ELISADENK's SparkPeople Blog

I'm stuck; need ideas

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:13:58 EST

I'm writing a story and am stuck. Maybe you can help me by giving me ideas.

Problem: What would be the reason why a Mom would not like her talented Daugther go on a professional concert tour with the possibilty of becoming famous?

Info: There is no dad in the the story; however I can add him.

Info: The Daughter has an Aunt who is very famous (won music awards) in the same field and is encouraging the Daughter.

Info: The Aunt can be the Mom's sis...

Why? Oh Why?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:45:49 EST

Why is it easier to make bad choices than it is to make good ones?

I was doing fine until 11:00 a.m. Then, it was making bad choices one after another.

Do you find it easier to make bad choices than good ones, as well? Why?

How can I stop making bad choices? I know better!!!

DAY 4 Rutting

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:17:52 EST

Weighed in: lost the 2 oz, I gained yesterday, which I lost the day before. LOL

Bottom line: I am now establishing a healthier rut! 246

DAY 3 on getting out of the Rut

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:53:52 EST

I'm more organized about eating all the veggies.

Breakfast was 'ditto'
I ate lunch at a decent time w/ another Lunch ditto.

Trying to remember recommended eating times: Every 4 hours? w/ 2 snack? Do you know??

Hoping all this will lower my blood pressure.

DAY 2 on getting out of the Rut

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:37:26 EST

Less cravings for carbs and sugar, today. Yippee!

Think I'm getting enough protein.

As for not knowing I'm hungry? It's because I feel so satiated from eating so nutritiuosly. I'm learning that I start feeling shakey inside and I then start getting irritable.

Need to figure out an eating schedule so I can keep track better.

Discovered I am measuring some of my food, anyway! LOL

Learning that I can tolerate dairy better w/ so much fi...

DAY 1 on getting out of my rut

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:29:18 EST

I chopped, I sliced, I grated, I cooked. STILL have many more fresh veggies to deal with.

Oh, and I ate! I realized that the veggies truly liven up a dish.

Weighed in. Lost 2 oz. At least the scale is going in the right direction, even tho I can't excercise, yet.

Still lots of back pain. Seems I overdid it the day before.

Discovered during one of our Challenges, that I'll many more veggies if they are all mixed together. So, that's what I'm doin...

What have I got to lose?

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:04:49 EST

Discovered via our latest Challenge that I'm in a rut.

So:

1) I'm gonna stop tracking my food. (Shhh, don't tell SPGuy).

2) I'm gonna eat more veggies. LOTS more and as much as I can handle.

3) I'm gonna stop taking some of my extra suplements for a while. (Don't think anything major will happen.)

4) I'm gonna ENJOY the freedom of not measuring food and just pour on the veggies!

What have I got to lose? Right??

Oh, the JOY of Modern Technology!

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:45:38 EST

We now have THREE (3) remote controls in our living room with the possibility of having even more.

Where does one put them, when not using them?
How do you keep track of which remote goes to which item?

This is getting to be a bit much, in our tiny living room.

Any ideas/help/tips?

Thanks!

Mixes anyone?

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 20:57:24 EST

Not 'sounds mixes'; nor when singles mingle --oops that's 'mixers'.

I'm talking about the kind where you mix all the dry ingredients in a container, and list the wet ingredients that need to be added.

Kind of like a Christmas gift, but for one's own use. For example, homemade pancake mix in large containers.

See what I mean? Do you do this?

I'm thinking about doing it, and have a few questions.

An Anniversary!

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 22:21:07 EST

This afternoon at 4:00 p.m. was the Anniversary of DH's wedding proposal to me! :-)

I remember clearly (after 19 years): we were cuddling in my family's basement.

203 I mentioned, "It is all over but the paperwork."

So he replied, 290 "Will you be my wife?"

My answer? "With all my heart!" 129

Now, the truly interesting thing is ~~ our first date was 2...

Veggie Song

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:19:35 EST

To the melody of "Mary had a Little Lamb":

335
~ Veggies are my very best friend.
Very best friend.
Very best friend.
Veggies are my very best friend
and I eat them all day long.~

Can you handle a second verse?

339
~I eat them to be thin...

Sad Moment

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 19:58:45 EST

Goodbye fudge.

Goodbye Christmas treats.

Hello veggies.

Not sure I like getting Christmas Letters

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:12:46 EST

Received 2 Christmas cards with letters today.

One, telling me that my uncle passed away. :-(

Another telling me w/ pictures about my adorable little nieces who live in a different state. I will probably never be a part of their lives. :-(

What's on your Christmas Wish List?

