Saturday, August 30, 2008

Another Saturday Night

Wild partying? Nope. Painting! Rick painting. I wonder how many calories watching him burns? I have done little jobs, like cleaning all the painting tools and scrubbing every radiator cover in the house. They are stowed away safely, ready to be returned to their respective places, surrounded by nice new carpeting. I also packed up my bookshelves this morning. Amazing how three long shelves of books can fit into two bankers boxes! On his way home from yet another trip for tools to Home Depot, Rick tempted me with an offer of a Pizza Hut pizza. Thank heavens I had a Dr.Oeteker Spinach pizza in the freezer ready to go - he got his pizza and I got a break! It is only 220 calories per 1/4 pie, so the damage was negligable. Could account for the missing nutrients though, because you can buy a lot of meat and vegetables for 440 calories.

Preparing fruit has always been a bugaboo with me. Since buying myself a "Nicer Dicer" this chore isn't so bad. And is it ever nice to have all of the strawberries and cantaloupe nicely diced and ready for consuming in the frig. I had a cup of strawberries for supper, and just polished off a cup of Tuscan melon. MMMM good. And so very nicely diced, I may add. I love the 'even' bites!

For the past few days, I have been researching various nutrients and what they do for you. A simplified source of information is at www.nutristrategy.com/nutrition/potassium.htm Well, after playing nutrient detective, it turns out that I am consistantly low in potassium, magnesium and pantothenic acid. So, I will have to increase my dairy and meat intake a bit. Guess those Swiss Delice will have to be lavished on visiting skinny people!

When I did the calorie calculations in detail, I found that in order to reach my goals, I need to have 1444 calories a day, give or take activity points, or treats. That is a lot less than the amount that WW allowed, with points, and Flex points. Could explain a lot of things. Another change I have made, is to filtered water rather than distilled. My skin is improving noticably as well, so it leads me to wonder if I was missing a few trace minerals. Winnipeg water, at times, has enough stuff in it to be considered a food group, but this handy dandy water filter takes out the obvious grunge and leaves the trace minerals. And, of course, the taste is good. No chlorine smell or taste, either.

My menu today was:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 2 tsp of butter, 1 T Cheez Whiz, 1 glass of milk

Lunch: 1/4 cup of pitted prunes

Supper: 1/2 Dr.Oetaker Spinach Pizza, 1 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of 2% cottage cheese

Snack: 1 cup of cantaloupe, 2 Swiss Delice chocolates.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Another day dawns....

on the battlefield! I have no idea why we bite off so much at once, but I guess it is the only way we can get things done...once and for all. It is difficult to draw lines in this house, due to the open concept plan. (I still don't know where to start the "kitchen" wall! So, this weekend is the big push to get things painted and done. The man is amazing. I can only wonder what he could do if he had the full use of his hands and the full use of his knees. But I guess that is what determination is all about. He struggles and wins. You never lose until you quit. So, on that note,on to the menu for the day! I will fill in as the day continues. There really isn't too much time for eating!

Breakfast: 2 eggs, Oat Hull Fibre toast, butter, skim milk
Snack: Banana
Lunch: cottage cheese and strawberries
Snack:
Supper:

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Demolition


is well underway. Thank goodness for hummus!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

On to room number three...

Which just happens to be our bedroom. There are ominous bangs and thumps on the other side of the wall (remember, I am now located in the kitchen. Very interesting furniture arrangement, I must say. Office chair right by the frig. Tooooooo convenient!

The colour scheme is finalized. We have yet to buy the paint, but tomorrow seems like a good day to commit to the colours. We are going to try painting the cottage cheese ceilings...is this a mistake? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Today's menu:
Breakfast: Eggs, toast & butter, coffee, milk

Lunch: 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 1/2 T Miracle whip mixed with horseradish, 3 slices of Pillar's roast beef

Supper: Leftover Chicken breast, rice salad and toasted almonds for dessert...would way rather do salty than sweet for a treat!

Snacks: 2 apples

Fat (38%) Carbs (40%)
Protein (21%)

Chart from Fitday.com showing calories burned vs calories consumed over the last week....

