Hubby has given up paid employment - for the time being - and so is available for lunch. And coffee. And snacks. Though he protests the need to stay slim and lovely, he always seems to be up for a meal out. Honestly, I am too, because eating at home just get so dull. However, I can't see that this will be good for our collective waistlines.
Lunch today: A 1/3 lb beefburger on a multigrain bun with blue cheese and bacon, lettuce, tomatoe and mayo; and a side of skinny fries.
Positively health food. (Well, there's a vegetable...)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Excitement in the Swimming Pool
Made it to the pool today after a week of failing to do so. Swam up and down for half an hour. So far so good. Got out, into shower, just about to put shampoo on head when off went the fire alarm.
Hmm. Dilema: is it better to risk incineration by going an getting clothes on, or guarantee public mortification by having to stand about in one's swimsuit shivering until the fire brigade arrive?
No contest. Clothes were applied (by me and a very pregnant lady who clearly took the same view of events).
We then joined the (shivering, swimsuit-clad) other pool users by the edge of the pool because the attendants wouldn't let us leave - who can say why - until they had received the approval of their manager.
I still don't know if there really was a fire or if someone was smoking in the loo. A fire engine did arrive, however. But I stick by my choice!
Hmm. Dilema: is it better to risk incineration by going an getting clothes on, or guarantee public mortification by having to stand about in one's swimsuit shivering until the fire brigade arrive?
No contest. Clothes were applied (by me and a very pregnant lady who clearly took the same view of events).
We then joined the (shivering, swimsuit-clad) other pool users by the edge of the pool because the attendants wouldn't let us leave - who can say why - until they had received the approval of their manager.
I still don't know if there really was a fire or if someone was smoking in the loo. A fire engine did arrive, however. But I stick by my choice!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Walking the Dog redux
The weather here is very hot at the moment, in the high 90sF every day this week. Despite these uncongenial conditions, I continue to womanfully take the doggy for a walk at least two times a day. Yesterday and today I was out with Ruby for 45 minutes, setting out for the breezy baylands at 8:00am. On Sunday evening, I took her for a night walk, doing half an hour after the kids had gone to bed. It was lovely and cool then, but I don't think Ruby liked the dark very much. In fact we saw no one, not even a car passed us.
Perhaps if I ate less I might even lose some weight with all this walking. I probably do an hour and a half every day.
Perhaps if I ate less I might even lose some weight with all this walking. I probably do an hour and a half every day.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Getting the Lungs Going Again
I am still battling the stupid cough, which feels like it will never go away. I'm now able to sleep on one pillow, which is a step forward, and I no longer have a permanent crick in my neck, but it would be hard to say that I wake each morning refreshed and ready to meet the day.
On the positive side, Ruby is taking me for a walk two or three times each day. We usually go out for about 45 minutes, which is her maximum. I have been taking her to walk at the local nature reserve parks, Arasteradero or the Bay Lands, but we're currently keeping away from those while Ruby recovers from a wound in her behind caused by a nasty grass seed called a foxtail. So our daily regime of walking is around the streets, to the local neighborhood park, and back again. Ruby is now at her target weight, 20 lbs, so our goal is not to let her get any fatter. Do you think that feeding her bits of my chocolate croissant (not the chocolate part, which is bad for dogs) will have a negative impact on that goal?
I think that feeding myself chocolate croissants may be having a negative impact on my goal... I do try to tell myself that I don't need a little something at 10am, but my insides tell me otherwise. I guess I am trained to eat in the middle of the morning - something I blame on my childhood, naturally, when our family ate every two hours to accommodate the needs of my diabetic brother - and so it's a hard habit to shake. I also eat when I'm bored and sometimes I simply defiantly eat because I know I shouldn't. Maybe I should see a shrink. You'll note that I never get tempted to snack on fruit or veggies. I have a bad relationship with them.
Another positive note: I attended my Scottish Dance class for the first time this year. I did the sign-ins (I'm the class manager) in the first week, but didn't dance; then wasn't able to go last week. This week I stuck with the beginners' class, not because I am a beginner (after six years, I am most definitely not!) but because in these early weeks of the year the class involves a lot more walking than dancing, as the newbies learn the formations. That worked out fine until we did the social dance at the end with the experienced class - Kendall's Hornpipe - and I almost died at the end...cough...cough...cough. Some of my classmates were quite alarmed. "Don't...worry..." I gasped, as I waved them away.
What's for dinner? Oh yes, lovely calorific quiche.
On the positive side, Ruby is taking me for a walk two or three times each day. We usually go out for about 45 minutes, which is her maximum. I have been taking her to walk at the local nature reserve parks, Arasteradero or the Bay Lands, but we're currently keeping away from those while Ruby recovers from a wound in her behind caused by a nasty grass seed called a foxtail. So our daily regime of walking is around the streets, to the local neighborhood park, and back again. Ruby is now at her target weight, 20 lbs, so our goal is not to let her get any fatter. Do you think that feeding her bits of my chocolate croissant (not the chocolate part, which is bad for dogs) will have a negative impact on that goal?
I think that feeding myself chocolate croissants may be having a negative impact on my goal... I do try to tell myself that I don't need a little something at 10am, but my insides tell me otherwise. I guess I am trained to eat in the middle of the morning - something I blame on my childhood, naturally, when our family ate every two hours to accommodate the needs of my diabetic brother - and so it's a hard habit to shake. I also eat when I'm bored and sometimes I simply defiantly eat because I know I shouldn't. Maybe I should see a shrink. You'll note that I never get tempted to snack on fruit or veggies. I have a bad relationship with them.
Another positive note: I attended my Scottish Dance class for the first time this year. I did the sign-ins (I'm the class manager) in the first week, but didn't dance; then wasn't able to go last week. This week I stuck with the beginners' class, not because I am a beginner (after six years, I am most definitely not!) but because in these early weeks of the year the class involves a lot more walking than dancing, as the newbies learn the formations. That worked out fine until we did the social dance at the end with the experienced class - Kendall's Hornpipe - and I almost died at the end...cough...cough...cough. Some of my classmates were quite alarmed. "Don't...worry..." I gasped, as I waved them away.
What's for dinner? Oh yes, lovely calorific quiche.
Where are you Dr Mom?
I'm still here waiting for moral support.
Today at the pool was less painful than on Monday - 26 lengths in 30 minutes. All is not lost.
Thing I am most pleased with today: After 23 years I have found a replacement for the Green Cardigan, which I now ceremoniously declare to be a cat bed. The new one (from an online merchant called Asos, who have a fat people department called 'Curves') is broadly similar to the green one, except it is navy blue. And it has a bit of cable pattern on it. And brown 'football' buttons. (Notsosmall looked at them and asked why I had swastikas on my buttons. Now it is hard to see them as anything else, but they really aren't.) More to the point, it is long and very cosy which, as summer is now officially over but putting the heating on season has not yet arrived, is a Good Thing.
I realise this hasn't got much to do with the quest to lose pounds. But I've been looking for a replacement for years. My mother would have thrown it out in about 1993 if I hadn't kept a careful eye on her.
Also on the plus side: the Asos trousers I purchased in a size 26 (which according to their size guide should have been a snug fit) were much too big. The down side is I shall have to return them, and I STILL don't have any warm trousers that fit - the three pairs I have worn for the last four winters have all worn through to nothingness, with holes in the knees. I really can't get away with 'trendy' holes in clothes. So I'm still in the linen ones I've worn for the last two summers (which are also wearing out) and which are jolly chilly. The long cardigan is going to have to keep my bottom warm as well!
Today at the pool was less painful than on Monday - 26 lengths in 30 minutes. All is not lost.
Thing I am most pleased with today: After 23 years I have found a replacement for the Green Cardigan, which I now ceremoniously declare to be a cat bed. The new one (from an online merchant called Asos, who have a fat people department called 'Curves') is broadly similar to the green one, except it is navy blue. And it has a bit of cable pattern on it. And brown 'football' buttons. (Notsosmall looked at them and asked why I had swastikas on my buttons. Now it is hard to see them as anything else, but they really aren't.) More to the point, it is long and very cosy which, as summer is now officially over but putting the heating on season has not yet arrived, is a Good Thing.
I realise this hasn't got much to do with the quest to lose pounds. But I've been looking for a replacement for years. My mother would have thrown it out in about 1993 if I hadn't kept a careful eye on her.
Also on the plus side: the Asos trousers I purchased in a size 26 (which according to their size guide should have been a snug fit) were much too big. The down side is I shall have to return them, and I STILL don't have any warm trousers that fit - the three pairs I have worn for the last four winters have all worn through to nothingness, with holes in the knees. I really can't get away with 'trendy' holes in clothes. So I'm still in the linen ones I've worn for the last two summers (which are also wearing out) and which are jolly chilly. The long cardigan is going to have to keep my bottom warm as well!
Monday, September 20, 2010
And she's back...
...a little later than originally planned, owing to tedious skin condition which prevented the resumption of dolphin-like activity.
So, the score on the door is 17.10. Oddly enough, that is, I think, exactly the same as it was in January. On the plus side, at least it is not more than it was in January, which, after the large quantities of chocolate and cheese and crisps that sustained me through the endless summer vacation, is quite surprising. And the discovery of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Brownie ice cream, which is possibly the most exciting thing to have been in my mouth this decade.
The return to the pond was painful. It took me nearly 40 minutes to swim 18 lengths and all my muscles hurt all day and I had to eat some cake to make it feel better.
In the absence of a cute dog, it will have to do!
(I tried to post last week and wrote witty words about sushi, but the technology ate it.)
So, the score on the door is 17.10. Oddly enough, that is, I think, exactly the same as it was in January. On the plus side, at least it is not more than it was in January, which, after the large quantities of chocolate and cheese and crisps that sustained me through the endless summer vacation, is quite surprising. And the discovery of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Brownie ice cream, which is possibly the most exciting thing to have been in my mouth this decade.
The return to the pond was painful. It took me nearly 40 minutes to swim 18 lengths and all my muscles hurt all day and I had to eat some cake to make it feel better.
In the absence of a cute dog, it will have to do!
(I tried to post last week and wrote witty words about sushi, but the technology ate it.)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Walking the Dog
Those of you who read American newspapers might be aware that there is a whooping cough epidemic in California. According to the Bay Area Daily News, as of August 31, the state had reported 3,600 cases of whooping cough, the most since 1958 and a sevenfold increase over last year.
My girls and I have been part of the whooping cough epidemic. Deep Thought is in week seven, I am in week 5 and Little Starlet is in week 4. It's lovely - not.
Anyway, without going into the gory details, the result from my perspective is that I am rather breathless all the time. My doctor has prescribed an asthma inhaler, which doesn't do much though helps a little at night time. This has somewhat limited my ability to do exercise. For example, our Scottish Dance class started last night but I didn't even attempt to join in.
Ruby and I go for a walk two or three times a day. She is as pooped out by our walks as I am. Quite often she will flop down into a bit of shade while we are walking along, as if to say "That's it, I'm done, carry me home." We mostly walk for 20-40 minutes, though this morning we spent 50 minutes walking at the Palo Alto Baylands, finishing before 10am when it starts to get hot.
The thing that is really starting to annoy me is the unleashed dogs everywhere. At Hoover Park, behind Little Starlet's school, there is a bunch of dog owners every morning who have their dogs off the leash. At Pardee Park, our local destination park, there is usually at least one dog off the leash every time we go. Today there were two dogs off the leash on our street. The issue is that Ruby doesn't much care for dogs. She doesn't like being bounced or crowded, and she objects to being sniffed. So she tends to growl when other dogs get too close. This isn't a problem when the other dogs are on the leash too, but can be tricky if they aren't. We've not had any significant issues yet, but I suspect it may be a matter of time. For now I'm using the command "leave it" to try to discourage her from growling (and also from chasing squirrels).
I weighed Ruby on the scales today and it said she was 18.4 lbs. I'm not telling you how heavy I am.
My girls and I have been part of the whooping cough epidemic. Deep Thought is in week seven, I am in week 5 and Little Starlet is in week 4. It's lovely - not.
Anyway, without going into the gory details, the result from my perspective is that I am rather breathless all the time. My doctor has prescribed an asthma inhaler, which doesn't do much though helps a little at night time. This has somewhat limited my ability to do exercise. For example, our Scottish Dance class started last night but I didn't even attempt to join in.
Ruby and I go for a walk two or three times a day. She is as pooped out by our walks as I am. Quite often she will flop down into a bit of shade while we are walking along, as if to say "That's it, I'm done, carry me home." We mostly walk for 20-40 minutes, though this morning we spent 50 minutes walking at the Palo Alto Baylands, finishing before 10am when it starts to get hot.
The thing that is really starting to annoy me is the unleashed dogs everywhere. At Hoover Park, behind Little Starlet's school, there is a bunch of dog owners every morning who have their dogs off the leash. At Pardee Park, our local destination park, there is usually at least one dog off the leash every time we go. Today there were two dogs off the leash on our street. The issue is that Ruby doesn't much care for dogs. She doesn't like being bounced or crowded, and she objects to being sniffed. So she tends to growl when other dogs get too close. This isn't a problem when the other dogs are on the leash too, but can be tricky if they aren't. We've not had any significant issues yet, but I suspect it may be a matter of time. For now I'm using the command "leave it" to try to discourage her from growling (and also from chasing squirrels).
I weighed Ruby on the scales today and it said she was 18.4 lbs. I'm not telling you how heavy I am.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
And Doggy Makes Five
Little Starlet returned to school today. Deep Thought started her new school last Thursday. My house has returned to child-free blissfulness. Of course, since last blog entry we have acquired a new dog, so there is really another child to deal with. Dog is called Ruby. She is a rather petite English Cocker Spaniel, currently wearing a very un-spanielly short hair cut, courtesy of Doggy Protective Services (the nonprofit from which we adopted her). See photo to assess general cuteness.
The good thing is that I am now walking Ruby a couple of times a day. She does have quite little legs, and it is rather hot just now in the Bay Area, so our walks are of limited duration - about 45 minutes is the most she can manage, though at a fairly brisk trot. I guess that counts as exercise, though not as much exercise as I was managing pre-dog!
The bad thing is that I feel the need to hang out at home more to keep her company, so I'm nibbling. Mind you, the evenings are the worst and I can hardly blame that on Ruby. Last night it was some chocolate, a yoghurt and a few crisps.
The good thing is that her presence is preventing me taking in quite so many coffee shops - I'm not quite ready yet to tie her up outside while I go in to make my order, though there are many coffee shops with patio areas so, when I have overcome said reticence, I am sure that we shall be contributing to the local eatery economy in the usual way.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
And She's Back
...although a day which began with half a bag of Tyrell's Sweet Chilli and Red Pepper crisps and a lemon sultana Danish pastry is hardly auspicious.
But I said I'd be here, and I am. In one week and one day's time I will resume correct habits of exercise and will restart the campaign. But until Notsosmall returns to school I'm onto a loser.
Possibly having Mireille Johnston's French Cookery Course in the bathroom is not a good idea. Or maybe it is. She is much more plausible than Julia Child for actual cooking; I am starting to think that maybe if I do proper cooking again then I will eat less - not least because after spending hours faffing about in the kitchen, the last thing I want to do is eat!
But I said I'd be here, and I am. In one week and one day's time I will resume correct habits of exercise and will restart the campaign. But until Notsosmall returns to school I'm onto a loser.
Possibly having Mireille Johnston's French Cookery Course in the bathroom is not a good idea. Or maybe it is. She is much more plausible than Julia Child for actual cooking; I am starting to think that maybe if I do proper cooking again then I will eat less - not least because after spending hours faffing about in the kitchen, the last thing I want to do is eat!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Drink Water, Lose Weight
Interesting short article in this week's edition of The Economist. According to research by Brenda Davy of Virginia Tech, a randomised study showed that people who drank a liter of water before a meal lost far more weight, and kept the weight off over the following 12 months, in comparison with people who did not (in conjunction with a calorie controlled diet). The water drinking group lost 7kg (over 15 lbs) in three months compared to 5kg in the dry group.
I thought that it was received wisdom that drinking water helped people lose weight, but it seems that this is the first study to try to prove it. Well, good news. Water is accessible, cheap, and easy to use. Maybe we should try it, OEM.
To read the whole article, visit The Economist website at http://www.economist.com/node/16881791.
I thought that it was received wisdom that drinking water helped people lose weight, but it seems that this is the first study to try to prove it. Well, good news. Water is accessible, cheap, and easy to use. Maybe we should try it, OEM.