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 20:49:03 EST

What would you like for Christmas? 445

Since I probably won't be seeing Santa Claus this year, I thought I would be fun to make a list.

Criteria: NO intangibles. (Health, joy)
Include tangibles ONLY if they can be put under a tree. (NOT a car, house)

My list:
Food canisters (I'm reorganizing my kitchen)
fun, exotic food and spices
new jeans
a puppy
books
a fake fern

Feel free to come back to thi...

Turkey anyone?

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:08:32 EST

Read a blurb in a popular magazine that said, "The smaller the bird, the easier it is for both white and dark meat to come out juicy and tender. That is why we prefer a turkey in the........

12-pound range."

Had to laugh! My size turkey? See previous blog. LOL

So, what size is YOUR turkey?????

Turkey in a crockpot?

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 20:59:35 EST

Today, after scanning multiple recipes, I decided to go ahead and put a 6 lb turkey breast in my crockpot.

AND thus started a comedy of errors.

I ask DH to help skin the turkey (as per most of the recipes) while I worked on getting the rest of the ingredients together.

Ended up having to wash the dishes, sink, counter, drawer, DH's slipper and the floor!!

About 8 hrs later, the turkey meat is now in the fridge. Whew!

This method works......

Good plastic?

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 19:47:46 EST

Found a more modern plastic storage container for food.

Label says it is BPA free.

Is that good enough?

Glass containers still cost a fortune, here.

Does this make sense?

Sun, 9 Sep 2012 22:12:04 EST

Am I doing this correctly?

I am using the water that the veggies (potatoes, onions, etc) are boiled in and collecting it in a container. The container stays in the fridge for 1 -2 weeks. Then I either freeze it in ice cube trays or use it in my soup.

Is that too long to keep?

Also, am freezing some of the veggie scraps (carrot peels, kale stems, etc). When enough, I boil those and use the water for my soup.

What about using the water from soaki...

Do you do this?

Mon, 3 Sep 2012 17:40:46 EST

After coming home from BIG grocery shopping, I discovered we forgot to purchase a few items.

Does this happen to you, too?

Weather 'n' Weight

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:41:27 EST

Woke up to a cold 62 degrees in the house.
Mid-afternoon it was a warm 76 degrees.
That's a 14 degree increase in only a few hours.

By bedtime, it was 73 degrees.
That's ONLY a 3 degree decrease in many hours.

It's like our weight;
easy/quick to increase, difficult in decrease!

My new glasses! I can see!!!

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 21:32:40 EST

Why post about this? So others may learn...B/C it is accumulated info of 6 years or so.

Ignore the shadows in the pictures, please.

Bifocals: Tried progressives for two yrs, made my eyes tired.

Full rim: b/c less glare

Shape: ovalish

Large rims: They are coming back into style. The rims are not as much in my field of vision. One less thing that is bothersome.

Material: Metal (plastic does not have the nose pads; Tit...

Dragged out my Pedometer, today.

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 21:49:28 EST

Haven't used it in a while. Feels good to have it back on and hear those healthy little 'clicks' every time I take a step.

When I first started wearing it three or so years ago, thanks to SP, I learned I wasn't near getting my steps in.

My minimum goal was a whopping 2,000 steps! After formulating plans and ideas and doing some research and practicing what I learned, I figured out how to take more steps during my day. My minimum increased in increments to 3,000. ...

Why O Why?

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:25:54 EST

I could just kick myself!

Had a hankering for lemon merange pie. Called DH, "Doesn't LMP sound good to you?"

"Yes, it does. I can bring some home."

"Make it a small one, if you can."

DH brought home a regular-sized pie. 1/5 slice = 350 calories AND 57 grams of sugar.

After just 3 bites, I felt a sugar rush. :-( I never eat this amount of sugar in a day!!

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Now the pie is going to sit in...

Oh, how I love SP!

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:03:58 EST

In a moment of capitulation, I joined Facebook last night.

I thought it would be like SP: Set up a colorful, interesting Page and then add friends.

NOT! The page/wall is ugly and complicated, even with the tour, etc. Still don't understand it.

DH, who is computer smart, doesn't like it either.

I LOVE SP. I truly LOVE SP!!

Thank you, SparkGuy! You are wonderful!!
252 252 252 252

Have you ever....

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 20:38:51 EST

felt 'yucky' during the day and thus not eat much resulting in losing a pound or two?

THEN, the next day, when you are feeling fine, you eat and eat and gain the weight + more back????

