May 2020 well-trained bodies

[lmrich]

Another 30 minute run - not fast but I am running! 

still need another walk to get my steps in since the dog did not really want to walk much this am. 

Plan to do a strength training session later. Bought some salad stuff so we can eat well this weekend.  Keeping meals simple. 

[Matryoshka]

1 hour ago, EmilyGF said:

I'm doing the DoYogaWithMe ongoing intermediate program. Today's was Playing the Edge.

I think white bean cookie dip is yummy and so do my kids, but we tend not to eat super sweet things. I use this recipe with brown sugar but cut the sugar to about a quarter. (An aside: I like her recipes but she uses WAY too much sugar. We generally use a quarter to a half and find the recipes sweet.)

Okay, I'm trying this recipe!  What kind of nut butter do you use?

I've tried her black bean brownies, which are excellent - I also cut the sugar.

I may try the yoga too... never done Hatha.  Most yoga I've done is Kripalu.

[Matryoshka]

On 5/13/2020 at 2:47 PM, Dreamergal said:

I lost this thread and was frantically looking for it as it is keeps me accountable.

Nothing to add really, just keeping up with the exercise and playing with my kid. We bought a tent to "camp" in the backyard We are not really camping people because I have restroom and scary woods issues. I love civilization that includes a nice restroom not a hole in the ground. 😊. 

I was inspired by @Laura Corin and made both my "fake" tagine (Indian curry with Moroccan spice mix) and the real one with the Guardian recipe. Kids inhaled both. So thanks for that. Have a good day ladies !

This reminded me that you'd asked for my tagine recipe - here it is.  It originally called for a 5 lb. pumpkin rather than squash, but for me butternut squash is way easier to find and prepare. I usually serve with toasted whole wheat Israeli couscous (that's the large size couscous).  I cook it in a Dutch oven, so I use the same pot for stove and oven.  I use 3 cans of drained chickpeas - and usually peel a whole lemon, not just half.  Original recipe also called for a 15 oz can of tomatoes, but I always use a 28 oz because that's what I have on hand.  This makes a very large amount, but is soooo yummy:

• 1  5lb. butternut squash (sometimes I use 2 smaller ones, and either way usually actually comes in a bit under 5 lbs.)
• 2  bunches Swiss chard, thick stems cut out, leaves torn or cut into 3-inch pieces
• Peel of ½ lemon, cut into strips
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• 1  large onion, finely chopped
• 1½ t. turmeric
• 1  c. chopped cilantro
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• salt and black pepper
• 3  c. cooked dried chickpeas (or 2-3 15-oz. cans)
• ½ c. chopped parsley

Peel, scoop, cube and roast squash at 400ºF for about 30-35 min, till just tender when pricked with a fork.

In a pot of boiling water, cook the chard for 1 minute.  Drain in a colander and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil.  Add the lemon peel and simmer 1 minute.  Drain and repeat. (Blanching removes the bitterness). Drain and set aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 400º.  In a large Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until it starts to turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes.  Stir in the turmeric and ½ c. of the cilantro.  Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cayenne, 2 t. salt, and ½ t. black pepper and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Stir in the squash, chard, lemon peel, chickpeas, and 2 ½ c. of water.  Transfer the stew to a tagine or clay pot, if using; otherwise cover the cooking pot and place it in the oven.  Bake until bubbling hot, about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Stir in the remaining ½ c. of cilantro and the parsley.  The stew shouldn’t be soupy, but if it needs more liquid, add a little water.  Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.  Serve hot over rice or couscous.

 

[Laura Corin]

37 minutes ago, soror said:

Speaking of recipes I did a simple slaw with my tacos last night and it was surprisingly delicous.

I used shredded coleslaw mix (just cabbage and carrots for time saving), lime juice, chile paste (I keep that on hand and didn't have jalapenos), cilantro, chopped red onion, bit of salt and pepper.

Easy, healthy, and yummy-

Sounds really good!

36 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I went for a long dog walk yesterday morning and then a 2 hr vigorous bike ride with a friend. I was pretty wiped after that. Also got in my push-ups and yoga. Today I'm meeting another friend for a walk, and I'll also work on spreading topsoil on the front yard. 

Here's a photo of our provincial flower, the Trillium. It's protected as well, so we're not allowed to pick them. They make a brief appearance in early spring, and then are gone for another year.

 

Lovely.  They look so exotic it's hard to believe they grow wild.  Like the first time I saw a goldfinch and was convinced it was some kind of escaped pet:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/birds/goldfinch/

30 minutes ago, wintermom said:

@soror Your walk with a friend sounds really nice! Enjoy your physical activity and especially your nap today. 😉

@EmilyGF  I like lots of slow stretching in my yoga, too. I figure I do enough vigorous exercise that yoga needs to be focused on stretching and relaxing.

For all you yoga people: How long are the stretches in your program? I once had a yoga instructor that had us hold a stretch for over 2 minutes. This was so painful and not helpful for me. I was really stiff trying to get out of the stretch. On my own, I'll hold a stretch for 10 seconds max. I try to focus on breathing and try not to over stretch or feel any pain. 

I normally hold stretches for five slow breaths.

Today at lunchtime I did one of my favourite yoga routines.  It makes me smile, but somehow I don't want to 'wear it out' so I don't do it more than once a month or so.  After work I'll walk in the woods.

I've gone through the whole of my self-made monthly yoga schedule.  I think I'll drop the work on headstand - my neck is just too crunchy for it to be wise, I think.  I'll search out more routines to fill in those gaps.  Yesterday was comic: Adriene seems to have uploaded an unedited version of an old sequence: not only are there two do-overs where the cameraman talks to her about repeating, but she swears under her breath at one point!

We had baby turnips delivered by the farm, so I plan on turnip salad with lemon juice and mustard dressing; tomato and basil salad with fried strips of halloumi and olive oil; quinoa and roast eggplant, maybe with sesame oil - not sure.  I might crisp-fry the turnip tops to go on top of the quinoa, if I can be bothered, or I might roast some nuts for crunch.

 

[Matryoshka]

11 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Lovely.  They look so exotic it's hard to believe they grow wild.  Like the first time I saw a goldfinch and was convinced it was some kind of escaped pet:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/birds/goldfinch/

I love trilliums.  All I found recently was a jack-in-the-pulpit growing under our lilac.  Not as spectacular.

We have goldfinches here too, but of course they're different.  Homesick British settlers named all the birds here after the ones at home!  Our goldfinch isn't as far off from the original as our robin, though...  Yours is still more colorful!  Just like your versions of chickadees - ours are all just black, white, and gray (you call them tits - 'blue tit' does not sound like a bird on this side of the Atlantic...😂 although we do have a titmouse, which has a little crown).

. 

[Soror]

STrength work done and a very early lunch (I have to go get car licensed and I will be gone at lunch time and don't want to eat while out).

My mood is so very bad, surely my period is imminent. I didn't want to work out at all this morning. I turned on a tv show to watch while I did my strength work for motivation and to keep the internal grumbles down.

Sigh.

I am reading along hope to be more active when the mood improves, keep up the good work ladies and thank you for all the recipes.

