Tag Archives: Disney World

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Half Is Enough

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Day 20 in my quest to waltz in Walt’s World

My initial thought for today was to take a walk at Crab Tree Farm., push as far as I possibly could, then walk back home.  Well, it’s a 90 degree heat index and it’s humid, so…no.

I had a lovely morning having a mani/pedi with my bestie.  Then we had a healthy, organic meal out, and we both took half home for tomorrow.  (Wild Berry rules!)

So that was the plan for today: I only ate half of my scrumptious omelet.  I boxed up the rest for another day.

And I will prepare a healthy low-sugar meal for dinner tonight.  Maybe Peanut Chicken.  Maybe Chicken Stir-fry.

Thank you for reading, dear Donna supporters!

BTW: The baked meatballs were amazing!  I highly recommend “Hole in the Wall” pasta sauce.  It has no added sugar.  When I actually looked at the recipe, I decided to go with whole wheat capellini instead of the potatoes.  So delicious!

 

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Trying a New Recipe

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Day 19 of Disney dreaming

Today it’s all about the recipe.  For dinner tonight Mike and I will have baked meatballs.  I have never baked a meatball in my life.  I’ve always fried them.  But I found a new recipe, and I thought to myself, “Self, try it; you might like it.”  🙂  So that’s my plan for the day: baked meatballs with steamed asparagus, boiled potatoes and fresh veggies with hummus.

Note to self: for October 2015 Disney trip instead of a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar one day (Mike’s absolute favorite thing to do at Disney), I am going to try a Dole Whip.  Have you ever tried one?  I hear they are amazing.  And maybe a few less calories than the ice cream bar?  What do you think?  I’ll try to research that.

Anyway, here’s to nibbling healthy!  Meet you at the Kingdom.

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Nothing new or fancy

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Day 18 on my way to rendezvous with Mickey.  🙂

Well, folks, the title says it all.  Here’s the plan: nothing new or fancy today.  I will eat healthy today.  I will avoid sugar today.  I will move more at work today.

You know, moving this much weight through space is no small task.  (Please, excuse the pun.)  My former work partner once told me, “They say you should do some sort of weight bearing exercise each day.  Well, moving this body through space is weight bearing exercise.”  I laughed out loud.  But it makes you think.  I know I have to move more to get the energy to move more to get the energy to move more.  Wait…what?  It’s an odd thing really.  When we move more, we draw oxygen deeper into our bodies/systems, and it gives us more energy, more oomph.  I WANT more oomph.

I want enough oomph to stroll the trails at Old Key West, to walk at Disney’s Animal Kingdom without being immediately exhausted, to walk all the way from the bus, to and through, Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom.  Maybe even straight to It’s a Small World.  Do not pass go; do not collect $200.  I love this big Disney dreaming.  I’m willing to work as hard as I have to, to make these dreams/visions come true.

Thank you, Mouse-fans, Disneyphiles and Donna supporters, for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Luck o’ the Irish

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Day 17 on my way to Disney World.

I LOVE Irish and English pub grub.  Bangers and Mash, Cottage Pie, Full Irish/English breakfast.  We’ve just found out that our favorite local Irish pub is closing.  😦  Bridie McKenna, you will be missed!  So tonight we will go there to dine one last time.  But tonight will be different.

Here’s today’s plan: When we go out to eat tonight, I  will order either the slow-roasted Atlantic salmon, OR the grilled chicken OR a salad.  I will stay away from the more fried or deep fried choices on the menu.  I can do that.  Maybe not everyday, but today, I can do that.

My arms are a bit tired today, but I worked them hard yesterday.  Tai Chi and Shake Weight.  It was worth the effort though.  And I’m two and half weeks sugar-free.  Yippee!!

Thank you for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom.  (Can’t wait to see you, Mickey!)

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Queen for a Day

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Day 16 on my trek to Mickey.

I want to thank you, kind readers, for the outpouring of love yesterday.  I didn’t mean for yesterday’s post to be a “woe is me” entry.  I see it as a positive to be able to look into myself and work through the issues that have added to my present condition.  I can then work through those issues, and come out on the other side healthier both in body and mind.

Here’s today plan: I will do 20+ minutes of Tai Chi today, plus 6 minutes of Shake Weight.  I’m going to work my arms today.  The Tai Chi will warm up my still sore muscles (from the Grunt Work-see 3 blogs ago) and the Shake Weight will give my arms a good workout.  (Tee hee.  The motion of the Shake Weight still makes me giggle.)

AND I am getting all fired up by watching The Travel Channel’s shows on Disney World today.  Oh, yeah…I am so going to ride the “Seven Dwarves Mine Train!”   And I want to dine at the Be Our Guest Restaurant.

I am still sugar-free, and I was given a crown as sugar-free queen last night.  It feels great!  Thank you Jake and Eliza for that special treat.  I’m going to wear my crown as I work out today.  🙂

Love and blessings to you, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom.

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True Confession

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Day 15 as I dance toward Disney World.

True confessions day.  

I once attended a one day retreat at Chicago’s Botanic Garden.  At one point we were instructed to find a place of solitude, and work our way through a set of questions as we meditated.  One question resonated with me.  “What kind of a tree are you?”  Shades of Barbara Walter, right?  As I contemplated this question in quiet serenity surrounded by beautiful nature, the answer came to me.  I am an English Oak.  Not tall, like our American Oak trees, but sturdy, solid, capable of holding heavy burdens.  Strong, upright, with significant mass.  I cried a bit as I thought that this is what God has called me to be.  Solid, strong, able to share others burdens.  And it was an affirmation that God created me for purpose and that I have self-worth.  When we regrouped to discuss our responses to the questions, I shared my thoughts.  Around me everyone looked confused.  The question that I had read and reread and reread again, was NOT in the booklet.  A mini-miracle when God met me where I needed him.    