To read the whole article, visit The Economist website at http://www.economist.com/node/16881791.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy Independence Day
Today is the Fourth of July, so of course we had a barbecue. Our new outdoor kitchen is finished. We decided to use today as an excuse to get some people over and try out our new grills. I thought we'd try an ambitious menu, drawn from a new cook book: "Planet Barbecue" by Steven Raichlen.
The menu included:
- Santa Maria Tri-Tip (beef)= Californian recipe
- Ginger, Garlic and Honey Grilled Back Ribs (pork) = Cambodian recipe
- Grilled Tofu with Chile Peanut Sauce = Malaysian recipe
- Grilled Bananas = Colombian recipe
- Caramelized Grilled Pineapple = Brazilian recipe
- Rotisserie Onions = Brazilian recipe
And there were various other things, including a summer pudding made by Deep Thought. We were inspired by OEM saying she had made one a couple of days ago. We'd never made one before and were pretty pleased by how it turned out. Like OEM's, ours went onto the plate without falling apart! One of our young friends had also made dessert: decorated cupcakes laid out in the pattern of the US flag (see photo). There were many left over at the end of the meal, and I cruelly made her mother take them all home. Good for me!
The grilling was reasonably successful. The best dish of those listed above was the ribs. Hubby burned them a bit, but it didn't seem to matter too much. The beef was a bit tough, though not sure why. The tofu was fine, but was an incredible faff to make, with an ingredient list as long as your arm that would have been longer if I'd bothered to buy every item called for. I think Hubby learned that both grills get hotter than he expected - and certainly hotter than our old kettle grill, which was consigned to the recycling center yesterday - and so everything is even more inclined to burn than before.
We'll be grilling for 26 people next weekend, and I'm sure there will be even more men around willing to offer their expert advice. It really is a guy thing.
Friday, July 2, 2010
I guess this isn't the path to weight loss
Um, a chocolate croissant, piece of gingerbread (home made by a friend) and a slice of hazlenut mousse probably doesn't qualify as the path to weight loss - but it is still a diet!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Domestic Goddess Redux
Well, not to be outdone by OEM, I've cooked from scratch twice myself this week.
On Tuesday our dinner was Chilean sea bass with red pepper sauce (two red peppers roasted in the oven, skinned and pureed, then add sweetcorn, two chopped spring onions, a bit of chicken stock, and seasoning; pour over sauteed fish) on pasta; and on Wednesday, dinner was Alaskan salmon with mango and ginger sauce (flesh of two mangoes, chopped and pureed with a bit of fresh grated ginger, splash of soy sauce, spot of water to thin), served with basmati rice and decorated with mango slices.
An unusual amount of cooking with multiple ingredients in one week!
Why is it so important to know which country the fish comes from? And does fish even come from a country?
On Tuesday our dinner was Chilean sea bass with red pepper sauce (two red peppers roasted in the oven, skinned and pureed, then add sweetcorn, two chopped spring onions, a bit of chicken stock, and seasoning; pour over sauteed fish) on pasta; and on Wednesday, dinner was Alaskan salmon with mango and ginger sauce (flesh of two mangoes, chopped and pureed with a bit of fresh grated ginger, splash of soy sauce, spot of water to thin), served with basmati rice and decorated with mango slices.
An unusual amount of cooking with multiple ingredients in one week!
Why is it so important to know which country the fish comes from? And does fish even come from a country?
Domestic Goddess
I've decided not to keep blogging about how badly I'm doing. Instead, let me tell you about dinner last night, which was a triumph of home produce (and surprisingly for this house included both a main course and a dessert - I felt almost like a proper 1950s housewife!).
I've been growing courgettes in a large tub by the back door; we went to Devon at the weekend to see Mum who has been ill and acquire their enormous 4x4 (that's another story), and came home to find one courgette had turned into a marrow. So I stuffed it with some mince that I had made previously and put in the freezer and poured over a pot of Waitrose Four Cheese Sauce, and baked it in the oven. It was delicious.
Then I brought out the summer pudding, made with the excess of strawberries and raspberries that this unusually sunny summer has brought on in the garden. I've never made one before, and it was surprisingly triumphant. Also easy - line pudding basin with slices of bread, bring fruit up to boil with some sugar, pour into bread lining, cut another piece of bread to make a lid, stick a saucer on the top and leave it in the fridge overnight. It even turned out without collapsing into a purple mess.
I can recommend these things. Oh, and I swam 30 lengths of the pool this morning - a personal best!
Happy summer.
I've been growing courgettes in a large tub by the back door; we went to Devon at the weekend to see Mum who has been ill and acquire their enormous 4x4 (that's another story), and came home to find one courgette had turned into a marrow. So I stuffed it with some mince that I had made previously and put in the freezer and poured over a pot of Waitrose Four Cheese Sauce, and baked it in the oven. It was delicious.
Then I brought out the summer pudding, made with the excess of strawberries and raspberries that this unusually sunny summer has brought on in the garden. I've never made one before, and it was surprisingly triumphant. Also easy - line pudding basin with slices of bread, bring fruit up to boil with some sugar, pour into bread lining, cut another piece of bread to make a lid, stick a saucer on the top and leave it in the fridge overnight. It even turned out without collapsing into a purple mess.
I can recommend these things. Oh, and I swam 30 lengths of the pool this morning - a personal best!
Happy summer.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Dr Mom Weigh In
Much to the surprise of the gathered masses, I have lost a pound this week. I weighed in this morning at 153.4 lbs.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Groaning Waistbands
Oh my goodness, the fondue meal. Talk about excess.
We started with the ridiculously large and unnecessary salad that comes as part of the meal. Hubby warned our guests not to try to eat it, most of it, or even any of it, but they didn't listen. Then came the cheese part. Yummy. Bacon/Cheddar/Buttermilk and beer mixture, with bread and veggies. Delicious.
Then came the meat part. Two Fondue Feast Combinations, comprising scallops, prawns, tuna, boar, duck, beef, other fish, ostrich, and other things I've no doubt forgotten about, all grilled (or as Brother John pedantically pointed out, fried) on the hotplate in front of us.
And then the piece de resistance, the chocolate fondue dessert. After much discussion, I took charge and ordered the Triple X, which is milk chocolate and fudge; eaten with fruit and bad for you bits like profiteroles.
We also downed a bottle of wine.
This morning I rose from my bed with a strong sensation that my body had not succeeded in digesting anything at all during the night. I think we were all suffering a bit. Little Starlet said it served us right for not taking her with us. However, I should point out that she and her babysitter made a chocolate fondue in our own kitchen, which they ate with strawberries and apple slices, so she isn't having too deprived an existence.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Exercise Resurgence
I can't say that I've been terribly virtuous on the food front - the three croissant for breakfast on Sunday, the Vietnamese dinner also on Sunday, and the fondue meal that is on the agenda for this evening, rather negate any feeble attempts to lessen the calorific intake by eating lettuce.
But I have been relatively, and surprisingly, virtuous on the exercise front. We have visitors at the moment - Hubby's aunt and brother - so you'd think that we'd not be exercising at all, but far from it. On Friday, we went for a walk at Sanborne Park in Saratoga (much complaining from the children), which was definitely uphill. Yesterday we were in Muir Woods, north of San Francisco. Unusually for us, we didn't stick with the flat, ashphalted path around the forest floor, but struck out up the Ocean View Trail, across the Lost Trail, and down the Fern Trail, a walk of about three miles and two hours. Then this morning we spent an hour walking at Arasteradero Preserve in Palo Alto.
The guests are looking a bit shell shocked, but we are all congratulating ourselves on how healthy we are.
But I have been relatively, and surprisingly, virtuous on the exercise front. We have visitors at the moment - Hubby's aunt and brother - so you'd think that we'd not be exercising at all, but far from it. On Friday, we went for a walk at Sanborne Park in Saratoga (much complaining from the children), which was definitely uphill. Yesterday we were in Muir Woods, north of San Francisco. Unusually for us, we didn't stick with the flat, ashphalted path around the forest floor, but struck out up the Ocean View Trail, across the Lost Trail, and down the Fern Trail, a walk of about three miles and two hours. Then this morning we spent an hour walking at Arasteradero Preserve in Palo Alto.
The guests are looking a bit shell shocked, but we are all congratulating ourselves on how healthy we are.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
New and Smaller Trousers
I have been shopping for a suit. Usually this is a source of anguish, dismay and general fedupness. Today, however, I discovered that Windsmoor go to a 24 in John Lewis. I assumed it would not fit (in most shops I am a 26/28) but tried on the jacket more in hope than expectation.
Gasps. It fits! Seek out the trousers. Take them to changing room. Behold! The 24s are TOO BIG. Finds the 22s. Goldilocks-like, they are Just Right (except too long, but John Lewis, blessed be its name, has an alterations service).
Even better, this was in a sale, so for £149 I now have an actual navy blue suit of suitably legal dullness.
The point being, though the pounds have not notably diminished (unsurprising given the chocolate marathon of the last few months), the inches seem to be fewer. It must be the swimming.
I shall return with mermaid-like vigour to the pond tomorrow.
Gasps. It fits! Seek out the trousers. Take them to changing room. Behold! The 24s are TOO BIG. Finds the 22s. Goldilocks-like, they are Just Right (except too long, but John Lewis, blessed be its name, has an alterations service).
Even better, this was in a sale, so for £149 I now have an actual navy blue suit of suitably legal dullness.
The point being, though the pounds have not notably diminished (unsurprising given the chocolate marathon of the last few months), the inches seem to be fewer. It must be the swimming.
I shall return with mermaid-like vigour to the pond tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Driving License Depression
I noticed on my drivers' license today that I was allegedly 126 lbs when I arrived in the USA in April 2001. You see, it isn't my fault, it's the American diet that's done it!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Back Again
Sorry about that Dr Mom. If it is any consolation, I am back where I was at the beginning of January, so you're still ahead on points...
I have been going swimming twice a week pretty consistently however; I can now do 26 lengths in half an hour, which is ten more than I managed the first time I went. I am aiming for 30.
Exams will be over on June 7th. After that I will be with you in person as well as in spirit.
I have been going swimming twice a week pretty consistently however; I can now do 26 lengths in half an hour, which is ten more than I managed the first time I went. I am aiming for 30.
Exams will be over on June 7th. After that I will be with you in person as well as in spirit.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Back to Square One
OEM stopped interacting with the blog because of exams, illness etc, and so I felt lonely. I lost interest. I also stopped "being good" and I've done a lot less exercise recently because I've been so busy.
Anyway. I weighed myself this morning, which is about a month since the last weigh in, and I am now 156 lbs again. I put on five pounds in May. I am back where I was in March.
Anyway. I weighed myself this morning, which is about a month since the last weigh in, and I am now 156 lbs again. I put on five pounds in May. I am back where I was in March.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Weigh in - Dr Mom
I forgot to mention that I weighed in on Thursday at 152.2 lbs, which is some regain from the dehydrated state of the previous week, but still a loss on the week before.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Impossibility of Restraint
I forgot to weigh myself this morning, so that'll have to be tomorrow. I didn't have any morning snackerel, but that resulted in a state of ravenous hunger by lunchtime. I was compelled to have french fries with my turkey and avocado panini sandwich at Epi (lunch out on a Wednesday being compulsory by virtue of my house cleaning team taking over every room in the house simultaneously).
Rainy, gloomy day today. I am so looking forward to watching Deep Thought play a soccer match in the rain this afternoon.
Rainy, gloomy day today. I am so looking forward to watching Deep Thought play a soccer match in the rain this afternoon.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Putting the Water Pounds back on
I think I've regained a couple of pounds over the past week. I must have been spectacularly dehydrated after my food poisoning. The week started well with small meals and a general reluctance to eat too much. That seems to have gone now, though!
Yesterday, ate eggs benedict at the diner for breakfast, but then didn't eat lunch till 3pm, which was a cheese quesadilla (surprisingly calorific for something so small, but it is comfortingly cheesy and tasty). Dinner was rice with The Dish Formerly Known as Chilli. Evening snack = nuts and dried fruit.
The one difference I am finding is that I currently can't drink coffee. I've been to the coffee shop a few times in the week, but I've been drinking chamomile tea instead (yes, $3 for a cup of hot water and a tea bag). The coffee just doesn't taste good to me. On Monday I actually threw away most of a latte from Peet's. It was undrinkable, even with sugar. I wonder if this means that Deep Thought is right - and she claims to be right always - and that it was the coffee at Disneyland that gave me food poisoning rather than the clam chowder.
Yesterday, ate eggs benedict at the diner for breakfast, but then didn't eat lunch till 3pm, which was a cheese quesadilla (surprisingly calorific for something so small, but it is comfortingly cheesy and tasty). Dinner was rice with The Dish Formerly Known as Chilli. Evening snack = nuts and dried fruit.
The one difference I am finding is that I currently can't drink coffee. I've been to the coffee shop a few times in the week, but I've been drinking chamomile tea instead (yes, $3 for a cup of hot water and a tea bag). The coffee just doesn't taste good to me. On Monday I actually threw away most of a latte from Peet's. It was undrinkable, even with sugar. I wonder if this means that Deep Thought is right - and she claims to be right always - and that it was the coffee at Disneyland that gave me food poisoning rather than the clam chowder.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Food Poisoning: An Effective Weight Loss Strategy
On Wednesday, the family and I headed off to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, for a few days during Spring Break. We flew down to LA without incident - ate a rather nice bangers and mash lunch at the fake British pub in the airport - and booked into the Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel. Wow. What a place. Not too many mouse ears, but the whole Californian Arts and Crafts look gone into overdrive. Actually pretty impressive with an enormous lobby/seating area next to the check in desks.
We spent Wednesday afternoon/evening in the Disneyland Park (following Day 2 of the two day touring plan taken from The Unauthorized Guide to Disneyland). I particularly like "It's a Small World", a gentle ride designed to bust blood vessels in the head with sensory overload. We went back to the hotel, watched the fireworks from the balcony, and went to bed (all four of us in one room, which was the only downside).
Thursday we went back into Disneyland at 8:30am (Magic Morning for multi-day pass holders) and were able to get round most of the headliner rides before 10am. The Haunted Mansion has very good effects, and The Pirates of the Caribbean ride seemed longer than at Disneyworld. Just after noon, we headed out into Downtown Disney for pizza, then back to the hotel for a few hours by the pool. About 4pm we went back into the park for round three of rides...and the big mistake.
We ate dinner at The French Market in New Orleans Land. Deep Thought and I both had clam chowder in a sour dough roll and grapes. Little Starlet and Hubby had roast beef and veggies.
All seemed well until 1:00am, when I woke up with the most appalling food poisoning. I won't go into the gory details, but suffice it to say that by 5:00am I was as empty has a person could be, had taken two showers and was in a pretty feeble condition.
On Friday, Hubby took the kids out to Disneyland's Californian Adventure - which you can enter through the hotel to avoid the gate queues - while I lay limply in bed. He provided me with a couple of bottle of Coca Cola, some ice, and some Imodium and left me to it. I pretty much didn't get out of bed all day. The vomiting had more or less stopped by Friday evening, and I managed to sleep okay on Friday night.
The journey home on Saturday was uneventful, except for the plane being faulty at LAX so that we were delayed an hour. A lot of deep breathing and additional doses of Imodium got me through it. I was a bit concerned that the bus - plane - bus - car experience might be too much, but I survived. (I did fall rather pathetically onto the sofa when we got home and had to be revived by multiple cups of tea.)
This morning I am feeling fine and may be willing to tackle some soup or something. I must be very dehydrated still. My current weight is 149.6 lbs.
We spent Wednesday afternoon/evening in the Disneyland Park (following Day 2 of the two day touring plan taken from The Unauthorized Guide to Disneyland). I particularly like "It's a Small World", a gentle ride designed to bust blood vessels in the head with sensory overload. We went back to the hotel, watched the fireworks from the balcony, and went to bed (all four of us in one room, which was the only downside).
Thursday we went back into Disneyland at 8:30am (Magic Morning for multi-day pass holders) and were able to get round most of the headliner rides before 10am. The Haunted Mansion has very good effects, and The Pirates of the Caribbean ride seemed longer than at Disneyworld. Just after noon, we headed out into Downtown Disney for pizza, then back to the hotel for a few hours by the pool. About 4pm we went back into the park for round three of rides...and the big mistake.
We ate dinner at The French Market in New Orleans Land. Deep Thought and I both had clam chowder in a sour dough roll and grapes. Little Starlet and Hubby had roast beef and veggies.