[FarmingMomma]

On 5/14/2020 at 7:53 AM, wintermom said:

@IvyInFlorida  All the best at your appointment today! Hope that nausea disappears really soon. It's so exhausting. 

@Dreamergal  Enjoy your backyard tenting! I used to sleep out in a tent in my backyard growing up. I'd extend a power cord and bring out a TV to 'enhance' the experience. 😄 We usually have our tent trailer set up in our backyard in the summer. It's been really handy for sleep-overs. One summer the younger boys lived in the trailer for a couple weeks when we had 2 exchange students. 

@Laura Corin That is interesting about certain poses really 'clicking.'  I have a few of those as well. They are all standing balance poses. When I can balance almost effortlessly it feels amazing! 

@EmilyGF  Sorry to hear about your MIL. Big hugs.

@FarmingMomma  How are the cow and calves doing? How about your exercising streak?  Are there any forest fires this spring in BC? 

 

Today I'm going for a long walk with a friend. There is also a lot of topsoil still to be dealt with. It's fantastic weather today and supposed to be warm for the next few days!

 

@wintermom, the cows and calves are doing well, we should be able to put them out on pasture soon.  We still have about 5 head that haven't calved yet.  No fires so far, the snow was slow to melt off this spring.  I've done maybe one or two "actual" workouts a week, but I've been busy farming, working cows, and trying to get my garden planted.  I'm generally getting 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day, plus pounding nails into fence posts and digging holes for potatoes, so I figure I'm still getting a good workout in each day 🙂 

[KathyBC]

12 hours ago, wintermom said:

@soror Your walk with a friend sounds really nice! Enjoy your physical activity and especially your nap today. 😉

@EmilyGF  I like lots of slow stretching in my yoga, too. I figure I do enough vigorous exercise that yoga needs to be focused on stretching and relaxing.

For all you yoga people: How long are the stretches in your program? I once had a yoga instructor that had us hold a stretch for over 2 minutes. This was so painful and not helpful for me. I was really stiff trying to get out of the stretch. On my own, I'll hold a stretch for 10 seconds max. I try to focus on breathing and try not to over stretch or feel any pain. 

Cow legs pose seems to do me more harm than good, for sure. ETA: Or is it cow face pose? Either way, I lock right up.

Edited May 16, 2020 by KathyBC

[Soror]

I had some PMS eating last night but that was my only one during PMS so that is a win, my period started this am so I'm looking forward to better sleep and mood. No weighing until it has passed. No official exercise plan this weekend. I'm tired and moody and really hoping to get caught up on sleep.

[IvyInFlorida]

@soror Rest and take it easy--CD 1 is draining, blah!

 

Happy to report that my OB appointment was great!  I really like my doctor a lot.  If anything good came of the whole miscarriage scare, it was getting connected with this doctor.  Baby was very active, scooting around and rubbing his/her eyes.  The picture he snapped was basically the worst view of the whole scan unfortunately.  There were some great moments where I saw the whole profile, the hands, etc.

Healthwise, my low blood pressure is a concern but not dangerous unless I pass out.  No showers--baths only.  Move and stand up slowly, stay super hydrated, rest often, frequent small meals, etc.  It certainly makes me feel weak and queasy, but I'll take it over 24/7 nausea!  Morning sickness comes and goes now, which is a big improvement.  The only age-related thing he brought up is that, due to a higher risk of placenta deterioration leading to stillbirth in those 40 and above, it is not his practice to let women my age get to the due date, which makes induction a bigger possibility than usual.

I'm 12 weeks tomorrow...first trimester went by soooo slowly, but I have a feeling the second one will fly by, especially if I start feeling better!  I haven't completely lost hope for a "fit and active" pregnancy, but my priority has definitely shifted to making sure I get enough rest and keeping my mood up.  The fact that I really haven't gained any weight makes it easier to shift that mindset too.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

[barnwife]

@IvyInFloridaGlad to hear your appt. went well and baby looks good! It my was 12 week appt. that got me back into exercising after basically doing 1st tri. I'd been too sick and tired. Going from exercising daily to basically never exercising led to me gaining a handful of pounds. So you can totally have a more active 2nd tri/rest of pregnancy. 

I did some tabata cardio this morning. I really should have done some strength training, but trying out the new cardio video was calling me. I liked the video, so I am hoping to try a pregnancy yoga one by the same person later today or tomorrow. And perhaps grudgingly squeeze in some strength work. 

I will also try to go for a walk today; it should be beautiful, while tomorrow will be cold and rainy. DH is coming home after being away this week, so I might even use the walk as "I am alone!" time. That'll depend on when he gets here though...

Breakfast: fried eggs
Lunch: chicken salad
Dinner: Kitchen Sink Soup as my family calls it...I wanted to make a Red and Black bean soup recipe I have, but realized I have a lot of random things that could go in soup.  Maybe I'll make biscuits to go with it. I need to make a big pot for leftovers when it's cold tomorrow!

[wintermom]

@IvyInFlorida Awesome photo! So glad things are going really well. Hope the 2nd trimester is easier for you. I had low bp as well. The worst was in church as there is a lot of sitting and then standing in a warm, crowded RC mass. 

@soror  Hope you have a relaxing weekend. Bonus would be sunny, warm weather to enjoy!

@KathyBC Exactly. Some yoga poses are not helpful at all. That's why I'm enjoying my own 'yoga' where I can stick to the exercises that work best for me. 

@Dreamergal  Do you play tennis on your backyard court? That is really cool your ds is enjoying learning to cook! 

@barnwife  You seem like a very active pregnant woman! I remember doing a pre-natal aerobics class with my last pregnancy. I was 39 and I was definitely NOT doing anything intense. Some of the younger ladies in the class could do more, but at my age and being the 4th pregnancy, I had all kinds of weird muscle pains. Relaxing yoga was my favourite activity. 😉

@Laura Corin  Going on any exciting hikes this weekend?  It's a long weekend in Canada, as we celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday (which isn't until the 24th, but this is the third weekend in May, so it must be Victoria Day). We are kind of weird in the colonies. 😄

I'm off for a bike ride with a friend. Then I'll try to get more yard work completed. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by wintermom

[Laura Corin]

@IvyInFlorida lovely picture!  Taking it easy sounds good.  My first birth was induced because the waters broke but I didn't go into labour - all went well.

@wintermom Queen Victoria's birthday?  Okay.....  🤔We have something excitingly called 'Late May Bank Holiday', but my employer doesn't shut for it, so for most people it's just rolled into their annual leave allowance. ETA I looked it up and it used to fall on Whitsun, the first Monday after Pentecost.

We just went for a nice walk from the village we are hoping to move to (we had an errand we had to run there) to a National Trust historic home, then down a track, across a ford, and along a ridge above farmland back to the first village.  Probably just over three miles.  I hope it can become a regular walk for us.  I'll do some yoga in a bit.  Meanwhile, I'm producing a tree inventory for the potential purchasers of our current house - I try to send them something fun every week or two to keep the interest alive.

