Vacation was great!

I didn't exercise at all! I did run around the back garden, chasing and being chased by the child, plus did some painting and a bit of wallpapering, but no formal exercise. I probably ate healthier as I was focussing on making sure the kid had good meals and sure enough didn't gain any weight.

I've been back at work a week and a half now and this week back on the office exercise routine. I feel great! I feel like I'm starting to strengthen muscle and I have so much more energy. Trying to be more mindful about food (although as I type I'm eating chocolat Spouse brought back from England) but since we're a bit tight on money right now that helps me to cook healthier things from the pantry.

188

I weighed myself many, many times this morning as I really didn't believe it. But yes, I'm under 190. It may not stay, but I'm optimistic.

Managed one day of Jack over the weekend. Child played along for a couple of the exercises, but was mostly ignoring me. The weather looks like it will be quite clement while I'm on staycation, so I anticipate being able to keep up with the routine. I should be able to do five days a week as well, if not more.

Yesterday I sat down with a diet book and examined their sample menus. It looks like breakfast has a fruit (or juice), a meat, (sometimes eggs instead or in addition) and a bread, usually muffin. Lunch is what I would consider a sandwich filling - chicken salad, egg, meat - although not usually as a sandwich, plus fruit, bread and milk. Dinner is meat, potato, cooked veg and salad. All very sensible, although the breakfast does look like more than I usually eat (and the lunch a lot less.) I think I can manage those while we're home. And if I can get some chairs in, we may even start using the kitchen or dining room tables for meals! How civilized!

Four days in

I've managed exercise at work every day this week (yes, I'm only working four days. It's summer!) I hope to be able to get in a regular routine at least one day over my three day weekend as well. I know that I will at least be going housework or gardening , or just running after the wee one, so some exercise will happen, even if not formalized.

During this first week I have done nothing with my diet. I'm consuming vast quantities just as I have been. It's summer though so my appetite does change, but I haven't made any effort to improve my eating. Once the exercise has been going for a while (maybe three weeks?) I'll look into that. It may mean the dreaded menue planning though.

I really don't like menu planning, especially in the summer. Summer for me has been all about farmers' markets and eating what's fresh and picked that week. How can I plan when I don't know what the farmers will have? Even over the last winter I relied on a CSA supplemented by the wintermarket (where I picked up the CSA) and Farmers To You.  Just having that has improved my eating generally over the past couple of years. But planning? <shudder> I may have to give myself a range of meals to be finalized when I see what's available.

As for my exercise, it's time to reveal that yes, I've been back to Jack Lalanne. Something about the patronizing, but really caring manner and horrible (yes, I do hate it) mid-century moder decor that draws me in. Plus it's on YouTube and only takes 24 minutes of my day. Right now I'm on episode 1. Next week I will do episode 2 each day and work from there. Baby steps. That's the plan.

I can't go on like this

Today my weight was 190.5 lbs. It's been in that area for almost two years now. It's just not healthy for me.

That said, I do NOT want my daughter to ever see me diet or fret about my weight. I would rather she see me make and eat real food and be generally active and have that be normal. She already gets to see her dad as an active bicyclist and we now have a vegetable garden (although that's more of a "proof of concept" this year) in addition to farmer's market and other fresh food coming in the house.

But I need to do something about my weight.

The short-term I'm trying, which I have tried before (but this time I mean it, I swear!) is to do some exercising at work during my lunch. I'm day one into a twelve-week regime. I hope I can keep it up. My goal is to be 180 lbs by daughter's 2nd birthday in October. A modest goal.

188.5

BREAKFAST
"bacon" sandwich
tea

LUNCH
went to the farmers' market



Lunch in the raw



Lunch prepared

DINNER
salad
wine
stir-fried veggies and "chicken" on wheat berries (out of brown rice)

188.5

Need to get back on track.

BREAKFAST
scrambled egg
veggie bacon
toast with butter
water
tea with skim milk

SNACK
orange
tea with soy milk

LUNCH
frozen curry meal
water

DINNER
linguine with mushrooms and leeks
salad
water
wine

190.5

I new the 180s were too good to last.

BREAKFAST
scrambled egg with kale
three veggie bacon slices
water
tea with skim milk

189.5 - Weigh-in Day

Yeah, you read that right: 189.5. I lost four pounds in a week. I know the rate will slow down, but this does show that I had been consuming far too many calories and not exercising enough (or at all to be honest.)

BREAKFAST
scrambled egg with kale
three veggie bacon slices
orange juice
tea with skim milk

LUNCH
Stupid me didn't pack a lunch today. I had a very busy and stressful morning at work and our cafeteria had macaroni and cheese today. But I RESISTED! Instead I went to another food place on campus and got veggie sushi and a container of carrot and celery sticks with dip. Bad me ate the dip but I think that was my food reward for not eating mac and cheese.

