Friday, 1/3/2020

Weight: 141.8
Veggies/Fruits: 9
Macronutrients: Cals - 1,182, Carbs - 107, Fats - 36, Protein - 97, Fiber - 28
Green SmartPoints: 28
Water: 2 cups
Sleep: 3.5 hours (yup ... it is what it is)
Exercise: Yoga class (75") and 6,803 steps

I'm now an official WW member, which means I'm now tracking twice--on the WW app and on MFP. Why? 'Cause I'm a Pavlovian gunner. ;) Tease me with promises of an A+ for doing anything, and I'm your huckleberry.

Yesterday I ate well, pretty much the same as always, but with one difference: I'm now eating bread. That's a good thing. And I'm not overeating bread, an even better thing.

The bad news is that I woke up just before midnight after sleeping, per my Fitbit, only 3 hours and 36 minutes. I foresee an afternoon nap in my future. After that, we'll see if I actually make it tonight to a 7:00 p.m. Hip Hop Dance Class. I know, I know, I know! So many reasons to laugh at that sentence, but it's part of my plan to have new kinds of fun in 2020.

I'd love to hear about books you're reading that you enjoyed. Here are three insightful, often hilarious, excellent reads from my readings this past month:

Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher

Snobs by Jullian Fellowes

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

This morning I'm off to the local college library in search of a quiet place in the stacks to do some "serious writing" for several hours while eschewing access to wifi or electronic devices other than my laptop. My 2020 stretch writing goals are to complete 50 poems, 10 non-fiction pieces, and two short stories. It's time to put up or shut up.

Today's musical and video theme: My Hip-Hop Inspiration!

Weight 135.6 (up .2 again). But I ate clean again, so I'm good with it. Have I said already (100 times) how much it helps to be in control of this one thing?

So you are tracking in two places so you get the calories, nutrition and the points? I thought about doing that but I just haven't got the patience right now. Do you like MFP tracking better? I do, other than the barcode feature in WW. But I don't eat a lot of processed stuff so I don't use it a lot. Of course I have to track in WW because I have to get those "wins" (LOL). BTW, I noticed that in the Wins section of the app they still call them workshops. "Studio" does tickle me a bit too because the meetings I have gone to (and will tomorrow) are in restaurants (prior to opening time) or in a Masonic basement.

I wonder if I will be in a fog for as long after DH passes. I feel like I have been grieving his loss for years already. But already the sadness of looking at the old photographs he loved arranging in our sunroom and walking on the beach we walked so many times ha**** me.

DH is definitely on his way. His breathing is different and his face more slack. DD is coming today (originally planned to come tomorrow) because the hospice nurse said it could happen anytime in the next couple of weeks and suggested that she not wait. I have been looking for a good Gaelic saying to put on a prayer card for him. I think I may look at urns online too. A friend's Mom died recently (of dementia) and he made a beautiful wooden box and his brother painted a wonderful water scene on top. I wish we had that kind of creativity in our family.

It makes me happy to see our beautiful Paula so happy. I can't wait to see the wedding photos.

Love you all and stay safe (especially Shirl)!

When my Dad passed, we found that the Hospice nurses were point on regarding timing. You have given Paul comfort and dignity.

I love that, Ann! She's having so much fun!

1. Within Range: 6 over
2. Blue SmartPoints: 23 plus 3 weekly points
3. General Wellbeing: 8.5
4. Fitness: walking
5. Self-Care: read
6. Fun: Sudoku

Light and love to all the tribe, especially for the safety of Shirl and her loved ones, for Liz during Paul's transition, and for Paula as she marries the man she loves.

Weight 202.2

I'm making peace with WW and not trying to fight it so much! It has a few flaws (to me), but it's not fair to expect one size fits all so I am burrowing into the best fitting one and letting go of the fact that parts are not the way I want them to be. So far it's working to make me more conscious of my choices - little changes in what I eat (more fruit and veg), what I choose at restaurants (what salad I picked at Panera yesterday), and quantities. All good things. I do understand Ann tracking in MFP too, for comparative data. My brain keeps asking, "yes, points, but how many calories am I eating? Fats? Protein? Carbs?"

I'm also enjoying the intermittent fasting from approximately 5pm to 9am. If nothing else, it makes me aware of how often I mindlessly eat when I'm not hungry and don't need to, but supposedly it can have benefits for weight loss and maintenance, blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin levels, insulin sensitivity, mental clarity and sleep. Some people I think take it overboard, as so often the human response to "a little is good" is "then a lot must be better!" So there are people who fast for 20 hours a day, some who practice OMAD (one meal a day), some who fast a full 24 hours every other day, others who fast for days on end. I could see people with eating disorders trying to blend in with this crowd to normalize their disease. But for me, it's just dinner maybe 30 minutes earlier than I'd normally eat it, no after dinner snacking, and breakfast an hour later than usual. So no giant shifts.

Today involves taking down my Christmas tree (should have come down a few days ago!). And maybe a movie? Certainly some dog walks. Perhaps putting a few more items in the "donate" box. I'm thinking about Shirley's fires, Liz and her husband, DianeO and her clean office (come do mine!), Bonnie and her magical fairy, DianeS swimming around with her husband, Ann Hip Hop dancing, what cultural event DD will brave the snow to see next, Pep's He-Man status and gorgeous new appliances, Bonnie's cute little ones, Dave's Adalyn antics and hoping his cough has cleared up...

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

The benefits you listed with intermittent fasting make the idea very attractive. There is not one that would not improve my QOL. (Esp not eating after which ever my last meal of the day). Tempting!

153.2 4.4# down from 1/1, 8.2# to go.

Calories are calories are calories, but evidently (for me) carbs as calories and protein as calories are two different animals, and my body metabolizes them differently. On top of that, while I can eat slider foods all day long (translates huge calorie load), I don't seem to overeat the protein.

Am leaving some of the Christmas stuff up at request of DH who says he likes the extra sparkly lights in the evening. I'm ok with that for now, but looking forward to loosing the clutter.

I am currently in two books, Americans: the Colonial Experience (Boorstin) and Unbound (Currier) which explores (according to Currier) how very early technology made humans human.

Fire/Cooking, by making meat softer, thus requiring less time to consume, freed early hominids of needing much of the day just chewing enough calories to sustain them. Hey, a new approach to weight loss! Just start only eating raw meat and extremely fibrosis vegetables ---there will not be enough time with all the chewing required. Why, a person could eat all day and not be able to choke enough groceries down to make a difference. Anyone down for that?

Thanks for the non-fiction recommendations. It's time for me to balance the fiction/non-fiction accounts. Both your books sound quite interesting. :)

However, re your New Raw Food Diet Plan, I'd really hate to give up fire.

We are leaving for Madison Wisconsin in a bit to visit our son. It's a little under 5 hours. I haven't seen his new shiny apartment yet, and if we don't go this weekend, we won't both be able to go again until March. We're stopping at a friend's house on the way home Sunday night, and I'm trying not to panic about having NO part of the weekend to get ready for the week. Liz's news reminds me to cherish my loved ones, so I will embrace the chance to see our son, and then our friends. Next time is not always an option.