I made yoghurt yesterday, as I was running out, to avoid going to the shop.  So breakfast - low fat yoghurt, a slice of life-changing bread, cubed melon; lunch - sauted mushroom and courgette with a fried egg, a savoury oatcake with Marmite and pumpkin seed butter, and an apple; supper - pork chop and some kind of veg (Husband is cooking).

Edited May 16, 2020 by Laura Corin

[EmilyGF]

I got up this morning at 5, not to do yoga, but to bird with my son (ds15). During the week, he often goes on his own, but he likes to take someone with him on weekends. We probably only walked a mile or a mile and a half, but it took nearly 90 minutes and we saw 45 types of birds. It was a lovely way to start the day as the birds were singing like crazy when we got there. There were many species of warblers and we were able to see a great blue heron from about 20'.

I got home pretty hungry and started the day with sugarly nibbles while I made breakfast. I thought DH would have it prepared when I got home and I was grouchy that he wasn't even out of bed yet. But he's dealing with a lot (his mom died a week and a half ago) so I need to let him sleep and work on self-care.

For the rest of the day, the focus is on house cleaning during the day and then family night (movie? game?) this evening. If we have downtime in the afternoon, I'll do a yoga routine.

Lunch: beans / corn / tortilla, apple

Dinner: challah (made by girls), quiche for most of the family / egg - zucchini dish for me, ds8 says he's making cookies, too

[wintermom]

2 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

@IvyInFlorida lovely picture!  Taking it easy sounds good.  My first birth was induced because the waters broke but I didn't go into labour - all went well.

@wintermom Queen Victoria's birthday?  Okay.....  🤔We have something excitingly called 'Late May Bank Holiday', but my employer doesn't shut for it, so for most people it's just rolled into their annual leave allowance. ETA I looked it up and it used to fall on Whitsun, the first Monday after Pentecost.

We just went for a nice walk from the village we are hoping to move to (we had an errand we had to run there) to a National Trust historic home, then down a track, across a ford, and along a ridge above farmland back to the first village.  Probably just over three miles.  I hope it can become a regular walk for us.  I'll do some yoga in a bit.  Meanwhile, I'm producing a tree inventory for the potential purchasers of our current house - I try to send them something fun every week or two to keep the interest alive.

I made yoghurt yesterday, as I was running out, to avoid going to the shop.  So breakfast - low fat yoghurt, a slice of life-changing bread, cubed melon; lunch - sauted mushroom and courgette with a fried egg, a savoury oatcake with Marmite and pumpkin seed butter, and an apple; supper - pork chop and some kind of veg (Husband is cooking).

According to wikipedia, Victoria Day was originally in celebration of Queen Victoria. Now it's apparently in celebration of the current Queen. What we were celebrating between Queen Victoria and Elizabeth is trickier to determine. 😅 

Your walk in the village sounds really lovely. Sounds like it will be a wonderful location for future walks. Great idea about the tree inventory for your buyers!

[Laura Corin]

23 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

Yes @wintermom our backyard "court" has become very useful. I thought only rich Hollywood people had tennis courts, but nope, under $100 we have a vollyball/tennis/badminton court and a basketball hoop. We are a regular community center. An inflated pool and we are all set. 😀

@Laura Corin What does life changing bread mean ?? Is it real or just a name you gave it ? Recipe please. 

 

Here you go

https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2013/02/the-life-changing-loaf-of-bread/

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, Dreamergal said:

You are an amazing person you know just for the way you eat to me. You make food from all around the world and it is a way of life for you, not an event like me.

You come from a country with many wide, deep and glorious culinary traditions.  I don't think that you should feel any obligation to move outside them, unless you really want to.  I'm British - our culinary tradition was destroyed by early industrialisation and wartime rationing.  The last 70 years have been a story of rediscovery, but more often of thievery: stealing the good bits from other traditions and profiting from the cuisines of those who have immigrated to the UK.  My mother was among the people who caught on to Mediterranean cookery in the Fifties and Sixties after a ground-breaking book was published, at a time when olive oil was hard to find except in the pharmacy.  I remember in the mid-Sixties the Polish delicatessen near my house: the food in there was unimaginably exotic.

The two cooks whose books I tend to eat from are both examples of what the UK food picture has gained from immigration: Yotam Ottolenghi is Israeli-British of Italian descent; Dr Rupy Aujla is Indian-British.

[barnwife]

@Dreamergal @wintermom
I am most definitely not superwoman, or even that active. But I've fought long and hard to make the progress fitness-wise that I have, and I don't want to lose it! That's partly why I decided to try and join this thread. I knew that, especially over the next few months, I need accountability. It would be really, really easy to just say "eh...I'm near the end of my 40s, pregnant, etc...it's okay to slide back a little bit." I need you ladies to not let that happen!

So exercising a little pretty much everyday it is. (I have a friend who prefers doing 2 really long exercise sessions each week. That's not for me.) And walking with the kids (even just a short 10 minute walk, if that's all we can manage), helps with attitudes and behavior around here. I'll take all the help I can get that way! Plus, it gets them into the habit too. (And...being HS, I totally count it as PE!)

@EmilyGF Great blue herons are magnificent birds. Seeing one pretty close would be a nice start to the weekend!

[wintermom]

4 hours ago, EmilyGF said:

I got up this morning at 5, not to do yoga, but to bird with my son (ds15). During the week, he often goes on his own, but he likes to take someone with him on weekends. We probably only walked a mile or a mile and a half, but it took nearly 90 minutes and we saw 45 types of birds. It was a lovely way to start the day as the birds were singing like crazy when we got there. There were many species of warblers and we were able to see a great blue heron from about 20'.

What a wonderful experience to share with your ds! I love seeing birds on my walks/hikes, and often wish I could identify more types of birds. I have a much easier time seeing and identifying the big birds such as mallards, Canada geese, heron and blue jays. I need more work on the small, harder to see birds. 😉

[Matryoshka]

2 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

You have spoken words repeated by many here as if we are telepathic 😀

If we talk about worrying about fitness in these times most people look like you are crazy, but this thread and the people here just get it and it is extremely good for accountability. You guys are inspiring especially the pregnant ladies with how committed you are to exercise. I have learned so much in a short time here and I joined here for future homeschooling my child ! Who knew I could get fitness inspiration and recipes too.

Word.  This place is the bestest. 😁  I'm all done homeschooling and here I am still hanging about...

[Laura Corin]

7 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Word.  This place is the bestest. 😁  I'm all done homeschooling and here I am still hanging about...

Yup. Me too.

[Soror]

12 hours ago, Dreamergal said:

You have spoken words repeated by many here as if we are telepathic 😀

If we talk about worrying about fitness in these times most people look like you are crazy, but this thread and the people here just get it and it is extremely good for accountability. You guys are inspiring especially the pregnant ladies with how committed you are to exercise. I have learned so much in a short time here and I joined here for future homeschooling my child ! Who knew I could get fitness inspiration and recipes too.

You can get everything here if you stay long enough 🙂 It is hard to talk about fitness and health IRL unless someone is interested, otherwise it is seen as an insult.