Working up a storm....

so far? We have two rooms emptied and stripped, ready for paint. Tonight? I am not sure what room the husband will go after, or where I will sleep. But it is temporary, so I am trying to keep that in mind. We are trying to be as neat as possible under the circumstances, but when your office has been moved to the kitchen, it leads to some rather interesting furniture arrangements! I couldn't see being without the computer for ten minutes, let alone ten days, so until the last day, I will have access!

I forgot to eat lunch, so we had a "treat" supper. PC White Cheddar Mac & Cheese. Instead of the 1/4 cup of butter? I added two teaspoons, just a touch for flavour. Beet pickles are my favourite accompaniment, and since 3 slices are 20 calories, I am not ashamed to tell you that I ate as many as I wanted, and then one more!

Breakfast: 2 eggs, toast & butter, skim milk (which, is a perfectly balanced meal for me 37% fat (that's why I sometimes forget lunch...it keeps me balanced 27% protein. 36% carbs. The rest of the day, I eat complex carbs and a little protein. And of course, the new found MUFA addition to help get rid of belly fat!)

Snack: almonds

Lunch: roast beef sandwich, apple, diet pop

Supper: Mac & Cheese, pickled beets, too many chocolates, Eating Right potato crisps

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Good Friends and French Chocolate

What a perfectly lovely day we have had today! We put off doing the work we have to do, and had friends join us for supper. It was a 'make do' kind of meal, so it was easy to relax and enjoy our visit. It was a real treat, because although we live in the same city, we rarely have an opportunity to get together. We had raw veggies and a meat platter to tide us over until our supper was cooked - each meat bite was 30 calories or under. Of course, I indulged and enjoyed a little beer, and yep! A little Bailey's in my coffee. My dear, sweet friend brought some wonderful dark chocolate that I have never,ever bought in my life. This was chocolate at its finest. Dark. Rich. Sooooo good - almost as good as the people who brought it!

Breakfast: eggs, toast, skim milk

Lunch: woops - for the first time in absolutely ages, I baked lemon cupcakes. SO, of course, lunch was half a lemon cupcake!

Supper: nibbles first ~ raw veggies & a tsp of dip, one slice of roast beef with horseradish sauce - very pleased with the way that worked out. One slice is only about 30 calories, including a smudge of sauce...mmmmm good! Tossed salad with *oil and vinegar dressing, 1/2 of a ciabatta bun, 1/2 bottle of beer, a chicken breast, half a cup of curried rice salad - for the first time, I replaced the sugar with Splenda, and it was still very, very good. For dessert? 1/2 cup of mixed berries, with a generous teaspoonful of coolwhip, and a lemon cupcake. And then? Oh my. Be still my heart. French dark chocolate. Creamy. Rich. Dark. And OOOOOOOO so good. With a good cup of coffee and 3/4 oz of Baileys Irish Cream? Could there be a better party for your palate?

Doesn't this sound like I bit the dust today? But no. Drum roll please.
Calories: 2011 calories, or 41 WW points. The fat grams were high, but for a walk on the wild side? It was well worth it! There go the Flex points!

For a great oil and vinegar salad dressing, try this one - I added tiny diced onions.

Mix all ingredients in a bottle and shake to combine:
• 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 Cup rice vinegar
• 3 Finely minced garlic cloves (I use the stuff in a jar)
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste





Then?

Saturday, August 23, 2008

And just when things were going soooooo well....

My reward for good behaviour arrived in the mail yesterday. A Soprano east-west handbag, in a brass shade. Holds everything really nicely, and came with a little makeup case so you can always find your mirror and lipstick,too! The lining is an animal print, so things are much easier to see than in the traditional 'black hole'. Thank you Shopping Channel! I only have three handbags in my closet now...brass, black and my little red one. This has been my greatest challenge.
I had to go and have Chinese food last night! HOWEVER we ordered two dishes, one was diced chicken and vegetables with almonds, and chicken chop suey. But I am sure they were both loaded with salt. The scale showed a gain this morning, but I refuse to acknowledge it!