Quilt delimna

Thu, 2 Aug 2012 23:20:57 EST

Requesting advice on what to do for a bed quilt.

Have 2 cats. (Need I say more?)
239

Can't close the bedroom door.
Can't keep the cats off the bed.
241

So, quilt needs to be easy to wash. Which means?

Do I REALLY need a quilt?

The color would have to be such to hide the cat stains. However, don't want a brown quilt!

Any ideas?.... besides getting rid of the cats, of course. 240

Looking for Advice from Eyeglass Wearers

Thu, 5 Jul 2012 00:22:30 EST

When do you put on your eyeglasses? (I used to wait until after bkfst and washing my face. However it doesn't seem to be working well, lately.)

Is it possible to brush one's teeth w/o spattering one's glasses?

Where do you keep your eyeglass when not wearing them?
(I keep them on a bookshelf in the living room. Up and away from my cats.)

Do you keep your eyeglasses in a glass case? (I do, but it seems to make my glasses linty.)

Do your ey...

Another Quote -

Wed, 4 Jul 2012 16:42:09 EST

Most people rush after pleasure so fast that they rush right past it.
- S. Kierkegaard (1813-1855) Philosopher

Quote ---

Tue, 3 Jul 2012 21:49:35 EST

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important. -- Janet Lane

Read those food labels!

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 23:12:21 EST

Saw a lemon cake. Looked good. Brought it home.

THEN read the small print. 'Sugar, unsalted butter, etc.'
350 calories for one tiny piece!

The icing was lemon flavored butter!!

Who needs to eat that much butter???

I threw it in the garbage.

Thank goodness I didn't purchase for the cake. It would have been tossing money into the trash as well.

Needing a Different Attitude

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:13:55 EST

My birthday is tomorrow.

All the difficult, painful stuff I've gone through the last two years has aged me. :-(

I've even gained 10 pounds or so. (sigh)

So, what am I to be thinking?

The worst is past, now I can concentrate on the future??

Any suggestions?

Do you think it is possible....

Sun, 20 May 2012 22:27:21 EST

To eat slowly and enjoy your food?

How slow is slow?

Enjoying food would be wonderful, however, I'm finding that it doesn't taste all that great. The best food I ate all day was an apple!

How about you?

I couldn't do it!!!

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:10:14 EST

Been planning for a week to go to the Family's Dinner to celebrate Mother's day.

An hour before DH and I were supposed to leave, I decided after much prayer and deliberation that it would be Wise for me to NOT go. For a few reasons, some of which I won't go into here. One being, my back was hurting and I couldn't get a handle on it.

I felt such a RELIEF to not go!

DH left. THEN, the self-pity showed up, the anger and frustration.

There, DH was havin...

Do you think it is possible....

Thu, 10 May 2012 20:24:15 EST

to avoid distractions while eating?

I've learned to purposely have distractions while eating b/c my food isn't very tasty. Was a terrible cook, while trying to eat well.

Now I'm trying to avoid the distractions. I've purposely cleaned off the table where I eat. However, I find that my mind wanders. Geesh!

What do you do? How do you do it?

Do you think it is possible....

Mon, 7 May 2012 20:58:53 EST

Do you think it is possible to ONLY eat when you are hungry?

Do you KNOW when you are hungry?

Have you noticed....?

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 18:27:31 EST

Have you noticed the QUALITY of food in the grocery stories have deteriorated?

Have you noticed there is MORE variety?

When DH and I go grocery shopping we look at the fine print. For example: one item said, "Pomegranate and Cherry juice" the fine print's first ingredient, "High Fructose Corn Syrup."

Listen up!!!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:25:53 EST

Balance!

My MIL lost her balance while going up a step. She's fine. Scared with wits out of FIL. She finally admits that her balance isn't very good.

As a result, I challenged my SILs, BIL, and DH to a balance contest. It was hilarious and sad at the same time. They are all younger than me. Some couldn't balance very well.

So, I gave them some homework to do. Practice Balancing.

I am now challenging YOU to practice balancing. This is S...

Green Eggs and Ham

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:48:28 EST

I am E

Do you like
green eggs and ham

Do you like to walk

I do not like to walk
E-I-am.

Would you like to walk
Here or there?

I would not like to walk
here or there.
I would not like walk
anywhere.
I do not like
green eggs and ham.
I do not like them,
E-I-am

E-I-am have tried it all. Been going for walks, even jogs (long, long time ago).
E-I am read the books. Did yo...

Sabotage!

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:31:45 EST

After Sparking for over 2 years, 252 I'm noticing a trend. We sabotage ourselves!