14 hours ago, barnwife said:

@Dreamergal @wintermom
I am most definitely not superwoman, or even that active. But I've fought long and hard to make the progress fitness-wise that I have, and I don't want to lose it! That's partly why I decided to try and join this thread. I knew that, especially over the next few months, I need accountability. It would be really, really easy to just say "eh...I'm near the end of my 40s, pregnant, etc...it's okay to slide back a little bit." I need you ladies to not let that happen!

So exercising a little pretty much everyday it is. (I have a friend who prefers doing 2 really long exercise sessions each week. That's not for me.) And walking with the kids (even just a short 10 minute walk, if that's all we can manage), helps with attitudes and behavior around here. I'll take all the help I can get that way! Plus, it gets them into the habit too. (And...being HS, I totally count it as PE!)

@EmilyGF Great blue herons are magnificent birds. Seeing one pretty close would be a nice start to the weekend!

Yes, it is so much easier to keep with good habits than form them new. It really does help to have a place to check in and talk to like-minded people.

14 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

You come from a country with many wide, deep and glorious culinary traditions.  I don't think that you should feel any obligation to move outside them, unless you really want to.  I'm British - our culinary tradition was destroyed by early industrialisation and wartime rationing.  The last 70 years have been a story of rediscovery, but more often of thievery: stealing the good bits from other traditions and profiting from the cuisines of those who have immigrated to the UK.  My mother was among the people who caught on to Mediterranean cookery in the Fifties and Sixties after a ground-breaking book was published, at a time when olive oil was hard to find except in the pharmacy.  I remember in the mid-Sixties the Polish delicatessen near my house: the food in there was unimaginably exotic.

The two cooks whose books I tend to eat from are both examples of what the UK food picture has gained from immigration: Yotam Ottolenghi is Israeli-British of Italian descent; Dr Rupy Aujla is Indian-British.

Yes! Dreamergirl, you have your own rich tradition of food. Laura I loved your description of past and current British cuisine. I live in a rural area, growing up salt and pepper were about the only seasonings. My parents worked so during the week we'd have foods half-homemade with the help of things like Hamburger Helper or boxes for spaghetti w/ seasoning packs for tomato sauce and noodles. On the weekends we had homemade food but it is more southern affair, biscuits, gravy, pancakes, yeast rolls, beans and cornbread. Dh came from a family that cooked damn near everything out of a package, all the time. When we got married I slowly learned how to cook on my own. I had done some cooking at home but nothing much. I started with basic dishes then got pulled into the whole foods movement and learned to make a lot by scratch, then later it was Paleo. Along the way, we became interested in other cuisine and I've adopted dishes from different places to cook. I still mostly cook simple dishes for times sake but am always trying to learn new things here and there to put into our rotation.

18 hours ago, EmilyGF said:

I got up this morning at 5, not to do yoga, but to bird with my son (ds15). During the week, he often goes on his own, but he likes to take someone with him on weekends. We probably only walked a mile or a mile and a half, but it took nearly 90 minutes and we saw 45 types of birds. It was a lovely way to start the day as the birds were singing like crazy when we got there. There were many species of warblers and we were able to see a great blue heron from about 20'.

I got home pretty hungry and started the day with sugarly nibbles while I made breakfast. I thought DH would have it prepared when I got home and I was grouchy that he wasn't even out of bed yet. But he's dealing with a lot (his mom died a week and a half ago) so I need to let him sleep and work on self-care.

For the rest of the day, the focus is on house cleaning during the day and then family night (movie? game?) this evening. If we have downtime in the afternoon, I'll do a yoga routine.

Lunch: beans / corn / tortilla, apple

Dinner: challah (made by girls), quiche for most of the family / egg - zucchini dish for me, ds8 says he's making cookies, too

How nice and to be able to share that with your son. Good for you to take it easy on dh, even though I would have been aggravated too.

19 hours ago, Laura Corin said:We just went for a nice walk from the village we are hoping to move to (we had an errand we had to run there) to a National Trust historic home, then down a track, across a ford, and along a ridge above farmland back to the first village.  Probably just over three miles.  I hope it can become a regular walk for us.  I'll do some yoga in a bit.  Meanwhile, I'm producing a tree inventory for the potential purchasers of our current house - I try to send them something fun every week or two to keep the interest alive.

 

I made yoghurt yesterday, as I was running out, to avoid going to the shop.  So breakfast - low fat yoghurt, a slice of life-changing bread, cubed melon; lunch - sauted mushroom and courgette with a fried egg, a savoury oatcake with Marmite and pumpkin seed butter, and an apple; supper - pork chop and some kind of veg (Husband is cooking).

Oops- messed up the formatting. I hadn't realized or forgot that your new house is so close to your current house. How nice to be able to just walk there. The ideal of walking to a different village is so idyllic to me but so little of America is walkable and the parts that are generally are in population dense cities, which I have no desire to live in. Have you talked to the buyers lately? I really hope it all goes through.

20 hours ago, wintermom said:

 

@soror  Hope you have a relaxing weekend. Bonus would be sunny, warm weather to enjoy!

I'm off for a bike ride with a friend. Then I'll try to get more yard work completed. 

No, we have MORE rain for the rest of the week but that is good, it keeps me from doing too much 🙂 What projects are you guys working on in the yard?

Yes, we got to keep on keeping on, good for you!

22 hours ago, IvyInFlorida said:

Happy to report that my OB appointment was great!  I really like my doctor a lot.  If anything good came of the whole miscarriage scare, it was getting connected with this doctor.  Baby was very active, scooting around and rubbing his/her eyes.  The picture he snapped was basically the worst view of the whole scan unfortunately.  There were some great moments where I saw the whole profile, the hands, etc.

Healthwise, my low blood pressure is a concern but not dangerous unless I pass out.  No showers--baths only.  Move and stand up slowly, stay super hydrated, rest often, frequent small meals, etc.  It certainly makes me feel weak and queasy, but I'll take it over 24/7 nausea!  Morning sickness comes and goes now, which is a big improvement.  The only age-related thing he brought up is that, due to a higher risk of placenta deterioration leading to stillbirth in those 40 and above, it is not his practice to let women my age get to the due date, which makes induction a bigger possibility than usual.

I'm 12 weeks tomorrow...first trimester went by soooo slowly, but I have a feeling the second one will fly by, especially if I start feeling better!  I haven't completely lost hope for a "fit and active" pregnancy, but my priority has definitely shifted to making sure I get enough rest and keeping my mood up.  The fact that I really haven't gained any weight makes it easier to shift that mindset too.

Glad to hear you had a good apointment, I hope you continue to feel better.

[Laura Corin]

@soror the buyers are still engaged for now. I need to film another cute garden video for them.

[Soror]

@Laura Corin I am glad to hear that, hopefully the legal stuff gets sorted soon.

________________________

I am feeling much better with the shift in hormones and some sleep (still need more to catch up but it is much better in this part of my cycle). I averaged 6.5 hrs last week, down from the 7.5 I had been getting. That combined with PMS hormones and the near constant rain did not help my mood or energy level. With my hormones shifted and some clear days forecasted this week I'm hoping for a much better week. 

Yesterday, we worked on cleaning out the shed in the am before the rain came (plenty of heavy lifting moving sheets of wood and everything else). Next weekend we hope to get the shed moved so we can start work on the shop/garage we are building. We are having concrete poured but will do the rest of the building ourselves. 

