lbsgoner's Journal

31 to 35 of 46

Page: Previous ... 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next

04 January 2013

When my children were children... I needed a way to teach them that you have to learn to pay attention; paying attention and following instructions can be really important. Now, let me refine that some more. Sometimes there won't be anybody to make it right if you mess up. See, when kids are really small you and the whole village teach them to fend for themselves. Yet, we have a responsibility to scoop them up out of harm's way until they become capable. Well, as I said I wanted to teach them that hey, you got to grasp these lessons! I won't always be there. They were like fourth and seventh grade when I came up with the example of the 5 people who get shot in a bank robbery. The first person doesn't listen when the robber says everybody on the floor. The second person doesn't completely empty their pockets when asked to do so etc.. I have boys so this was up in their wheelhouse. They "got" it. Kids look out for one another naturally; it was interesting to hear one tell the other after coming to their "rescue", "Now the third person to get shot in the bank robbery is the one who didn't tie his shoe laces and tripped and scared the robber". (they could be creative) The boys are 18 and 21 now. They still pull out the old bank robbery template but it has evolved over the years into a humorous way of preventing just any mishap. Like the toilet seat up or down, putting the caps on things tight (like milk), if you put something on top of the refrigerator, push it back far enough that it doesn't fall when the door is opened.
Now what does that have to do with low-carb dieting? Well, the first person to go over their carb count for the day, didn't count the emergen-c vitamin powder (5 carbs from sugar). The second person to go over their carb count for the day neglected to find out the carb count for a balsamic vinagrette at a restaurant and found out it was 11. The third person to go over their carb count chewed a Tums Ultra 1000 for her calcium (1.45 grams per each). Sound familiar? I think I can still learn a thing or two about paying attention and following instructions.

Add Comment

03 January 2013

The best thing I did for myself in all of 2012 was buy a water dispenser machine like you see in offices. It was a reward when I finished getting my paralegal. When I sold my last house, I decided to rent so my youngest could finish hs in this school district and I wouldn't be stuck here afterward in this outrageously expense tax district. I let the appliances convey because it was easier. I am in a house that I adore that a friend of mine thought she was flipping before the bottom fell out of the housing market. She has rented out since then. The downside is that she had her stoner baby brother do the renovations and the appliances are rental grade. Actually worse. They are stainless but that is where modern ends. No bells or whistles. The fridge doesn't even have an ice maker. What? I buy a bag of ice once a month and use it to fill a little ice bin. The rest takes up half the freezer. So, no ice dispenser or water dispenser. That is ok. Except that the house is 50 years old and the pipes are old etc. I used a Britta filter for a long time but oh my gosh, what a pain. Oh, and do you think any other person refilled it? Nope. So when graduation was coming I went to Lowe's and bought my machine and three 5 gallon jugs of water. My son goes and exchanges them when 2 are empty. (Do I love that? You betcha!) Since the very first day I have had it, my water consumption has skyrocketed. It has two reservoirs: one for cold, one for hot. I only turn on the heat for afternoon and evening tea, then flip it off. Just a life changer. Both of my boys love it, if it is possible, for me. They know that I find bottled water (small bottles) extremely annoying, so bad for the planet. Really a pet peeve when I watch TV shows and people are drinking store bought water in their own home. Where do they think the plastic goes? OK, that's off topic....
Back to today. Alex went after school and restocked my water, and remembered (!) to get the appliance bulb for the fridge that burned out yesterday. It doesn't take much to make me happy. Just kindness and consideration goes a lonnnng way.

(1 comment)

03 January 2013

Weight:	Lost so far:	Still to go:	Diet followed:
67.6 kg	3.6 kg	11.8 kg	Reasonably Well

Add Comment steady weight

02 January 2013

Sometimes life has little mini-surptises that satisfy. Tonight that mini-surprise was the dinner I made. I down-sized the Creamy Pesto Philly Chicken, took the asparagus I was having as a side, broke the spears into thirds and added them to the pan. Beautiful to look at, fantastic to eat. Pesto so yummy.
New challenge excludes the Atkins shakes which were a lil' treat I would have sometimes at night. Knowing that was out, earlier today I looked in my Atkins book at the induction dessert "ideas". It's so funny; when I got that book a year ago I sneered at the thought of dessert in induction. Like, really, who can't do without sweets for two weeks? It was only after I decided to take Atkins serious this time that I really read the book on a deep level. First go round, I only weighed 132 and wanted to get to 118, so induction was a two week thing. Fast forward a year and I started at 157. I'm so grateful for all the lightbulbs that went on the second time I studied the plan. Atkins is a simple way of eating, it is satisfying most days, but one really has to read the admonishments in the book to keep from having the wheels fall of the wagon.
Where was I? Dessert. Right. The book has a recipe for a chocolate 'mousse' made from 2 tbsp. of heavy cream and 1 spoon of cocoa powder. It says to stir it with a fork or a spatula. Pfft. Wouldn't a whisk give it volume and make it airy? Sounded like a good idea at the time. Get the smaller whisk (not a mini-whisk) and start with a stir, then begin whisking. It is thick. Did I say thick? This is how thick it was; it was getting trapped in the balloon of the whisk and was the consistency of fudge really. I had to take a knife and poke through the spokes of the whisk to free it. I added a couple drops of liquid Splenda and a drop of vanilla and refrigerated it. It makes an eeensy amt. so I got something eensy to eat it with and took doll size bites. Yummmm.
Important lessons: judge not lest ye be judged and when a recipe calls for a fork, don't sub in a whisk.

(1 comment)

02 January 2013

My back seized up yesterday, thankfully not in a spasm type. I went out this morning and bought a couple Salon Pas capsicum patches. Two things: this is a set-back (albeit temporary) towards exercise goal, and secondly I'm still having "stopped up" issues. That last is a problem with my back, I can barely sit on the commode without back pain now. I called the advice nurse and she suggested stool softener. I did try that early on for three days, but she says longer. Will do. This leads in to my food plan, I am trying hard to stay away from cruciferous veggies which have the high fiber that my system rebukes. Life is cruel, I've been craving broccoli with butter and lemon! I could go on about the digestion but why? Until I have something useful to record for the future, it amounts to a whine.
Otherwise, I am feeling good. I call Atkins Induction "clean eating" because there is nothing processed, out of a box etc.. It's almost like an elimination diet where you start with a 'bare bones' food list that contains only foods that very very few people have allergies/sensitivities to. The OWL phase adds one thing back at a time by "rungs", testing for sensitivity to each food type. I didn't really grasp that when I went at this before.
I need to stay in induction for 20 more pounds; I won't be climbing that ladder soon. Yay, I'm motivated by the initial month weight loss to do this thing right. I can stay motivated. (Just let me get regular puleeeeeez!

Add Comment

lbsgoner's Weight History

View Complete History