All seemed well until 1:00am, when I woke up with the most appalling food poisoning. I won't go into the gory details, but suffice it to say that by 5:00am I was as empty has a person could be, had taken two showers and was in a pretty feeble condition.
On Friday, Hubby took the kids out to Disneyland's Californian Adventure - which you can enter through the hotel to avoid the gate queues - while I lay limply in bed. He provided me with a couple of bottle of Coca Cola, some ice, and some Imodium and left me to it. I pretty much didn't get out of bed all day. The vomiting had more or less stopped by Friday evening, and I managed to sleep okay on Friday night.
The journey home on Saturday was uneventful, except for the plane being faulty at LAX so that we were delayed an hour. A lot of deep breathing and additional doses of Imodium got me through it. I was a bit concerned that the bus - plane - bus - car experience might be too much, but I survived. (I did fall rather pathetically onto the sofa when we got home and had to be revived by multiple cups of tea.)
This morning I am feeling fine and may be willing to tackle some soup or something. I must be very dehydrated still. My current weight is 149.6 lbs.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Snacking: The Final Frontier
The internet connection at home is pretty funky at the moment, which is one reason why the blog posting has been somewhat limited. Anyway.
Wednesday weigh in for Dr Mom was 153.8 lbs, which was the same as the week before. Given how much I'd eaten at Hidden Villa, that was amazing.
Participated in dance class as usual on Wednesday and ended up with a sore toe again. Too much pas de basque, I fear. But I went for a walk this morning at Rancho San Antonio with chums, and it isn't too sore. That was the first walk I've had time to do for ages. I'm doing so much volunteering for different nonprofits, I can hardly fit my own activities in. It's good for the soul to be useful and contributing to the community, but I shall be glad when the summer comes and I can give up everything for a while (except for my work with Breakthrough Silicon Valley - I'm helping to organize a summer program on girls in science). Hopefully I shall be fighting fit for next week's Disneyland adventure!
I'm having great difficulty not snacking all the time at the moment. One of the problems is that there is a great deal of yummy food in the cupboard, including far too much sweet stuff. Deep Thought is also having trouble resisting, which is bad given that she is diabetic. I'm starting to think about having a month when we don't have any sweet food in the house except for fruit. I keep threatening to make us all vegetarian for a month, but I think there might be a riot from Little Starlet if she is deprived of her meat.
Wednesday weigh in for Dr Mom was 153.8 lbs, which was the same as the week before. Given how much I'd eaten at Hidden Villa, that was amazing.
Participated in dance class as usual on Wednesday and ended up with a sore toe again. Too much pas de basque, I fear. But I went for a walk this morning at Rancho San Antonio with chums, and it isn't too sore. That was the first walk I've had time to do for ages. I'm doing so much volunteering for different nonprofits, I can hardly fit my own activities in. It's good for the soul to be useful and contributing to the community, but I shall be glad when the summer comes and I can give up everything for a while (except for my work with Breakthrough Silicon Valley - I'm helping to organize a summer program on girls in science). Hopefully I shall be fighting fit for next week's Disneyland adventure!
I'm having great difficulty not snacking all the time at the moment. One of the problems is that there is a great deal of yummy food in the cupboard, including far too much sweet stuff. Deep Thought is also having trouble resisting, which is bad given that she is diabetic. I'm starting to think about having a month when we don't have any sweet food in the house except for fruit. I keep threatening to make us all vegetarian for a month, but I think there might be a riot from Little Starlet if she is deprived of her meat.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Food Review: Sea's Gift (Korean Nori)
I picked up a 20g pack of "Sea's Gift: Sweet Seaweed Snack" from Whole Foods. This is, in fact, Korean Kim or Nori, and unlike the seaweed that is served in British Chinese restaurants it is truly seaweed. (The Chinese restaurant stuff is generally cabbage that has been chopped finely, dried out, and sweetened.) One 20g pack equals three servings of 25 calories each. I also got it to try because it contains no carbohydrates, so I wondered if it might be a suitable snack for Deep Thought, who has diabetes.
Well, the taste test results are:
- crunchy, yes
- sweet, yes
- fishy taste, extremely
- fishy smell, yes
- fishy aftertaste, you got it
- attractiveness to the under 12s, total failure
- likelihood of buying again, not very.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Death By Eating Redux
We spent the weekend at Hidden Villa, a youth hostel about half an hour away from us. It's the oldest youth hostel in the USA, and easily contains the 21 of us in our party (10 adults, 11 kids). It rained on Friday, was dry and windy on Saturday, and has absolutely bucketed down today. On Saturday we managed to do a walk over the hill, then toured the farmyard to look at the chickens and pigs. Friday was board games; Sunday was Easter activities for the kids. ("Why do we have to do so many stupid craft projects?" asks my grateful younger daughter.)
That gives you the basic shape of the weekend.
The main story of the weekend is the amount of food we brought and ate (and, to some extent, brought home again). Friday was baked potatoes with chilli and cheese, followed by fruit; then evening crisps and Roses. Saturday was cereal breakfast followed by bagel lunch - so far so good - but then we had roast chicken, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, brussel sprouts, peas and gravy for dinner (with seconds), followed after the kids were abed by mango upside-down cake and ice cream, with a chaser of cheese and biscuits. I may have managed to eat some chocolate and rich tea biscuits in among that too. We collectively waddled to bed at midnight. This morning began with everything bagel and cream cheese; then lunch was bacon, sausage, fried egg, mushrooms, and half a hot cross bun with butter.
We haven't had a great couple of nights sleep - the beds at Hidden Villa are really titchy and, of course, sharing with the kids feels strange. So we're all rather tired. I had a bit of a nap on the sofa this afternoon... We attempted to go out for a pizza for dinner, but everywhere was shut. We ended up at Il Fornaio, which is a fancier Italian restaurant. In a moment of restraint I had cannelloni con pollo, resisting all the heavier pizza type foods, though the fact it came in cream sauce probably negates all the good intentions.
That gives you the basic shape of the weekend.
The main story of the weekend is the amount of food we brought and ate (and, to some extent, brought home again). Friday was baked potatoes with chilli and cheese, followed by fruit; then evening crisps and Roses. Saturday was cereal breakfast followed by bagel lunch - so far so good - but then we had roast chicken, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, brussel sprouts, peas and gravy for dinner (with seconds), followed after the kids were abed by mango upside-down cake and ice cream, with a chaser of cheese and biscuits. I may have managed to eat some chocolate and rich tea biscuits in among that too. We collectively waddled to bed at midnight. This morning began with everything bagel and cream cheese; then lunch was bacon, sausage, fried egg, mushrooms, and half a hot cross bun with butter.
We haven't had a great couple of nights sleep - the beds at Hidden Villa are really titchy and, of course, sharing with the kids feels strange. So we're all rather tired. I had a bit of a nap on the sofa this afternoon... We attempted to go out for a pizza for dinner, but everywhere was shut. We ended up at Il Fornaio, which is a fancier Italian restaurant. In a moment of restraint I had cannelloni con pollo, resisting all the heavier pizza type foods, though the fact it came in cream sauce probably negates all the good intentions.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Fish tendencies
44 lengths so far this week. Unfortunately, tonight is curry night. But my pounds will be healthier pounds...
Yesterday was a bad day and involved a bag of sweets.
On Friday we go to Devon, where there is no control over food at all, but on the plus side (weather permitting, and it is snowing again) there are many tors to climb and exercising opportunities of the fresh air variety.
I think I need a pep talk!
Yesterday was a bad day and involved a bag of sweets.
On Friday we go to Devon, where there is no control over food at all, but on the plus side (weather permitting, and it is snowing again) there are many tors to climb and exercising opportunities of the fresh air variety.
I think I need a pep talk!
Wednesday Weigh in - Dr Mom
Down another half a pound to 153 lbs. If I keep on at half a pound a week, I might manage to lose my 20 pounds this year! Mind you, if I ate less and exercised more, that might help too.
Today it is raining.
Today it is raining.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Death By Eating
Sunday was a ridiculous eating day.
First of all the kids begged us to take them to the diner for breakfast (see last post), which we didn't finish till about 10am.
Then we were heading up to San Francisco to see a ballet at 2:00pm, so we had to eat an early lunch. At 11:30am we were forcing ourselves to eat sandwiches.
We ordered drinks and snack for the ballet intermission - experience tells us that we need something with caffeine in it to revive us at half time - and the only small thing on offer was a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries. Hubby declared that he felt queasy afterwards.
Then at the end of the ballet, which was only 4:30pm, we headed to Max's Opera Cafe on Van Ness, as we had promised the kids we could eat dinner there. Pointing out the early hour, I suggested that we drive back home and go out to eat downtown, but Deep Thought revealed an urgent need for the loo - which she had failed to mention while we were in the theatre - and so Max's it had to be. I think the kids mostly like this restaurant for its desserts, but on this occasion they were forbidden to have any. We ordered our entrees which, when they arrived ten minutes later, proved to be as enormous as any we've ever seen. I had the crab cakes with fries and coleslaw. I didn't eat any coleslaw - too much onion - and only one of the three crab cakes. Deep Thought had half my fries. She had ordered a BBQ pork wrap, which provokes images of a healthful sandwich substitute full of salad, yes? How wrong can you be? She ate about a third of it, and an untouched half came home. Little Starlet, who is currently in a meat and two veg stage, ordered the beef brisket with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. There was enough mash for at least four people. She bravely made an igloo in the middle of it, then most of that came home too.
What is it with restaurants? Why do they insist on giving such big portions? I imagine it is so people think they are getting value for money, but all that happens is that you bring the excess food home, keep it in the fridge for a couple of days and then throw it away, complete with the extra refuse created by the "to go" plastic boxes. Really quite ridiculous.
Incidentally, the ballet was "The Little Mermaid" which was the first modern ballet that we'd taken the kids to. They didn't like it much, especially because the music was discordant; but Hubby and I enjoyed it more than the traditional fru-fru ballets like "Swan Lake". We actually found it emotionally affecting, which is definitely a first for us with ballet.
First of all the kids begged us to take them to the diner for breakfast (see last post), which we didn't finish till about 10am.
Then we were heading up to San Francisco to see a ballet at 2:00pm, so we had to eat an early lunch. At 11:30am we were forcing ourselves to eat sandwiches.
We ordered drinks and snack for the ballet intermission - experience tells us that we need something with caffeine in it to revive us at half time - and the only small thing on offer was a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries. Hubby declared that he felt queasy afterwards.
Then at the end of the ballet, which was only 4:30pm, we headed to Max's Opera Cafe on Van Ness, as we had promised the kids we could eat dinner there. Pointing out the early hour, I suggested that we drive back home and go out to eat downtown, but Deep Thought revealed an urgent need for the loo - which she had failed to mention while we were in the theatre - and so Max's it had to be. I think the kids mostly like this restaurant for its desserts, but on this occasion they were forbidden to have any. We ordered our entrees which, when they arrived ten minutes later, proved to be as enormous as any we've ever seen. I had the crab cakes with fries and coleslaw. I didn't eat any coleslaw - too much onion - and only one of the three crab cakes. Deep Thought had half my fries. She had ordered a BBQ pork wrap, which provokes images of a healthful sandwich substitute full of salad, yes? How wrong can you be? She ate about a third of it, and an untouched half came home. Little Starlet, who is currently in a meat and two veg stage, ordered the beef brisket with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. There was enough mash for at least four people. She bravely made an igloo in the middle of it, then most of that came home too.
What is it with restaurants? Why do they insist on giving such big portions? I imagine it is so people think they are getting value for money, but all that happens is that you bring the excess food home, keep it in the fridge for a couple of days and then throw it away, complete with the extra refuse created by the "to go" plastic boxes. Really quite ridiculous.
Incidentally, the ballet was "The Little Mermaid" which was the first modern ballet that we'd taken the kids to. They didn't like it much, especially because the music was discordant; but Hubby and I enjoyed it more than the traditional fru-fru ballets like "Swan Lake". We actually found it emotionally affecting, which is definitely a first for us with ballet.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Good and Bad Choices
I am also eating too much, dear OEM. I've fallen back into the trap of evening snacking. Yesterday was brazil nuts and a biscotti. We were watching a very dubious movie on the TV - "Appaloosa" with Jeremy Irons playing a most unconvincing cowboy baddie - so some sustenance was required.
This morning we succumbed to the appeals of our children to go to the diner. I didn't have my usual bacon, poached egg and hash browns meal, but instead had french toast with fruit and a little syrup. I skipped the butter. I'm not so stuffed as I am usually after a trip to the diner, but I can't help suspecting that this morning's meal was less nutritious than the usual one. I guess I did have fruit, and that's unusual for me.
Hubby has a new theory based on something he read somewhere.... That we should avoid processed foods, but that animal fat is not really bad for you after all; which probably means that bacon is bad, eggs are good. But then again, if bacon tastes that good, how can it be bad for you?
This morning we succumbed to the appeals of our children to go to the diner. I didn't have my usual bacon, poached egg and hash browns meal, but instead had french toast with fruit and a little syrup. I skipped the butter. I'm not so stuffed as I am usually after a trip to the diner, but I can't help suspecting that this morning's meal was less nutritious than the usual one. I guess I did have fruit, and that's unusual for me.
Hubby has a new theory based on something he read somewhere.... That we should avoid processed foods, but that animal fat is not really bad for you after all; which probably means that bacon is bad, eggs are good. But then again, if bacon tastes that good, how can it be bad for you?
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Doing Badly
I am eating too much again.
However, I did manage 38 lengths of the swimming pool this week, so that is something (though not much if Dr Howard Whatsit is to be believed).
Happily, last weigh-in had returned to 17.08. Now, how to avoid the Easter chocolate overdose?
However, I did manage 38 lengths of the swimming pool this week, so that is something (though not much if Dr Howard Whatsit is to be believed).
Happily, last weigh-in had returned to 17.08. Now, how to avoid the Easter chocolate overdose?
I can still surprise myself
Specifically by taking the kids to a coffee shop and only eating half the almond croissant. Admittedly, it was the size of a rugby ball, but in days gone by I'd have eaten it all, even though I was feeling full. Today I brought the uneaten half home in a paper bag for Hubby to eat after he got back from his cycle ride. To say he was surprised by this would be an understatement.
Friday, March 26, 2010
You Can't Lose Weight Just by Exercising
I'm not sure this will be earth-shaking news, but according to a study reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday this week, it is virtually impossible to lose weight just by exercising. Restriction of calorie intake is an important part of the overall process.
The study, undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (a government body) and published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, followed 34,079 non-dieting women for 13 years. About 13% of these women started the study with a healthy weight, a BMI under 25, and gained little or no weight over the 13 years. These women reported doing the equivalent of an hour of moderate activity each day. More overweight women in the study rarely reported doing anything near this much, and they also consumed more calories. (Does this sound familiar yet?) One of the conclusions of the study is that the guidelines issued by the US government in 2008 recommending half an hour of exercise five days a week will not stop any weight gain unless combined with calorie restriction. It seems that some people think that the exercise alone is likely to stop weight gain.
Here's a little thought to leave you with: Dr Howard Eisenson of Duke University, quoted by the AP, reminds us that a candy bar is about 200 calories. To burn that off would take an hour of moderate speed walking.
The study, undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (a government body) and published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, followed 34,079 non-dieting women for 13 years. About 13% of these women started the study with a healthy weight, a BMI under 25, and gained little or no weight over the 13 years. These women reported doing the equivalent of an hour of moderate activity each day. More overweight women in the study rarely reported doing anything near this much, and they also consumed more calories. (Does this sound familiar yet?) One of the conclusions of the study is that the guidelines issued by the US government in 2008 recommending half an hour of exercise five days a week will not stop any weight gain unless combined with calorie restriction. It seems that some people think that the exercise alone is likely to stop weight gain.
Here's a little thought to leave you with: Dr Howard Eisenson of Duke University, quoted by the AP, reminds us that a candy bar is about 200 calories. To burn that off would take an hour of moderate speed walking.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Wednesday Weigh In - Dr Mom
Another miracle. This week's weigh in: 153.8 lbs. Can't imagine how I've managed that. I must be stupendously dehydrated.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Now, Where did that Willpower Go?
Hello OEM, yes I am still here, but I think I need a bit of encouragement. I didn't even weigh myself this week. I've gone back to evening snacking. The daily cake is back. I haven't done any exercise for about ten days. I am Mrs Blobby.
On the bright side, my foot is feeling a lot better. The no exercise regime was deliberate as I wanted to give my sore toe, in particular, a chance to recover from the pounding it took at dance class. So perhaps I'll get out tomorrow morning for a walk.