I hit my modest exercise goals last week and hoping to continue on this coming week. I am currently not at all in the mood for formal exercise so am just doing a bare minimum plan to keep habits in place and retain a bit of skills and strength. Plan: 2-3 days of strength work. 2-3 days of 10 min yoga. 2+ days of walks.

 Today's plans- a bit of cleaning, catch up on laundry, food prep and meal planning, file taxes, work on inside of shed, and a nap.

This week's lunch will be Mediterrean Grain Bowls w/ Chicken. I cooked up some chicken last night w/ my fresh oregano and basil, lemon, and garlic. Today I'll whip up some homemade hummus(already cooked the chickpeas) brown rice and quinoa. During the week I'll top it with some mesclun from the garden, red onions, kalmata olives, cucumber, and tomatoes and a sprinkle of feta.

I'm planning to stick with a modest deficit in eating for the next two weeks to get myself a little lower in the maintenance range I prefer and adjust back to maintenance.

[barnwife]

43 minutes ago, soror said:

This week's lunch will be Mediterrean Grain Bowls w/ Chicken. I cooked up some chicken last night w/ my fresh oregano and basil, lemon, and garlic. Today I'll whip up some homemade hummus(already cooked the chickpeas) brown rice and quinoa. During the week I'll top it with some mesclun from the garden, red onions, kalmata olives, cucumber, and tomatoes and a sprinkle of feta.

I'm planning to stick with a modest deficit in eating for the next two weeks to get myself a little lower in the maintenance range I prefer and adjust back to maintenance.

Well, that sounds lovely for lunch. Also, thanks for reminding me I need to cook some chickpeas for a dinner later this week. I was going to make a cucumber salad at some point this week, but DH went grocery shopping. And despite me specifically telling him I had a new cucumber salad recipe I wanted to try, and putting them on the list, he didn't come home with any. Yes, the store had them. I just, after more than 10 years of marriage, fail to understand why, when the person who does 99% of the cooking puts something on the grocery list, and the store has it, it doesn't come home from the store if it isn't the main chef who does the shopping. 

Oh well, I guess I get to look forward to that salad for another week!

I really was going to do some strength training today, because it's been a few days, but life had other plans. Somehow I hurt my upper arm yesterday, so no weight work for a few days. But I persisted with some cardio and tried some yoga for first time. While the yoga was designed for pregnancy, I think I need to find a video for beginners, a super easy, pretend I am 2 yoga video for pregnancy. Maybe I'll search for one today.

[Soror]

10 minutes ago, barnwife said:

Well, that sounds lovely for lunch. Also, thanks for reminding me I need to cook some chickpeas for a dinner later this week. I was going to make a cucumber salad at some point this week, but DH went grocery shopping. And despite me specifically telling him I had a new cucumber salad recipe I wanted to try, and putting them on the list, he didn't come home with any. Yes, the store had them. I just, after more than 10 years of marriage, fail to understand why, when the person who does 99% of the cooking puts something on the grocery list, and the store has it, it doesn't come home from the store if it isn't the main chef who does the shopping. 

Oh well, I guess I get to look forward to that salad for another week!

I really was going to do some strength training today, because it's been a few days, but life had other plans. Somehow I hurt my upper arm yesterday, so no weight work for a few days. But I persisted with some cardio and tried some yoga for first time. While the yoga was designed for pregnancy, I think I need to find a video for beginners, a super easy, pretend I am 2 yoga video for pregnancy. Maybe I'll search for one today.

LOL, men, my dh hates even the smell of cucumbers so I'd not be surprised if he 'forgot' them 🙂 Sorry you don't get to try the new recipe. I hope the arm is better quickly.

________________

Walk and Day 7 Yoga w/ Cassandra done- starting off the week on plan

[Laura Corin]

Slept really badly. Having a quiet day by the fire. A bit of yoga before cleaning bathrooms. 

[wintermom]

I think it's about time I went back to visit the beaver pond and see how things are doing there. Otherwise, I'll try to help out with yard work. We have a big load of topsoil that needs spreading so we can re-seed the grass in many places (e.g., the tennis/volleyball court we've worn the grass off). 😉  Nothing too exciting. 

 

[EmilyGF]

2 hours ago, soror said:

@Laura Corin I am glad to hear that, hopefully the legal stuff gets sorted soon.

________________________

I am feeling much better with the shift in hormones and some sleep (still need more to catch up but it is much better in this part of my cycle). I averaged 6.5 hrs last week, down from the 7.5 I had been getting. That combined with PMS hormones and the near constant rain did not help my mood or energy level. With my hormones shifted and some clear days forecasted this week I'm hoping for a much better week. 

Yesterday, we worked on cleaning out the shed in the am before the rain came (plenty of heavy lifting moving sheets of wood and everything else). Next weekend we hope to get the shed moved so we can start work on the shop/garage we are building. We are having concrete poured but will do the rest of the building ourselves. 

I hit my modest exercise goals last week and hoping to continue on this coming week. I am currently not at all in the mood for formal exercise so am just doing a bare minimum plan to keep habits in place and retain a bit of skills and strength. Plan: 2-3 days of strength work. 2-3 days of 10 min yoga. 2+ days of walks.

 Today's plans- a bit of cleaning, catch up on laundry, food prep and meal planning, file taxes, work on inside of shed, and a nap.

This week's lunch will be Mediterrean Grain Bowls w/ Chicken. I cooked up some chicken last night w/ my fresh oregano and basil, lemon, and garlic. Today I'll whip up some homemade hummus(already cooked the chickpeas) brown rice and quinoa. During the week I'll top it with some mesclun from the garden, red onions, kalmata olives, cucumber, and tomatoes and a sprinkle of feta.

I'm planning to stick with a modest deficit in eating for the next two weeks to get myself a little lower in the maintenance range I prefer and adjust back to maintenance.

That's brilliant. I'm going to try to make myself something like that for this week. I have cabbage, chicken, and carrots easily accessible.

I took the day off yesterday because it was too busy. My RSI seemed to be better yesterday but acted up this morning while I was making breakfast, so I plan to farm out lunches and dinners for the next few days to other family members. My arms need to rest. 😞My yoga plan has bedtime yoga scheduled for tonight. I might try it and see how it goes, or I might switch to a yoga-for-carpal-tunnel routine for a week or two. But I don't think the yoga was the trigger. I did a bunch of mountain climbers on Tuesday and I think that was the problem. Sigh.

Today's menu: Pancakes for breakfast (we have Sunday special), mayo-free tuna salad for lunch, popcorn with nutritional yeast for snack, and turkey-pinto chili with broccoli for dinner (already in the crock pot - the kids will have it with cornbread and I'll make some microwave broccoli for me instead). 