DINNER
Post work beer
scalloped carrot, white and sweet potatoes
seitan and sprouts in mushroom sauce (low fat milk in both)
Walked for a bit over half an hour

191.5

And hour's walk and a low calorie dinner kept me at the same weight. This is going to be a long, slow journey.

BREAKFAST
1 egg scrambled with mushroom
2 slices veggie bacon
1 slice toast with bitter
tea with soy milk

LUNCH
Boca burger on bread (1 slice) with Branston pickle
vegetable soup
plum
water

DINNER
Manhattans
"meat" loaf
roast corn with butter and garlic
steamed green beans
water

The weather was crap tonight so I didn't go out for a walk. Although I'm feeling guilty not (at 10 to 8) and might do 30 minutes before bed.

193, BP 118/82

BREAKFAST
Orange Juice - 1/2 cup
veggie bacon - 2 strips
scrambled egg - 1 with
mushrooms - 2T
buttered toast - 1 slice
tea with soy milk

Lots of blood work done at Dr today along with TDaP and 'flu vaccines.


LUNCH
Salad of tomato (1), lettuce (1 cup) and seitan (3 oz) with Branston pickle
water
vegetable soup
Banana - 1 med

DINNER
Quorn Roast - 5.5 oz (was supposed to be 4 oz roast chicken)
baked potato - 1 medium
steamed green beans - 1/2 cup
FF veg gravy with diced fresh mushrooms - 1/4 cup
Manhattans - 2 small with 2 Luxardo cherries each

193.5 - Weigh-in Day

BREAKFAST
Tomato Juice - 1/2 cup
Granola - scant 1/2 cup
FF Greek yogurt - 1/2 cup
tea with unsweetened soy milk
water
multivitamin

LUNCH
Vegetable soup
Sandwich of:

egg - 1 hard cooked
veganaisse - 1/2 T
mustard - 1/2 T
White bread - 2 slices
sliced radish - 2

carrot - 1 cut into strips
orange - 1 small
water

DINNER
Seitan - 3 oz
Roast potato - 1 medium
Brussels sprouts - 1/2 cup
brie cheese - 1 oz
tea

Food, Glorious Food

We had an agreement when my class started this semester that Freddie would make me dinner on class nights. It's not that he hates cooking, or is bad at it, but he often doesn't want to bother or just is uncomfortable both using recipes or making something on the fly. You can see where this is going, can't you?

Here we are mid-way through the semester and I finally got my dinner last night. And it was lovely! I called it a deconstructed cheese burger and chips. He filled a bowl halfway with fresh spinach, topped it with bits of cheddar then some oven fries and a veggie burger. The top garnish was sliced tomato. There was even bread as well, although served sliced on the side. He promises he'll cook again, but lucky for him he has a one week reprieve as next week is spring break.

And no, I've not been dieting or exercising. Bad me. But hey! Spouse cooked!

Hungry + Work Stress = GRUMPY

I was horrible when I got home. I snapped at spouse for putting something I use almost daily (the oil spray bottle) in the back of the cupboard above the stove where not only could I not reach it, but couldn't even see it. He's done that sort of thing before (being 6'3" it never occurs to him that these things are far out of reach for me) but I usually just get the step ladder and start searching rather than snap. I did thank him for starting dinner and for cleaning the kitchen. He also made toasted bread crumbs out of my failed bread so now we have that for katsu and the like.

Dinner last night was scheduled to be:
Broiled ham (3 oz)
stuffed baked potato (1/2 med)
sprouts (1/2 cup)
carrot curls (1/2 med)
celery sticks (3 stalks)
gingerbread (2" cube)
coffee

I planned to do a pork chop for Spouse and seitan for me (with an onion and white wine sauce), but he opted to just have the potato and veg. I did have sprouts in the 'fridge, but we went for asparagus instead. The potatoes were just baked and he had butter on his while I went for plain yogurt on mine. In lieu of carrot, celery, gingerbread and coffee I had Manhattans. It was that kind of day.

The morning menu was fairly close today. Scheduled:
tangerine (1 med)
vienna sausage (2oz)
scrambled egg (1)
whole-wheat toast (1 slice)
skim milk (1 cup)

Actual:
grapefruit (1/2)
Quorn sausage (2oz)
scrambled egg (1)
whole-wheat toast (1 slice)
tea with soymilk (practically the whole damned pot)
orange juice (1 cup)
multi vitamin (1 giant horse pill)

Lunch was supposed to be baked 4oz salmon steak but good luck finding one that small. I get all flustered buying salmon too as it's on the environmental "NO" list so I picked up flounder fillets and baked them with some curry spices, onion and a splash of white wine. Green beans go with and a pear for dessert.