Is vodka low calorie?
On the bright side, my foot is feeling a lot better. The no exercise regime was deliberate as I wanted to give my sore toe, in particular, a chance to recover from the pounding it took at dance class. So perhaps I'll get out tomorrow morning for a walk.
Is vodka low calorie?
Friday, March 19, 2010
Where are you Dr Mom?
Are you still confined to rice and hopping? I hope not...
I have just been visited from the Sister from Over the Waters. It was only overnight and one day but it left me with a strong desire to drink vodka and now I have a headache as well.
But I did do 18 lengths of the swimming pool this morning. Definite muscle-acheage (?) going on now too.
I have just been visited from the Sister from Over the Waters. It was only overnight and one day but it left me with a strong desire to drink vodka and now I have a headache as well.
But I did do 18 lengths of the swimming pool this morning. Definite muscle-acheage (?) going on now too.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Rice diet
My insides continue to be unhappy. This manifests itself by multiple loo visits and general tummy ache. I had rice chex and milk for breakfast. Lunch was two rice cakes with cream cheese. I am trying to limit the amount of fiber I'm eating, and generally up the white rice as the least harmful food stuff in my diet.
Foot still sore, though it seems to be the ball of the foot now rather than the toe. The kids have dance class this afternoon. I shall have to resist joining in.
Foot still sore, though it seems to be the ball of the foot now rather than the toe. The kids have dance class this afternoon. I shall have to resist joining in.
Party Weekend
So this weekend my parents have been married for fifty years. A triumph of the longevity of affection. Naturally we had a party. Naturally, there was lots of food. Despite the fact that I ate very little of it at the event, all virtue was subsumed by the huge piles of leftovers. Heigh Ho.
I should also add that at said event I wore the famous three inch heels. I managed to stay upright for nearly three hours, at which point I couldn't take it any longer and sent for my flats. There is photographic evidence (though none of the pictures David took actually go down as far as my feet...).
Today, in some small penance, I swam sixteen lengths of the swimming pool in 25 minutes. I am getting better at this lark. I don't think it will have much effect on poundage, but might have a beneficial effect on inches.
But then I came home to a fridge full of pasties and quiches and pasta salad. Oh well.
I should also add that at said event I wore the famous three inch heels. I managed to stay upright for nearly three hours, at which point I couldn't take it any longer and sent for my flats. There is photographic evidence (though none of the pictures David took actually go down as far as my feet...).
Today, in some small penance, I swam sixteen lengths of the swimming pool in 25 minutes. I am getting better at this lark. I don't think it will have much effect on poundage, but might have a beneficial effect on inches.
But then I came home to a fridge full of pasties and quiches and pasta salad. Oh well.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sore and Stuffed
Foot continues sore. Hip also sore from compensating for foot.
Took the kids to the annual Children's Ball (Scottish Country Dance) in Livermore on Saturday. No dancing, of course, but a lot of standing to take photos. Foot sore. Buffet at the end. Ate many egg mayonnaise sandwiches.
Today, traditional roast beef lunch. Visit to movie theater. Naughty ice cream. Cheese on toast for dinner. Now feeling a bit bloated. Insides seem to be unhappy over past three or four days. Several tummy aches. Hubby threatening to put me on white rice diet.
Took the kids to the annual Children's Ball (Scottish Country Dance) in Livermore on Saturday. No dancing, of course, but a lot of standing to take photos. Foot sore. Buffet at the end. Ate many egg mayonnaise sandwiches.
Today, traditional roast beef lunch. Visit to movie theater. Naughty ice cream. Cheese on toast for dinner. Now feeling a bit bloated. Insides seem to be unhappy over past three or four days. Several tummy aches. Hubby threatening to put me on white rice diet.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sore Toe
I went to my dance class yesterday evening and did something to my left foot's big toe. I felt it sort of crunch during the middle of a reel, and by the end of the evening I was only walking the dances; and sat the last one out altogether, which is very unusual for me. Bah.
Today I am limping and my hip is aching, which I think must be due to compensating for the toe. I presume this is a symptom of Getting Older. It may also be a symptom of not warming up, which I never do before class - though I know I should - because I am always on the front desk taking the money and greeting the class members. I go straight from totting up the money to the dancing - in last night's case this meant walking through the door, joining a set, and being in a dance within about 60 seconds! Which is good for the brain, but not so good for the feet.
Not a bad day foodwise. Multi-grain Chex and milk for breakfast, everything bagel with tuna mayo for lunch, nonfat latte and a moderately sized muffin for afternoon snackerel (bought at a fancy coffee shop in downtown Palo Alto, so truly not one of the "make it big so people think they're getting a good deal" muffin), and we have a beef and veggies stir fry coming up for dinner (with only two ounces of meat allowed for each of us, and I'm substituting in wholewheat noodles for rice).
Hubby returns from Baltimore today, so I might even go to bed before midnight today. I'm very bad at going to bed at a sensible time when I'm on my own.
Today I am limping and my hip is aching, which I think must be due to compensating for the toe. I presume this is a symptom of Getting Older. It may also be a symptom of not warming up, which I never do before class - though I know I should - because I am always on the front desk taking the money and greeting the class members. I go straight from totting up the money to the dancing - in last night's case this meant walking through the door, joining a set, and being in a dance within about 60 seconds! Which is good for the brain, but not so good for the feet.
Not a bad day foodwise. Multi-grain Chex and milk for breakfast, everything bagel with tuna mayo for lunch, nonfat latte and a moderately sized muffin for afternoon snackerel (bought at a fancy coffee shop in downtown Palo Alto, so truly not one of the "make it big so people think they're getting a good deal" muffin), and we have a beef and veggies stir fry coming up for dinner (with only two ounces of meat allowed for each of us, and I'm substituting in wholewheat noodles for rice).
Hubby returns from Baltimore today, so I might even go to bed before midnight today. I'm very bad at going to bed at a sensible time when I'm on my own.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Fish-like...
I took to the water again today; 14 lengths in 25 minutes. Now, I know this is not going to win me any awards, but I was pleased. And quite achey.
I have eaten: a bowl of cereal, an M&S Loch Muir Hot Smoked Salmon Nicoise salad. Dinner was an M&S chicken thing (340 calories) with leftover mash and vegetables from yesterday. And a chocolate eclair.
NB M&S is on the way home from the swimming pool. And I resisted the chocolate bars by the checkout. (Polishes halo and retires for a cup of tea.)
I have eaten: a bowl of cereal, an M&S Loch Muir Hot Smoked Salmon Nicoise salad. Dinner was an M&S chicken thing (340 calories) with leftover mash and vegetables from yesterday. And a chocolate eclair.
NB M&S is on the way home from the swimming pool. And I resisted the chocolate bars by the checkout. (Polishes halo and retires for a cup of tea.)
Wednesday Weigh-In - Dr Mom
Today I am 155.2 lbs, an increase of only 0.2lbs over last week. Miracles do happen!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
No revelations
I've decided I'm not even going to hint at what I've eaten today. So there. Tomorrow is weigh in day, and I shall go back on the straight and narrow after seeing the results of weeks of slacking. I will be inspired by your example, OEM, and try to get back to the exercise. Tomorrow is also dance class. Mrs Blobby will give it her all.
Shopping Tribulation
Having discovered the delights of the swimming pool, I need a new suit - the elastic is going in my current one, and I don't want to shock the good folk of Lower Earley by unseemly bursting out incidents.
You would think this might be a straightforward thing to achieve. I went to Evans (emporia of garments for the fat), which had a small number of swimsuits, but all of them had 'moulded' cups and none of them went over a Dcup. I rejoice in the 44F size. I went on line. There is, it seems, a great lack of swimming costumes for the better endowed sister. In fact, for precisely that woman who most needs a secure and well-fitting costume in order to get thinner. Many, many sites later I came upon the splendid and eponymous www.amplebosom.com. It claims to have 44Fs. I have ordered www.amplebosom.com/acatalog/802WS.jpg which I hope will a) fit b) maintain high levels of public support and decency and c) withstand regular immersion in water. (Oddly enough, many of the swimsuit reviews I have read comment unfavourably on the effect of actual swimming on the costume.) I will report further when it arrives.
In the meantime, tomorrow I shall risk exposure in the old costume when once more I take to the water.
Foodwise, not bad today: cereal, soup, 4 biscuits with cheese, roast chicken dinner. Oh, and a small Lindt chocolate egg. (OK, not so good, but compared to the previous couple of weeks, it's been a miracle of restraint.)
You would think this might be a straightforward thing to achieve. I went to Evans (emporia of garments for the fat), which had a small number of swimsuits, but all of them had 'moulded' cups and none of them went over a Dcup. I rejoice in the 44F size. I went on line. There is, it seems, a great lack of swimming costumes for the better endowed sister. In fact, for precisely that woman who most needs a secure and well-fitting costume in order to get thinner. Many, many sites later I came upon the splendid and eponymous www.amplebosom.com. It claims to have 44Fs. I have ordered www.amplebosom.com/acatalog/802WS.jpg which I hope will a) fit b) maintain high levels of public support and decency and c) withstand regular immersion in water. (Oddly enough, many of the swimsuit reviews I have read comment unfavourably on the effect of actual swimming on the costume.) I will report further when it arrives.
In the meantime, tomorrow I shall risk exposure in the old costume when once more I take to the water.
Foodwise, not bad today: cereal, soup, 4 biscuits with cheese, roast chicken dinner. Oh, and a small Lindt chocolate egg. (OK, not so good, but compared to the previous couple of weeks, it's been a miracle of restraint.)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Wot No Willpower
Glad to see that OEM has returned to the weight-loss fray, because I need some moral support. I've definitely been slacking in the past couple of weeks. Stinky cold, time of the month, rain...all conspire to stop the would-be slimmer doing anything than eating and sitting around on one's expansive bottom.
Today is a case in point. Here's what I've consumed today:
Rice chex for breakfast;
coffee and scone for mid-morning snackerel;
butternut squash soup, french stick and blue cheese for lunch;
tortilla chips and melted cheese (aka nachos) for mid-afternoon snackerel;
pan-seared tuna with mashed potatoes and cauliflower, followed by homemade apple and blackberry crumble with custard for dinner;
Cadbury's creme egg to celebrate the children going to bed.
Not exactly low calorie.
I did go for a three mile walk this morning along the Baylands. By the time I was half way through it had started to rain. That, combined with the biting cold that lead to actual hail stones later in the afternoon, encouraged me to walk a bit faster, so I was going at 1 mile in 15 minutes. Even so, I don't think I walked off my creme egg. Alas, Little Starlet is off school sick (stinky cold reprised) and Hubby has flown to Baltimore on a business trip till Thursday; so my well-laid plans to do 45 minutes of exercise every day this week (in accordance with the instructions in "Grow Younger Next Year") will no doubt fail dismally.
But are we down hearted? Well, yes actually.
Today is a case in point. Here's what I've consumed today:
Rice chex for breakfast;
coffee and scone for mid-morning snackerel;
butternut squash soup, french stick and blue cheese for lunch;
tortilla chips and melted cheese (aka nachos) for mid-afternoon snackerel;
pan-seared tuna with mashed potatoes and cauliflower, followed by homemade apple and blackberry crumble with custard for dinner;
Cadbury's creme egg to celebrate the children going to bed.
Not exactly low calorie.
I did go for a three mile walk this morning along the Baylands. By the time I was half way through it had started to rain. That, combined with the biting cold that lead to actual hail stones later in the afternoon, encouraged me to walk a bit faster, so I was going at 1 mile in 15 minutes. Even so, I don't think I walked off my creme egg. Alas, Little Starlet is off school sick (stinky cold reprised) and Hubby has flown to Baltimore on a business trip till Thursday; so my well-laid plans to do 45 minutes of exercise every day this week (in accordance with the instructions in "Grow Younger Next Year") will no doubt fail dismally.
But are we down hearted? Well, yes actually.
OEM is Back...
...and so are the four pounds lost since January.
Time to start again.
New regime. I have been to the swimming pool after dropping Notsosmall at school and swam up and down it ten times. This was five more than my target (I thought I'd start small) but actually it was quite agreeable so I kept going. I will go again.
The diet resumes today likewise. Will report back later on consumption.
Time to start again.
New regime. I have been to the swimming pool after dropping Notsosmall at school and swam up and down it ten times. This was five more than my target (I thought I'd start small) but actually it was quite agreeable so I kept going. I will go again.
The diet resumes today likewise. Will report back later on consumption.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Exercise and Doughnuts
I'm finally over my cold, but now my foot is hurting. I went to my Scottish Country Dance class on Wednesday and was limping by the end. Today I did half my usual walk - so three miles instead of six - which was fine until just the end. I have good intentions to increase my amount of exercise, but having a dodgy foot won't help. This evening I am going to another dance class, but I expect I shall end up walking instead of actually dancing. I'm taking Deep Thought with me. It is a special class where the teacher is offering to teach some of the local youth dancers the dances which are on the program for the forthcoming Children's Ball. They could do with the extra practice, so I'm keen to take her.
I also have to confess to having eaten three doughnuts this week. I did balance that today with a bowl of soup for lunch, but I can't help thinking that one doughnut equals several sandwiches, and that might have been the healthier option.
I also have to confess to having eaten three doughnuts this week. I did balance that today with a bowl of soup for lunch, but I can't help thinking that one doughnut equals several sandwiches, and that might have been the healthier option.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday Weigh In - Dr Mom
Ok, it is actually a Thursday weigh-in, because I forgot yesterday. 155 lbs.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Rain is Bad for Your Diet
There's something about rain that makes me want to eat. I guess it's pure comfort eating. It rained a lot today. I've eaten another almond croissant today, at a business meeting in the Coupa Cafe this morning. Breakfast was modest rice chex and lunch was modest carrot and ginger soup and a pate sandwich with bread made of old ropes.
My impulse purchase of the day, at Whole Foods, was a pot of strips of fresh coconut. I have no idea what I'll do with them, but seeing coconut reminded me of the times when I was a child and we would have a whole coconut that my dad would attack with a hammer. It's funny dry stuff when you start to eat it.
My impulse purchase of the day, at Whole Foods, was a pot of strips of fresh coconut. I have no idea what I'll do with them, but seeing coconut reminded me of the times when I was a child and we would have a whole coconut that my dad would attack with a hammer. It's funny dry stuff when you start to eat it.
Monday, March 1, 2010
More or Less Better, No Excuses Remaining
I've just finished eating a Cadbury's Creme Egg. I know I shouldn't but somehow I just don't care. I had Cheerios for breakfast and a Caesar salad for lunch; but then I got hungry and ended up eating an almond croissant with a latte in the afternoon.
I expect to be well enough to go to dance class this week, and I've arranged to go for a walk with a friend on Friday morning; so I've got some exercise in the offing this week after doing nothing at all last week. I'm finally sleeping a bit better so I don't feel so limp and washed out.
It's funny how we all swing back and forth between being "good" (i.e. depriving ourselves of the good things in life, like Cadbury's Creme Eggs) and wolfing down as much "bad" stuff as we can find. It's a disease called Lack of Willpower. I went to the grocery store and deliberately didn't buy any treat food except for Skinny Cow popsicles (which are really for Deep Thought - I don't like them). No cakes, no biscuits, no chocolate, no crisps, not even any unusual crackers. I figure that if I can resist buying them, then I'm less likely to eat them. Not buying them at the grocery store won't, of course, prevent me succumbing at a coffee shop, but should make the overall consumption fall. It's also a good thing for Deep Thought to have less sweet stuff in the house. When you're a 10 year old diabetic, it can be hard to resist.
I expect to be well enough to go to dance class this week, and I've arranged to go for a walk with a friend on Friday morning; so I've got some exercise in the offing this week after doing nothing at all last week. I'm finally sleeping a bit better so I don't feel so limp and washed out.
It's funny how we all swing back and forth between being "good" (i.e. depriving ourselves of the good things in life, like Cadbury's Creme Eggs) and wolfing down as much "bad" stuff as we can find. It's a disease called Lack of Willpower. I went to the grocery store and deliberately didn't buy any treat food except for Skinny Cow popsicles (which are really for Deep Thought - I don't like them). No cakes, no biscuits, no chocolate, no crisps, not even any unusual crackers. I figure that if I can resist buying them, then I'm less likely to eat them. Not buying them at the grocery store won't, of course, prevent me succumbing at a coffee shop, but should make the overall consumption fall. It's also a good thing for Deep Thought to have less sweet stuff in the house. When you're a 10 year old diabetic, it can be hard to resist.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Days of Relative Goodness, Nights of Coughing
By the time we got back from Death Valley at the weekend, I had a stinky cold. I've now had it for a week and I Am Fed Up With It. The worst part is the cough, which is pretty bad during the day, but keeps me awake at night. Hubby says I was wheezing attractively in my sleep yesterday. Lovely. So I am tired, but trying to stay in good humor. Sickness is the reason I've not been posting.