Emily

[Matryoshka]

Yesterday I did a "Power" OT workout with weights which included a 90 sec at a go of 'skiier swings' with weights, twice over, as well as other weighted shoulder stuff (but I'm suspecting all those skiier swings as the main culprit) and today my shoulders are feeling tight.  I liked the OT workout that came out this morning, but it also has upper body weights so I decided to leave it for a later day when I'm not as crazy about that day's workout and try the yoga @EmilyGF suggested.  I liked it (although I did skip one of the sun salutation go-throughs out of impatience because it seems like everything I've done lately that says 'yoga' is almost all sun salutation variations...).  But then he did get on to other stuff, and it seemed just about the right level of challenge.  I appreciated that the guy wasn't super-stretchy; I could usually do the poses as he did them.  I also noticed that the site had pre-run and post-run yoga routines.  I bookmarked those.  I've been trying to run a bit over a mile or 12ish minutes (we'll see if I manage to go farther or get faster...), and those might be good to round that out.  I did also do that run after the yoga today.

Edited May 17, 2020 by Matryoshka

[Matryoshka]

21 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

 

@EmilyGF I did not know a heron was a crane. I only know the term crane and where I come from we used to have cranes standing in paddy fields. So I googled what exactly a blue heron was. Thanks to you I learned something new. Hope you see more and please take pictures if you can.

@wintermom We have started looking for birds and trying to identify them too. I am better at stars and constellations watching than birds, but we did buy a pair of binoculars and a bird watching book. Did not expect to see much but surprised at what we can see.

On identifying birds, @Dreamergal, herons and cranes are both big wading birds, but are not actually the same thing.  https://animals.mom.me/differences-between-cranes-herons-8433.html

[wintermom]

I had a really nice hike into the beaver pond. I tried to hike at a really quick pace as I feel like I haven't really been doing much quick-paced aerobic exercise. My dh dropped me off at the trail head with my bike, so I could ride home after my hike. The bike ride was definitely a good aerobic work-out. Altogether, it was really fun and very exhausting. 😉  Lots of trillium flowers in bloom in the forest. They grow so low to the ground that I couldn't bend down far enough to see if they had a fragrance. Plus my nose is always running from hay fever. 😃

[KathyBC]

2 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Yesterday I did a "Power" OT workout with weights which included a 90 sec at a go of 'skiier swings' with weights, twice over, as well as other weighted shoulder stuff (but I'm suspecting all those skiier swings as the main culprit) and today my shoulders are feeling tight.  I liked the OT workout that came out this morning, but it also has upper body weights so I decided to leave it for a later day when I'm not as crazy about that day's workout and try the yoga @EmilyGF suggested.  I liked it (although I did skip one of the sun salutation go-throughs out of impatience because it seems like everything I've done lately that says 'yoga' is almost all sun salutation variations...).  But then he did get on to other stuff, and it seemed just about the right level of challenge.  I appreciated that the guy wasn't super-stretchy; I could usually do the poses as he did them.  I also noticed that the site had pre-run and post-run yoga routines.  I bookmarked those.  I've been trying to run a bit over a mile or 12ish minutes (we'll see if I manage to go farther or get faster...), and those might be good to round that out.  I did also do that run after the yoga today.

This year I've made sure to do one of the 10-minute yoga sessions at some point after my run, and it seems to make the difference in not stiffening up. Well, the new shoes sure can't hurt either. :-)

[Soror]

Quick check in betwen classes.

It hardly rained yesterday so we ended up working on the shed all day, I'm a bit sore from all the lifting and moving.

I'm hoping to do a bit of work outside today, we'll see what I feel like doing after such a long day yesterday.

Today's plan: strength work

food:

bfast: protein powder w/ almond milk; steel cut oats w/ pb and banana; gf whole grain toast

lunch: mediterrean bowl

dinner: ? dd1 cooking

snack: nut, fruit, dark chocolate, greek yogurt? depends on hunger and mood.

[EmilyGF]

I took yesterday off from yoga except for a short arm stretch. My arms are being very tempermental so I'm switching over to yoga for carpal tunnel until they improve. I did t-tapp today since the arm use is very minimal and someone on the board has been mentioning it recently. When I finish this post, I'm starting Day 2 of yoga for carpal tunnel. They aren't workouts so much as extended stretches, but that is what my body needs.

B: oatmeal

L: peanut-chicken quinoa bowl

dinner: pizza and salad

snack: popcorn and a piece of chocolate

[Soror]

1 hour ago, EmilyGF said:

I took yesterday off from yoga except for a short arm stretch. My arms are being very tempermental so I'm switching over to yoga for carpal tunnel until they improve. I did t-tapp today since the arm use is very minimal and someone on the board has been mentioning it recently. When I finish this post, I'm starting Day 2 of yoga for carpal tunnel. They aren't workouts so much as extended stretches, but that is what my body needs.

B: oatmeal

L: peanut-chicken quinoa bowl

dinner: pizza and salad

snack: popcorn and a piece of chocolate

Good idea to switch things up, hope the arms are better soon.

14 hours ago, wintermom said:

I had a really nice hike into the beaver pond. I tried to hike at a really quick pace as I feel like I haven't really been doing much quick-paced aerobic exercise. My dh dropped me off at the trail head with my bike, so I could ride home after my hike. The bike ride was definitely a good aerobic work-out. Altogether, it was really fun and very exhausting. 😉  Lots of trillium flowers in bloom in the forest. They grow so low to the ground that I couldn't bend down far enough to see if they had a fragrance. Plus my nose is always running from hay fever. 😃

Very sweet of your dh to drop you off and smart. I've  not been doing a lot of hard aerobic work either, I haven't managed the energy or time to do anything about it!

16 hours ago, Dreamergal said:

Just took a walk and did some stretches and breathing exercises, felt like taking the day off

Made crab today for lunch using a recipe that is similar to this. . DH cleaned the crabs, DS was the sous chef/learner, DD stirred and I put it together. 

https://aromaticessence.co/crab-curry-kerala-style/

@soror Talking about fitness is seen as a judgement on others or otherwise boomerangs on you as being obsessed with body image in real life for me. I really cherish talking about it here without judgement and motives and with people who just get it especially the why. Take care of yourself.

 

Oh, the crabs sound delicious! My family is not big on seafood but that curied crab, yum. It is good to have days off, I hope yours was a good one. 

Yes, even when you don't mean any judgement talking about food and fitness is a bit of a mine field, it really helps ot have dedicated space to it, if you come to this thread you know that is the topic! 

22 hours ago, EmilyGF said:

That's brilliant. I'm going to try to make myself something like that for this week. I have cabbage, chicken, and carrots easily accessible.

I took the day off yesterday because it was too busy. My RSI seemed to be better yesterday but acted up this morning while I was making breakfast, so I plan to farm out lunches and dinners for the next few days to other family members. My arms need to rest. 😞My yoga plan has bedtime yoga scheduled for tonight. I might try it and see how it goes, or I might switch to a yoga-for-carpal-tunnel routine for a week or two. But I don't think the yoga was the trigger. I did a bunch of mountain climbers on Tuesday and I think that was the problem. Sigh.

Today's menu: Pancakes for breakfast (we have Sunday special), mayo-free tuna salad for lunch, popcorn with nutritional yeast for snack, and turkey-pinto chili with broccoli for dinner (already in the crock pot - the kids will have it with cornbread and I'll make some microwave broccoli for me instead). 