I do not and have not ever loved myself.  I don’t know why.  There is a deep seeded self-loathing, that God is only just revealing to me. I have no single traumatic event to attribute it to.  However, I believe this is why I have attempted to create this layer of protection on my body.  It has led to my isolating myself often, and this creates a false sense of safety and security.

So here’s the plan: I will go to church and pray for the Lord to teach me to love my self.  He tells us to love our neighbor as ourself, but if I don’t love myself, then how can I truly love my neighbor?  Scripture also tells us that our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit.  I have been a deadbeat landlord of my temple.  Now I want to take better care of this body.

Kinda heavy today, but as I make this journey I pray to uncover the issues that have added to the problem.

Looking forward to partying at the Kingdom.  Meet you there.

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Taking the Onus

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Day 12 marching to Lake Buena Vista.

I want to thank all my supporters for your prayers and kind thoughts yesterday.  There were several salads on the menu at the Mexican restaurant, and the salmon salad that I had was a real treat.  No chips and guac for me.  I felt a bit deprived until I started eating my salad, then no more.

My plan for today is to step up and take the responsibility for my own state of being.  I put the food in my mouth over the years.  I shunned exercise like it was Amish and had turned away from the faith.  🙂  I made the choices that got me here, and I can make the choices to a healthier me.  No more excuses.  I want to stare the truth of my condition in the eyes and then wrestle it to the ground and come out on top.  That’s a bit mixed up, but I hope you get my meaning.

So here’s to a new beginning at almost 59 years old.  I am very optimistic about this journey with you, my dear readers.  Thank you for following my blog.

Can wait to dance with the Mouse!  Meet you at the kingdom.

 

 

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Getting Busy with It

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Donna’s Disney Quest Day 10

Today I need to remind myself why I’m doing this.  I want to be able to walk 5 miles in 14 months.  If I can get there, then I can truly enjoy the Walt Disney World Parks.  Disney World is my happy place; no doubt about it.  But let’s face it, if you have ever visited there, you know that it is a marathon, not a sprint.

I broke my plan last night.  (I  don’t plan to do that ever, but it happened.)  I didn’t do Tai Chi and the Shake Weight when I got home.  I had had such a physically active day at work that I was pooped out.  You see, instead of sitting at my desk “too busy” to help out, I rolled the cart out to the car, I helped load the food into the car, I rolled the cart back into place in the church.  All this to get necessary items to a local temporary food/housing program for the homeless.  It felt so good to help.  Then I walked out to get the mail at work and wondered why the front door was tied open.  So, being very helpful, I untied the door and let it close behind me.  As I traveled down the sidewalk to the mailbox, I heard a loud ‘click.’   Yup, it locked behind me.  So I got a nice long walk around the building to the rear entrance.  (#happy face, #doh!)  I’m just sure God was smiling at that one.

Anyway here’s today’s plan: I plan to eat healthy portions of nutritious foods, and I plan to get up and walk/move around every hour at work.  I put a pot roast in the crock pot before I left for work this morning with the help of my delicious husband.  (He would blush if he saw that!  tee hee  He’s not following my blog yet.)  🙂

Thank you for reading, my faithful few.  Meet you at the Kingdom.

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Getting Honest

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Day 9 in my quest toward Disney

Today my plan is to start getting honest with myself.  I want to see what proper portions look like.

  1. So this morning I measured my three quarters of a cup of cereal and my cup of milk.  It was a surprise to find that that portion was enough.  It satisfied my hunger, and I didn’t feel overly full.
  2. I measured my tuna (packed in water) and peas (low sodium) for my lunch.  And I measured the peanut butter (ingredients: only peanuts) for my apple.
  3. I will measure out my portions of tonight’s shrimp, brown rice and broccoli dinner, too.

It’ll be good for me to eat these proper portions of healthy foods.  It will be good for my body.  But it will also be good for my mind to know that I am eating healthy food in healthy portions.

And since it’s Monday (blurg!), I will do 20 minutes of Tai Chi when I get home from work today, plus 6 minutes of Shake Weight.  I am trying to move every hour and not just sit at my desk all day, too.  And miracle of miracle, I’m still sugar-free!  One week down and four more to go for my Mayo Health Clinic pledge.  🙂

Thank you, dear readers, for your support.  See you at the Kingdom.

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To Market, to Market…

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Day 8

OK, to finished the title “to buy a fat pig, home again , home again, riggety-jig”  I promise I won’t buy a fat pig there.  🙂

I have been a student of nutrition for 40-some years.  I’ve studied fats, sugars, carbs in general, the power of protein, etc., etc…  So I was delighted yesterday when I researched for low-sugar and no added sugar recipes to come across some very helpful websites.  I especially like skinnytaste.com (Chicken Ropa Vieja) and ifoodreal.com (Skinny Tortillaless Chicken Poblano Enchiladas).  Seriously, I’m so excited!

So here’s today’s plan:

I am going grocery shopping by myself, and I am going to fill my cart with healthy, nutritious foods.  Then  I will come home and put away all of those groceries by myself.  My menu is planned for the week.  My pantry has room for the new groceries.

I have not gone on a big grocery shopping trip by myself in a while.  Mike and I usually go on Sunday and pick up our week’s worth of food.  It will be a big physical undertaking for me.

BTW: The ingredients on food products are listed by weight, not volume.

See you at the Kingdom.