Today, I attacked the closet. I have a pile of clothing a mile high on my chair, waiting to be sorted through and folded. Next job is to wrestle into some stockings, and try on all of the shoes! I am only keeping the absolutely fabulously comfortable shoes. Amazingly, one pair has super high heels, but go figure. They feel wonderful, and I can walk in them...not forever, but long enough to get where I am going!



Hubby's office closet is now the storage area for out of season clothing, purses, bedding, shoes and boots. I am going to keep only what I use at hand in my closet, which, as it turns out? Is still far too much stuff! I really only need a few well coordinated outfits, but you have to buy a half dozen to get one that really works, it seems. While I am changing sizes, I am shopping sales only, and refuse to pay full price for something that I hope will be gone in six months!

When you are a plus size, it is very difficult to find clothing that is good quality, fit and price. The manufacturers have a captive audience and they know it. That is why you still see ghastly prints in chubby sizes. Who told these people that getting fat made you go blind? So, as I was trying on absolutely every item in the closet, I realized how many things I purchased because "it sort of works". I realized that the majority of things I bought "anyway" (colours were off, cut not quite right) are the things that languished in my closet for ages. Lesson learned mistake will not be repeated.

Breakfast: eggs, toast & butter, milk and coffee
Lunch: roast beef sandwich
Supper: ?????

Friday, August 22, 2008

Today's Menu

Yesterday I was a bit of a rebel, but today, more structure. Besides, the man is coming home and will likely have all sorts of expectations, one of them being a home cooked meal. So, here is my meal plan.

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 toast, 1 butter, 1 milk 22 almonds

Lunch:1 cups of strawberries, with Splenda, of course, and 1/2 cup cottage cheese

Snack: Five prunes

Supper: roast pork tenderloin with potatos and gravy, salad (with olive oil) mixed veggies (celery, cauliflower, peppers, carrots - whatever else I can find to throw in the mix! I have a dandy little steamer, if I am in the mood to fish it out of the cupboard, I layer in the veggies, longer cooking ones first. Then, pour it all out on a platter to serve with butter and kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. The other favourite, is to do the veggies all together on a cookie sheet in the oven, tossed with a bit of olive oil and seasonings)

Snack: olives, antipasto and crackers
Some how, though, I am sure that Swiss Delice will slip in there too...

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Now this is exciting!

I woke up this morning, and guess what? ANOTHER pound is gone. That has to be a record! I have been keeping a sharp eye on the ratio of fats/carbs/fats, and rather than not eat butter on my toast, I added a Cheerios snack at night! Not only am I losing the pounds all of a sudden, my sugar levels are better. Ah ha. That could be it. My sugars are happier, so they let the fat cells go? I am like a dog with a bone on this one...I have to figure out what the heck is going on and why I have had a plateau that has lasted just about a year! So far, this seems to be the theory du jour.

The problem with Weight Watchers, as I see it, is that it isn't specific enough. For the money that you spend, it wouldn't kill them to have a site as good as Fitday to track your calories, etc. I guess for most, it works, but FD seems to be the answer for me. After the first few days of entries, you are set up to keep track of every morsel that goes into your mouth. There is a "custom" feature that lets you enter the exact nutrients for each food you eat, so there are no "guesstimates" necessary. I have already entered my breakfast. Everything including my multivitamin pill! I have noticed that magnesium and potassium are lacking so I am going to try to remedy that - the strawberries in the frig will be a tasty lunch and source of the missing nutrients! How easy it is to choose what to eat, if you have a bit of knowledge.

You know, I thought I was eating well before...now? I am eating even even more, and more often. If only I could keep up the pace of these past few days! These pounds would vanish pretty quickly! But, I do expect ups and downs to come my way again. My one wish for the fall is to fit into my Cotton Ginny jean outfit, no matter what my weight! So far, my goal of losing eleven pounds by September 30 is looking very possible!