Emily

I've been trying to do lunch prep every week, switching it up, it really helps me to stay on track to get a nice big healthy lunch (I aim for beans, grains, veggies, and usually meat). I usually do something the family isn't so keen on.

23 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Slept really badly. Having a quiet day by the fire. A bit of yoga before cleaning bathrooms. 

How is today Laura?

[Laura Corin]

@soror thank you for asking.  I slept much better last night.  Today I did a brief but reasonably taxing yoga session at lunchtime and plan to go for a long walk after work.  Husband is cooking.  Your mediterranean bowls sound lovely.

Breakfast- butternut squash oatmeal with home-made yoghurt; lunch - leftover courgette/tomato/ricotta/tofu bake with frozen peas, savoury oatcake with Marmite and pumpkin seed butter, small slice of fresh bread and butter, two prunes; supper (probably) hot-smoked salmon salad with green beans and ripe tomatoes. 

Edited May 18, 2020 by Laura Corin

[wintermom]

It was forecast to rain all day, but it's sunny and warm for now. I'll walk the dog, do my yoga and push-ups, and see how I can help with the yard work. 

I just wanted to share a success story with you on the topic of recovery from a hard work-out. My legs were completely dead yesterday after my hike and bike. I was tempted to stay sitting for the rest of the evening, but ds 14 lured me outside to play a little tennis. I wasn't moving too quick, but apparently I did just enough movement that my legs were no longer sore for the evening, during the night and this morning. Our bodies are truly amazing! 😄

 

 

[Matryoshka]

On 5/15/2020 at 9:20 AM, EmilyGF said:

I think white bean cookie dip is yummy and so do my kids, but we tend not to eat super sweet things. I use this recipe with brown sugar but cut the sugar to about a quarter. (An aside: I like her recipes but she uses WAY too much sugar. We generally use a quarter to a half and find the recipes sweet.)

I just made this!  I used garbanzos because the recipe as written was named Chickpea cookie dough, and I just realized now that you'd used the white bean option.  Do you prefer the white beans, or is it just what you had on hand?  What kind of white bean?

That said, I think it came out pretty darn well.  I don't have any brown sugar, so I used somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 t. blackstrap molasses and 1/4 t. white stevia powder (roughly equivalent to 1/4 c. sugar) to sweeten, and I think that was about right for me.  I used almond butter - what kind do you use?  I didn't really dip, just ate two spoonfuls!

I also made her black bean brownies again - I've been futzing around with it to get it where I want it.  First time, too sweet (calls for 1/3 c. maple syrup and a bit of stevia), second time I reduced the maple syrup a lot and added a bit more stevia (but not enough to replace all of it), but the texture wasn't as good, so this time I used 1/4 c. maple syrup and no stevia.   I will report back when they're cooled...

In both of these recipes I used Lily's stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips.  I hope they continue to be available!

[barnwife]

Today was a very unactive day here. I haven't felt well all day, so I have done basically nothing. Add in that it was cold and rainy, and it's a recipe for exercise falling off the to-do list. I did just do a quick pregnancy yoga video. I tried one last night before bed, and slept better than I have in a while, so I figured it was worth another shot.

Looking forward to better weather over the next few days, and hopefully too feeling better!
 

[Laura Corin]

@barnwife I hope today is better. 

The fish van from the coast is coming today, so we'll have fish tonight. I plan a brisk walk at lunchtime, then yoga after work. Husband is doing the every-ten-days shop this afternoon, so I'll be organising and cooking this evening.

[Soror]

Quick check in before teaching.

Did yard work yesterday and then mowed. 

Between yesterday and Sunday I already have more active minutes than my rather slow week last week..

Today is dh's birthday so I'm not 100% sure what we're doing, might be a lazy day or might do some work, or who knows. It is up to him. 

Exercise: Yoga w/ Cassandra (that should fit into whatever his plans)

I need to make some yogurt today and menu plan.

Food:

bfast: omlette w/ spinach on toast

lunch: mediterrean bowl

dinner: homemade chicken curry w/ sweet pot, green beans, and homemade gf naan

snacks: a small piece of whatever dh wants for dessert and I think I'll try a "healthy" desert so I have something on hand for cravings.

[Soror]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

@barnwife I hope today is better. 

The fish van from the coast is coming today, so we'll have fish tonight. I plan a brisk walk at lunchtime, then yoga after work. Husband is doing the every-ten-days shop this afternoon, so I'll be organising and cooking this evening.

Ya, for fresh fish. Glad you had a better night.

8 hours ago, barnwife said:

Today was a very unactive day here. I haven't felt well all day, so I have done basically nothing. Add in that it was cold and rainy, and it's a recipe for exercise falling off the to-do list. I did just do a quick pregnancy yoga video. I tried one last night before bed, and slept better than I have in a while, so I figured it was worth another shot.

Looking forward to better weather over the next few days, and hopefully too feeling better!
 

Sorry you felt bad, today is a new day.

15 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

I just made this!  I used garbanzos because the recipe as written was named Chickpea cookie dough, and I just realized now that you'd used the white bean option.  Do you prefer the white beans, or is it just what you had on hand?  What kind of white bean?

That said, I think it came out pretty darn well.  I don't have any brown sugar, so I used somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 t. blackstrap molasses and 1/4 t. white stevia powder (roughly equivalent to 1/4 c. sugar) to sweeten, and I think that was about right for me.  I used almond butter - what kind do you use?  I didn't really dip, just ate two spoonfuls!

I also made her black bean brownies again - I've been futzing around with it to get it where I want it.  First time, too sweet (calls for 1/3 c. maple syrup and a bit of stevia), second time I reduced the maple syrup a lot and added a bit more stevia (but not enough to replace all of it), but the texture wasn't as good, so this time I used 1/4 c. maple syrup and no stevia.   I will report back when they're cooled...

In both of these recipes I used Lily's stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips.  I hope they continue to be available!

I might try one of these today. It has been ages since I made black bean brownies.

20 hours ago, wintermom said:

It was forecast to rain all day, but it's sunny and warm for now. I'll walk the dog, do my yoga and push-ups, and see how I can help with the yard work. 

I just wanted to share a success story with you on the topic of recovery from a hard work-out. My legs were completely dead yesterday after my hike and bike. I was tempted to stay sitting for the rest of the evening, but ds 14 lured me outside to play a little tennis. I wasn't moving too quick, but apparently I did just enough movement that my legs were no longer sore for the evening, during the night and this morning. Our bodies are truly amazing! 😄

 

 

Sometimes moving really does help work the soreness, that's great.

[EmilyGF]

I did day 3 of yoga for carpal tunnel today. I have so many sore muscles I didn't know existed. There was an amazing stretch for underneath the shoulder blades in the back. My hips are feeling funky, though, so I will try to fit in t-tapp this afternoon.

My focus this week is truthfulness about portion size. When I went to weekly WW meetings, it was clear to me that a number of people were lying to themselves (maybe fooling themselves is a nicer way to put it?). They would play all sorts of mind tricks and I vowed I'd never do that. Well, I think I am doing that. Two things I can do to be more honest with myself:

1. Measure every single bite and track while plating, not after eating.

2. Preplate my meals. We had pizza last night, but when I went to track after the meal, I realized I had lost count of what I had eaten.

