Tag Archives: nutrition

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Eating for My Health

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Day 180 in eating my way to a healthier me to meet Mickey at Walt Disney World in October (8 months and 9 days to go)

My plan for today is to eat healthy meals.  I had a healthy breakfast and a very healthy lunch.  I am staying sugar-free and watching my portions and my salt intake.  Tonight I have a Damascus Road (the contemporary band at my church) rehearsal; then Mike and I will dine out on the way home.  Salad is on my agenda for dinner, preferably with some grilled chicken on it.

I feel so much better when I eat this way.  If I have an occasional treat, I really notice the difference.  I don’t feel well after I ingest sugar now.  I think my body has had it with foods that offer no nutritional value.  I ate that way for too many years, I guess.  Enough is enough.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: My little foot-doc appointment yesterday turned into a “procedure” whereby the side of my nail was removed and treated so it will not grow back.  So now I have a bloody toe that hurts like crazy.  Sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better, and to quote one of my favorite movies, Tootsie, “I just have to feel this way I until I don’t feel this way anymore.”  🙂

 

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Back to the Doc

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Day 179 in my limping toward seeing Mickey at the Magic Kingdom in October

Today’s plan is is to see my podiatrist.  I have a very sore toe.  I think it may be an ingrown nail, but I am not a doctor, so in I go.  It’s the sort of thing that’s been bothering me for a few weeks and then by the time I was able to get an appointment, another week had gone by.  I’m sure I will leave the doctor’s office with an even more sore toe, but then hopefully it will finally start to heal.  This toe has made walking very uncomfortable for awhile now.  I want to get this taken care of so I can up my walking game.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: My cell phone died today.  If you need to call me, please use my work or home phone number.  I’ll answer; I promise. 🙂

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Be Still

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Day 174 in my healthier lifestyle as I wend my way toward meeting up with Mickey  (8 months and 14 days to go!)

Today’s plan was to take the Mayo Clinic Health Assessment online.  Done!  It’s part of my health insurance plan.  Each year I can earn $150 in Wellness Dollars by taking the assessment.  The money is loaded onto a dedicated credit card and can be used to pay for any medical expenses.  Mike is also on my plan so he can do the same.  That’s $300 in out of pocket health costs paid just by taking the Mayo Clinic Health Assessment.

Once I have completed the assessment, I can begin to qualify for another $350 (and so can Mike) by doing some activities and recording the results online.  This is what put me on the sugar-free road last year.  And it actually got Mike to eat a healthy breakfast for six weeks in a row.  So all totaled we can earn $1000 toward those out of pocket health costs.  We’d be crazy to NOT do this, right?

It’s a bit tougher this year.  Our choices are:

  1. Be Still: Tend to my emotional well-being through daily prayer practice for 6+ weeks
  2. Keep a Fitness Journal: Tend to my physical well-being by tracking physical activity for 10+ weeks
  3. Keep a Food Journal: Tend to my physical well-being by tracking all food and drinks for 10+ weeks.

The Fitness Journal seems like a no-brainer, since I am already trying to increase my activity level, but honestly, I think I need the Be Still path.  I believe that my emotional well-being had a lot to do with the weight I’ve put on in my life.  I think some more concentrated God-time can only benefit me.  So that’s the plan.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I think Mike will choose the Fitness Journal, since he’s swimming four to five mornings a week.  🙂

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Pease Porridge Hot

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Day 171 in my eating my way to a healthier me for meeting Mickey at Walt Disney World (8 months and 17 days to go!)

Holy wah!  Can you believe it?  I’ve been on this journey for 171 days.  I know it’s been over 5 months, but 171 days.  Who’d a thunk it?  🙂

Today’s plan is to travel home after work on this gray, snowy, January Monday and make a delicious pot of pea soup for dinner.  We’ll have it with plenty of fresh veggies, and some crusty bread.

I remember when my mom would make a big pot of pea soup, and just about every time I’d say. “Eeeww, pea soup?  Can’t we have something good instead?”  Then I would sit down to a first and second helping.  🙂  What’s not to like?  Peas, carrots, onions, a bit of ham and seasoning.  Sounds pretty darn good to me today, I’ll tell you what.

Bring it on.  And Mom, thanks for the recipe.  (Miss you.)

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Sunday Fun-day Again

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Day 170 in my quest to reach Mickey at the Magic Kingdom.

Today’s plan kind of came together on the fly.

  1. First, I would go to church this morning to worship the Lord of lord and the King of kings.  While there I was sent a message loud and clear,  “I love you.  I’m with you.  Relax and don’t be so hard on yourself.  Enjoy this journey.”  I physically felt myself exhale, and the stress release was evident.  It was a blessed morning.
  2. Next, choose wisely at breakfast.  I had a ranchero omelette with lots of veggies and only a little cheese.  I ate half and will finish it for tomorrow’s breakfast.
  3. Third, shop for ingredients for the week, so I can come home from work every night and put healthy meals together quickly.
  4. Eat a treat of a dinner without racking up too many calories.  We had a piece of baguette with sauteed vegetables, olives and a bit of brie cheese, bunged under the grill.  (translation: put under the broiler)  It was scrumptious, indulgent and thoroughly satisfying.