There is a feature in the program, that lets you set your weight goal, adjust the date and it gives you a calorie amount to aim for in order to reach that goal. Even if you are a couch potato you burn enough calories to "buy" luxuries in your diet, like butter on your toast or a scoop of ice cream. You know, I really don't need a lot, but boy, do I need quality! Knowing exactly what I have to spend makes life so much easier!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Whoooo HOOOOO ! 3.2 pounds

Finally, a drop! Since finding Fitday, I adjusted my ratio of fat/carbs/protein and yep, increased my intake, and this morning? A 3.2 lb drop. Water, whatever, I don't care. It is gone! So, I am almost back to where I was. Sigh. I seem to be stuck in a warp here, folks. BUT hopefully, this will mark the beginning of the downward slide once again. The total number of calories I am supposed to aim for, is 2050 a day. I hit 1801 yesterday, and that is with the addition of sunchips and 230 calories for five individual Swiss Delice chocolates. I just can not get past this eat more to lose thing. But there you go. Some days? I could eat a horse, but usually, eating regular food at regular intervals keeps me satisfied.

Yesterday, I ate four times, but chose things to eat in the food groups that Fitday told me I was lacking. To my surprize, CARBS were needed so I had two cups of cheerios for supper! And three apples throughout the day! Now is that a treat or what? Protein is always a hassle for me, because I am lazy. Plain and simple. I like stuff you can store in Tupperware, and eat without turning on the stove or opening the frig, so when Rick isn't here? I turn into a Tupperware grazer. Which reminds me, I have a fresh bag of prunes that I bought on Monday, just waiting for my breakfast...

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Grocery Day

Lots of goodies from Costco are now waiting for me in the frig. Strawberries with cottage cheese? What a meal that makes! And the Pink Lady apples that were so tasty last year are back. With Rick out of town, the average time it takes me to prepare a meal is about two minutes. Basically, I clean the fruit and cut it up! That will even be quicker with my new Nicer Dicer, and Nicer Slicer! Yes, I am hopeless. I order things from TV infomercials. But I do wait till they come on the shopping channel so I can return them if need be! I will bake a chicken breast or two, so I will have some protein ready to gnaw on. I really don't like fussing when I am on my own, but nature's fast foods never let me down.

Fitday is quite informative. All of the calculations for the amount of fat, carbohydrate, fibre and protein that you consume through the day are done in the program. To my surprise, my fat intake is about 5% over what it should be, my protein is less than ideal. And here I thought I was doing so well. Nope. More tweaking to be done. I sat down and had a ciabatta bun with butter (fresh from Costco) for my before bedtime snack, just to up the calories a bit. It is so bizarre that you should go on a diet, and up your calorie intake. I ate 1337 calories and wasn't a bit hungry today...well below my daily minimum. I just wasn't hungry.

While Rick is away, I will keep myself busy sorting through all sorts of things that I pulled out of his office closet. Old towels, pillows,quilts. That sort of thing. They were all
too good
to throw out, so yep. Keep them in the closet for three years in a space bag. That really makes them useful, doesn't it?

The new shelf system is installed, but there is one bracket needed before I can load up the top shelf. The others are open for business though, so I won't have any trouble filling them with winter boots, and Rubbermaid totes full of out of season goodies. Every bit of clothing that is not the present season is going to live in that closet, and if it doesn't get used this winter? Out it goes. I don't think I will have a problem creating a capsule wardrobe out of what I have for the winter. I just have to put my mind to it, and get rid of all the clothing that is too big, or no longer my style. Funny how getting a couple inches smaller changes the shape of the clothing you wear. Some things just don't work anymore, although at one time they were my go to outfits. There are also things that I have never worn, and likely never will. I usually find a favourite outfit and wear it to death, so, I think that if I can put together a few complete outfits, with various accessories? I will be modestly covered for the coming season.. as for this year's "clown pants", I think it is time to say goodbye, with nary a backward glance....

Here is a picture of the hooks my cleaver husband put up for me last night. Each little gizmo has six hooks, and a bar to hang a scarf (or tie, if you are a fella!) Since I only have one scarf that I wear all of the time, it will be easy to fold it up and hang it in such an easily accessible place. There are three of these racks, hung right behind the dresses that I will use them with. See?

Monday, August 18, 2008

Fitday.com

Just checked out this site, and it is very promising. I am keeping track of my intake three ways for the moment...a journal, online at WW and now this. Fitday, however, gives me a breakdown of calories, and nutrients. I started off with a bang, because tonight we had Greek Salad, buns and beer on the deck...it was lovely! There was a cool breeze after supper and it was so relaxing just to sit and enjoy the moment.

