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Monday, December 23, 2013

Staying Slim Holiday Edition


The holiday season can be filled with events centered around food. Traditionally these foods can be filled with carbs, calories and sugars. It is what makes us love them and why the recipes have been passed down from generation to generation.

I write on eating from time to time. To recap I am maintaining a weight of about 120lbs on a five foot two frame. Now don't be a hater. I hit a snag years ago that probably put me on this path. I started gaining weight.

Instead of just ignoring it and letting out my waist lines I asked the internet what I could eat without gaining weight.

The answer is fiber.

Up your fiber intake and you can take control of your weight, is my theory. It has worked for me. I prefer it much better than counting calories or food restrictions.

It forces me to think about what I am eating and read ingredients lists. It means I can still have ice cream and chips.

Increasing one's fiber intake means also increasing the amount of water on board each day. 

Do Not forget this step please and for your own...comfort.

I did things like started eating high fiber breads. They do not all taste the same. Just because they say whole wheat does not mean they are high fiber. 

Foods high in fiber fill the stomach and give the full sensation. The last thing I wanted to do was feel hungry and miserable while trying to lose weight.

Making these every day changes to my eating plan for life paid off after a long while. It took longer because I did not start moving more.

If all you want to do is lose some weight you can go on a diet. If you want to change your life and avoid the need to go on diets you need to do something else. 

Not Another Diet the Facebook page for additional support.

Older posts on food and eating for weight loss and maintenance. 

Eat Well For Life
Honor Your Beauty Now
Finally lose that weight
Healthy Fall Eating

Fancy Eggs no Mayo

A few posts about fitness and fun

Equipment Check
Roller Derby
Skating

Sunday, December 22, 2013

My Holiday Treats


On a recent shopping trip to Trader Joe’s I discovered they had some lovely chocolate cookies on sale. I savored each one a day at a time until they were gone. Happy Christmas season for me!

It is officially winter of 2013. Christmas is so close we can already taste it I am betting. In our house is a real tree with no edible ornaments but I know those are popular.

One year I made cinnamon applesauce ornaments. That was fun. That year or in another one we strung popcorn and dried fruit. I grew up with none of these traditions.

My parents had a fake tree that lived in its box fifty or so weeks a year. There were boxes of ornaments and lights but never any personalized ones. I do not remember trimming the tree much or ever buying any.

Christmas was small with my tiny nueclear family so far from the grandparents and other kin in Oklahoma or on the east coast. We would eat a nice festive dinner and have some holiday dessert but that was about it.

The fun of the season came in every day simple things.
 
I spent one night this week helping a minor cousin bake cupcakes for her holiday party. 
She topped them with crushed candy canes so they were festive to look upon but of course I did not try them. I prefer my mint in candy isolated from other flavors and sensations.
Another favorite delight of ours for this season are giant candy sticks.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Shopping on Thanksgiving



Have no fear my dear reader. I plan to mostly shop small this season. I further did not shop during Turkey day.

My usual plan is to delay gratification and clean up on the day after Christmas.

That being said I am just not upset about stores opening on Thanksgiving. I think the world is changing and expanding. The nation is more diverse if that is even possible. There are families with their own traditions and others with odd work days and schedules.

Completely shutting down for one day just seems too ancient a practice.

I do feel sorry for those who are pulled away from family and friends to work. I know however that is the work life fate of some. There are businesses and industries that are always open on holidays. 

I have worked through holiday season, in the restaurant business. It is not retail I grant you but it is not being at home with family either. You depend on your team and need to love your work.

My wish right now might be that those who would like to work get the option and others who would like the time off would also be given the choice. Maybe that is coming as this new shopping day opportunity gets off the ground.

Not everyone has a lovely large family gathering to look forward to and or be pulled away from on Thanksgiving. I think the naysayers cannot see past their own bias to this reality. 

Maybe this year, retailers will make up for the six less shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, by opening early to dish out deals.

The holiday came so late in the month that the usual week of November that we get after is missing.

I am sorry to those who just see shopping on turkey day as one more way the season is being commercialized. I can understand that but the answer for that is to be part of the solution and not shop rather than complaining.

Thanksgiving is the biggest travel holiday in the year. Some people only have that day off and are back to the grind today. Somewhere between eating, napping and eating some more people have time to get out and power shop if they want or need to. 

I know some people hate to shop or like to go out leisurely and take all day. That is not what holiday deal specials are all about. 

Hopefully those who are opposed to this idea can embrace it as the years go by. I am already seeing and hearing about deals people on my social networks have scored.

My only constant caution for the holiday shopping season is

Shop Responsibly Folks

Other than that I don’t care when or how you do it. 
 
To those who camp out and those who are hovered over their internet connections determined to get great deals while avoiding the crowds I say

 “Rock on”!

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Movember

We’ve come through another year and here we are again.

Have you noticed or participated? 

It is Mustache November or No Shave November in honor of mens' health. 

Beards Scruff Goatees and Mustaches galore are afoot.

I don’t have much more to say. I am not dating anyone and none of the men close to me seem to be participating that I know of.


None of my male friends has been ill thank goodness. 

Still it is entertaining to get a glimpse of what the world might look like if our modern sensibilities about male grooming had swung in another direction.

I would rather talk about Manscaping but we will leave that alone.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thankful 2013


If you are on Facebook maybe you have seen thankfulness trending all month. Every day people post something they are thankful for as the month wears on and our national day of celebration looms large.

My month started with us being evicted thus it was a little hard to manifest joy amidst boxes and trying to find new accommodations. I have it though. Perspective is a powerful thing.

A little treat I gave myself this month was a trip to the movies. Usually I reserve my film fun for the discount second run theater or the drive-ins two for one deal. 

This time I splurged and saw 
12 Years a Slave.  
OUCH Raw Intense Powerful

There are things this nation has been through since then, in my life time and in the founding of the nation like those first settlers who braved “the pond” for a chance at freedom in a new world.


  • Modern day freedom
  • Technology
  • Medical breakthroughs
  • American opulence
  • Wonderful Family
  • Amazing Friends
  • The kindness of strangers 
  • Health and Sanity 
  • Roller Derby
  • Emotional Intelligence 
  • Yummy Treats 
  •  Unexpected Gifts
  • Clothing Swaps
  • MeetUps
  • TweetUps
  • Random Connections
  • New Friends
  • Old Friends
  • Faith
  • Hope
  • Routine and Chance
  • Weather
  • Travel
  • Resilience and Tenacity
  • Beauty
  • Talent
  • Hobbies
  • Opportunity
  • Weight Loss Maintenance
  • Entertainment
  • Laughter
  • Joy
  • Future plans
  • Social media
  • My daughter
  • My cats
  • Fashion
  • Another year 38 and counting
My list might seem simple but the best things in life just are. 

In many ways these few dozen things are things I rest upon each and every day. Where might I be without them?

Those are my blessings my gifts from the world and my gifts back to the world in some ways.

I saw one of those posts trending in social media asking: What if you wake up tomorrow missing all the things you were not thankful for today.

It is amazing when you really stop to think about all you love and appreciate. It reminds me to smile. Sometimes when there is stress or difficulty and I feel like a smile is inappropriate I will follow that with a growl. 

This can often make me giggle and then the whole thing repeats. It keeps me light and jovial. I hope you have had the joy of reflecting as we approach holiday season 2013. 

Link me up or comment and let me know about it.