Not necessarily with our exercising or not exercising. But in the way of food -- calories. 4

Definition of Sabotage: The destruction of property or obstruction of normal operations, as by enemy agents in time of war.

Other words for Sabotage: treachery, treason, impairment, damage, harm hurt, detriment, mischief, undermine, impair, damage, disable, h...

STOP! Don't eat that pizza!!

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 18:38:41 EST

STOP!!

Don't eat that pizza!!!

1) Unless it is homemade, you have no idea what is in it.
2) Who needs the extra fat?
3) Who needs the extra sodium?
4) Who needs to get totally off track?

I know from experience:

I broke down and had a large slice of Hawaiian, thick crust pizza.
a) the price was right
b) came with a salad
c) I was truly hungry
d) there was fruit on it...

Ooooh, the consequences I had to ...

SparkDiet Lifestyle Checkups

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:14:23 EST

What do you think of the SparkDiet Lifestyle Checkups?

I think that if it wasn't for getting the E-mail, I'd probably wouldn't remember to 'check.' hmmm

It also seems to come at a bad time for me. Why is that??

Under Start says, "My personalized Programs" Click on SparkDiet - You are in Stage 4

Then, to the right it says, " Next Checkup " Click on that.

It will take you to: to the form that needs to be filled out.

Is it true?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:22:44 EST

Is the Star of Bethlehem real?

http://www.bethlehemstar.net

Well worth the effort. Infact, I watched the DVD (SIL owns it). Mind blowing!!

Day 6 for Plan of Action to lower BP

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:01:24 EST

(see previous blogs)

Feel like I'm 'detoxing' from yesterday's dinner. ugh...

Tired, too.

BP is 49

Day 5 for Plan of Action to lower BP

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:44:29 EST

Interesting.

Feeling 'on keel'.... more balanced.

Feels like I'm doing something good for myself.

Gotta go make up another batch of oatmeal.....

Well, never got around to eating the oatmeal!

Ended up going Big Grocery Shopping, then got a call from FIL & MIL asking to take DH & I out to dinner. This rarely happens. How could I say, 'no'?

So, who knows how many calories and sodium I ended up having. ~~ sigh

...

Day 4 on Plan of Action to Lower BP

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:54:43 EST

(see previous blogs)

Eureka!!! 104 BP is down!!!! However, need several more readings to show Doc.

Praying the Serenity Prayer.

Trying to eat oatmeal instead of cookies......

Staying w/i my calorie range!

Day 3 on Plan of Action to Lower BP

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:47:29 EST

I am already on BP medicine. Have been for years. Doc wants me to try others. I have with major side affects. :-(

Went for two short walks, outside. brrrr

Again; drank all my water, ate my veggies, practiced 'breathing'.

I've cut down on my intake of gluten. (I am gluten-sensitive.) Maybe that will help.

Rummaged around and found Magnesium supplements so for now, will use those if at end of day, if I fall short.

I eat a large bana...

Day 2 on Plan of Action to Lower BP

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:43:20 EST

See previous Blog,"Plan of Action".

Drank over 9 glasses of water!

Ate my veggies!

Tracked my food: low on carbs, potassium, calcium, magnesium and fiber. Not so usually low on these. hmmm

Sodium - fine.

Didn't exercise b/c I felt rather yucky... and tired.

Practiced the Paced Breathing. Still need to practice more, tho.

BP is still up! :-(

Day 1 for Plan of Action to lower BP

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 20:19:17 EST

I have a Home BP kit I use. It's a calmer way to deal with White Coat Syndrome.

I spend every day in the Word.

Am NOT trying the oil idea. b/c I seem to have an 'allergic' type reaction to oil.

I DO take 3 capsules of Omega 3 (for dry eye problems).

I did the Leslie Sansone 1 mile walk which takes about 17 minutes. Figured it was close enough to the SP 10 minutes they recommend to get started. I also figured, if I got tired or started hurting...

My 'Plan of Action' to lower BP

Fri, 9 Dec 2011 19:58:08 EST

My BP is high and it doesn't seem to want to go down.

So, my Plan of Action:

1) track water (I may be only drinking 5 per day)
2) walk!!! Indoors and outdoors (indoors w/ a Walking video)
3) practice, again, the Paced Breathing (see Topic on Peri+ Team)
4) eat my Veggies!

Also going to try to do a bit of other exercises (Pilates, st. trng, ab jam)

AND, going to try VERY hard to track my food instead of eyeballing the portions. Will ...

A Blog about nothing

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 20:58:43 EST

nothing