So quite a day.  Now I can kick back and watch Downton Abbey. Meet you at the Kingdom!

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A Date with a Mermaid

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Day 168 in my quest to meet up with Mickey

Today my plan is to spend some quality time with The Little Mermaid.  This is my chosen Disney movie for the week.  It has been an extremely stressful week, so I am taking a little down time when I get home from work today and kicking back with one of my favorite Disney films.  The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake…

Nothing too major today.  But I will stay sugar-free and will prepare a warm, healthy meal for us tonight.  I think maybe Surprise Package Casserole.  I hope you get to chill after work today, too.  TGIF!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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It’s a Matter of Portions

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Day 166 in my run toward meeting my favorite mouse, Mickey (8 months and 22 days to go!)

Today’s plan is to be more aware of portion control.  Too much of a good thing…well, is not such a good thing.  🙂  I think my portions have been inching up again.  So today I am going to pay particular attention to the portion sizes in all my meals and snacks.

My mom was an English war bride from WWII.  Her sister Phyllis visited us often and was a delight to spend time with.  Every time she was in the U.S., she would mention the massive portion sizes.  “No wonder everyone is so full blown here.  You people eat too much.”  I love her!  And she is basically right.  According to FRAC (Food Research and Action Center) 68.5% of American adults are overweight or obese.  34.9% of American adults are obese.  Something is just not right here, folks.  Between portions sizes and caloric make up of the foods we eat and lack of physical exercise , many of us have the balance wrong.

So today I will think on these things and determine to become more aware of them everyday in my life.  No one is going to do this for me.  I have to take control on my body.  I have to move it through space.  I have to feed it the right fuel in the right amount.  I know, I know, it sounds like me…me…me.  But really I need to love myself enough to stay on this.  I need to love myself, so that I can love others in the same manner, a healthier manner.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Craving

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Day 165 in my journey to meet Mickey

Today I am craving sugar something fierce!  I want sweets in the worst way: cake pops from Starbucks or Dunkin’s doughnuts or  even a tasty cupcake from Walgreen’s.  I want sugar!

So…my plan for today is to just say, “NO!”  I won’t give in to sugar.  Not today.  I can fight it for today.  I am hoping against all hope that this craving passes soon.

I am a bit down today.  Having just lost a treasured friend, and having to prepare her funeral bulletin in my role as church secretary, has me a bit blue.  Even the weather is gray and unforgiving today.  My usual M.O. is to eat my feelings away.  It’s what made me the big girl that I am today.  If I eat enough sugar, then I just don’t care about things enough to hurt.

This is a new way of life.  This experiencing and walking through my feelings without medicating (in my case with sugar) is still very new to me.  But I know it is a healthier way to live.  I want this way of life.  I want to quit avoiding, and learn to face life as it comes.  It’s tough, but I really believe it is doable with the help of God.

Peace to you all, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Capital “L” for Loser

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Day 164 in my rambling on as I wait to meet Mickey

I took a Disney quiz on Facebook today.  There were 10 questions on Disney movies.  For every question there were three true statements and one false statement.  I thought it would be a piece of cake.  (mmmmm…cake…)  Anyway, I took the quiz and bombed every question.  I did not get a single right answer.  Unbelievable!  The law of averages says I could have guessed at least one correct answer, right?  Nope.  Bomb-ola, ma-dola!

So today’s plan is to study up!  I have to find out more about this thing called Disney.  I am going to commit to watching at least one Disney movie a week until our trip to Walt Disney World in October.  I’m going to watch with purpose and determination to get myself juiced up and excited about all that I will experience on our trip.  I’ll consider it research and I’ll enjoy every minute.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW:  Still staying sugar-free.  What a trip!

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Saying Yes

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Day 162 in my inner ponderings as I make my way to Mickey

Today’s plan is to say, “YES.”  Tonight Mike and I will go to visit with some very dear friends of ours.  I love my “home time,” so I tend to say no to invitations.  But not today.  Today I say, “YES!”  I think that I have refused invitations in the past because of fears.  Fear of what the invitation will require: will I be up for this physically?  Fear of spending time away from home; my controlled environment.  Fear of having to “perform” or be the bubbly, happy, extroverted Donna: when in reality I am the controlling, reserved, shy, introverted Donna.  (Even I can hardly stand how narcissistic this sounds!)

But today, I say, “YES!”  Yes to visiting, Yes to life!  And most of all, Yes to Jesus and what he would have this day be for me.

Meet you at the Kingdom!