Random Thoughts

Well, not entirely random.  As usual, mostly about food and exercise.

Yesterday I took another flying trip to the bay area (not airplane flying, just down and back in one day.)  I did NOT want to go.  I was tired to start, and it was about my dad’s failing health, and I was just DEPRESSED.   I was thinking about why I was depressed, and I think a big part is that my house has gotten really cluttered.  Its small, so it doesn’t take much.  Mostly magazines, books, and fabric–too much and not in the right place.  I decided that I would really put an effort into de-cluttering.  More on that later.

So I did stop at the gym for a workout before I got on the road.  That always makes me feel better about myself.  It was a good workout.  I really pushed myself.  All day yesterday I felt really great.  Very energetic and strong.  So this morning when I woke up and felt TERRIBLE, that was disappointing.  My back hurt, my left ankle was practically collapsing, and my right knee ached.  Ouch.  What was it?  It didn’t seem like just the usual day after a workout aches and pains.  Was it the 9 or so hours in the car?  Or was it the way that I slept?  Who knows.  When my body feels that bad, I immediately imagine the future and wonder what kind of shape I’m gonna be in.  I kind of surprised myself that I just took some ibuprofen, and didn’t even wait for it to work, but just headed out the door with the three doggies in tow.  After a while everything felt okay, although Monk was very happy that I was going his speed instead of Noah speed.

While my dad and I were out, we went to Chili’s for lunch.  I looked everything over, and almost ordered a big lunch (they make it so tempting–you can get a ton of food for $8.)  At the last minute, I said nope, just the bowl of soup and one piece of garlic bread (that’s what my dad likes to get.)  The waiter offered us the basket of bread, and we both said no, just one piece each.  That soup is definitely the ‘cheapest’ thing (calorie-wise) they have on the menu.  Very salty though.  When I have something like that  I know I am changing my taste buds to be satisfied with less salt.

One of the ladies that helps my dad brings him a Fiber One bar every time she comes over.  He takes them politely, but doesn’t really want to eat them.  I kept finding them around the apartment–I told him it was almost like an easter egg hunt!  So, I brought those home with me.  I don’t know if this is a step backwards or not.  I used to LOVE those things.  Then, when I started eating ‘cleaner,’ I left them behind.  I was surprised when I looked at the label that they didn’t have wheat in them.  We’ll see.  They are every bit as delicious as I remember.  140 calories of high fiber junk food.

So today I read quite a bit in one of the recent organizational books I have read–Organized Simplicity.  Written by a   blogger.  Its very well written.  I didn’t really get to the practical nitty gritty of how to organize and simplify, so I set my timer for 30 minutes and went to work on the clutter.  An hour later, I had a good bit done, but its just a dent.  Nevertheless, those clear clean spaces make you feel good.  One funny thing I found was a book I had bought–Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?

Food today.  BTW, I really do think making a plan for the day is a VERY GOOD tool in our fight to maintain control.  It gives me something to look forward to when I might be tempted to eat some unplanned food, and it helps me to see that I am eating a balanced ratio of food during the day.  I started the day out with the one-minute muffin.  The ingredients are very similar to my spackle.   And it did hold me until lunchtime.  I think I might like it better cooked in a skillet.  But seeing a muffin appear after one minute in the microwave was pretty fun too.

Lunch was something I had had up at my friend’s house.  I remember it was fun  because it was such a big bowl of food.  A cup of strawberries cut up, one pear cut up, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, and 100 calories worth of chopped walnuts.  Yumm.

Afternoon snack was the rest of the strawberries and the aforementioned Fiber One bar, with a cup of coffee.

For dinner I flipped through my Trader Joe’s cookbook looking for new ideas.  I am going to shred some already cooked pork on top of some romaine lettuce and shredded carrots, and top it with some homemade guacamole.  Late evening ‘dessert’ will be some yogurt, pecans, and honey (thanks for that idea, Jill.)

Loved the Twofitchicks Podcast with Lynn.  Lynn has a great natural way of chatting that is so enjoyable.  She said one thing that has really stuck with me.  She said she meditated on/remembered exactly how she felt at her favorite lowest weight.  I just really like that idea.  I tend to think about how I felt at my highest weight.  I’m pretty sure I didn’t have the above mentioned aches and pains at my recent lowest weight of 155.  I hope that it is not just the age thing, and the progression of arthritis.  Hopefully losing some of this weight will help that.  And when (not if) I get back to 155, I am going to consciously think about how I feel so that it will be imprinted in my memory.