Constant Commentary

Actually... fun fact: The Sahara is wet compared to some places in the world! Source: Planet Earth/Blue Planet/7 Worlds 1 Planet documentary obsession. It's January 21st and dry January is going swimmingly- all KINDS of water for swimming! I don't have a drinking "problem," BUT I have learned that I do use drinking as a de-stressor and fun enhancer and that's something I'd like to work on a bit. A few months ago I listened to a podcast episode," Augmenting Positive Emotions  and it was all about how we use drinking (and eating), as emotion enhancers and I had never thought about that before. We feel a positive emotion and have trained our brains to immediately seek an additional dopamine hit from something like sugar or alcohol to augment and enhance that positive emotion. She used a great example of sitting on a porch on vacation watching a gorgeous sunset and thinking about how it would be even nicer with a glass of wine. I chose to participate in...

The goal of these Facebook challenges is to have bettered yourself in some way by the end of the 21 days.  It's also based on the theory that it takes 21 days to make a habit.  Every day you get 1 point for an exercise photo and 1 point for a healthy eating photo, and every point is an entry for a drawing and a t-shirt.  I won a t-shirt last month!! WINNING!! Last week was a break from the challenges for the holiday, but it wasn't a break for me!  Lonnie has finally jumped on board with me and we kissed sugar goodbye last Sunday.  Honestly, for some reason it hasn't even been that hard.  And it is AMAZING the changes that happen so quickly when junk food and sugar aren't in my system... I feel thinner and lighter within a couple days.   My mental clarity and focus improve right away.  Which was AWESOME because it allowed me to get COMPLETELY caught up in my coursework. Having that hanging over my head was really bothering me. I actua...

So I finished another 3 week challenge.  I did not finish very strong, kinda let the ole PMS derail things.  I also have been under-the-weather the past few days with either the flu or lyme disease. Fantastic. ANYWAY.... I am still off soda.  I don't even miss it anymore. I am am loving water! I am starting to actually enjoy exercise again... (well except for the past couple days) BUT.... I went to the doctor today (see above), and got weighed.  It was bad. Really bad. Makes me feel like all these great changes have been for nothing and that sucks.  It's not like I don't know why though.  I have been eating a lot of shit.  That dam convenience store down the road is the bane of my existence.  Especially since I am Mrs. Eatsmyfeelings and I am having a lot of feelings to eat lately! My plan.  Give myself a break until Jessi heads to Richmond at the end of the week, then it's FUCKING ON!  NO more convenience store. Continuing...

Instead if the "weekly shows nothing selfie, Here is one that actually does show something. And you know what?  I don't even hate it. We've taken a few days off.  Not completely off, but a bit relaxed.  We had some cake for Sean's birthday.  And Sean requested birthday lasagna as well.  Damn my lasagna is good.  I did do some little things to create the illusion of control ...like make a smaller pan of lasagna.  And other than those things over the weekend, I stayed away from sugar. Including that Easter candy that continues to linger around the house. Then yesterday I continued to be "off it" a bit.  I had a busy day and not-gonna-lie, the second I went out the door, I knew I was going to use my business as an excuse to have my favorite McDonald's meal ---even though I easily could have made a better choice.  Verruca (and Ms. PMS) wanted it.... and Colleen gave in.  Then when I got home from work, there were 2 pieces of cake lef...

Last week I heard a Dr. Laura call from a woman who was unable to make decisions or choices.  After much discussion it was established that "So you lost your childhood and now you are trying to get it back every day by not making decisions and forcing other's to make decisions for you.  'Child' you didn't feel protected and cared for, and 'adult' you is making up for it by forcing others to care for you.... make decisions for you, basically treat you like the child that you never got to be."  My mind was 3/4s blown, with parallels still running through my mind almost a week later. The FULL BLOW came while Lonnie and I were shopping at BJs (haha!).  I noticed the iced tea drink mix stuff and confessed to Lonnie that as a kid I used to sneak into the kitchen put some of the powder in a cup, make a paste out of it with water, and take it back up to my room and slowly savor revel in the joy of every little spoonful.  My mouth is actually...

Christmas used to be my jam.  I was SOOOOO into it!!  I started pre-gaming for Black Friday the second the leaves started to turn! Then I got divorced and everything changed.  The kids have to go here and there and everywhere and we have to schedule in Christmas.  Rick and I always had a giant rager of Christmas party that I always looked very forward to with all of our friends and that's gone.  We always got up WELL BEFORE DAWN and headed over to his parent's house for presents, food (CRAB DIP!), and fun... then after a nap.... LOBSTAH DINNAH!  ....and for me, that's all gone.  And coincidentally, right around divorce time, the kids got older and less into toys that required me to line up and freeze my ass off with a bunch of other crazy people at midnight. These days they are more into clothes and pricey things, and their presents are divided between here and Rick's house, with the result being the 'under-the-tree- space looking more sparse with a ...

Usually when I have not blogged in a bit, it's because I have fallen off the wagon and just don't want to face that in font.  Today I come back to blogging after a little break still fully entrenched in my weight loss endeavor.  I have even started running again.  Lonnie and I are fast tracking ourselves through Couch to 5k.  We are and doing three run days in a row (which is week in the program), then taking a one day break, then starting another 3 days.  I assume we will hit a road block around week 5 or 6 where we will need to repeat some days, but maybe not!  It's going well, and even though we are in the midst of a stifling heat/humidity wave, I have been able to easily complete the run segments.  This is not to say I am skipping out there with a giant smile on my face though  ;-)    This summer has been a GIANT exercise in self-control and learning to find outlets for my emotions that don't involve snacks.   We ...