Our house remodel has also reached some kind of tipping point. This week has been ghastly - activity in every room in the house - but we also got the kitchen back! Hurrah, no more obligatory restaurant food.
For the past two days I've been very abstemious with the eating. Cheerios for breakfast, caesar salad with a little chicken for lunch, a granola bar for snack, a nonfat latte for other snack, and a modest dinner. On Tuesday my modest dinner was a cheese sandwich. Yesterday it was pasta with salmon in cream (not so uncalorific, but not a very big portion). Today I whipped up pasta with egg and bacon (again not a big portion). I did also give in to the temptation of a chocolate croissant at Douce France, though....while I was watching Deep Thought do some of her homework. I couldn't bear the idea of going back to the worksite formerly known as our house, so we hung out for over an hour. You've got to buy something, n'est pas?
Also snacked on crisps this evening. Well, I'm sick!
No exercise this week. One, I'm sick (did I mention that?). Two, it's been raining. Three, I've been crazy busy with volunteering, food shopping, moving things around in the house, and so on. Like OEM, I have every intention of getting back to the exercise, but just for now I think I need to focus on shaking off this cold.
Our house remodel has also reached some kind of tipping point. This week has been ghastly - activity in every room in the house - but we also got the kitchen back! Hurrah, no more obligatory restaurant food.
For the past two days I've been very abstemious with the eating. Cheerios for breakfast, caesar salad with a little chicken for lunch, a granola bar for snack, a nonfat latte for other snack, and a modest dinner. On Tuesday my modest dinner was a cheese sandwich. Yesterday it was pasta with salmon in cream (not so uncalorific, but not a very big portion). Today I whipped up pasta with egg and bacon (again not a big portion). I did also give in to the temptation of a chocolate croissant at Douce France, though....while I was watching Deep Thought do some of her homework. I couldn't bear the idea of going back to the worksite formerly known as our house, so we hung out for over an hour. You've got to buy something, n'est pas?
Also snacked on crisps this evening. Well, I'm sick!
No exercise this week. One, I'm sick (did I mention that?). Two, it's been raining. Three, I've been crazy busy with volunteering, food shopping, moving things around in the house, and so on. Like OEM, I have every intention of getting back to the exercise, but just for now I think I need to focus on shaking off this cold.
Scale Refusal
Like a horse refusing to enter the starting gates, I can't face the scales this week.
Cheese and chocolate have returned with a vengeance, along with pre-exam tension levels somewhere in the stratosphere.
But I promise myself (and Dr Mom) that, 4 March over (including the celebratory dinner promised by Beloved Spouse), I will not only return to the calorific straight and narrow but I will also reintroduce myself to the gym and/or swimming pool.
Promises, promises.
Cheese and chocolate have returned with a vengeance, along with pre-exam tension levels somewhere in the stratosphere.
But I promise myself (and Dr Mom) that, 4 March over (including the celebratory dinner promised by Beloved Spouse), I will not only return to the calorific straight and narrow but I will also reintroduce myself to the gym and/or swimming pool.
Promises, promises.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday Weigh In - Dr Mom
Today I was 154.4 lbs, which was a loss of 1.4 lbs since the last weigh in (two weeks ago). Not bad considering the amount of restaurant food that I've been eating, plus the amount of sitting about in an RV over the past week.
Monday, February 22, 2010
A New Healthy Initiative?
Inspired by the pink book, I'm going to try to eat more healthily. Two attempts today.
The first was during this morning's visit to Starbucks, which was brought on by needing to get out of the dust and chaos that is my home at the moment. I carefully ordered a nonfat, decaf latte (yes to calcium, no to fat) and accompanied it by an interestingly horrible granola bar which cost $3.95, claimed to be a "raw food" and was made mostly of millet. As I pointed out to my kids, this is what budgies eat, and they look pretty fit.
Second attempt at health was eating part of a vegan, wholewheat with sunflower seeds bread stick at lunch. Though that sounds like another bad idea, it is actually rather tasty. I like the brown breads which have nuts or seeds in them. I paired it with chicken liver pate, though, so that probably negated all the virtuousness of the experience.
It was a red letter day for another reason: We cooked dinner in our newly remodelled kitchen. It was, admittedly, only pasta with a jar of sauce and some sauteed chicken breast, but It Was Not Restaurant Food. The kitchen isn't 100% ready, but the appliances and main sink are operational, hence the cooking. I was also able to do the washing up in the sink and not the bathtub, which was like heaven.
Hope you're surviving the run up to your exams, OEM. Not sure I'm looking forward to this week's weigh-in.
The first was during this morning's visit to Starbucks, which was brought on by needing to get out of the dust and chaos that is my home at the moment. I carefully ordered a nonfat, decaf latte (yes to calcium, no to fat) and accompanied it by an interestingly horrible granola bar which cost $3.95, claimed to be a "raw food" and was made mostly of millet. As I pointed out to my kids, this is what budgies eat, and they look pretty fit.
Second attempt at health was eating part of a vegan, wholewheat with sunflower seeds bread stick at lunch. Though that sounds like another bad idea, it is actually rather tasty. I like the brown breads which have nuts or seeds in them. I paired it with chicken liver pate, though, so that probably negated all the virtuousness of the experience.
It was a red letter day for another reason: We cooked dinner in our newly remodelled kitchen. It was, admittedly, only pasta with a jar of sauce and some sauteed chicken breast, but It Was Not Restaurant Food. The kitchen isn't 100% ready, but the appliances and main sink are operational, hence the cooking. I was also able to do the washing up in the sink and not the bathtub, which was like heaven.
Hope you're surviving the run up to your exams, OEM. Not sure I'm looking forward to this week's weigh-in.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Back Home and Into the Calorific Stuff
Today we drove from Calico Ghost Town near Barstow on I-15 to the San Francisco Bay Area. The drive took about eight hours. We stopped at the China Town Buffet in Bakersfield for lunch, and at Starbucks in Merced for the 3:30pm stretch-the-legs stop. Far, far too much was eaten at the buffet. I only had one plate of food (whereas many people in the restaurant had four or five) but it was that calorific, cheap Chinese food that you just know is furring your arteries and killing your brain cells even as you chew it. Well, never mind, it tasted good!
By the time we got home it was 6:00pm. Our kitchen is still out of action - though close to completion - so we headed into town for a pizza at the California Pizza Kitchen. Yum. Yes, I know I should have had the salad but the pizza was calling.
No exercise of any kind today. Yesterday we spent a couple of hours ambling around the Calico Ghost Town, which doesn't count; and the day before we spent an hour and a half walking across the sand dunes at Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley, which does. I am determined to pick up the pace a bit with exercise now we are back.
I've finished reading the pink health book "Younger Next Year", or whatever it's called, and I'll review it soon.
By the time we got home it was 6:00pm. Our kitchen is still out of action - though close to completion - so we headed into town for a pizza at the California Pizza Kitchen. Yum. Yes, I know I should have had the salad but the pizza was calling.
No exercise of any kind today. Yesterday we spent a couple of hours ambling around the Calico Ghost Town, which doesn't count; and the day before we spent an hour and a half walking across the sand dunes at Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley, which does. I am determined to pick up the pace a bit with exercise now we are back.
I've finished reading the pink health book "Younger Next Year", or whatever it's called, and I'll review it soon.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Desert Walking
Yesterday I did a virtuous four mile walk with my family along a canyon and through the badlands along a dry gulch in Death Valley. We climbed around 500 feet and descended the same during the course of the walk which took around three hours. It was quite cool when we started out, but we were all very hot by the end. I particularly enjoyed – not – scrambling down a dry waterfall. Otherwise the walk was on rough ground: the crumbled mudstone that had fallen from the walls of the canyon and the pebbles that had been brought down the mountain by the gulch during the rainy season.
Later in the day we went for an hour’s walk across the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells. This also had a fair bit of up and down and, while it wasn’t much of a distance – no more than a mile and a half – it was reasonably hard work walking along on soft sand.
This was the first significant exercise I’ve had since last Thursday.
This morning we spent a couple of hours walking three miles up and back down the Mosaic Canyon, which was loose gravel underfoot, plus some rock scrambling.
On the food front, the picture is mixed. Hubby is torturing me by bringing out crisps to eat by the fire every evening. I am, naturally, succumbing to them, matching him crisp for crisp. Meals have been fairly modest. The only restaurant meals we’ve eaten so far were the ones previously reported, in Gilroy and Bakersfield. I prepared a few meals before we left home, so yesterday was chili and rice, Tuesday was pasta Bolognese. Lunch is typically a sandwich (for speed), though yesterday we had a leisurely lunch involving sausages, bacon and fried egg. Not exactly a low calorie meal, but when you’re camping you have to eat what you’ve got. Notice I packed bacon and egg and not tofu and edamame beans.
Later in the day we went for an hour’s walk across the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells. This also had a fair bit of up and down and, while it wasn’t much of a distance – no more than a mile and a half – it was reasonably hard work walking along on soft sand.
This was the first significant exercise I’ve had since last Thursday.
This morning we spent a couple of hours walking three miles up and back down the Mosaic Canyon, which was loose gravel underfoot, plus some rock scrambling.
On the food front, the picture is mixed. Hubby is torturing me by bringing out crisps to eat by the fire every evening. I am, naturally, succumbing to them, matching him crisp for crisp. Meals have been fairly modest. The only restaurant meals we’ve eaten so far were the ones previously reported, in Gilroy and Bakersfield. I prepared a few meals before we left home, so yesterday was chili and rice, Tuesday was pasta Bolognese. Lunch is typically a sandwich (for speed), though yesterday we had a leisurely lunch involving sausages, bacon and fried egg. Not exactly a low calorie meal, but when you’re camping you have to eat what you’ve got. Notice I packed bacon and egg and not tofu and edamame beans.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Total Crisis Mode
Less than 2 weeks to exams.
Quantity of information in head - very little.
Quantity to be inserted - vast.
Lousy cold - streaming nose, sneezing, red eyes, cough developing.
Oh, and it's half term so Nososmall is home, though David is also here on entertainment duty.
Only good thing, not very interested in food right now.
Might not be here much until 4 March, but I'll keep trying not to comfort eat...
Quantity of information in head - very little.
Quantity to be inserted - vast.
Lousy cold - streaming nose, sneezing, red eyes, cough developing.
Oh, and it's half term so Nososmall is home, though David is also here on entertainment duty.
Only good thing, not very interested in food right now.
Might not be here much until 4 March, but I'll keep trying not to comfort eat...
Monday, February 15, 2010
Road Trip Food
We stopped for lunch at Spencer's Diner in Bakersfield. The kids had fish and chips, while Hubby and I both opted for the chicken pot pie with mashed potato. It was far too salty and glutinous, and neither of us finished our meal.
We had pork chop, potatoes and carrots for dinner (with a lot of complaining from Deep Thought who objects strongly to "slabs of meat"). I expect a few salt and vinegar crisps might be eaten in about ten minutes but, other than that, it's been a pretty virtuous day.
Needless to say, another day driving across California has prevented any exercise being taken. We went for a half hour amble across the Mojave Desert after arriving at our RV campground this afternoon, but that hardly counts.
Tomorrow we have a five hour drive up to Death Valley.
OEM, where have you gone? Haven't seen a post since Wednesday....
We had pork chop, potatoes and carrots for dinner (with a lot of complaining from Deep Thought who objects strongly to "slabs of meat"). I expect a few salt and vinegar crisps might be eaten in about ten minutes but, other than that, it's been a pretty virtuous day.
Needless to say, another day driving across California has prevented any exercise being taken. We went for a half hour amble across the Mojave Desert after arriving at our RV campground this afternoon, but that hardly counts.
Tomorrow we have a five hour drive up to Death Valley.
OEM, where have you gone? Haven't seen a post since Wednesday....
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Crisp Heaven
I'm sitting here by a fire, eating Maui Onion crisps and drinking tea. We're on our RV trip, currently in Pismo Beach. Each day so far has been a fairly light eating day, but we're making up for it with the traditional snacking in the evening. I tried to stock up on healthy-ish things like sweet potato chips and dried carrot sticks, but Hubby is demanding the real high fat, high salt options.
Tomorrow we head into the Central Valley. This is also a low exercise holiday (at least so far). A potter to the headland at Montana de Oro hardly counted as a walk.
Tomorrow we head into the Central Valley. This is also a low exercise holiday (at least so far). A potter to the headland at Montana de Oro hardly counted as a walk.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Crazy for Fondue
I've had another ridiculously busy day, prepping for our RV trip and also the building work in our bedroom while we're away. After my Multi-grain Chex breakfast - which didn't happen till after the kids had gone out to school with Dad - I visited Safeway to buy 15 gallons of drinking water. Then I took popsicles to school for Little Starlet's birthday snack (she turns eight on Sunday), then it was back to the supermarket to do the shopping for our trip.
Hubby appeared back home with our rental RV at about 11:30am, after which I traipsed in and out of the house with armfuls of stuff: pans, bedding, towels, medicines, shampoo, etc etc. I employed several shopping bags, but it was still many trudging trips up and down the plywood path across our battlefield front yard. I truly think it counted as exercise.
The highlight of the day was Little Starlet's birthday dinner at La Fondue in Saratoga. OEM will remember it well, I know, as we went there during the Christmas holidays. We had the cheddar, bacon, buttermilk and beer cheese fondue first course; followed by the meaty grill second course (Little Starlet decided she liked buffalo, but did not care for wild boar or savage duck); and then the course we were all waiting for, the Decadent Chocolate fondue dessert. Yum. About a million calories, but well worth it. The children really enjoyed having a "fun food" experience in a fancy restaurant. We sang Little Starlet "happy birthday" and she seemed pleased by the whole experience.
Hubby appeared back home with our rental RV at about 11:30am, after which I traipsed in and out of the house with armfuls of stuff: pans, bedding, towels, medicines, shampoo, etc etc. I employed several shopping bags, but it was still many trudging trips up and down the plywood path across our battlefield front yard. I truly think it counted as exercise.
The highlight of the day was Little Starlet's birthday dinner at La Fondue in Saratoga. OEM will remember it well, I know, as we went there during the Christmas holidays. We had the cheddar, bacon, buttermilk and beer cheese fondue first course; followed by the meaty grill second course (Little Starlet decided she liked buffalo, but did not care for wild boar or savage duck); and then the course we were all waiting for, the Decadent Chocolate fondue dessert. Yum. About a million calories, but well worth it. The children really enjoyed having a "fun food" experience in a fancy restaurant. We sang Little Starlet "happy birthday" and she seemed pleased by the whole experience.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Frantic Day
I'm having a seriously frantic day. This morning I had the weekly site meeting for our remodel which took two hours. During the day I received multiple visits from the Site Supervisor with many questions. We also lost our water supply twice, because the landscape men dug through the water pipe, and the phone was out of order.
I began to work out what we will take in the RV, heaping pans, plates etc on the dining room table. I also sorted through our food box to see what we might like to take along, and to compile a shopping list for tomorrow morning.
At the same time as this, I was trying to sort through the closet in the master bedroom, as it will be demolished while we are away on our RV trip. I filled up a black garbage bag with ancient bras and unspeakable knickers, emptying two out of my four drawers in process. Lunch was a bowl of chicken tortilla soup and two Karvla crackers with a bit of cheddar.
At 2pm I had to head over to school to help with a Valentine's Day project. I obtained the materials for this from our family room by waiting for the builders to have their lunch break and then climbing through the construction work from the garden.
At one point I was so wound up by all the things I needed to do that my hands were shaking. The day ended well though: Little Starlet had her class play, in which she was the star, and she did a fabulous job, funny, loud, expressive, the lot. We went out for dinner afterwards to Mike's Cafe in midtown Palo Alto. I had lasagne, which was tasty.
No coffee shop stop today - no time.
I began to work out what we will take in the RV, heaping pans, plates etc on the dining room table. I also sorted through our food box to see what we might like to take along, and to compile a shopping list for tomorrow morning.
