Tag Archives: Sugar-free

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It Takes a Village

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Day 42 in my quest to be my best for Mickey

Today’s plan contains a few things:

  1. Mike eats seeds everyday.  They are his favorite snack, and he is nearly out of sunflower seeds.  So step one for today is to travel to Walgreens and shop for Mike’s seeds.  However, instead of running in and running out like I usually do, I will stay and walk and browse for at least 20 minutes.  That way I’ll get some steps in for me and my handy-dandy Fitbit.  And I will mo-o-o-ove some.  🙂
  2. We are singing with our besties, the Carlsons, the next time we visit the UP.  So step two for today is going into the basement and putting on a full-court-press to find a song, “Come, Let Us Reason.”  This means more time on my tootsies, and I’ll walk the stairs a few extra times today.  Plus there will be stretching and bending as I search.
  3. My dear daughter-in-law picked up a book from the library for me to see.  It’s titled, “I Quit Sugar” by Sarah Wilson.  So my third step for today will be to come home and looking through this book.  There are 108 sugar-free recipes in it, so I will look for some new ideas to try.

There you are, dear readers.  A threefold plan today.  As you can see it takes a village for my plan today.  Thank you Mike, Wayne, Jean and Eliza for getting me up, moving and planning today.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: 42 days ago I would not have had the energy to pull off this three step plan.  I’m definitely noticing the difference that the nutritious food and the more mo-o-o-oving are making.  🙂  PTL!

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Gettin’ Medical for Mickey

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Day 37 in my journey to meet Mickey at the Magic Kingdom

Today’s plan: At 7:20 am this morning I had a mammogram.  How is this getting me ready to meet Mickey, you ask?  Well, this whole quest of mine is to be healthier in 14 months (now 13 months until October 2015).  I need to get my health check-ups and make sure, I’m OK to make these changes in my life.  Step one was my yearly mammogram.

Modern technology amazes me!  I finished with my mammogram at 8:00 am.  I received an email with my results by 8:45 am.  Normal!  Yay!

So now, no more squeezy, boob torture for me for another year.  Yippee!  (Actually the technician was great and it really didn’t hurt this time.  Miracle!)

So, dear readers, the girls are healthy and ready to take on this Disney quest of mine.  Whew!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I have completed my 5 weeks of being sugar-free.  It feels great.  I actually feel as though my ability to concentrate and focus is better than it used to be.  I plan to keep sugar-free as much as is humanly possible.  I’ll keep reading those labels and planning low carb meals.

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Payday One

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Day 33 in my journey to rendezvous with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom

Well this is it, the first in a series of paydays.  One month ago today I weighed myself and vowed to wait a month to do so again.  Today was W-Day (weigh day).  My plan for today was to step on the scale and to see what, if anything is happening.  Don-don-don-da….  I got myself naked this morning and boldly stepped on the scale.  13.4 pounds down in one month.  Not a bad outcome from making better food choices and moving more, hey?

Now, as my brother Gene would say, “That’s like losing a lifeboat off of the Titanic.”  True, but that’s one less lifeboat that I have to drag around everyday.  Right?

So I’m finding myself in a celebratory mood today.  It’s good to be good.  Ummm… Confession time: the night before last I said to Mike, “I want something that is bad for me, and I want it right now!”  His reply, “Hmmm, I can’t think of anything in the house that would be bad for you that doesn’t have sugar in it.”   Oh yeah, people, he’s got my back.  An hour and a half later right before I went upstairs to bed, I said contritely, “Hon, I don’t really want something that’s bad for me.”  He laughed.  🙂

Thanks for hanging in there with me, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Mickey Drive-By

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Day 29 in tangoing with Mickey

You guys, I am so excited! Today Mike and I played/sang with Damascus Road, the contemporary band at our church.  It was Rally Day, so it was a full service with organ, choir and the band.  Very celebratory.

When I went into the church office to see if there was anything left on my desk for me to do while at church, there was a package there.  Inside was a “Sparkle Mickey” which is a TY Beanie Baby Mickey Mouse!  He has sparkly red trousers, sparkly gold shoes and sparkly silver gloves, a la Michael Jackson.  LOVE IT!  There was also a card which reads: “Thanks!  I’m looking forward to seeing you.  Keep up the good work, and thank you for being my friend.  I will be waiting here for you.  Love, Mickey.”

Can you even stand it????  A Mickey Drive-By!  What a lovely and inspiring gift from a lovely and inspiring friend!