Tonight I'm going out with Miss E so have no idea what I'll actually have for food. The book, which I did get yesterday, has a meatloaf meal listed but I don't think I'll bother with that even if I do cook. I'll see what Spouse feels up to when I get home and go from there.

Hungry today

Last night turned out to be a bust as far as exercise goes. Plus I forgot to bake the bread I set in the oven to rise and it had fallen this morning (baked it anyway and it's vaguely edible.)

Last night's meal was listed as:
Roast veal (3 oz)
Whole kernel corn (1/2 cup)
cauliflower (1/2 cup)
salad of grapefruit and orange (1/2 each) on lettuce
strawberry gelatin (1/2 cup)
coffee

Actual meal was:
Homemade seitan (3 oz)
brocoli and green beans(1+ cup)
pear (1)
beer (1 very large bottle)

This morning's breakfast didn't work out as planned either. The boiled egg wasn't cooked (!) even after 5 minutes, the bread was flat and I felt generally rushed. Proposed breakfast menu:

orange juice (1/2 cup)
rice flakes (1 cup)
banana (1/2 med)
egg cooked in shell (1)
buttered bread (1 slice)
skim milk (1 cup)

Actual breakfast menu:

grapefruit (1/2)
homemade fruit granola (1/2 cup)
fat-free Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
dry bread (1 very small, heavy slice)
tea with soy milk (1/3 cup soymilk)

As you can see, that's much less food than I ate yesterday and I'm already hungry (at 9:30). Lunch is quite small as well as I'm skipping the Perfection salad (a vegetable and gelatin mould - yuck!) and cup of skim milk. Lunch will be sauteed Quon naked cutlet (original called for chicken), 1/2 cup egg noodles and 1/2 asparagus with an apple for dessert. I could eat the whole thing now. I may need to grab a banana to help tide me over.

****
UPDATE

Snagged a banana and some supposedly steamed (they tasted like there was some kind of fat on them) green beans from the caff at lunch.

Does having a salad for dessert count as cheating?

And does the mozzarella on the salad make a difference?

Last night I managed 42 minutes on the Wii Fit, 30 of it on the island cycle (basically stepping up and down on the board). It made me really wish I wasn't so afraid to ride a bike. I didn't learn to ride until I was 18 and then only rode in Vermont. The last time I was on a bike was back in Burlington, VT and I was TERRIFIED! That's what over 10 years of not riding will do (and time in Boston where I've known many people hit while riding). Maybe when the weather gets warmer I'll look into bringing my bike down to the nice path by the water, or riding around the river. It's going to be getting my bike there and back though that will be the challenge!

On the food front, I forgot my lunch again. Feh! It's the last of the potato soup and really needs to be eaten. I've had soup every day since I made a big batch of broth when I came home from England. I tend to make a large batch so we can have soup for several meals so in the past week I've only made three soups: vegetable bean, potato leek, and lentil. The lentil probably has one more meal left, that is unless Spouse finishes it off today. I'm at a loss as to what to make next. Maybe a garlic soup?

With the soups we've been having bread, salad, usually with fresh mozzarella, and the occasional bit it broccoli. I still need to train Spouse in bread baking as it would make it much easier for me to prep things and just leave it to rise when I go to work and have him kneed, shape and bake during the day. However, since I haven't managed that yet (he has been ever so helpful by cleaning the kitchen during the day though!) I'll be mixing the dough tonight from the sponge I made up last night. The full day of ripening should do wonderful things for the flavour!

Weekend

Saturday was so nice without grades hanging over my head. Although I had several students emailing because HW2 was due. Breakfast was Cream of Wheat with dried strawberries, then I shopped for Sunday dinner and picked up spicy noodles for lunch. Took myself out to dinner at the Franklin Cafe (Southie) and had a Manhattan, tuna tartar over tofu, butternut squash spring rolls with creme fresh, an Old Fashioned (it was all about the Old Man Drinks) and blackened tuna with salad I think I've had my fill of fish for a while! They have a few more vegetarian options on the new menu though (like the spring rolls) so I'm going to have to go back and try more :)

Sunday was waking early to worry that Spouse wasn't back from NYC yet and trying to doze until he came home (at 7:45) Once he finally got to sleep I got up and made oat scones and breakfasted on a 1 egg omlette with broccoli and parmesan, 2 slices soy bacon, a scone and Ubiquitous Tea. Lunch was 2 more scones. Dinner was "chicken" tetrazini and broccoli with wine.

And I finished my second snood!

