Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Back in the saddle again...

after a weekend of indescretions, I am going to try to behave myself in the kitchen at least. Shopping is not one of my favourite things as it is, and I have spent every available minute all weekend going from store to store, buying and returning. The poodly pillows went back, as in the light of day, they lost thier charm...and the fact that the wool got up my nose when I tried them out for "nap ablility". If nothing else, I am practical! Just like food, it is better not to have anything than the wrong thing!


Breakfast: eggs, toast half a glass of milk...we ran out, I am not cutting back!

Lunch: Cucumber sandwich & diet pop

Supper: Turkey breast (real turkey sliced and packaged from Costco) potatos, peas and carrots.

Snack: oranges & pretzels

Friday, October 24, 2008

Did you ever have one of those days....

shopping days that is. We hit the stores at one this afternoon, and came home at nine. I managed to find two pillows for the living room (poodley white ones, that took me right back to '71), white flower things that are really quite inventive. First, you put a large headed nail into the wall where you would like the "blossom". Then, the flower attaches magnetically. This will come in handy when it is time to clean twenty-five of these creations. I will just pop them off, and stick them in the sink! I really don't like ornaments and things because they are dust collectors, but dodads for the wall? How could I resist? Hubby assures me that I am simply regressing. Our house is evolving into what we would have loved to be able to afford when it was in style the first time!

I believe you should update hair and lipstick shades frequently. Nothing dates a woman more than wearing the makeup she wore in high school. But what does decorating like a hundred dollar hippy say about a person? Frankly. I don't care. Peace baby.

Breakfast: eggs, toast, milk.

Lunch: Evil Micky D's strikes again. Oh my. In my defense, I did burn off calories shopping in the huge furniture stores. Walked my legs to stumps today. Add the calories spent fuming out of frustration - they must count for something!

Supper: oriental salad, shrimp with seafood sauce (equal parts of horseradish and ketchup) toast & tea for dessert - okay, now I KNOW I am getting old!

Snacks: do you really think a person who packs away a Big Mac & fries deserves them?

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Busy day...

I was out until two today, then a quick "pit stop" and to the grocery store. I looked at the items I purchased as they were rolling to the cashier, and I thought, my. Old people's food! I had some whole grain crackers, cheddar cheese, Philly light herb & garlic, fish portions, two kinds of jam and sour cream. It wasn't the items, per se, it was the sizes. Gone are the days when I prepared veggies and dip for a teenager. Now we dole out sour cream as if it were gold. I buy the full fat kind. A whopping 15 calories more per tablespoon, but the flavour is there. No point straining out the gnat when there is an elephant in the room! We need to feed ourselves delicious food, just not too much of it. This weekend, I am planning on making baked potatoes, therefore the sour cream was a necessity. I like steamed broccoli and cottage cheese with my potatoes as well. Come to think of it? I can't think of a potato prepared in a way I don't like! I love those crispy nests of shredded potatoes that you get in fancy restaurants, with a miniscule piece of prime beef delicately placed in the center. And I like a big spoonful of scalloped potatoes with a bit of ham on a comfortable stay at home Sunday. How can you tell I am getting a little tired of eating by myself?

Breakfast: eggs & toast, milk
Snack: Phyllo quiches...four of the little beggars. I know they came from Costco, so I will check the exact calorie count next shopping day. Tasty little appetizers!
Lunch: peanut butter and banana on whole wheat
Snack: Philly and cucumber sandwich
Supper: fish & 14 oven chips, coleslaw made with an apple
Snack: antipasto and whole wheat crackers

I was hungry today!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Feeling mellow

on this cloudy day...Aisha Duo Quiet Songs playing in the background leads to rather a surreal morning experience... or it could be gas and the fact it is already noon. For a snack last night I made popcorn in the air popper, so woke to find the kitchen floor littered with kernels and renegade pieces of popcorn. That is all cleaned up now, as well as the mandatory morning dance with the dishwasher. I have now set up camp in the office to while away the hours in absolute shameless abandon. LOVE the new computer, by the way. Have no idea why people don't like Vista, but no doubt I will find out soon enough. For now, I am exploring every nook and cranny and finding all sorts of neat little things to do!I finally wised up and backed up my files, so hopefully I won't have to go through this again. Famous last words, right? But it is all good now. Sitting on your bum all day burns how many calories?

Breakfast: Eggs & toast, milk

Lunch: Asian Salad & chicken breast *changed to fish and 14 low fat oven french fries

Supper: Too far away to know, or worse, care. *cucumber and light cream cheese on whole wheat. MMMM. I slice the cucumbers thin, and pile them up! Cadbury Milk Chocolate bar

Snack: my bad. Didn't have any.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Chilly in the house this morning...

so hopefully, I will be burning more calories just to live. Every little bit helps!

