyone says to throw away the scale. Somehow, I just can't do it. I've tried. Results were not pleasant. Plus, I like to see the patterns, and if I have an unfortunate eating incident I want to know how long it takes me to recover.

I've read somewhere (a blog, article or carton here?) about the number on the scale determines how you feel that day. It the time I thought it was very true, and I still do - sort of. But I took it a step further. Like a sarcastic ...

On the hunt...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:15:45 EST
I have the munchies. You know why, ladies. So I'm on the hunt for some healthy snacks. And no, I don't mean rabbit food. Give me carbs, baby! And yes, I am trying to get past the cravings using distraction, or just ignoring them. Sometimes it works. Other times I want to crawl out of my skin.
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So I'm on the hunt for some good substitutions.
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So far I've found Krave cereal and Weight Watchers ice cream.
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Gotta f...

For girls only

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:10:04 EST
I mean women, of course.
Guys, read at your own risk!
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Tell me, please, someone! WHY-oh-why do hormones make you want to stuff yourself silly? With carbs. Bad ones.
I think I'm possessed.
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I know it's not ONLY me.
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So why?!? And is there a remedy?
I know, I know. Just keep trying. Practice makes perfect.
I just needed to whine…
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Feelings about food?

Tue, 9 Apr 2013 11:30:47 EST
Ok, forgive the ramble, I'm just trying to sort things out in my head.

I was really looking forward to a weekend at a friend's house. I anticipated a slight gain, but nothing horrific. So while I was planning on a great time with someone I've known all my life, there was a tiny part of me that was worried about how much damage I could do. Not obsessing at all; just collateral damage during an attempt to reconnect and lower stress. Barely a blip on the radar. It was planned. ...

That wasn't so bad...

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 06:21:24 EST
I spent a very pleasant weekend with an old friend, and consumed more calories than I should have.

But it really wasn't all that bad.

We had Chinese food, but I only had 1 chicken wing, 1 crab rangoon, and 1 chicken finger, but concentrated on the chow mein. (Chickens have fingers? Who knew?)

Sodium was a killer, but I think I wasn't all that bad.

The point of my time away was to visit a dear friend, and to recover from the stress I've been under...

Ok, shouldn't have done that...

Sun, 7 Apr 2013 08:36:23 EST
Ok, I probably shouldn't have done that… And that… And…

I'm talking about the food orgy with my friend. She assures me it wasn't as bad as I think it was. True friend, eh? And it wasn't all that bad. But there was a lot of food. I'm up half a pound, but that could be from sodium.

But the visit wasn't about food. It was about connecting with a life-long friend, sharing the good and bad things in our lives, laughing at the ridiculous, and then just relaxing.
...

I need this weekend!

Sat, 6 Apr 2013 10:27:36 EST
Work's been extra stressful, and the last thing I wanted to think about was making healthy food substitutions. (Read: Eat food I don't like because I am supposed to eat them.)

Once I calm down after the week's insanity, I will review lists of healthy foods, and again try to select healthy substitutions that I like, and won't make me feel ill.

It really helps me to plan my meals for during the work week, as my schedule can be disrupted by issues at work. And while I e...

Pamper Me!

Fri, 5 Apr 2013 04:58:04 EST
No, not diapers, silly.
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I'm going to visit my childhood best friend. When I visit, she is really good to me; waiting on me, making sure I'm comfortable and happy.
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And she's health conscious too, so no sugar binges.
But there might be a little alcohol involved. Lite beer.
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I can't wait!!!
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