Monthly Archives: November 2008
Sunday: Powered by Dreams; Grounded in Facts
New scene.
Elaine and Puddy on the plane.
Elaine: I can’t believe we broke up like that.
Elaine starts reading, Puddy stares off into space.
Elaine: Do you want something to read?
Puddy: Nah.
Elaine: Well, are you going to take a nap or –
Puddy: Nah.
Elaine: You’re just going to sit there staring at the back of a seat?
Puddy: Yeah.
Elaine tries to read but cannot concentrate.
Elaine: That’s it! I cannot take this!
- Seinfeld Scripts, The Butter Shave
Facing Up — The All-Powerful Food Diary
So, OK — I’m not going to eat between meals and I’m not going to take seconds and I’m going to walk for 3 miles. And yes, doing this regularly does work. The trick is in the “doing this regularly” part. And that’s where blogging helps. When I actually do my daily thought pieces (which kind of stopped during the election-season) I’m more committed. And my commitment has more power if I write down what I eat and do.
Weight Watchers is where I first learned to “Journal” what I eat. And the Weight Watcher food diaries are still helpful. It’s really nice to tuck their diary into my purse and write down my meals no matter where I am. But the written format has serious limitations compared to the computer tools that are now available.
With online and desktop diaries you can create charts of your progress, track exercise (and the calories burned) and in some — menus of regular meals and recipes.
I can’t seem to stick to just one journaling tool. I like the colorful charts of one tool and the ability to record recipes and log them as single servings in another and I love the moving-weighted-average weight chart of another. So, getting back on track is a little complicated for me as I get each of them set up for my renewed commitment. Luckily one of them has updated the software to make it easy to adjust goals (I thought I was going to have to create a New-Fake-Me.)
(clearing my throat) Continue reading
Monday, Getting a Plan
My plan to become slender and willowy and alluring is not working out and the reason seems to be that though I go for days and days eating only celery and RyKrisp and a soup made from birch twigs and lichen, I black out occasionally and when I regain consciousness I am crouched over the half-eaten carcass of a gazelle and my hands and face are red and sticky and I’m disgusted, of course, and yet very rare gazelle does taste good when you’re hungry, and the exertion of chasing one and bringing it down does make a person ravenous.
- Garrison Keillor, A Puritan’s Path To Weight Loss and Eternal Happiness
I spent the weekend cleaning closets and trying to distract myself from the attractive treats calling me from the kitchen. Aside from the occasional lapse (where I’d duck into the refrigerator for a slice of cheese) the weekend was mostly successful. The closets are clean and the treats are (mostly) still there. Continue reading
Nothing but Blue Skies
It’s been a week of non-stop projects but, I’ve still managed to walk nearly every day (and the one day I didn’t I spent raking leaves*)
Today (Just Today) I’m going to walk 3 miles, drink my fiber supplement and finish that one web page I’ve been putting off….
What are you going to do today?
* Which were dragged to the back of the back yard. NOT to the landfill.
Plodding through the rain
Outdoor walking is a challenge. In the summer the weather is clear but, it’s hot.hot.hot and that can make what should be an enjoyable experience almost a threat. In fact, that’s when I first invented my idea of walking “just around the block” 5 or 6 times a day — that way I could walk while at work without my clothes getting drenched in sweat.
Well fall and winter are challenges too. Today it’s chilly and damp. The dog is desperate to go outside (he’s dancing at my feet and slapping me right this minute) but he’s only about 7″ tall; I can’t take him out in the rain! Or can I?
Heck if I know. This little guy is my first experience as the primary owner of a pet.
(fiber and water are in my plans too)