Breakfast: eggs & toast, milk, cheez whiz

Lunch: Antipasto and crackers, diet root beer

Supper: Bite sized Perogies and onions, cadbury milk chocolate bar.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Monday morning....

began with my usual breakfast...at 12:26. New computers can be all consuming, and I have a tendency to eat,sleep and breath it all in until I feel comfortable with the gizmos and gadgets associated with my new toy...errr, tool.

So, there began my morning. I followed it up with lunch at 12:28, which was two pieces of toast with cheese whiz. This afternoon is an outing with the "girls" to the movies...Mama Mia. Looking forward to it, but will sneak in something allowable for a snack. Can anyone digest the theatre popcorn??? Love it, but not worth the burning sensation for hours afterwards!

The plans for this week are simple. Clean the house. Get to the meetings. Make a list of things to get done when Rick is actually in town. We are planning to go to the US for a couple of days week after next so I can pick up the finishing touches for the house. A bundle is spent on gas and expenses, but I enjoy the choices we have down there. It is bizarre that we live in a city, and travel two hours to shop in a relatively small community. But that is how it goes.

Other than that? I am maintaining my weight, even with not being able to track the calories. We are also financially solvent, without tracking every penny. Hmmmm. Perhaps life could be simplified? Note to self. Drop some of the compulsive record keeping.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Cheese glorious cheese!

We were invited for dinner, but the real treat was cheese and grapes served with a big cold glass of water before the meal. It has been so long since I had cheese that I felt like a mouse in the Kraft factory. This was a sharp cheddar that was just delish. Needless to say, I did cut down on the serving of lasagne, and didn't eat the crust of my pumpkin pie. My friends understand my peculiarities, and let me be, thank goodness. But every little bit counts when you are saving calories.

Breakfast: 2 eggs, toast & butter, skim milk

Lunch: toast & butter, 1 oz of cheese, diet root beer

Supper: Cheese - those little slices added up to about 2 ounces I would think, about a half cup of grapes, some concord, some green, 2x4 slice of lasagne and a soupbowl of salad - and I forgot the bread....oh, the bread...a slice of cheese bread...there is a recurring theme here isn't there? And to top it all off? A big piece of pumpkin pie, but I didn't eat the crust!

I will be crying the blues about all this cheese tomorrow, I am sure!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

So, ever have one of those weeks?

Major computer problems. And, as dear hubby says, it isn't a problem if you throw money at it and it goes away. My only question after this week of technical failures? WHEN is this going to end???

I haven't been able to keep track of my food intake, but hopefully, by eating what I always eat, in the amounts I always eat it, did some good. I finally got online...after buying a new computer, and wifi gizmo. But the good news is? This machine is loaded for bear, and is half the cost of my old one. Seems to work okay, and the only gripe I have with Vista is that you can't run outdated programs! So I have to look for a new money management program, as well as set up all the lovely little icons on my desktop. I am into the fun part now, having dealt with all the call centers in various parts of the third world. Now one thing is for sure. When you buy a computer at Costco? They double the warranty. So two years. And? You have niney days to decide if you like the machine or not. I think that is pretty fair. And face it, after you go through all the loading and configuring? HOW many of us would take one back? But sure beats Future Shops "Buy it don't like it too bad" policy!

So that has been my life in the fast lane this week. Hopefully I will be back on track....oh, and hubby wanted a new camera "as long as we were there". Sigh. It will be awhile before I figure this one out!

Hope you all have been keeping well and happy, and out of the cookie jar. I have been "batching" for two weeks, and I must say my menus are nutritional but very uninspired. I eat to live when I am on my own...if I remember to do it at all! Seems to me, that my body is starving from eight till three, and then I could care less about eating. Body rhythms or something kicking in. But, put me in front of a TV? All of a sudden the face wants popcorn, or anything salty or sweet. Then, a nice lapse into a coma while hubby controls the channels. Ah, the good life. I wonder when we will be able to sit still long enough to do that again? The house is an all consuming project. We put up our living room blinds on Friday, so I can now wander the house in my nightie, as long as I remember to shut them - however, the bedroom is still a fishbowl, and will be until I decide what on earth to do with the windows. Time. It all takes time. I wish it took as many calories!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

October 9????

My goodness. I have been remiss. Busy, but remiss!

