I'm just beginning to Jones a bit for my blog life - not enough to be ready to jump back in full throttle, but I'm definitely starting to not like being "apart from" rather than "a part of". I thought I'd just check in briefly with a non-update, since things have been fairly steady.
I am seeing that checking in more often with the blog positively impacts my day to day thinking as it pertains to sanity with food and getting my body moving. My eating has been okay - definitely not perfect and definitely not staying within the parameters of my daily and weekly points allowance. I haven't had any bingeing, but more sugar laden calories have passed through my portal than is adviseable for the sugar addict, and once sugar is on board it is much harder for me to stay clean. Fortunately I haven't gained any weight, but my loss last week was a whopping 0.2 lbs, which I consider a maintain. I've said it a thousand times...I can do better, especially with the weight I have yet to lose.
The thing that has helped me most of late is getting more exercise in. The weather has moderated to the point where one does not need to wear polar anoraks and silk undies to stay warm outside. But the total effect of less exercise over the winter (despite my membership at a cadillac gym - more on that in a sec) has really made me soft and lazy. I always love to get out for a good 3-5 mile brisk walk, and the weather has definitely been accomodating, but when I get home from work, I kinda don't wanna. Poor moi - I just want to sit and watch Oprah before heading to the kitchen for the newest installment of WTF can I fix for dinner tonight? I have been getting out with the dog, and I think him for his endless need in that area because without it, I'd very likely decide "tomorrow I'll get back to all that...". His walks have been pretty sorry as I've taken to making a U-turn as soon as he's performed the required elements. I can tell he's disgusted with me, and I'm promising his and you all that beginning today, the walk will be NO LESS than 30 minutes.
Regarding the cadillac gym - I've decided to give up my membership because they've just gone up to $90.00 a month. I'm sure it would be possible to get ninety bucks worth of benefit monthly from it, but in my quest to get real with myself, I know I'm not going to do it. Once it's warm, I want to be outside - walking, jogging if the knees allow, and possibly biking. (I'm considering getting a bike so I can ride to work daily which would be great in a thousand ways.) My gym offers classes, but if you can believe this, many have an extra cost on top of the $90/month. It's a great gym, but for this 55+ gal who works full time and may even be adding an extra hour to my work day beginning in July, I'm never going to get my money's worth. I absolutely believe/know that I can get a good full body workout, including strength training, apart from in a gym setting. The secret - doing it. If I'm going to screw around and not put for the effort I'm capable of physically, I might as well not pay the premium.
I finally sampled the oft-mentioned-on-the-blogs McDonald's oatmeal a few mornings ago and loved it. My understanding is that it's 7 points+ total. Not bad for breakfast. Problem is...you guessed it....it's too good. The day I had that before work, I wanted sweets and junk all day long. It set up the the insulin response, apparently, that made staying to my plan torturous. I give it 2 thumbs up for taste, 2 thumbs down for enabling me to stay on plan.
That's about it - sorry for the random and tangential nature of this post. Just wanted to check in and say hi. I'm staying current with a lot of blogs, but it has been nice to take a break. We just have to figure out how to take care of ourselves a day at a time. Today, checking in makes me happy! I hope everyone is doing well.
So glad to see you, even if it is a fly-by. I love how you are so honest with yourself about your gym. I have to live my life the same way. Funny story in that regard - I used to be the world's worst housekeeper. I'd come home from work, walk into the house and take off my good clothes and just drop them through the house as I went. I finally got smart and just decided to work with my tendencies rather than against them. I moved all my work suits to the coat closet right by the door. Problem solved!
ReplyDeleteI echo Roxie; glad to see you, even if a fly-by. Sounds like you are making sound choices for yourself. Keep up the good work! :)
ReplyDeleteI love to hear from you, even if it is a random post. Glad you're maintaining. I'm still on vacation and doing OK. I am also finding it difficult to stay away from the blogworld. I guess that should tell me something: It is a benefit for me to have these connections and to be able to share and vent. I'm letting things take their natural course, and I guess that means I will be checking in with other blogs and posting more than I thought! I guess it's a good thing!
ReplyDeleteThought you might find this article about McDonald's oatmeal interesting: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/how-to-make-oatmeal-wrong/?hp
ReplyDeleteRebecca
A fly-by post - love it! I agree with the McDonald's oatmeal - I had it like four days in a row when Tony was in the hospital and I kept eyeing the brownies and giant chocolate chip cookies in the cafeteria!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day Leslie! :D
Thanks Rebecca, for the link to Mark Bittman's review of MickeyDee's oats. Not surprising to read they are the usual nutritional abomination for which McD's is noted! I knew they tasted too good - my junkfood appetite could pick em out of a lineup!
ReplyDeleteHey you:) Sugar slays me. Once I have it I want more. Same with those darn refined carbs like last week's cereal. And bread. Oh my list goes on.
ReplyDeleteHey, Leslie!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear from you. I was thinking about you yesterday and wondering. I'm glad to hear that the binge monster is still contained! He's a tricky one.
I have more--but I sent it on in an email. :)
Deb
It's good to hear from you. You sound happy. :)
ReplyDeleteMy guess would be sugar added/coated to the dried fruit. Red flag was cranberries which are almost always coated with sugar. Most people could not eat them plain.
ReplyDeleteI did look on mc D's web site and there are between 35-40g of carbs per serving of oatmeal at their store. That is same amount of protein BUT TWICE the number of carbs as 1 cup of cooked (real, plain) oatmeal. Interestingly their ingredients list was not specific about the fruit. Just stated 'dried fruit'.
I decided to post the numbers:
ReplyDeleteFruit & Maple
Oatmeal withOUT
Brown Sugar
serving size 9.2 oz
calories 260
fat 4.5g
protein 5g
carbs 48g
fiber 5g
carbs - fiber = 43g actual carbs
sodium 115mg
plain, oatmeal
9.2 oz
Calories 164
Fat 2.6g
Protein 6.8g
Carbs. 28.2g
Dietary Fiber 4.4g
carbs - fiber = 23.8
Sodium 3mg
The difference between those two sets of numbers is the fruit and what I assume is sugar added to the fruit.
And did you notice how much sodium they added?
That combination of salt and sugar would set off the WANTS in me BIG TIME too.
Hi Leslie! So, I giggled all the way through this post. Your honesty cracks me up sometimes. I should give you my girlfriend's email address - she just joined a gym and she lives in Florida. I told her she knew darn well she wouldn't go now that spring has sprung so what the hell was she thinking?
ReplyDeleteWe're looking at a bit of temperature moderation here over the weekend although that will inevitably mean some rain. At least it's not snow and ice!
Hi Leslie, great to hear from you. It's tough finding that balance between life and blogging (at least that's what I'm finding), but I miss it when I take time off too...what's a girl to do?
ReplyDelete