My plan for today was to go to the church picnic, and walk right by the dessert table.  Now these are not just any desserts.  These are one inch squares of divine deliciousness from the Picnic Basket in Libertyville, all sorts of chocolatey, coconuty, lemony, sugary goodness.  In years past I would help myself to anywhere from four to six of these delicacies.  As I thought about it this morning, my resolve was waning.  I could feel the draw of the dreamy dessert table.  Then…I found Mickey, and I knew that for today I could walk right by that table without a second look.  And guess what, faithful readers,…I did just that!  I’m still sugar-free four weeks later!

VICTORY!  Thanks for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Better Choices

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Day 22 of dancing toward Disney

Here’s today’s plan: I would like pancakes with lots of syrup and butter for breakfast.  But today I am having an egg-white omelet loaded with spinach, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and a little low-fat mozzarella cheese, served with fruit and a piece of rye toast.  I won’t regret the flavor, and I will remain sugar-free today.  I can do that just for today.

Then I will shop for the healthy, low-fat, low-sodium, sugar-free ingredients to prepare our new recipes for the week.

I thought eating this way would be so bland, but Mike and I have found the opposite to be true.  We are thoroughly enjoying the natural flavors of foods.  And we find ourselves really looking forward to dinner-time and our chance to just sit and taste the new recipes.  Who knew?

Today’s particular Disney dream?  Sitting at Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West with Mike and the kids, sipping  a cup of coffee and nibbling conch fritters.  I can just feel the stress leaving my body thinking about it.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: In only two more weeks, I will have made my original commitment of five weeks sugar-free.  Who’d a thunk?

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Rewards

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Day 21 of Disney dreaming

Three weeks sugar-free.  That is a major milestone for me.  I don’t remember ever being sugar-free for three weeks, not in my entire life.  It feels good.  My blood sugar has stabilized, which can only be a good thing.  Yippee!  I feel less volatile.

Saturday dinner has often been from Dominos or KFC or Taco Bell.  A fast food dinner to “reward” ourselves for a day off after a week of work.  Now I’m rethinking that idea.   What is rewarding to a healthy body?  A high fat, high salt, high cholesterol, high simple-carb dinner?  Or a dinner that is low fat, low salt, low cholesterol with complex carbs.  I choose the latter.  Today I choose the latter.

Here’s the plan: today I will research four new recipes to try this week.  The internet has been my best tool in eating healthy.  Then I’ll make up my grocery list for the week and be ready to shop tomorrow.

Dinner tonight?  Easy Salmon, a recipe I found last week.  I mix one quarter cup of low-sodium soy sauce with one teaspoon of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of ginger, one quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and an eighth of a teaspoon of pepper.  Then I place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish, pour the liquid mix over the fillets (two 6-ounce fillets) and bake at 325 degrees about 25 minutes.  We will feast tonight on salmon, boiled potatoes and fresh veggies with black bean hummus.  Delicious!

Thank you for reading, dear friends.  Meet you at the Kingdom!  (I’m on my way, Mickey!!)

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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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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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Ole!

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Day 11 in my trek toward Disney World.  (Oh, Mickey, I’m so excited!!)

Well, I hit a wall this morning.  I woke up thinking, “I want a cupcake!”  I felt so tired.  But fear not; I got up, got dressed, ate a healthy breakfast and headed off to work.  I really felt much better after I’d eaten breakfast.  I didn’t want to immediately have a cup of coffee, because I need to feel what it’s like in my natural skin.  Yes, even caffeine-less.  And what I found this morning is that it’s pretty low, but it’s do-able.  I can function without sugar and without caffeine.  Now don’t get me wrong; at 10:30 a.m. I poured myself a cup of 50/50 (half decaf and half caffeine) and enjoyed it to the max!

This getting to know my body and getting to know the natural flavors of foods is pretty interesting.  What a fascinating journey so far.  God is good all the time!

We are meeting Jake and Eliza (our son and daughter-in-law) tonight for dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  Yum!  So…here’s my plan for the day: I will make the healthiest selection that I can find tonight, and I will bypass the chips and guac for this one evening.  I can do it for this ONE evening.  I’m hoping to find a salad on the menu.  I know that’s really optimistic for a Mexican restaurant, but hope springs eternal. Please say a little prayer for me, dear readers, and I will say one for you.  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I received my “Trim Healthy Mama” book yesterday, Jean.  Thank you so much!  It’s pretty heavy reading (both literally and figuratively).  But I look forward to all I have to learn there.

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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.