We managed to get the linen closet done this weekend, and I am really happy with the results.
Rick also installed some six hook bars behind my clothes in the closet to hold the long necklaces that seem to defy any other method of storage!It worked out nicely, with my favourite necklaces positioned right behind my favourite dresses in the closet. Back to Fitday. Turns out that even though I ate over my Flex today, I am still well under the calories for the day. I want to lose ten pounds by the end of September and according to the calculations? It is possible by reducing my calories by 713. As well? The amount of calories I burn to maintain this sedentary (not really, but better underestimate than over, wouldn't you agree?)lifestyle is about 2600 calories a day, so by hitting about 2000 a day, I could lose ten pounds by the end of September. Yah. Right. Like that is going to happen! BUT with this program, I can also check to see that my diet is balanced in all the food groups. I ate with wild abandon yesterday, even enjoying beer with supper, and I was happy to see that the fat, protein and carb ratio was just about bang on. Thing is, that to to keep my sugars balanced, I need to eat fat...that would be the easiest thing to cut down on, but it is disaster on the hoof if I do. http://www.wnetwork.com/expert_tips/health/calorie_consumption_calculator/index.asp tells me that I need 2996 to 3196 calories a day to lose weight. That is an astronomical number. Maybe I should calculate my goal weight, and what I need to eat to maintain that? 1531 to 1731 calories for that. Hmmmm. This math boggles the mind. However, nothing is shifting, so I have to search for solutions.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Home

I am sooooo glad to be home! It took forever to get here, it seemed...we were late leaving Regina. I was held captive by the JYSK store there. Found a few neat accents for the house, and a couple of practical things, too. I found a brown basket with leather handles to house hair stuff in my bathroom. When I had a cupboard to hide it in, a power tool caddy made the perfect container for all the junk, but it didn't look very nice sitting out under my new piano leg sink! I have no idea why the shopping is so good in Regina, but I was able to find things I have been searching for in Winnipeg for ages. A Peugot pepper grinder and a Rubbermaid closet organizer in the right size are the first things that come to mind, but there were more, trust me! I have turned into a shopper this year - it must be that the styles available tickle my fancy, because for the longest time, I couldn't find a thing I wanted to buy! Now? Everything appeals to me! LOL

The carpet installers are chomping at the bit to get in and do their thing ...and of course, Rick is going out of town this week. We have to lift the carpeting and underlay, clean the floors thoroughly, add a few screws here and there, remove the baseboards, and paint the house before the carpet goes in. Hmmmmmm what are the chances it will be done at the very last minute before the installers arrive? No wonder I have a sensitive digestive system! There is a knot the size of a football behind my belly button when I think of all the work to be done! I like to get things done ahead of time, and although Rick always gets things done, it is always at the last minute. Oh the stress. But I have decided on the colours for the house. It is just a matter of where to put them!

Now, about the food plan. I was way off track this week, partly because I over estimated the amount of points in foods, that I have later found out weren't as bad as I thought. Who knows what the counts were, really? I guess the tale will be told in a couple of days when I hit the scale for my weekly weigh in, but with the amount of salt in restaurant food, I am not holding out any hope whatsoever. One tasty item we indulged in was called War Wonton Soup. Good? You betcha! It had the usual wonton dumplings, plus shrimp, pork and shrimp. The broth was not oversalted, but sooooo tasty. Not overspiced at all. So, there is something reasonable to have in a Chinese restaurant that won't kill ya!

Onward and upward. I haven't unpacked yet, and my tub is calling me for a good long soak. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend - if you aren't busy, wanna come help pull up broadloom?

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Out of the blue...

these little individual packages of cheese just peeled themselves, and jumped into my mouth...all four of them. Sigh. Breakfast at hotel buffets will do that to me. Along with the whopping texas toast, scrambled eggs, and ham? I think I will have to drink water for the rest of the day! It was very good, and I was very hungry. A lethal combination, especially after indulging at Ankor last night...mmmmmm good! Blew the FLEX there, and the rest went this morning.

