Tag Archives: healthy eating

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Loving the Luscious Choices

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Day 204 in nibbling my way to a healthier me for when I meet up with Mickey

Today’s plan is to plot out my menu for the week.  Six dinners  for the week, because we’re eating out on Thursday after Damascus Road rehearsal.  Then I’ll make my grocery list with those meals in mind.

For breakfast this morning, I went back to try a recipe I’ve wanted to try for a while. I found it on the tinterweb, but I can’t find from whom.  If you find it, then let me know so I can credit the right source.  🙂  See below:

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal:

  1. 1 cup of whole oats (not instant)
  2. 1 cup of coconut milk
  3. 1/3 c. of pure canned pumpkin (no sugar added)
  4. 1/2 tsp. stevia powder  (about a packet and a half)
  5. a pinch of vanilla powder
  6. a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice OR 1/8 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients and stir well.  Heat to boiling while stirring.  Simmer at lowest setting for 15 minutes, stirring often.  Enjoy!

It was sugar-free and decadently delicious!  I lamented about missing all things pumpkin during the holidays.  I have been enjoying pumpkin flavored coffee thanks to the kids, who found sugar-free pumpkin syrup .  But today I got to eat a scrumptious pumpkin treat, and it’s guilt-free!  Ya-hoo!!!

Now that I’m limiting my sugar and salt intake, I’ve found that I am appreciating the REAL taste of foods.  The crunchy goodness of raw cauliflower, the natural sweetness of an apple or clementine, the satisfying taste of unsalted nuts and seeds.  It’s taken me a long time, but  I am leaving the allure of sugar and highly salted food behind me.  Thanks be to God!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Working the Plan

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Day 202 in my quest to meet up with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom in October

Today’s plan: 1) work on turning from my former isolationist ways AND 2) be a bit more physically active.

  1. I am attempting to embrace this huge task that I have taken on: being the director of our women’s retreat.  As I’ve said before, my former behavior pattern was to fly under the radar, not take on any extra tasks, isolate myself so I could indulge in overeating in private.  So today I put in some time diving in to the planning of the retreat.  I put up the registration poster and forms at church, and I spent time familiarizing myself with the music for the retreat.  Also I contacted some folks about getting involved as session leaders.  As I spend some time with the retreat materials, I am very excited about the potential for the day.
  2. I set up the band at church today.  We have a Damascus Road rehearsal this evening, so I got things ready to go.  Music, microphones, stands, piano and chairs in place.  AND I made sure to make many little trips around the church today delivering things in person, to get more steps in.

So that’s it for today.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Shout outs to Brother Gary and Wayne-o, who are both recovering from recent surgery.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.  Love yas!

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I Like My Choices

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Day 201 in my miles toward Mickey

“You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world…but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.”

― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

This quote really spoke to me today.  This whole journey that I’m on is so-o-o-o narcissistic.  It makes me focus IN every day.  What’s my plan today?  How am I feeling today?  What am I realizing today?  Me…me…me.

I love taking better care of myself.  I love having a focus and goals.  But sometimes, even I gag at my self-importance.  It’s naval staring.  I’m basically staring at my own naval everyday.  Blech!

This quote spoke to me today because, there is pain in life.  Physical pain, emotional pain, mental pain.  Lots of pain.  But like the quote, I like my choices.  I do not regret loving one person that I’ve lost.  I love my folks, and now they’re gone.  It hurt so much to lose them, but love is worth it.  The same with friends that I’ve lost.  I loved them with all of my heart, and it tore me apart to lose them.  BUT LOVE IS WORTH IT.

I know this is a ramble today, but I guess my thought for today is: along with this continuing self-centered journey, I want to take the time to love.  I want to take to time to care.  I want to take the time to experience life, love, pain, survival, redemption, etc…  I like my choices.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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200 Days and a Milestone

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Day 200 in my journey to Mickey

I’ve been on this quest for 200 days now.  Wow!  My plan for today was to weigh in and see where I am.  I have now lost 40.8 pounds.  I am so happy to reach the big 4-0 mark.  Now to regroup and look back at what is working and what is not.

Things are amping up at work, so my posts may be brief for a bit.  Thanks for hanging in there with me, dear readers.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Just Another Manic Monday

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Day 199 in my quest to eat healthier on my way to meet Mickey  (7 months and 20 days to go)

I am still emotionally exhausted from yesterday’s post, plus from hearing Aziz Abu Sarah speak.  And it was may first day back at work today after 10 glorious days off.  So I am pooped, wiped, tired, weary.  So my plan for today was a basic one: make a simple, healthy dinner for Mike and I.  Mission accomplished: we had baked salmon with a little sweet potato and lots of fresh veggies.  My only garnish was a bit of oil-free garlic hummus.  Then for a real treat, we had a couple of pickled asparagus each.  We are full, sated, content and feeling very blessed.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Survival of the Less Than Fittest?