At the same time as this, I was trying to sort through the closet in the master bedroom, as it will be demolished while we are away on our RV trip. I filled up a black garbage bag with ancient bras and unspeakable knickers, emptying two out of my four drawers in process. Lunch was a bowl of chicken tortilla soup and two Karvla crackers with a bit of cheddar.
At 2pm I had to head over to school to help with a Valentine's Day project. I obtained the materials for this from our family room by waiting for the builders to have their lunch break and then climbing through the construction work from the garden.
At one point I was so wound up by all the things I needed to do that my hands were shaking. The day ended well though: Little Starlet had her class play, in which she was the star, and she did a fabulous job, funny, loud, expressive, the lot. We went out for dinner afterwards to Mike's Cafe in midtown Palo Alto. I had lasagne, which was tasty.
No coffee shop stop today - no time.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
A Positive Negative
...though a small one. 17.06 today. I seem to be managing a steady 1lb a week, which (although half the target) is both healthy and (apparently) achievable.
Let the good work continue!
Let the good work continue!
Wednesday Weigh In - Dr Mom
This morning I came in at 155.8 lbs, which is a loss of 2.4 lbs. The extra exercise may be helping, I guess.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Too many lentils
I had lunch at a friend's house today: lentil soup, wholewheat bread, and cheddar cheese. Tasty, but I've been suffering ever since. Have I mentioned that I have Crohn's Disease? Which means that too much fiber is A Bad Thing. We made up for that with a visit to Zao Noodles in downtown Palo Alto for dinner. I had bought bread and soup for dinner, but couldn't face Round Two of nutritious virtue. Maybe we can eat that tomorrow when I am scrambling between the end of Deep Thought's medical clinic appointment and the start of my dance class.
In the interests of mutual education, I have just started reading "Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit and Sexy - Until You're 80 and Beyond" by Chris Crowley and Henry S Lodge. It's aimed at women in the late 40s who are menopausal - so not quite me just yet. So far the main ideas seem to be (1) give up eating fast food of any kind and (2) exercise six days per week. I'll report further when I've got past chapter two....
In the interests of mutual education, I have just started reading "Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit and Sexy - Until You're 80 and Beyond" by Chris Crowley and Henry S Lodge. It's aimed at women in the late 40s who are menopausal - so not quite me just yet. So far the main ideas seem to be (1) give up eating fast food of any kind and (2) exercise six days per week. I'll report further when I've got past chapter two....
Blue Monday, Cheerfully-coloured Tuesday
Monday - complete failure of willpower. Didn't even try to keep track of what I ate, but it included cheese, goldfish, bread, crumpets, and roast beef and yorkshire pudding. (We've moved Sunday lunch to Monday dinner, because it's good to have something to look forward to at the beginning of the week!)
Tuesday - re-invigorated moral fibre. Cereal, soup and a small sandwich of cold roast beef. This leaves plenty of calories for the spag bol which will be dinner.
And I've done my last set of prep for Tax and am making good progress with How to Incorporate a Company and How to Avoid being sent to Prison for Illegally Offering Financial Services and Advice (as if!)...
Tuesday - re-invigorated moral fibre. Cereal, soup and a small sandwich of cold roast beef. This leaves plenty of calories for the spag bol which will be dinner.
And I've done my last set of prep for Tax and am making good progress with How to Incorporate a Company and How to Avoid being sent to Prison for Illegally Offering Financial Services and Advice (as if!)...
Monday, February 8, 2010
But where to eat lunch?
Among various chores this morning I found time to do my ultra-virtuous six mile walk, and beat the rain too.
Returned home to find the house full of tarry smoke. Bleugh. The family room is now off limits - the door has literally been sealed up. There is one man ripping the door frame off the dining room French windows, and another man in a digger outside the living room door. So I am an exile in the house, bowl of virtuous vegan pumpkin soup in one hand, small chicken sandwich made with one slice of double fibre brown bread in the other. Maybe Little Starlet's room would offer some respite?
Returned home to find the house full of tarry smoke. Bleugh. The family room is now off limits - the door has literally been sealed up. There is one man ripping the door frame off the dining room French windows, and another man in a digger outside the living room door. So I am an exile in the house, bowl of virtuous vegan pumpkin soup in one hand, small chicken sandwich made with one slice of double fibre brown bread in the other. Maybe Little Starlet's room would offer some respite?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
This eating out lark is bad news
The problem with having no kitchen is that you eat out all the time. The problem with eating out is that the portions are too big. Plus the food is generally pretty calorific. Plus there is too much temptation all round. I shall be astonished if I am not fatter at the end of our four weeks sans kitchen than I was at the start.
Saturday began with Weetabix. At lunch we ate at Fresh Choice in Mountain View. Fresh Choice is a great place to take kids as there is, as the name suggests, a lot of choice. You pay one price ($4.99 for the kids) and help yourself to the salad bar, the hot food, and the dessert. The hot food includes baked potatoes, pasta, pizza, soup and other random things as the restaurant deems fit. The challenge is not to eat too much. Finding things that are healthy choices is not difficult as the calorie details are given on each item, and things which are low salt, low fat, etc are pointed out with handy little signs. I had various salads, avoided the blue cheese dressing (which is frankly the only thing that makes salad tolerable), and had a bowl of carrot soup with a piece of bread. For dessert I selected a cube of sugar free Jello, a spoonful of chocolate pudding, and a spoonful of low fat "whip". I'd have rather had one of their "decadent brownies" but I was being good.
In the afternoon I succumbed to a coffee and biscuit.
Then later in the afternoon it was Little Starlet's birthday party at a local kids' cooking center. I'd rather do parties at home, but no kitchen makes that a tough prospect. Needless to say I had to eat a scone at the end of the party as my daughter had made them. Dinner was bread and more soup with some double creme soft cheese (not the light option, but very yummy). And then, oh woe is me, crisps in the evening.
Today we ate lunch at The Fish Market on the border of Palo Alto and Mountain View. The food wasn't bad, but the service was awful. I had cajun blackened catfish with potato au gratin (instead of fries, a toss up calorie-wise, I think) and coleslaw (that's grated cabbage in mayonnaise to you). This evening we had dinner at a friends' house: chicken and rice with salad and bread...and more scones made by their children. Maybe I'd better do another walk tomorrow.
Saturday began with Weetabix. At lunch we ate at Fresh Choice in Mountain View. Fresh Choice is a great place to take kids as there is, as the name suggests, a lot of choice. You pay one price ($4.99 for the kids) and help yourself to the salad bar, the hot food, and the dessert. The hot food includes baked potatoes, pasta, pizza, soup and other random things as the restaurant deems fit. The challenge is not to eat too much. Finding things that are healthy choices is not difficult as the calorie details are given on each item, and things which are low salt, low fat, etc are pointed out with handy little signs. I had various salads, avoided the blue cheese dressing (which is frankly the only thing that makes salad tolerable), and had a bowl of carrot soup with a piece of bread. For dessert I selected a cube of sugar free Jello, a spoonful of chocolate pudding, and a spoonful of low fat "whip". I'd have rather had one of their "decadent brownies" but I was being good.
In the afternoon I succumbed to a coffee and biscuit.
Then later in the afternoon it was Little Starlet's birthday party at a local kids' cooking center. I'd rather do parties at home, but no kitchen makes that a tough prospect. Needless to say I had to eat a scone at the end of the party as my daughter had made them. Dinner was bread and more soup with some double creme soft cheese (not the light option, but very yummy). And then, oh woe is me, crisps in the evening.
Today we ate lunch at The Fish Market on the border of Palo Alto and Mountain View. The food wasn't bad, but the service was awful. I had cajun blackened catfish with potato au gratin (instead of fries, a toss up calorie-wise, I think) and coleslaw (that's grated cabbage in mayonnaise to you). This evening we had dinner at a friends' house: chicken and rice with salad and bread...and more scones made by their children. Maybe I'd better do another walk tomorrow.
Up and Down
I was doing all right yesterday: usual breakfast, soup for lunch, bowl of capiletti (420 cals) (don't think that's how you spell them - fresh pasta stuffed with wild mushrooks) with 5g of butter and black pepper for supper. Well, it was ok if you discount the relatively large number of crisps I munched (though I did weigh them AND there are still some left in the bag tonight, which is a big improvement on the general state of affaits). And the chocolate cake that I was forced to eat when I went to collect Notsosmall from a birthday party.
But my virtue level feels pretty high compared to David who went on a corporate jolly to Twickenham to watch the England-Wales rugby match (yes, can you imagine!) and was wined and dined and generally schmoozed in a calorific way.
Today was possibly less good: I finished off the pasta at lunchtime with a small quantity of hot smoked salmon and a tablespoon of cream. I had a chelsea bun mid-afternoon (remember not to buy any more of those - made fatal error of shopping when hungry yesterday) and dinner was cheese pudding which is marvellous and entirely evil. Do you know this substance? It is for using up stale bread.
Cut up all stale bread in the house. Beat up three eggs and enough milk to cover the bread. Stir it up and leave it to soak overnight (adding more milk if it dries out without the bread going squishy). Grate in lots of cheese, season with salt and black pepper. Tip into a buttered dish and bake in oven about 40 mins. It puffs up like a souffle and is delicious with tomato ketchup! Number of calories? About ten million.
Penitential lettuce eating for me tomorrow...
But my virtue level feels pretty high compared to David who went on a corporate jolly to Twickenham to watch the England-Wales rugby match (yes, can you imagine!) and was wined and dined and generally schmoozed in a calorific way.
Today was possibly less good: I finished off the pasta at lunchtime with a small quantity of hot smoked salmon and a tablespoon of cream. I had a chelsea bun mid-afternoon (remember not to buy any more of those - made fatal error of shopping when hungry yesterday) and dinner was cheese pudding which is marvellous and entirely evil. Do you know this substance? It is for using up stale bread.
Cut up all stale bread in the house. Beat up three eggs and enough milk to cover the bread. Stir it up and leave it to soak overnight (adding more milk if it dries out without the bread going squishy). Grate in lots of cheese, season with salt and black pepper. Tip into a buttered dish and bake in oven about 40 mins. It puffs up like a souffle and is delicious with tomato ketchup! Number of calories? About ten million.
Penitential lettuce eating for me tomorrow...
Friday, February 5, 2010
Walking Back to Happiness
...woopah, oh yeah yeah. As apparently the lyrics of said song by Helen Shapiro go. So there.
Yesterday I spent in three long meetings. I don't even work, how do I get so busy? Anyway, I had toast for breakfast as we had run out of milk. Meeting one was a quick, refreshment-free trot through our remodel status with the builders and architect (for more on which see http://remodelbox.blogspot.co). Then I went up to San Francisco for a business meeting with a nonprofit I'm involved with. It was supposed to be a lunch meeting. In typical SF fashion, we went to a salad bar and chose expensive lettuce: A carb free lunch with a tiny piece of strip steak to decorate the top. Really, can someone tell me what the point is of lettuce?
I then drove from San Francisco to San Jose in the rain. It took two and a half hours. By the time I arrived, I had consumed the emergency plain chocolate from my glove compartment (which really belongs to Deep Thought because it has little sugar in it). In San Jose, I spent three hours sifting applications for an academic enrichment program that I also support. It was interesting, but also supported by the occasional chocolate, as spread on the table by the staff.
Got home just before 9pm, starving. Ate a cheese quesadilla, which is generally calorific, but we happen to have high fibre/low carb tortillas at the moment, so it wasn't so bad. Trouble is, a little quesadilla isn't very filling (though it has a nice comforting melted cheese taste/texture which feels just right on a rainy evening), so I ended up snacking on some (baked) potato chips.
So not the most virtuous of days.
In contrast, today I just got back from my six mile walk, having had only breakfast Weetabix; and I'm hoping to persuade Deep Thought to join me at a dance class this evening.
Yesterday I spent in three long meetings. I don't even work, how do I get so busy? Anyway, I had toast for breakfast as we had run out of milk. Meeting one was a quick, refreshment-free trot through our remodel status with the builders and architect (for more on which see http://remodelbox.blogspot.co). Then I went up to San Francisco for a business meeting with a nonprofit I'm involved with. It was supposed to be a lunch meeting. In typical SF fashion, we went to a salad bar and chose expensive lettuce: A carb free lunch with a tiny piece of strip steak to decorate the top. Really, can someone tell me what the point is of lettuce?
I then drove from San Francisco to San Jose in the rain. It took two and a half hours. By the time I arrived, I had consumed the emergency plain chocolate from my glove compartment (which really belongs to Deep Thought because it has little sugar in it). In San Jose, I spent three hours sifting applications for an academic enrichment program that I also support. It was interesting, but also supported by the occasional chocolate, as spread on the table by the staff.
Got home just before 9pm, starving. Ate a cheese quesadilla, which is generally calorific, but we happen to have high fibre/low carb tortillas at the moment, so it wasn't so bad. Trouble is, a little quesadilla isn't very filling (though it has a nice comforting melted cheese taste/texture which feels just right on a rainy evening), so I ended up snacking on some (baked) potato chips.
So not the most virtuous of days.
In contrast, today I just got back from my six mile walk, having had only breakfast Weetabix; and I'm hoping to persuade Deep Thought to join me at a dance class this evening.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Positive Vibes
I'm thinking positive. Today I pretty much achieved target of 2000 calories which is good, but I am more pleased by the fact that while eating dinner (which was left over roast chicken in a tarragon and cream sauce and was pretty good) I realised that I had eaten enough and stopped eating.
This is possibly a first in OEM's experience.
Also, I made chocolate cornflakes for Notsosmall to take to school tomorrow for the cake sale in aid of Haiti and I didn't eat them. David had one and I had a small corner of that, but the rest are untouched, even though there is a non-standard number of them that usually I would feel justified in 'rounding down'.
Don't give up on me Dr Mom; I need to know you are suffering too!
This is possibly a first in OEM's experience.
Also, I made chocolate cornflakes for Notsosmall to take to school tomorrow for the cake sale in aid of Haiti and I didn't eat them. David had one and I had a small corner of that, but the rest are untouched, even though there is a non-standard number of them that usually I would feel justified in 'rounding down'.
Don't give up on me Dr Mom; I need to know you are suffering too!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wednesday Weigh-In - Dr Mom
Today I weighed in at 158.2, which is 1.4 lbs heavier than last week. I am now exactly the same weight I was on January 6, which is when we started this.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Numbers decreasing (slowly)
17 07. A whole pound. On other days this week when I've sneakily weighed, it has been 1706, but not today, oh no. So let's go with 1707.
Which was an important year, after all. The Scots lords signed over their independence to Us in exchange for a mess of porridge. Mmm, porridge, there's a thought.
Off to Guildford now.
Which was an important year, after all. The Scots lords signed over their independence to Us in exchange for a mess of porridge. Mmm, porridge, there's a thought.
Off to Guildford now.
I can't compete with Dr Mom in the healthy exercise stakes; I totter from computer screen to kettle and back again at the moment. Fresh air have I none. But frankly, until 4 March is out the way, not much is going to change on that front. As long as the trips to the kitchen are for cups of tea and not crisps, cheese and cake, I figure I'm doing ok, under the circumstances.
Not too bad today: toast and Bovril for breakfast (I'm out of bananas and I can't face the floor-scrapings (muesli) without something fresh fruit-like), lunch was pumpkin and chili soup (almost no calories at all) and 30g of cheddar cheese. Snacks of 50g crisps and one 30cal water biscuit. (I need to not have the crisps and have something slightly more substantial with lunch, it seems, in order to avoid the irresistible urge to have something when Notsosmall comes home.) Dinner was meatballs and spaghetti.
I notice from this blog that our meals are getting very monotonous! But again, until I've got this wretched Business Law exam out the way I can't give my mind to new recipes...
Not too bad today: toast and Bovril for breakfast (I'm out of bananas and I can't face the floor-scrapings (muesli) without something fresh fruit-like), lunch was pumpkin and chili soup (almost no calories at all) and 30g of cheddar cheese. Snacks of 50g crisps and one 30cal water biscuit. (I need to not have the crisps and have something slightly more substantial with lunch, it seems, in order to avoid the irresistible urge to have something when Notsosmall comes home.) Dinner was meatballs and spaghetti.
I notice from this blog that our meals are getting very monotonous! But again, until I've got this wretched Business Law exam out the way I can't give my mind to new recipes...
Exercise Overdose
Yesterday I did my usual six mile walk along the Baylands, stopping halfway at the Shoreline Cafe to drink a latte (the coffee shop visit of the day) and eat a banana. Yes, get that, not cake of any description, but a piece of fruit! Have you ever heard the like?