Any other ideas? I don't currently have a food scale, but that might be a splurge in June.

Lunch: Quinoa, chicken, cauliflower, apple, chocolate

Dinner: Not sure; something from The Dinner Daily that a kid is making. Generally low-carb, protein-based meal.

Snack: Something sweet with fat.

[wintermom]

45 minutes ago, EmilyGF said:

I did day 3 of yoga for carpal tunnel today. I have so many sore muscles I didn't know existed. There was an amazing stretch for underneath the shoulder blades in the back. My hips are feeling funky, though, so I will try to fit in t-tapp this afternoon.

My focus this week is truthfulness about portion size. When I went to weekly WW meetings, it was clear to me that a number of people were lying to themselves (maybe fooling themselves is a nicer way to put it?). They would play all sorts of mind tricks and I vowed I'd never do that. Well, I think I am doing that. Two things I can do to be more honest with myself:

1. Measure every single bite and track while plating, not after eating.

2. Preplate my meals. We had pizza last night, but when I went to track after the meal, I realized I had lost count of what I had eaten.

Any other ideas? I don't currently have a food scale, but that might be a splurge in June.

Lunch: Quinoa, chicken, cauliflower, apple, chocolate

Dinner: Not sure; something from The Dinner Daily that a kid is making. Generally low-carb, protein-based meal.

Snack: Something sweet with fat.

I've never tracked my food for any length of time, but I do measure some things and they become habit which helps cut down on the mental fatigue of tracking. For example, I scoop out 1/4 c of rolled oats and 2 eggs for breakfast everyday. I could also do 1 scoop of frozen blueberries, but I don't bother measuring them.

For some foods or beverages, such as a certain fresh veggie or herbal tea, it may be really nice to have 'no limit' on the quantity, so that you can eat them and be totally relaxed.  I see the benefit of tracking food when you want to lose weight, but thinking long-term habits, you are not going to be able to mentally sustain super detailed tracking. You want to build in some enjoyment and positive experiences with eating where this is no guilt. 

[EmilyGF]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

I've never tracked my food for any length of time, but I do measure some things and they become habit which helps cut down on the mental fatigue of tracking. For example, I scoop out 1/4 c of rolled oats and 2 eggs for breakfast everyday. I could also do 1 scoop of frozen blueberries, but I don't bother measuring them.

For some foods or beverages, such as a certain fresh veggie or herbal tea, it may be really nice to have 'no limit' on the quantity, so that you can eat them and be totally relaxed.  I see the benefit of tracking food when you want to lose weight, but thinking long-term habits, you are not going to be able to mentally sustain super detailed tracking. You want to build in some enjoyment and positive experiences with eating where this is no guilt. 

I was at that point for a while, where I could just look at something and know how much it was. But I got so out of the habit that my estimates have gotten pretty lousy.

[wintermom]

First tennis match post-lock down completed!!! It was crazy hard to remember how to play on a full-size hard court with actual tennis balls. After unlearning my lawn tennis from the past 3 weeks, there was some improvement. It was so much fun to run around and smack the balls super hard. We did hit a few over a fence we had to climb to retrieve them, but that just adds to the adventure. 😁

I'm going for a walk with a friend now, which should help 'squeeze out' the nasty lactic acid build up from the tennis. 😉 

[Soror]

20 hours ago, wintermom said:

I've never tracked my food for any length of time, but I do measure some things and they become habit which helps cut down on the mental fatigue of tracking. For example, I scoop out 1/4 c of rolled oats and 2 eggs for breakfast everyday. I could also do 1 scoop of frozen blueberries, but I don't bother measuring them.

For some foods or beverages, such as a certain fresh veggie or herbal tea, it may be really nice to have 'no limit' on the quantity, so that you can eat them and be totally relaxed.  I see the benefit of tracking food when you want to lose weight, but thinking long-term habits, you are not going to be able to mentally sustain super detailed tracking. You want to build in some enjoyment and positive experiences with eating where this is no guilt. 

I agree with this. My motto is to do the least restrictive and easiest thing that works because for the long haul that is optimal. I'd look at measuring those problem foods that are easy to overeat and forget the rest, ymmv. I scoop out serving sizes of things like grains and check the serving size on anything I eat that is processed but things like fruit and veggies are eyeballed.

 

Glad you got a nice match in wintermom!

_________________

We had a good day together. We had to take some trash to the dump from cleaning out the shed and ended up getting Mexican for lunch for dh's birthday, we rarely eat take out even when there isn't a pandemic so it was a splurge. We also took a nice big nap. I worked outside in the am helping to load things and then in the evening I worked on cleaning up around the shed, smoothing the ground, raking, etc. 

My food was close to plan, except for lunch. I had nachos and refrained from any of the extra chips they give. I ate the cheese on the chips but not on the plate and didn't finish it but let the kids have the rest.

I've got some work outside I'd like to do today but we'll see if I feel like it after teaching. Might go to the park for a walk.

I've got to make yogurt today and cook some beef for food prep. I really want to make a "healthier" desert for me too.

Exercise: Strength

Food: breakfast: greek yogurt w/ berries, almonds, and honey; egg w/ toast

lunch: Mediterrean bowl

dinner: Chicken Pho (light on noodles for me); cucumber salad

[Laura Corin]

@wintermom I'm glad you have managed some tennis.

I don't tend to measure things (except things like oats, to make sure the recipe works), but I certainly used to.  There are some habits though, for example: I don't take a bowl of sweetened yoghurt; instead I take a large spoonful from the pot.  I know I won't double-dip, so that keeps me to that one spoonful.  All I really want is the taste, sometimes.

The weather is glorious today.  Yesterday I was a bit sluggish - I didn't get to yoga and ended up eating a lot in the evening.  I suspect those two things may be connected.

Today is a fresh day.  I will do some yoga on the lawn at lunchtime, then take a long walk after work. 

Breakfast - butternut squash porridge and home-made yoghurt; snack - raw veg and low-fat cheese; lunch - leftover beans with artichoke and quinoa; supper - husband is cooking fish.

[EmilyGF]

We've only been shopping every other week during the pandemic, so it was great to get our groceries Monday. Lots of fresh foods now! We have yogurt and milk in the house again.

My focus today is still measuring. I think because I was going to WW in the past, I assume people know that I'm measuring "pointed" foods - ie, foods that aren't either fresh fruits and veggies or very low fat proteins. I think it took me 3 months of consistent measuring to be able to then maintain weight for a year and a half by sight. This was disrupted by a triple-whammy of depression / kitchen remodel / quarantine. I don't feel like I'm burdening myself to precisely measure calorie-dense foods for some period of time. It is simply a skill I lost due to avoidance that served me well for nearly 2 years before that.

That said, I was thinking back on to some of my favorite WW meals. One of my favorites was to make a salad and then put a few fried eggs on top for lunch. That's what I plan for lunch today. My carpal-tunnel-like problem means I need to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible and that is quite simple. DS15 is making dinner tonight. I had one of my favorite breakfasts today: Greek yogurt with berries and banana. And a good cup of coffee. 🙂

Emily