Monday August 23, 2021

Peps, I love your concept of concentrating on what we should add vs. take away. I definitely need to go back to drinking a lot more water. I am generally good at concentrating on protein intake, but I need to enhance that for weight loss. I also need to add regular exercise back in beyond walking. Though I do walk 3-5 miles a day, I am very inflexible these days. I so miss how I felt when doing yoga regularly but just can't seem to get into it as a Zoom session.

As an aside, Mike keeps thinking that exercise will make him lose weight but then complains when it doesn't work while he is eating 1/2-1 box of cheezits in a day. But he has sworn off them recently and has been eating the light cheese sticks I started buying again. They really are one of the best snacks for me.

Day 5 of limited access to the kitchen due to floor refinishing. They are doing the final coat as I type this, so I will be back in business Thursday. I was able to sort of cook a meal using the Instant Pot yesterday but it involved a lot of climbing over and under furniture. I felt like I had been through the wringer by the end of the day yesterday, especially my knees from crawling on the floor under the dining room table. The next few days will be meals out, leftovers, and grilling. I prepared a meal yesterday because we kept waiting for heavy winds from Henri. Never really happened (thankfully).

Have a safe and healthy Monday!

I completely agree with everyone's aspiration to drink more water. I see no downside, except maybe having to pee more often. ? I have always drank right up until eating, but I still pretty much follow the no drinking while eating, unless I'm having wine. But if I am, it's very small sips. I might need to tighten up the no liquids for 30 minute after eating. Another rule my program had was stop eating after 30 minutes, and no eating again for at least 2 hours. Seems like a normal way to eat, who needs to eat again in 2 hours? Except if I actually followed this rather simple rule, that would 1. Cut down on grazing 2. Make me more deliberate about choices. If I pop a handful of wheat thins, is it really worth it if now I am going to have to wait 2 more hours to eat something else? I need to follow this rule again.

I am enjoying doing my little strength routine each day. I am going to keep doing it, and will think about what to add as I get stronger.

I will be back in my classroom again on Wednesday. When we left last June, I was so hopeful for an almost normal year this fall. Now fights about masks, fears about Delta variant, angry parents on a variety of issues, are making that "normal" less certain. I have to let go of what I hoped it would be, and prepare to do the best in what it actually is. Anyhow, I am looking forward to seeing many of my colleagues (can't truthfully say all, but it is a very small few), and being with the students.

Greetings All

Another monday, payroll to pick up for studio and see what comes out of the kiln. I often forget what I left to be fired so its a nice surprise. An advantage to aging.

Yesterday I got a last minute phone call to go can tomatoes with a friend so I did that. Stopped in the natural food store and picked up a deli sandwich and salads which we split 3 ways. That may be our meal plan from now on. I still have some home canned tomatoes from a couple of years ago and need to figure out what to make from it. Anyone make tomato soup?

Speaking of tomatoes, Liz I hope you did your fresh tomato pasta sauce. Years ago I used to make one with the uncooked peeled tomatoes, olive oil and basil. Maybe a little onion. It was so good I am now craving it.

Cecily the headless snake was when Tesla caught a little garden snake, bit the head off and tossed the wriggling bleeding body on the deck while we were sitting out there. I made DH dispose of the corpse.

Yay I get to go play scrabble tomorrow with the regular group. Then I plan to shop for shoes at a store my friend recommended for people with weird feet like me. Not ortho stuff - just good variety.

We are watching a series about the Borgia family in 15th century Italy. Its really good and we have another season or two left.

DH worked on the carpet stains left from the puppies. Whatever he used worked quite well! Its almost to its pre puppy state of shabbiness which was still 25 year old carpet.

Peps you pack looks great. Litters planned! How fun. I don't think I will show Poppy but I still am examining her bite daily as her adult teeth start to come in. Her brother Walter will be up here to visit in 10 days.

I may have mentioned a good friend fully vaccinated still got covid. She is recovering well. But she volunteers at a center that gives services to seniors and another person there also go a breakthrough infection. so they are going to stop giving services to the unvaccinated.

Stay safe from Henri those of you in the east. Stay safe from everything else all the rest of you.

The "what do I need to add" concept is a good one. For me it is more protein and veggies. Fortunately I like veggies. I think I should prepare stuff early in the day to reheat later since by late afternoon I tend to give up on cooking.

Cheers all. Diane s

I did make the fresh pasta sauce. I had to use the Instant Pot to boil water to blanch the tomatoes and to cook the pasta and it actually worked out well. Here is the recipe I use (and tweak a bit each time). The instructions are missing, but basically put the sauce ingredients together and let them sit at room temperature for up to a few hours (if leaving out for a while the cheese can be added just before the cooked pasta). Cook the pasta as instructed on the box and mix into the sauce just prior to serving. Garnish with parmesan and basil if desired. I cut it out of the newspaper 20+ years ago:

Lol at the advantages of aging. :)

My pop turned 92 yesterday. What a treat to be able to enjoy a dinner out with him! It's not too many men that make it into their 90s and he really is doing so, so well. Sure he's slowed down, but who wouldn't! I was feeling quite blessed last night. My dad caught me looking at him and commented that I looked rather pleased with myself. I laughed as I told him it was because I was looking at him thinking, "Dear God, I hope you blessed me with his genes!" My dad LOVED that. He beamed.

Today was a good reminder that I don't need to sleep so late on the weekends. I didn't get up until 9 on Saturday and about 8 am yesterday. I was awake past midnight last night. Just wasn't tired even after a full day. Getting up at 6:15 was not an easy feat this morning.

Being tired and healthy eating aren't the most cooperative bedfellows! I had a tougher time staying on track and getting good amounts of water in.

Have to run because I have appointments this afternoon, but wanted to check in and say hey! Cheers!

Congratulations to your Dad, and I do so hope you inherited his genes.

Liz, I copied a link to an article that might be helpful for Mike. For most of us, it is old hat, but I did find it a very good read and reminder. I'm not 60 yet, but only a few years to get there, so I enjoyed the reminder. I was also pleased to see that the article mentions the addition of magnesium to help weight loss. I have done that as well. Don't know how well it's working, but I'm glad to see that the practice is becoming more widely accepted. Like vitamin D3 many people are deficient in magnesium.

If you can't get Mike to read it, at least it will be of benefit to you!

Losing weight after 60 is HARD!

Thank you and Happy Birthday to your Dad! You definitely have good genes!