Regina is growing so fast. If someone would have told me that I would end up sleeping in a Hotel on South Railway years ago, I would have been mortified. But as it happens, it is now called Saskatchewan Drive, and the hotel we are in is quite nice. Very spacious with the all important king bed! It is interesting to see how the city has changed. Still familiar, as I think it always will be...I don't think you ever forget the streets of your childhood. The streets that took me to my first school outing to Palm Dairies, the streets that I learned to drive on.... Even though there are grander buildings standing now, in my minds eye, I still see the greengrocers where we are now parking our car. How quickly time flies when you are living your life - funny, but I never seem to notice it as much anyplace but here. There is a thread that will always draw me back, and good friends that make me sad to leave.

~August 16~I found out tonight that the little packets of cheese weighs 21 gms and has 80 calories. So, two pieces equal 3 points. Not as bad as I thought, but still not something I will repeat anytime soon! After a year of not indulging in a little cheddar? It was soooooooo worth it!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

What a job...

Rick has been slaving out in the hot sun for three days now...one to wash the deck, one to stain the deck, and now? He is working on the bench and chaise. Once it is all done, I hope we will have time to relax a little. The next yard project, is to get the flower beds ready for spring planting. I have one flower box this year that is just lovely. I am going to repeat the plants next year, if I can find two more window boxes, I will be good to go.

As a dutiful wifey, I am providing good food for the worker bee. Tonight we are having pork chops and yams, with a tossed green salad, and yes, I think I will make that man a good dessert. I can always send it home with Vince to keep us on the straight and narrow.

Today was weigh in day, and not one ounce lost. Hovering is what I seem to do best these days. I stepped up my intake of veggies, tried to remember to eat my oils of the day, and added a bit more dairy. I go up and down with water so at least I have lost the 'puff' that I had at the beginning of the week. What an ordeal the weighing in part of this program is! The food issues? Not a problem most of the time. For that reason alone, I am going to stick to this, but good grief, shouldn't I be losing an ounce or two?????? I have recalculated my points, I have counted every mouthful. I don't use my activity points, though. No one would believe two old people expend so much energy doing laundry anyway!

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Wednesday Morning, another day in the neighbourhood....

so much for a restful vacation! Today we have to go and buy all the stuff to organize three closets. More mess and conniption. Oh joy.

The frig is bare, but when the kids came for supper last night, we did okay pulling from the pantry...pork chops browned then baked in a pineapple sauce, basmati rice and ginger carrots. I made Jocey's Rice Pudding for dessert, and it was tooooo good.

1 cup of milk, brought just to boiling with 1 cup of cooked rice
In a separate bowl, whisk 2 eggs, vanilla and cinnamon or nutmeg, and two packets of sugar twin. Add 1/4 cup of well rinsed plumped up raisins. Add 1/2 cup of the hot milk to temper the egg mix, then put the egg mix in the pot with the rice and milk. Bake in the oven in a bain Marie for half an hour on 350ยบ (I take my pot, and put it in the frying pan with about an inch of water. I have pots with stainless handles, though...it wouldn't work so good with the plastic handled ones!

That is all there is to it. Of course, I served it with a little blob of real whipped cream, Pete's treat! Usually, we have a spoonfull of cool whip.If you get the low fat egg nog on sale, use that instead of the milk, and skip the whipped topping all together. Or not!

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Don't know how much more holiday

I can take. One whole week has gone by, and it seems like a minute but feels like a month. I am dog tired. Yesterday, we discovered that wasps were residing under our deck...of course, it was after we all sat down to dinner, and they started to dive bomb us until we relocated to the dining room! So, tonight, with every inch of skin covered, Rick attacked the nest with this neat foam stuff. Quite the picture. Work gloves, hoodie, facepiece from a gas mask! Exactly what a well dressed exterminator wears to crawl under a deck armed with a can of foam and wicked intent! First you plug up the hole, then you stick the nozzle in the nest and smother the little buggers. Worked like a charm. We bought three ways to kill them, just in case. The foam, bug spray for the stragglers, and a wasp trap for the tree. No such thing as overkill when you are dealing with insects!