Egg Failure

Again I managed to not soft-boil an egg. This time I cross-referenced with a late 1960s version of Joy of Cooking and I swear I did everything right, but the yolk was still firm. Maybe I need to skip the step of getting the egg to room temperature first. On source suggested running it under hot water if it came right from the 'fridge and that's what I've been doing, but maybe for too long? Could I be partially cooking it before I even start? I'll try straight from the cold next week and see how it goes.

Apart from my failure to have some good for my toast soldiers to jump in, breakfast was good. Pretty much like Tuesday's meal, but with the addition of a small glass of pineapple juice, and no marachino cherry on the grapefruit (it looks cute, but is really unnecessary.) I'm quite enjoying the feeling of a, if not quite full, but sated belly in the mornings. And it really is helping me get through the day without having to munch on everything in sight.

I made a point of going to the refectory at noon today before the Locusts descended. A very good plan, as it turned out, as I was able to get eggplant parmesan (somewhat breaded eggplant wrapped around ricotta and covered in tomato sauce) which came with a tiny side salad. I hit the salad bar for more salad, but couldn't resist the lure of the tortellini and veg in there. But I still had more veggies than the pasta, so that's a plus. And I managed 1.5 litres of water.

After I left the office, early because of this, I went to a user testing thing where there was pizza and soda. I stopped myself at 1 slice of veggie pizza (the Upper Crust does reeeeealy nice pizza) and a 20oz diet Coke. Then I hit the library as D810.W7 H66 had been found after I put a trace on it, and retired to the brew pub to read. Um, which means I had beer. MMmmmmmm... beeeer....

Dinner for me, since spouse is nowhere to be found, is hotted up "meat" loaf from Monday as a sandwich with vegan mayonnaise on homemade bread.

The Goal

I've been so inspired by Destination 1940 and her slowly incorporating new tasks in each week. While this doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to turn into a great housekeeper (how can I make the bed in the morning when there's someone still in it?), it does give me hope for incorporating little changes into my life to instill new good habits.

She actually began her new habits with the bedmaking, but since I can't really do that unless spouse gets a job that gets him up and out at the same time as me, I'm going to follow her Week Two Mission to prepare and serve breakfast.

Part of the reason I struggle with weight may be do to sporadic eating patterns (says the woman who had lunch at 2:00 today). They say* that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I generally am in a rush in the morning and half the time just cannot face solids at that hour. But I've had a few breakfasts at home lately, and it's really helped get me through the morning without reaching for a snack at 10:30. My first week will begin on Monday. Weekends may be modified a bit as that's when I like to catch up on all the sleep I'm not getting during the week (maybe sleep should be a goal?), so it may be modified to brunch.

So this is my new small goal for myself. Others will be added (mainly food and exercise-related, but perhaps the occasional bit of housework as well) as the weeks go on. I have some more things I'd like to do, but am loathe to put them in print right now. I am having a hard time with my Grand Goals, so I'm just going to stick with wee ones for now.


*(don't They always say? Will They ever shut it?)

Monday, Monday

No exercise today :( But I found a short routine on the Good Housekeeping website that I can do in the morning. I figure if I can manage that, then it won't be so horrible if I miss the evening exercises (which I do still plan to keep up.)

Morning - tea with sugar and soy milk, granola with yogurt, water

Snack - some of my lunch (I was hungry!), water

Lunch - vegetable soup, bread with scant amount of butter ("scrape" as it was called during rationing), water

Evening - vegetable soup with pasta and fake meat balls, tea with sugar and soy milk

Today's bread batch was a loss. It was a combination of having the dough do the last rise in the fridge and then being over baked. I think I'll salvage it by making bread crumbs. Tomorrow I plan to make the sponge for the bread in the morning and then making up the dough and baking after work. I still need to give spouse proper bread baking lessons, but after I do, I may turn baking duties over to him.

Saturday

Morning:
tea with soy milk
corn muffins, 3 small

Afternoon:
veggie sushi
1 bottle Citrus C Monster

I bought tons of fruit at the co-op today. I'm going to try to keep to the minimum of 3 fruits and 4 veg a day, but I don't think I'll manage that today the way I've gone so far.

But to help, I also bought a new (old) cookbook. It's Meatless Meals and from what I can tell it's a first edition from 1931 since I don't see any of the known reprint dates (yes, I'm a nerd and looked it up). The nutritional information is, um, interesting. Apparently we need to be careful we don't have too much carbon in our diets. Presumably this means living on rocks and water? And it lists vitamins F (no called essential fatty acids) and G (reclassified as Vitamin B2 or riboflavin).

Dinner:
veggie fajita that had some chicken in it, and Spouse thought tasted like the oil was off (I'll probably puke it up later). With cheese, sour cream and guacamole.
And water.

They took my dish off the bill with no questions and offered me something else, but I'd finished half of it by then and didn't want any more food. I may have fruit for dessert though. Or cake.