My life long enemy. I want it and I want it now and if I can't have it now that I don't fucking want it I want something else instead. Yes, I am a 2 year old pirate in a 41 year old body. I tend to embrace most of my "faults" and don't try to change them because they are part of who I am, and I like me!  But this one... this inability to wait for things... is something that I need to work on if I want to like me EVEN MORE! Weight Watchers has been a HUGE lesson in this.  Many days I feel like it is not working.  This is completely asinine as I have lost weight every week except one (and that one I can blame on hormones!).  This morning was my seventh weigh-in and as of today I have lost 14 pounds.  That is not, "not working."  That is 'slow and steady wins the race.'  I hate 'slow and steady wins the race.'  I like "GO GO GO aaaaaaannnnnnnd DONE!!!" Running... another lesson.  I love me some running.  I feel awesom...

OK, a lot of people, lol.  Like millions even. 10.6 pounds down!  WOO EFFING HOOOOOO!!!! A couple of our favs right now that are keeping us going strong... Chocolate graham crackers with light cool whip on top and put in the freezer.  I like them better with no top.  I mean isn't everything pretty and yummy better topless?  ;-) Cutting our rice with half cauliflower.  This one is a throwback to our low carb/paleo days.  We used to buy heads of it and food process it, which is kind of a pain in the arse.  But NOW they sell Cauliflower Crumbles in the produce section....  GAME ON! If you are eating rice with anything on top or mixed in, you will not notice! OK... you may notice the smell of the cauliflower, so make sure whatever you are topping it with is aromatic!  Which leads me to.... This recipe has been life changing.  Lonnie and I are completely in love with it and have had a twice a week since we found it.  T...

What a waste I trying to learn to teach my brain, belly, and mouth to slow their roll.  Settle down.  Be happy with less. I also know that I must keep all three happy while doing so, or there will be a REVOLUTION! It's a delicate balance. Yesterday Lonnie, Jessi, the pups and I had a simply marvelous day on the coast.  We beached.  We laked.  We downtown Bar Harbored.  Before we left, Lonnie and I even made going for a run a priority.  Yay us! Jessi and I doing some sick cheerleader moves at Long Pond As I knew I had plenty of activity points for the day, and I hadn't eaten much, I decided that this day deserved to be topped off with a little ice cream!   .....then I saw the adorable little cupcake shop with case full of beautiful, delicious looking cupcakes of happiness.  ( as an aside.... I have been obsessed with cupcakes lately anyway because I have been watching 'Cupcake Wars' on netflix... which honestly, may...

Taken for Lonnie on my lunch break. ;-) Weight Watchers is going VERY WELL!!  Yes, it has only been 3 days, but they were three GREAT DAYS that even included several of the challenges that usually result in me eating McDonalds!  Yesterday I had jury duty, and on my lunch break, I drove RIGHT PAST Mikky Ds and over to Hannaford and made myself a delicious salad bar salad, which I enjoyed in my car listening to Dr Laura, and pouring rain pelting my roof. Lonnie is supportive of everything I do, but he was not interested in joining WW with me, and I don't blame him.  There is something "girly" about it.  Then while muching my salad and listening to Dr Laura rip someone a new asshole, I got this message... So now we are in this together, and it just adds to the fun because I get to play 'tour guide' and as a bonafide know-it-all, I love that shit.  LOL Off for a run.... walk....run.... walk.... run.....

I was so NOT back at it again.  Well maybe for a couple days I was.  OK.  I am not giving myself enough credit.  I was at it, many days, but I was also not at it for many days. ;-) I have done a lot of soul searching and thinking about WHY I am this way.  And I think I have it broken down to this 60% boredom/tv/couch eating 10% grabbing food to eat during work shifts (I'll have a #2 with cheezburgers plain please.") (And this one is only 10% because of my weird work schedule, it only happens once, or twice, a week, tops) 20% large portions and "seconds" at dinnertime.  Lonnie and I are both DAMN good cooks. 10% inactivity So... with that all in mind, I decided to give Weight Watchers another go.  Tracking my food and how much I am eating is really what I need to learn in order to ever make a big change.  I know I can do it free with my fitness pal, but I want to pay for it to add another level of accountability.  I am also working o...

As I mentioned before, when I saw the photos of myself on Jessi's graduation day, I was horrified at the weight I had allowed myself to balloon up to.  Even though I knew the numbers on the scale were getting larger, I somehow managed to bury had my head in the sand and ignore it all. But on that day, I vowed to myself that I would NOT look at photos of the day I dropped Jessi off at college and feel the same way.  I vowed I would NEVER look at photos and feel that way again.  I have lost 20 pounds since that day.  I am a huge fan of instant gratification, so I wish I could say it was more, but I'll take it because damnit,.... I HAVE EARNED IT. Lonnie and I are still going strong on our new way of eating.  I can't really call it low-carb, or paleo, because it's really a combo of the two.  Our focus is no breads, pastas, stuff like that.  And no processed foods.  Except diet caffeine-free soda.  Just can't give it up.  Maybe...

I am going to start this post with advice about allrecipes.com, my goto site for all things cooking.  The number of stars is the first thing I check, but if a recipe has 4 or 5 stars and only 10 reviews.... a further looksie must be taken ;-) Once I have checked the star rating and glanced at the recipe itself and the photos.... I think even more important than the recipe itself is to scan through the comments.  There are often glaring themes of changes that people made to the recipe in order to rate as highly as they did.  Case in point... our newest "staple" recipe, Sweet Sticky and Spicy Chicken  (and by staple, I mean we make this weekly and it's noticed if we don't!)  The recipe does not call for the chicken to be dredged in flour before cooking.  A zillion people in the comments mention this and how without this additional step... they may as well take "sticky" out of the title.  It's completely different and soooo much better.  The one...