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Day 195 in my fight to stay alive to meet up with Mickey

Survival of the fittest.  It’s a reality in the wild, right?  Those in the best shape survive; those less fit are devoured or meet their demise in some fashion.  As an aging, obese woman, with some health issues, I come down on the losing side of the battle.  I’m NOT the fittest.  So my plan for today is to survive.  We are in the throes of the coldest February 19 in recorded history here in the Chicago area.  Our high temperature today is expected to be 4 degrees, our overnight low was 8 degrees below zero.  Both of those figures are record breaking for February 19th in this area.  Wind chills brought it into the 20’s below last night.  That’s why my plan for today is to survive to fight to become a healthier me another day.

I can just hear my Yooper friends and family saying, “Cry me a river.  It’s in the 40’s below here.”  And they’re right.  I know it’s worse north of here.  I know it’s even colder than that in Canada.  But I’m still shivering, and I won’t stop until the temps start to climb.  (BTW: shivering is exercise, right?)

So am I dreaming about Walt Disney World today?  You betcha!  Even though it’s only in the 50’s there, it still sounds like paradise to me.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Tasks and Chilling

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Day 192 in my ambling toward the Magic Kingdom to meet up with Mickey (7 months and 27 days to go)

There is nothing quite as delightful as sleeping in on a Monday morning of vacation.  I had that pleasure this morning.

Today’s plan is to take care of business and to thoroughly enjoy NOT going out into the cold day.

Shower…check.  Breakfast…check.  Write bills for the month…check.  Relax and watch a Disney movie with  a sugar-free pumpkin flavored coffee…check.  (I watched Bears on one of the movie channels.  So  good!)  What a blissful day!  Still to come: get our 2014 taxes together, do some laundry, and prepare a delicious, nutritious dinner for my man and me.  Oh, yeah, and one more cup of piping-hot coffee in front of the TV with my feet up.  (Take that , sore toe!)

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Shining Light into the Darkness

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Day 191 in my seeking to be a healthier me when I meet Mickey (7 months and 28 days to go)

As an obese overeater, I have learned some very self-destructive behaviors.  I learned early on to isolate myself, so that I could hide my poor eating habits.  Alone, I could binge on my sugary treats to my heart’s content.  Only my heart was never content, and I was always filled with self-loathing after I binged.

Now looking back I can see how strange that must sound.  When your drug of choice is food (sugar and salty carbs in particular), it should be pretty obvious that you are going to gain weight and people who see you will pretty much be aware of your drug of choice.  But at the time I felt I had to hide my poor eating habits from the public at large.  (Excuse the pun.)

So part of my strategy, to break out of old patterns, is to become more sociable, to bring what I have hidden in darkness, out into the light.  It’s a terrifying process, but it is a healthy process.

So today I got up and went to church.  I worshipped the God that loves me and sees the beauty in me that I cannot truly yet see myself, and I visited with some other church family members.  It was wonderful to share and to listen to these dear ladies share with me.  There was First Communion today, and 12 fourth and fifth graders took their First Communion with their families.  Beautiful!  They used chalices that they had painted themselves and shared their cup with their family.  (My favorite chalice was the one with the Cubs symbol on one side and a cross on the other side. LOL)  BTW: I passed up the amazing looking cake that was there to celebrate with the kids today.  Victory!

Then rather than going home and holing up for the rest of the day, I went and visited with my dear sister-friend, Joan.  She is a bit homebound because of health issues and winter-itis.  I had a wonderful, long visit Jo.  We chatted about everything.  She is my barefoot friend.  The kind of friend that you can share anything with.  Nothing is off limits.  We’ve been through Curves together.  We’ve been to Overeaters Anonymous together.  We have seen so much together.  She has seen me at my best and at my worst, and she loves me just the same.  She is a living, breathing example of the love of God in my life.  I came home feeling very blessed.

That’s it for today, dear readers.  I pray that all is well with you and yours, and that you are able to spend time with the living God who loves you today.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Spending Some QT

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Day 190 in my quest to be a better me when I meet Mickey

My Valentine is taking me out for dinner tonight, so today’s plan is to not overdo it.  I plan to make the best choices possible.  It is a holiday, so I will thoroughly enjoy our date.  BUT I won’t use it as an excuse to overeat.  Instead I want to concentrate on my man, our conversation, and just our quality time together.  A simple enough plan for a simple enough me on a simple enough date.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Happy VD!

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Day 189 in my journey to meet Mickey

Today is all about VD.

What?  I only mean Valentine’s Day.  My Valentine has been conscripted to spend tomorrow night and Sunday night housesitting. So tonight I made him the meal that helped him to fall in love with me.  Meatloaf, baked potato, and lots of fresh veggies with his favorite, Ranch dip.  Seriously, he LOVES my meatloaf.  🙂

I have adapted my recipe as follows: I now use 90% lean ground beef, onion, garlic, reduced-sugar catsup, yellow mustard, one egg, salt, pepper and moistened whole grain bread.  It is such a satisfying meal on a cold winter’s night.

Tonight is all about pampering my main squeeze.  (I made sure to run out and pick up a card for him for tomorrow morning.)  He still makes my heart pitty-patter.  He is the love of my life, second only to Jesus.  🙂

I am wishing you love for this holiday.  And if you don’t have a Valentine this year, then treat yourself special.  After all if we are supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves, then we’d better learn to love ourselves, right?  Happy VD!

Meet you at the Kingdom!