In the afternoon I participated in the children's dance class, so I effectively did two sessions of exercise in the same day. I have to admit that my legs were protesting quite a lot by the end of the evening, which I spent snuggled up on the sofa with a book.
Foodwise it was a pretty virtous day. Weetabix breakfast, morning coffee as already noted, chicken sandwich lunch, tuna melt dinner at the Country Gourmet, and a biscuit with my evening cup of tea. Today it's 1pm, and so far all I've had is the Weetabix and a coffee at a school meeting. I'm going to risk a bagel with a bit of cheese for lunch.
In the afternoon I participated in the children's dance class, so I effectively did two sessions of exercise in the same day. I have to admit that my legs were protesting quite a lot by the end of the evening, which I spent snuggled up on the sofa with a book.
Foodwise it was a pretty virtous day. Weetabix breakfast, morning coffee as already noted, chicken sandwich lunch, tuna melt dinner at the Country Gourmet, and a biscuit with my evening cup of tea. Today it's 1pm, and so far all I've had is the Weetabix and a coffee at a school meeting. I'm going to risk a bagel with a bit of cheese for lunch.
Equanimity Restored
No longer irrationally grumpy.
Food-wise the day went well until dinner, which was roast chicken with large quantity of Yorkshire pudding, modest quantity of mashed potato, and quite a lot of vegetables. It was scrummy, and I don't regret a single calorie of it.
I also succeeded in getting a job application in before the closing date, so that is positive too (though it turns out that the next stage is an online verbal reasoning test and I don't have a good track record with those - time to practice required).
Today I need to learn about insolvency-avoiding strategies and whether to choose a limited liability partnership, a partnership, a sole tradership or a limited company as a preferred business medium. Be still my beating heart.
Food-wise the day went well until dinner, which was roast chicken with large quantity of Yorkshire pudding, modest quantity of mashed potato, and quite a lot of vegetables. It was scrummy, and I don't regret a single calorie of it.
I also succeeded in getting a job application in before the closing date, so that is positive too (though it turns out that the next stage is an online verbal reasoning test and I don't have a good track record with those - time to practice required).
Today I need to learn about insolvency-avoiding strategies and whether to choose a limited liability partnership, a partnership, a sole tradership or a limited company as a preferred business medium. Be still my beating heart.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Oh Cultural Day
Family and I went up to San Francisco today to see Swan Lake at the War Memorial Opera House. We had pretty good seats in the Grand Tier (which is the second layer of dress circle up, the first layer consisting entirely of boxes). The stage seemed a fair way away, though it must have looked tiny to the people upstairs in the balcony. The good side was that we could see all the pretty patterns that the swan chorus made. Nice costumes, minimalist but appropriate sets. Not too hammy. Good quality dancing. Surprisingly, I think Hubby and I enjoyed it more than the gruesome twosome. Deep Thought announced that she "quite enjoyed the music" while Little Starlet (for whose benefit the outing was originally arranged) pronounced it "boring" and "when can we go to see Mr Shakespeare again?"
Sitting in a theater for three hours doesn't burn many calories, but neither does it provide many eating opportunities. We did, it is true, partake of a cup of filter coffee and the cookie plate at the first intermission, but my section of the cookie plate consisted of two bite sized morsels, and the coffee was unsweetened, so I figure that wasn't bad. At least the sugar and caffeine injection helped keep my eyes open for the whole performance.
After ballet we went to Max's Opera Cafe on Van Ness for dinner. Deep Thought was desperate to have the blue cheese bacon burger but, alas, it was no longer on the menu. I had the shrimp louie salad - that's lots and lots of lettuce with cauliflower, carrots and red pepper, garnished with shrimps and avocado - with about a quarter of the dressing; then Deep Thought and I shared a half-portion of the chocolate cake. Even a half portion was enormous, so a quarter portion was just right. We scraped off the extra frosting on the top and felt very virtuous indeed.
Sitting in a theater for three hours doesn't burn many calories, but neither does it provide many eating opportunities. We did, it is true, partake of a cup of filter coffee and the cookie plate at the first intermission, but my section of the cookie plate consisted of two bite sized morsels, and the coffee was unsweetened, so I figure that wasn't bad. At least the sugar and caffeine injection helped keep my eyes open for the whole performance.
After ballet we went to Max's Opera Cafe on Van Ness for dinner. Deep Thought was desperate to have the blue cheese bacon burger but, alas, it was no longer on the menu. I had the shrimp louie salad - that's lots and lots of lettuce with cauliflower, carrots and red pepper, garnished with shrimps and avocado - with about a quarter of the dressing; then Deep Thought and I shared a half-portion of the chocolate cake. Even a half portion was enormous, so a quarter portion was just right. We scraped off the extra frosting on the top and felt very virtuous indeed.
Two More Days
Saturday: raging munchies all day. Foul temper. 2100 calories.
Sunday: foul temper. Not munchy. Don't yet know the number. Had:
Cereal with banana
Soup and a smallish ham and salad sandwich
A quarter of a Bear Claw
Salmon, rice, broccoli and spinach with pine nuts (a slightly odd combo).
If I still had them, I'd say I had PMT...
Sunday: foul temper. Not munchy. Don't yet know the number. Had:
Cereal with banana
Soup and a smallish ham and salad sandwich
A quarter of a Bear Claw
Salmon, rice, broccoli and spinach with pine nuts (a slightly odd combo).
If I still had them, I'd say I had PMT...
Home cooking
We ate our first home-cooked meal in four days yesterday at a friend's house. Cottage pie. Yum. It was quite a relief to have something that didn't come with a side or a dipping sauce. (There was, of course, HP sauce on the table, but only the smalls partook of that.) This would have been a relatively low calorie day except that the aforementioned friends put out the tortilla chips and dip on the table while we played a board game. I tried, I really did, but the Trader Joe's Cilantro Dip was very moreish.
Lunch, we ate at Bappo's Pizzeria in the Stanford Shopping Center. I had a chicken ligura foccaccia sandwhich, which I'm sure had a million calories, but at least it wasn't a pizza.
No evening nibbling. No cake. No coffee. No exercise either, but not a bad day all round.
Lunch, we ate at Bappo's Pizzeria in the Stanford Shopping Center. I had a chicken ligura foccaccia sandwhich, which I'm sure had a million calories, but at least it wasn't a pizza.
No evening nibbling. No cake. No coffee. No exercise either, but not a bad day all round.
Friday, January 29, 2010
My Virtue Runneth Over
Another fine day.
Shredded wheat for breakfast - nasty, but filling. Meeting in Starbucks in the morning, with a coffee but no nibbles. Lunch provided by my lovely friend Yin, consisting of bagel, alternative crisps containing lentils, and a bit of vegetable matter. (This was a sympathy lunch, in support of those of us who are Without Kitchen.)
Another walk in the afternoon, this one involving some uphill and downhill, at the Arasteradero Preserve in Palo Alto. Unfortunately many of the most scenic paths are currently closed due to overwhelming muddiness, but I still managed a nice loop of 2.78 miles, which took just under an hour. What was even more virtuous was that I did the last 20 minutes of the walk in the pouring rain. How devoted to personal self improvement is that? OK, I was at the top of the hill so I didn't have much choice, but hey - !
Girls night out with Little Starlet. Hubby and Deep Thought went to the school's Skate Night and ate tepid pizza. Little Starlet and I went to the local noodle bar. We shared pork dumplings, then Little Starlet had "simple chicken noodles" while I had orange chicken with sticky rice. The orange chicken was extremely spicy, so I didn't eat all of it, nor more than half the rice. Portions around here really are out of control. It had been such a virtuous day that we finished off our meal with small chocolate gelato's at the local gelaterie. Yum.
Shredded wheat for breakfast - nasty, but filling. Meeting in Starbucks in the morning, with a coffee but no nibbles. Lunch provided by my lovely friend Yin, consisting of bagel, alternative crisps containing lentils, and a bit of vegetable matter. (This was a sympathy lunch, in support of those of us who are Without Kitchen.)
Another walk in the afternoon, this one involving some uphill and downhill, at the Arasteradero Preserve in Palo Alto. Unfortunately many of the most scenic paths are currently closed due to overwhelming muddiness, but I still managed a nice loop of 2.78 miles, which took just under an hour. What was even more virtuous was that I did the last 20 minutes of the walk in the pouring rain. How devoted to personal self improvement is that? OK, I was at the top of the hill so I didn't have much choice, but hey - !
Girls night out with Little Starlet. Hubby and Deep Thought went to the school's Skate Night and ate tepid pizza. Little Starlet and I went to the local noodle bar. We shared pork dumplings, then Little Starlet had "simple chicken noodles" while I had orange chicken with sticky rice. The orange chicken was extremely spicy, so I didn't eat all of it, nor more than half the rice. Portions around here really are out of control. It had been such a virtuous day that we finished off our meal with small chocolate gelato's at the local gelaterie. Yum.
A Contagion of Virtue
(Doesn't that sound like a good title for a crime novel?)
1800 cals today - 2 pieces of toast, an M&S salad (240cals), supper was the grown-up version of sausage and lentils, and a glass of grapefruit juice. Doesn't sound enough to keep body and soul together, but I didn't fall over with hunger or anything.
I've bought a bunch of hyacinths (try saying that with a lisp) which are filling the house with the scent of spring. And it was a perfectly clear night with a glorious full (or full-ish) moon and Notsosmall and I saw Mars. So much is well with the world tonight.
1800 cals today - 2 pieces of toast, an M&S salad (240cals), supper was the grown-up version of sausage and lentils, and a glass of grapefruit juice. Doesn't sound enough to keep body and soul together, but I didn't fall over with hunger or anything.
I've bought a bunch of hyacinths (try saying that with a lisp) which are filling the house with the scent of spring. And it was a perfectly clear night with a glorious full (or full-ish) moon and Notsosmall and I saw Mars. So much is well with the world tonight.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Oh Virtuous Day
I've got to post smugly about my day.
- First of all, it is a No Cake Day. It was, admittedly, a two coffee day, but the first one was forced on me by the car wash taking over an hour to clean my car; which was pretty amazing given that the car is only two weeks old, so isn't even that dirty!
- Secondly, I had A Small Lunch - well, it involved a bagel, which I know has about a million calories in it, but it was Not Large. And lunch also involved a very nasty lemon flavored diet yoghurt (Light 'N' Fit Lemon Chiffon Yoghurt by Dannon), which I had really purchased for Deep Thought to consume with a school lunch, but she has been saved from that particular experience. (Also one I shall never repeat. Imagine eating toilet cleaner.)
- Third, and this is the really virtuous pinnacle of the day, I did my favorite six mile walk along the Bay Lands this afternoon. It's very flat but a long way and quite scenic. I can definitely feel it in my legs. I reckon I am doing a mile in 16 minutes, which doesn't seem too bad to me.
Not quite on target yet
Dear OEM,
Our original goal was to lose 2 pounds a week. We're some way off that, aren't we? Here we are after three weeks and you've lost 2 and I've lost 1.2 - total. Hmm. We're going to have to get stricter.
Have you managed to do the once a week exercise yet, as per the manifesto?
Love
Dr Mom
Our original goal was to lose 2 pounds a week. We're some way off that, aren't we? Here we are after three weeks and you've lost 2 and I've lost 1.2 - total. Hmm. We're going to have to get stricter.
Have you managed to do the once a week exercise yet, as per the manifesto?
Love
Dr Mom
Oh bother I pressed post too soon
I was trying to say, see www.bighams.com/our-food/everyday/catalan-chicken .
Today involved eating lunch at Wagamammas with David to celebrate the arrival of the new Washing Machine (heavenly chorus sings "aaahhh"). I think it will be beans on toast for tea.
Anyway, that's the update. I've been busy trying to keep up with college work while writing a life of Ethel Grimwood for the Oxford DNB. She is quite entertaining, though sadly she died insane in Oregon.
Today involved eating lunch at Wagamammas with David to celebrate the arrival of the new Washing Machine (heavenly chorus sings "aaahhh"). I think it will be beans on toast for tea.
Anyway, that's the update. I've been busy trying to keep up with college work while writing a life of Ethel Grimwood for the Oxford DNB. She is quite entertaining, though sadly she died insane in Oregon.
New Beginnings
Today's weigh-in - 17.08. So that's 2lb back down on last week. I have a feeling there is just a natural 2lb variation in my weight week on week! However, I shall view this in a positive light and continue to monitor the grub and nosh (as Notsosmall Boy has taken to terming it. I think he's spent too long with the Beano Annual).
Yesterday was a College day, with three classes. It was very long. After last week's effort with a modest bowl of soup but two Crunchies, I thought I'd try the opposite tack and had a baked potato with some beef stew (mainly gravy, I fear - College canteens are much as they ever were). This filled me up satisfactorily and I only had one bar of chocolately goodness to sustain me through an afternoon of the Sale of Goods Act and How to Dismiss a Director.
Useful fact - a Bounty has only 137 calories as opposed to the 180 in a Crunchie. And you get to enjoy the coconut for the rest of the day as you pick it out of your teeth.
We then had a low cal supper of Catalan Chicken with Rice and Corn (it doesn't sound low cal, but actually nearly all the cals were in the rice - this is a Bigham's Ready to Cook meal and only has about 480 calories altogether and two of us ate it - see
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
What's Your BMI?
The Kaiser Permanente website has a Body Mass Index calculator at https://members.kaiserpermanente.org/kpweb/healthcalc/bmi.do
To use it, you need to know your weight in pounds and your height in inches. If you want to go the metric route, this is the calculation: Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. To convert imperial to metric and find BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by 703, divide that number by your height in inches, then take the result and divide it again by your height in inches. (This calculation is courtesty of Kaiser Permanente's leaflet "Fit Tips: Fun Little Ideas for Big Results".)
My BMI comes out at 27.1, which is overweight. The ideal BMI for adults is considered to be 18.5 to 24.9. (I guess they use the same scales for men and women - presumably women are supposed to fall at the lower end of the range, men at the upper end.)
Just for interest, Kaiser Permanente also has a BMI calculator for children ages 2-19 at
https://members.kaiserpermanente.org/kpweb/healthency.do?hwid=calc020§ionId=calc020-sec&contextId=tf6820.
Deep Thought came out at 15, which puts her in the 15th centile for BMI. (A child of her age would be considered underweight at 14.)
To use it, you need to know your weight in pounds and your height in inches. If you want to go the metric route, this is the calculation: Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. To convert imperial to metric and find BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by 703, divide that number by your height in inches, then take the result and divide it again by your height in inches. (This calculation is courtesty of Kaiser Permanente's leaflet "Fit Tips: Fun Little Ideas for Big Results".)
My BMI comes out at 27.1, which is overweight. The ideal BMI for adults is considered to be 18.5 to 24.9. (I guess they use the same scales for men and women - presumably women are supposed to fall at the lower end of the range, men at the upper end.)
Just for interest, Kaiser Permanente also has a BMI calculator for children ages 2-19 at
https://members.kaiserpermanente.org/kpweb/healthency.do?hwid=calc020§ionId=calc020-sec&contextId=tf6820.
Deep Thought came out at 15, which puts her in the 15th centile for BMI. (A child of her age would be considered underweight at 14.)
Monday, January 25, 2010
Perfect End to Dinner
As forecast, we went to Country Gourmet - http:://www.country-gourmet.com - for dinner: Basmati rice with stir-fried vegetables and chicken. I'd forgotten that they serve gargantuan portions, so I only ate about half the rice, all the chicken, and half the veggies. Deep Thought had a tuna melt, which looked rather good and was clearly a better size for a regular human being. Little Starlet had a garlicky pasta dish which had an overwhelming aroma. Both the kids finished off dinner with a sundae, from which the teeniest bites were consumed by parents.
On the way home, Little Starlet threw up in the back of my car. My nice, clean, ten day old car. I have wiped the vomit off the back seat, but I guess my first stop tomorrow will be the car wash.
On the bright side, I participated in the children's dance class this afternoon, so I think that counts quite adequately as 30 minutes of vigorous exercise.
On the way home, Little Starlet threw up in the back of my car. My nice, clean, ten day old car. I have wiped the vomit off the back seat, but I guess my first stop tomorrow will be the car wash.
On the bright side, I participated in the children's dance class this afternoon, so I think that counts quite adequately as 30 minutes of vigorous exercise.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Things are about to get worse
Have you noticed how downbeat our blog is? It's full of gloom and doom about what we've eaten, how our moods make us into ravening chocolate eaters, the woes of inadequate willpower, and the evil of our nearest and dearest who insist on eating ice cream and potato chips when we are meant to be nibbling on lettuce?
