Happy In A World Gone Crazy

While everything around me has gone crazy, including California, the state I live in, which is totally broke and I haven't control over, I do choose to make my life fun and happy. That I can control for the most part. (Though the thought of the federal Government perhaps stepping in and running California spooks me - bad.)



I have been busy, I am having fun, I am enjoying food, even healthy food, and I am happy I have lost another pound. I eat unhealthy things once in a while and enjoy every bite without guilt, because I know I mainly eat properly. It is working for me. I continue to feel better physically, I am losing pounds slowly in the process and I know my body/health is the better for it. I have officially lost 21 pounds now. That makes me happy though my happiness doesn't depend on the weight lose. I like that about my late 50's.



There is something very wrong with this country in that people are judged on their size and where they buy their clothes/who's clothes they are wearing. The older I get the more I detest this. I see something I like, I buy it. It doesn't matter if it is at Macy's, Walmart, Coldwater Creek or Target. People need to start getting real and stop hiding behind all these unimportant things. I love you and I love me no matter what we are wearing or what size we are.



Okay, I am off my soapbox now.



I still am not into a regular exercise routine though walking is coming back into the picture. I know I have to get better at this just to keep in optimum health. However that doesn't seem to motivate me to get on with it. The day I can say that I am into an exercise routine and have been sticking with it will be a day of big celebration. I haven't given up getting there. No sirree.



A few of the healthy entrees I have made recently that are simple and quick and very tasty:



1. Place fish tenders or fillets in a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread on some Dijon mustard, sprinkle with dried double fiber (or not) whole wheat bread crumbs (I make my own and keep them in a zip lock bag in the pantry) and some fresh thyme leaves. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or so.



2. Cut a good size piece of foil for each serving you make. Place a touch of olive oil in the bottom. Place a boneless skinless chicken breast on foil then top with about 1 tablespoon pesto. Then one half zucchini sliced, some Roma tomato slices, and a couple green onions, or some sliced red onions or shallots. Then top with more pesto - a few tablespoons or more, and seal up packets. Either cook on your outdoor grill using indirect heat or in your oven until cooked through. Open packet carefully and enjoy.



3. Marinate fish fillets in soy sauce, fresh ginger, sliced green onions and wasabi for a little while then bake, grill or cook in skillet.



4. With summer fruits and berries ripe for the picking add them to your green salads. A friend recently turned me on to the combination of strawberries and watermelon on peppery greens. Delicious also with mixed spring greens or any lettuce you enjoy.

Small Things

It's the small things in life that have always made me the happiest. My family smiling and laughing, watching flowers growing in my garden, creating something in my kitchen to feed family and friends, a smile, candlelight, the sun, moonlight, digging in the dirt, scents.........

Yesterday it was trying clothes on at Macy's and finding that in some items I needed not one size smaller, but two sizes. Of course I am sure this has to do with each designer, however trying on clothes was not a nightmare. It was a simple happy thing where I got to ask the sales associate while in the dressing room to please get me these clothing items in a size smaller please. Pants seem to be a 14 now, skirts and some tops a 12.

Small things make me happy.

Walk Away the Pounds??????

Dear Diary - May 17, 2009 9 AM

Did the 1 mile walk away the pounds DVD exercise routine this morning. Really pumped the work-out up to a faster pace. Know I am ready to go back to the 2 mile work-out. Felt good doing the stretch band arm work out as well. Feel good I worked out. Lots of energy.

2 PM

My right knee really hurts. Tried Tylenol Arthritis Pain Relief. Nothing happening. Still hurts to bend it at all.

Dear Diary - May 18, 2009 8 Am

Got up to work out but knee is too painful. Got back into bed and finished reading my book. The only thing that got a work out this morning was my hands holding up the book and my fingers turning the pages.

3PM

Knee still hurts. Tylenol Arthritis is not working for me. Back to Ibuprofen.

We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Visual Update

While away with good friends Verona and Bill this week for a few days we did some shopping at Cabella's in Nevada. I bought my first pair of shorts in years with a high waist that I can actually tuck a blouse into. I have not tucked things in for so long, I can't even begin to remember how many years it has been since the last time.

I finally have something that resembles a waist again. A thick one, but a waist none the less. Seeing these pictures just might be what I needed to motivate myself to get to the stomach crunches and other exercising to firm up what I have started here. BTW - I love the classic out-doorsy feel to Cabella's clothes.

The eating out, sipping cocktails at the slots and wine before dinner this week and not the very best dinners since returning home until I got to the farmers market and grocery store yesterday did not do me in. I weighed in this morning and found I lost 8 ounces. I stayed on course with every meal I ate out except one dinner where I allowed myself to enjoy Mexican food at the Nugget buffet and a mini chocolate mousse tart. Breakfasts I chose included vegetables, like the veggie Benedict and spinach omelet and I didn't eat all of either one. No toast, no meat and just a little of the cottage potatoes. Lunch wasn't necessary. The first night for dinner I had mahi mahi with mango salsa and broccoli. Just a few bites of the rice pilaf. Lunch in Truckee with Jen and her family I opted for a spinach salad with roasted beets, oranges, goat cheese and honey dressing even though the Reuben sandwich screamed out to me.