As a reward for good behaviour, I bought a few new trinkets for myself, to jazz up my very limited clothing purchases this year. After throwing away a ton of clothing, I just do not have the urge to fill the available closet space with seldom used items. Has anyone checked out Avon lately? They seem to do wonders with the mundane. For example, I ordered this nifty tweezers that is light years ahead of the pricey one I was using. ( a blind woman going after a chin hair with an ineffective tweezers is not pretty, or painless) Another thing, is the lipsticks. The two I purchased are phenomenal. One is a lip gloss, and one is the one handed wonder Reese Witherspoon flogs on TV. Well, my goodness. Be darned if it isn't just the slickest thing, and a good lipstick, too! And all available at the touch of a mouse. After scouring the malls for a reasonably priced necklace, I bought about four of them for the price of one! The quality is very nice...and since I am the queen of buy and return? I will say only that I wouldn't dream of returning a single one. Great junk jewellery. Much nicer than I have been able to find at the Mall in my neighbourhood, at least.

I bought a new grey dress, and liked it so much, that I have ordered the same one in black. Thank goodness I did the majority of "try buying" before the dollar sank to the low it is at now! I actually didn't loose much, as the returns were credited at a higher amount than the purchases. Since I had to pay postage, it still wasn't even, but still a lot better than usual. I am really into being nice to myself these days. (I am spending the weeks alone, as hubby is off in the wilds of Alberta training people to do something or the other. Beats me what, and you know? It doesn't seem to matter much! He is home on the weekends, though so that works well. It is so much easier to stick to the program when he isn't around whining for food!)

We still have two walls in the kitchen and the trim to paint, but the good news is? The blinds arrived today. So this weekend, we will actually have a little privacy in our living room, rather than the fish bowl effect I have grown accustomed to! In the meantime, I am reorganizing the lateral file drawers, and purging as much as I can. Hubby will be so pleased to see that I am a reformed filer, and actually will be putting things in alphabetical order, not in places that only I understand!

On the topic of menus, I must admit that being on my own so much, leaves me rather limited by my own laziness. Today, I heated up a Dr. Oeteker Spinach Pizza (880 calories for the whole thing) for lunch, and will eat the other half for supper. A very tasty day's worth of food for 880 calories in all! I bought some gorgeous oranges, and will eat them with pretzels tonight as a snack before bed.

Breakfast: eggs, toast & butter, milk
Snack: coffee
Lunch: pizza
Supper: pizza
Snack: Pretzels and oranges

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Thought I had better post a bit...

since I have been distracted with a lot of things lately! So, here I am.

Last night, we went on a riverboat cruise down the Red, and it was really quite lovely. The leaves are turning, and the sun just made them glow. The problem was supper. Keeping me waiting till seven was not a good idea, even if we were given complimentary champagne. In my experience, free champagne is usually worth what you pay for it, and this was no exception. One sip has how many calories?

The only munchies offered were tacos and salsa, which are a deal breaker for me, so I passed on those. When supper finally showed up? It was not too bad. Caesar salad, glazed chicken, potato wedges, broccoli and carrot mix and a wild rice casserole. Of course the mandatory goey dinner roll! The problem came in the form of a lovely vanilla cake with that greasy "store-bought" frosting. Why do I love that stuff? Likely because it isn't as sweet as homemade. It is a "forbidden fruit" and as such, has an extra appeal. I enjoyed every bite!

I live to fight another day.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Thursday was a blur...and Friday is almost gone!

I am fighting some sort of bug, and it was so easy to snooze the day away yesterday. Today, I managed a trip to Costco. A little walking, a little talking and lunch with a friend. We ate at Wendy's, so I came prepared. I brought my own butter in a little container for my baked potato. Why waste calories on that goop they put on the potato? I also had a nice side salad to round out the meal. Very tasty indeed. Gave me the energy to waddle around Costco and pick up good healthy food!

Today's menu is not all that inspiring, but when I am left on my own, I eat to live, not live to eat!

Breakfast: eggs & toast (out of milk)
Lunch: Wendy's baked potato, sour cream, butter, side salad with light ranch dressing. Diet coke.
Supper: 3 apples and handful of stick pretzels
Snack: #1 cheese sandwich #2crackers and cream cheese.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Readjusting

This morning begins a nice new month. I tried on my denim skirt yesterday, and it fits...too snug to wear, but it fits! All zipped up and not stretched to the max, but not quite as loose as it should be. So there is light at the end of the tunnel. I adjusted my weight goal on Fitday. I am playing it month by month, because it is just toooooo daunting to see the distance I have yet to go. Last month's loss was 5.2 pounds, so that wasn't too bad. I worked like a horse, though, and the way I felt at the end of each day? I shoulda lost half a person! Guess the burgers didn't help, aye?

So, new month, new goal. I have an easy day today, as Rick is coming home late tonight, then will be on the road again tomorrow. We will be hanging curtain rods and pictures at midnight as I have still not decided what colour to paint the remaining two walls in the kitchen and the family room. I don't think he would go for the painting anyway, since he is only home for 10 or 12 hours!

Breakfast: eggs, toast & butter, milk
Lunch: chicken breast, sweet potato
Supper: chicken salad
Snack: strawberries & cottage cheese