Well. Things are about to take a turn for the worse in Dr Mom's household. Tomorrow our kitchen is being demolished as part of the Great House Remodel (for more on that, see my other blog at http://remodelbox.blogspot.com). Hubby and I have spent the past two days packing the kitchen up. We've taken a lot, really a lot, of boxes to our storage unit. The food in the cupboards was pretty much a three way split between the storage unit, the dining room (for eating) and the garbage. We discovered that much had disappeared down the back of the main food cupboard. The record for out-of-dateness was May 2004.
We ended up at the pizza house at lunchtime because Deep Thought had a friend over and she turned out to be vegetarian; and of course we had planned to eat two meaty meals. Hubby and I were exceptionally abstemious, sharing one pizza between us. Dinner was pasta carbonara, using up the remaining egg and bacon. No time for treats or temptation for the rest of the time.
However, there is no way we will be able to eat at home most days. Tomorrow, the girls have a dance class that doesn't end till 5:30pm, so we shall be off to the Country Gourmet in Sunnyvale for a spot of all-American home cooking, restaurant-style. I figure we'll be calling on the hot food counter at the supermarket a fair bit. A big "Mi Pueblo" supermarket recently opened close to us, so that might be a good option. Of course, Mexican food is well known for its low calorie nature - NOT.
Well. Things are about to take a turn for the worse in Dr Mom's household. Tomorrow our kitchen is being demolished as part of the Great House Remodel (for more on that, see my other blog at http://remodelbox.blogspot.com). Hubby and I have spent the past two days packing the kitchen up. We've taken a lot, really a lot, of boxes to our storage unit. The food in the cupboards was pretty much a three way split between the storage unit, the dining room (for eating) and the garbage. We discovered that much had disappeared down the back of the main food cupboard. The record for out-of-dateness was May 2004.
We ended up at the pizza house at lunchtime because Deep Thought had a friend over and she turned out to be vegetarian; and of course we had planned to eat two meaty meals. Hubby and I were exceptionally abstemious, sharing one pizza between us. Dinner was pasta carbonara, using up the remaining egg and bacon. No time for treats or temptation for the rest of the time.
However, there is no way we will be able to eat at home most days. Tomorrow, the girls have a dance class that doesn't end till 5:30pm, so we shall be off to the Country Gourmet in Sunnyvale for a spot of all-American home cooking, restaurant-style. I figure we'll be calling on the hot food counter at the supermarket a fair bit. A big "Mi Pueblo" supermarket recently opened close to us, so that might be a good option. Of course, Mexican food is well known for its low calorie nature - NOT.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tomorrow is Another Day...
...which is just as well as today started with pancakes and syrup, encompassed soup and sanwich at lunch and then dinner out at Carluccio's with Jack and his boys. So there was much yummy bread, and a tasty chicken wrapped in parma ham thing (with a few potato slices and some spinach). I didn't have pudding, even though my Spouse was non-supportive by eating a delicious bread and butter pudding with chocolate and raisins thing (I had a small corner of it just to see how good it was).
Of course, next time we go there, I will have to have the pudding now!!!
http://www.carluccios.com/our-food/menus/dessert-menu/CA272_Winter2010_DessertMenu_ForWeb.pdf
Bad news: the poundage lost in week one seems to have been a mirage - I haven't been that bad this week and they have returned on the scales. I guess I really am going to have to go to the gym...
Of course, next time we go there, I will have to have the pudding now!!!
http://www.carluccios.com/our-food/menus/dessert-menu/CA272_Winter2010_DessertMenu_ForWeb.pdf
Bad news: the poundage lost in week one seems to have been a mirage - I haven't been that bad this week and they have returned on the scales. I guess I really am going to have to go to the gym...
Bad Hotel Days
I spent Thursday and Friday at a hotel conference center, at a conference sponsored by the Women's Foundation of California. It was a tremendously interesting and energetic conference, filled with inspiring speakers and committed workers in California's nonprofit sector. I had eye opening conversations with the executive directors of Girls & Gangs, an LA based nonprofit that works to take girls out of the gang culture; Foundation for a College Education, from East Palo Alto, that helps 40 kids a year find places at college; and Breakthrough Silicon Valley, that concentrates on promoting achievement among high potential Latino kids from disadvantaged backgrounds, starting with middle school. I learned that the nonprofit sector employs 10% of the Californian workforce, and I found out what the "Tea Party" movement is. So it was all good.
Except for the eating. Which was not.
Well, you know how hotels and conferences go. First of all, you have to keep eating in order to stay awake, no matter how interesting the speakers may be. There is just something about sitting still for long periods, exercising only your ears, that makes that essential. Second, there is the constant stream of food. Coffee and cookies at break. Cooked breakfast. Tempting buffet at dinner. Drinks and dessert in the evening. It has to be described as a calorific couple of days.
Except for the eating. Which was not.
Well, you know how hotels and conferences go. First of all, you have to keep eating in order to stay awake, no matter how interesting the speakers may be. There is just something about sitting still for long periods, exercising only your ears, that makes that essential. Second, there is the constant stream of food. Coffee and cookies at break. Cooked breakfast. Tempting buffet at dinner. Drinks and dessert in the evening. It has to be described as a calorific couple of days.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Emotional Eating
What you need, OEM, is a strategy for gaining control of your "emotional eating". I found several articles on the web about this, including this one from the Mayo Clinic. Seems to me that you are already following a number of the suggestions, such as keeping a food diary (and the no deprivation one is clearly very important).
I am also a toadal emotional eater. Eat when I'm bored, eat when I'm happy, eat when I am cross... I guess the strategy would be to reach for something that is less calorific for a start. So reach for the yoghurt not the crisps. Have a cup of cocoa instead of a chocolate bar. Plus the action of having to make something will decrease the amount of food you eat, because you have less time!
I also suffer from Lack of Willpower. Today I'm heading off to a hotel in Santa Cruz for a conference (today and tomorrow). Which means - hotel food. Large portions. Too much choice. Cooked breakfast maybe. Temptation and almost guaranteed failure. I'm thinking of going vegetarian for the couple of days, but I may have missed the boat on that one.
On the bright side, I did do my dance class last night. Any progress on that front for you? Now it's stopped snowing in good old Blighty, might a brisk walk around the park be another way to work off the annoyance?
I am also a toadal emotional eater. Eat when I'm bored, eat when I'm happy, eat when I am cross... I guess the strategy would be to reach for something that is less calorific for a start. So reach for the yoghurt not the crisps. Have a cup of cocoa instead of a chocolate bar. Plus the action of having to make something will decrease the amount of food you eat, because you have less time!
I also suffer from Lack of Willpower. Today I'm heading off to a hotel in Santa Cruz for a conference (today and tomorrow). Which means - hotel food. Large portions. Too much choice. Cooked breakfast maybe. Temptation and almost guaranteed failure. I'm thinking of going vegetarian for the couple of days, but I may have missed the boat on that one.
On the bright side, I did do my dance class last night. Any progress on that front for you? Now it's stopped snowing in good old Blighty, might a brisk walk around the park be another way to work off the annoyance?
Revelation
OEM eats when annoyed.
Crisps and Cake.
OK, so now I have identified a 'food trigger', what am I supposed to do about it?
Eating seems better than kicking the cat or shouting abuse at random strangers. What alternative activity can you suggest, O Fount of Wisdom? Dr Mom? Anyone?
Crisps and Cake.
OK, so now I have identified a 'food trigger', what am I supposed to do about it?
Eating seems better than kicking the cat or shouting abuse at random strangers. What alternative activity can you suggest, O Fount of Wisdom? Dr Mom? Anyone?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
A Two Crunchie Day
I was at college (finally open), where they are packing an extra session in each time to try to catch up on the lost snow days. Despite this, and despite the TWO Crunchies (I meant to have a Crunchie and a Kit Kat, but the vending machine wouldn't let me), Authorities assert that I have only had 1800 and some odd calories today. Thus:
Cereal and Banana (sensible breakfast)
A modest bowl of celery soup (yukkish, will shun in future) with a bread roll and 5g butter
Aforementioned delicious chemical confectioneries
The healthy dinner I planned for yesterday but didn't have because David was manky (Salmon, pak choi, & mushrooms with noodles (there's garlic and chili and ginger and soy sauce in there too, but they don't count).
A pot of fresh pineapple which I was pleased to discover only had 88 calories in it - I'd meant to eat half of it, but on discovering the count ate the lot. Will stock up on this.
Tomorrow I weigh. My guess is that I will not have lost anything, but am hoping for remaining the same!
Cereal and Banana (sensible breakfast)
A modest bowl of celery soup (yukkish, will shun in future) with a bread roll and 5g butter
Aforementioned delicious chemical confectioneries
The healthy dinner I planned for yesterday but didn't have because David was manky (Salmon, pak choi, & mushrooms with noodles (there's garlic and chili and ginger and soy sauce in there too, but they don't count).
A pot of fresh pineapple which I was pleased to discover only had 88 calories in it - I'd meant to eat half of it, but on discovering the count ate the lot. Will stock up on this.
Tomorrow I weigh. My guess is that I will not have lost anything, but am hoping for remaining the same!
Wednesday Weigh In - Dr Mom
Bad day yesterday, involving a bagel, Starbucks and some potato chips.
Today's weigh in - 158 lbs, which is two pounds heavier than last Wednesday.
Today's weigh in - 158 lbs, which is two pounds heavier than last Wednesday.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Outlook Gloomy
So after a flying start in week one, week two is turning out to be dire.
I'm still writing stuff down, but when the list says things like:
40g cereal
30g Goldfish
40g Cake
a medium sized handful of Sweet Chili Crisps
360cal Sandwich from Waitrose
1/2 Pot soup ditto
3 leftover meatballs with about 15 strands of spaghetti and a grating of cheese
4 water biscuits and 40g St Agur
you can tell that the menu planning and eating sensible meals at sensible times portion of the plan has gone out the window.
To be fair, I went to Waitrose to avoid scavenging for more crisps, and the lunch was on plan, AND I bought ingredients for a healthy and light supper (salmon, pak choi, shitake mushrooms) but David is lying on the sofa like a wet weekend (in fact, in much the same condition that Mum and Dad were in last week - so maybe it wasn't jetlag but a bug which they've kindly left behind) and only wanted to nibble a piece of toast, so dinner was off.
On the plus side, I've done all my prep for tomorrow's classes (all THREE of them, they're trying to make up for lost time by packing an extra session into each day, as if anyone can concentrate for more than twenty minutes anyway). But guess what? A new band of snow is due to pass over us tomorrow - they'd better not cancel again or there will be ructions...
I'm still writing stuff down, but when the list says things like:
40g cereal
30g Goldfish
40g Cake
a medium sized handful of Sweet Chili Crisps
360cal Sandwich from Waitrose
1/2 Pot soup ditto
3 leftover meatballs with about 15 strands of spaghetti and a grating of cheese
4 water biscuits and 40g St Agur
you can tell that the menu planning and eating sensible meals at sensible times portion of the plan has gone out the window.
To be fair, I went to Waitrose to avoid scavenging for more crisps, and the lunch was on plan, AND I bought ingredients for a healthy and light supper (salmon, pak choi, shitake mushrooms) but David is lying on the sofa like a wet weekend (in fact, in much the same condition that Mum and Dad were in last week - so maybe it wasn't jetlag but a bug which they've kindly left behind) and only wanted to nibble a piece of toast, so dinner was off.
On the plus side, I've done all my prep for tomorrow's classes (all THREE of them, they're trying to make up for lost time by packing an extra session into each day, as if anyone can concentrate for more than twenty minutes anyway). But guess what? A new band of snow is due to pass over us tomorrow - they'd better not cancel again or there will be ructions...
Monday, January 18, 2010
Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Kids demanded fried eggs and bacon for breakfast. Since today is a very rainy public holiday - kids off school - and both are apparently experiencing a growth spurt - which translates into perpetual foraging for food - how could I say no? But how cruel is that, to make the dieting mother cook bacon?
Succumbed to a small bacon sandwich, only two rashers and one slice of bread, but still...
Hmm. Jeans feeling tighter again today.
Succumbed to a small bacon sandwich, only two rashers and one slice of bread, but still...
Hmm. Jeans feeling tighter again today.
Feeling a bit disheartened today. 2600 calories, many of them gratuitous.
Aged Parents have gone home, having been here since Wednesday with some of the nastiest jetlag I've ever seen. And gastric issues. I'm worried about Dad who has aged an incredible amount in the last six months and is not what he was.
I think there is a direct correlation here between the piece of cake, the 40g of crisps, the 140calories of Goldfish and the two Golden Crunch Cream biscuits and my state of mind.
On the up side, I have now thrown out the biscuits on grounds that 79 calories per biscuit is just not worth it when they aren't that nice. In future, when I want 200 calories of chocolatey goodness, I will go out and buy a Crunchie or a Milky Way or a Thorntons Mint Truffle Bar...
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Illusions, Delusions, and Conclusions
I think I am starting to feel and look a bit thinner. That must be a delusion.
I had a small spoonful of gluten free fruit crumble with a splash of soy milk based custard for dessert at a friend's house today. Surely that has almost no calories in it, since it has hardly any normal food stuffs in it. That must be an illusion.
You can't lose weight without eating less. That's the only conclusion.
I had a small spoonful of gluten free fruit crumble with a splash of soy milk based custard for dessert at a friend's house today. Surely that has almost no calories in it, since it has hardly any normal food stuffs in it. That must be an illusion.
You can't lose weight without eating less. That's the only conclusion.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Cake and Happiness
We did go out for pizza last night and I was sooooo goooood. I ate half a pizza, when I would normally have eated a whole one (some 1200 calories, according to the California Pizza Kitchen's nutritional menu); and I also shared a salad with Hubby. He suspects that the salad had a fair few calories in it, as he chose the "Thai Chicken Salad" which turned out to have deep fried noodley things on the top and a sweet dressing, but still - ! Salad!
The best part was that I went to bed without a headache and got up in the morning without one too. There may well be something in my mother's theory.
Today I was quite good and a little bit bad. Weetabix for breakfast. Wholewheat pitta bread with curried chicken salad for lunch.
I did accidentally eat a two egg cheese omelette mid-morning.... Well, I was teaching Deep Thought how to make one (for her own snack) and Little Starlet requested one. Then Little Starlet was very rude about Deep Thought's product (which was actually perfect) so I told her she couldn't eat it. And I couldn't waste it, could I? And WeightWatchers thinks that eggs are good - a "filling food". So that was only four points of harm done.
Then this afternoon we stopped off at my favorite coffee shop - the French one - to pick up coffee and snackerel for the afternoon. The kids had been at a dance class and I'd promised them a treat. We each had a very small chocolate cake (1" square) which was delicious, and just the perfect size. I count that as naughty but nice, and in keeping with manifesto points 2 (everything in moderation), 3 (no deprivation) and 8 (one visit to a coffee shop per day).
The thing I am noticing is that I am not wanting to eat so much in one sitting. I had got into the habit of eating till I felt a bit queasy, or had that badly stuffed feeling, and now I am able to stop when I get to the end of what seems an appropriate portion.
Tonight we are having healthy roast chicken, boiled potatoes and some other vegetable. (Hubby is cooking.)
The
The best part was that I went to bed without a headache and got up in the morning without one too. There may well be something in my mother's theory.
Today I was quite good and a little bit bad. Weetabix for breakfast. Wholewheat pitta bread with curried chicken salad for lunch.
I did accidentally eat a two egg cheese omelette mid-morning.... Well, I was teaching Deep Thought how to make one (for her own snack) and Little Starlet requested one. Then Little Starlet was very rude about Deep Thought's product (which was actually perfect) so I told her she couldn't eat it. And I couldn't waste it, could I? And WeightWatchers thinks that eggs are good - a "filling food". So that was only four points of harm done.
Then this afternoon we stopped off at my favorite coffee shop - the French one - to pick up coffee and snackerel for the afternoon. The kids had been at a dance class and I'd promised them a treat. We each had a very small chocolate cake (1" square) which was delicious, and just the perfect size. I count that as naughty but nice, and in keeping with manifesto points 2 (everything in moderation), 3 (no deprivation) and 8 (one visit to a coffee shop per day).
The thing I am noticing is that I am not wanting to eat so much in one sitting. I had got into the habit of eating till I felt a bit queasy, or had that badly stuffed feeling, and now I am able to stop when I get to the end of what seems an appropriate portion.
Tonight we are having healthy roast chicken, boiled potatoes and some other vegetable. (Hubby is cooking.)
The
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