It was a great time with good friends and I am finding that making the healthy choice off the menu is what I really want the majority of the time. There is room to treat myself now and then when I feel like it. I did not feel deprived at all this week while enjoying a get-away with friends and family.

I am going to try and get back to walking with my neighbor Deborah again. One stepping stone at a time.......

Mother's Day Brunch Update

I lost 6 ounces yesterday. Even though it sounded like a lot of food to me when I wrote it down last night, it really wasn't since I ate small portions. It also turned out to be all I ate yesterday. I was satisfied all day and evening from what I ate at brunch. Even the champagne didn't bite me in the butt. I am very excited I first broke out of the 170's, then the 160's. I am smiling that I have broken into the 150's. This is the best life change I have ever made for myself. I am healthier in so many ways, I have not burdened myself with self inflicted pressures to lose weight fast as in dieting, especially to become some outrageous low number on the scale. This is about the rest of my life. This is about being healthy. This is about being happy. That makes me smile.

Have a great day!

Time Flies

I am surprised to see that it has been so long since I posted last! There has been a lot of eating out in restaurants over this time period. One week recently I ate out 4 out of 7 days! Most of the time I stick to healthy food choices the best I can from what is on the menu. Then there are times I say no fish tonight and order grilled lamb loin chops instead, as I did at The Esquire Grill. Or a Reuben sandwich when we had dinner with Sarah at Brew It Up! when she was in town on business. Okay, they forgot to put the cheese on it which was good, I removed the top slice of dark rye (at least it wasn't white bread) and had the dressing on the side. I do try and make a bad choice not so wrong.

A day of wine tasting and food pairings in Napa a week ago. Sugar sugar sugar.

Then there is our dinner group that met Friday night with a Cinco de Mayo themed dinner. Homemade tamale, enchilada verde, chile verde, beans, chopped vegetable salad, tortillas and flan. I ate some of course, but not very much. Oh yes, and there was all that VJB Prosecco and wine being poured.

Today? Mother's Day champagne brunch on The Delta King. I did eat mostly roasted vegetables, fresh fruit and shrimp, but then there was the small thin piece of leg of lamb from the carving station and egg Benedict. Oh yes, and the champagne! I stayed away from the dessert table and had a few shrimp instead. David was sitting across from me eating dulce de leche cheesecake and peanut butter cookies! Both fish offerings today was salmon; cold poached and hot in a sauce. That's one fish I do not like so that option was out.

With all this I had been maintaining my 18 pound weight loss at least. About a week ago I got on the scale and there was a 5 pound increase. I really was surprised. There was a problem with the mail and one of my BP med's I ordered. Of course the one held up was the mild diuretic.

Until Friday night I have been healthy eating all the way and back on my medication for 4 days and the 5 pounds disappeared as well as a 6th one, making the total 19 pounds gone.

There are still times that I look at what I eat in terms of a diet not what is healthiest. I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a diet but a healthy life change. It's easy to fall into the trap of counting calories. You know the trade off game. You say to yourself, "Okay I will eat cabbage for lunch so I can have wine tonight." That type of thing. That is not what this is about for me, and I have to remind myself of that at times.

l still have not gotten on the exercise wagon. Most of it is just plain disliking doing it. The other part is legitimate and that is my arthritic knee has been very painful lately. Painful where I can barely bend it for the pain and going downstairs, well let's say I wish I didn't have to.

I do eat healthier much more than I do not. Lot's of fish, chicken breasts, vegetables and fruit at home. Most of the time when I eat out I pick healthy choices as well. I am a wine aficionado and that doesn't help.

The crick in my new life style remains exercising on a regular basis. It's strange because I know I would lose a lot more inches along with the weight lose from eating heather if I did. I could also eat more if I exercised every day. I remind myself of the Pillsbury Dough Boy in how soft I am. (Okay, so it isn't really that bad, but it is not good either.) I would like to be firm. I also remind myself of the old saying "No pain, no gain."

If you also totally dislike exercising what do you do to get yourself up and doing it anyway? How do you motivate yourself?

Deb I would love to hear what you are doing on your healthier life-style journey.

The great thing is I am not at all discouraged. How can I be? I feel so much better eating healthy and reasonable portions. I am proud of the changes I have made over these months. As Vaden said, who is perfect all the time? I do know that I will get on that exercise wagon, but I also know it will not be tomorrow. Literally it won't be tomorrow. We are leaving in the morning for Nevada with another couple for a few days.

Life is good. One step at a time.

The Most Likely Reason

David reminded me that I have not "snacked" on M&M's or popped chips for three evenings now. I bet that is the reason of the 2 pound weight loss this week. I rather likes the moon was in Pisces theory since I wouldn't have to give up my snacking. Once or twice a week snacking is now all I get.

I have to get to exercising every day and building more muscle. I think that may be one of the main reasons losing weight is so hard for me. (Outside of having gone through menopause and my age.) Not enough muscle to burn more calories. I would like to be able to eat more than I do I have to admit.

Note to self: Stop being a wuss and do your Walk Away the Pounds routine and sit ups every morning.