Weekend Warrior #23

Weekend Warrior

 

Oh my goodness!  I am busy, busy, busy this weekend!  It is great to have things to do, but again there are too many choices to do EVERYTHING I want to do.  As a result, I have been able to do some things, and I will write about that.

Friday night right after work I had to get groceries for the house and a party I was invited to on Saturday.  There was a potluck, and I like cooking.  My friend was having a party at her house, and so the first thing on my to do list Saturday morning was to get the chocolate macaroons aka frogs aka mud pies aka haystacks made and in the fridge to set.  I have finally mastered making them with cashew milk.  At least I hope it wasn’t a fluke. I also used butter, white and brown sugar, vanilla, cocoa, oats and unsweetened coconut.  Other times I have made double batches, and they never set properly.  They stayed gooey and had to be licked off the wax paper as they wouldn’t come off cleanly.  Still delicious, but messy.  Sometimes I goof up on the timing and end up making chocolate granola.  But the ones I made yesterday had that perfect consistency, they were slightly granular, just past the gooey stage, but not dry or crumbly.  I am quite proud that they turned out so well.

As soon as I had them in the fridge I took the chicken I was marinating in Kraft Greek Feta and Oregano dressing.  Yes, I was going to be at a BBQ, but I wanted MY prep work to be as close to finished as possible.  I then popped to the store for a last minute beverage run.  I had bought myself some rum and key limes but needed the mix.  I got some Zevia Cola to mix, and some Gatorade G2. (That is my anti-hangover trick these days, and it seems to work really well!) I needed more coffee, so I decided to grab two of my favourites, Folgers Black Silk and Kahlua flavoured coffee.  I tried the Folgers Intensely Dark, as it comes in the larger boxes, but it doesn’t compare to the Black Silk.  So I had to buy 2 smaller boxes, at least they were on sale.

Rushed home to keep cooking.  I made the biggest batch of Greek Pasta salad I have ever made, as the hubby was wanting some for home too.  That was to go with the chicken that was in the oven.  While I was boiling the pasta, I picked up small pasta shells on Friday night, I started cooking the ground beef to prep for the hot nacho sauce.  It is hot off the stove hot, not spicy hot, and goes so well with nacho chips.  This recipe can be made with soy ground meat replacement for vegetarians.  I packed the rest of the ingredients, and the pot to cook it in.  At this point, my host was starting to get ready to pick me and another friend up to go to the party.  That was AMAZING!  I had enough time to get everything done and packed before he was here.

We had a wonderful time.  We had food, snacks, drinks, music blasting,  we played Backyard Yahtzee and had a BBQ.  I am a little sore from the 2.5 games of Backyard Yahtzee.

 

Action shot!

I got Yahtzee!

 

We did have to call interference a few times.  My friends have dogs, and one of them would steal a wooden die every so often.  We’d get it back, and allow re-rolls if needed.

When it was time for cake, we surprised the birthday girl with a minions ice cream cake.  She didn’t even know we snuck it in earlier at the start of the party. She got some presents, and cards, and it was a nice time.  For those of us that stayed after dark, our host made a nice fire in the back yard fire pit.  We gathered around it and just enjoyed the quiet, watching the flames and the fireflies.

Today started off with a little slower pace.  I went to an afternoon matinee with a friend.  I am now finishing this story, in the company of another blogger, we are visiting and writing at the same time.  I am going to be visiting another friend after supper.  In the meantime, there are dishes and laundry to be caught up on.  This has been another busy weekend, and from where I sit now, I think I won this round!  What did you do this weekend?

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Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 23

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Home page for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 23

I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to write this on time this week.  I am fighting another migraine.  It started yesterday and hung on for the day today.  I am really hoping I can shake it off before the weekend. ( I love that song!) The last time I had a migraine the diagnosis was a sinus infection.  I am really hoping that it is not the same this time because I just want to feel healthy and well, not to have to take more antibiotics.

As I write I have done what I can and have taken what I can take. I will be taking another migraine pill before bed, which will likely be shortly after I publish this story tonight.

I left work a little early, which I signed up to do since I am not feeling so good.  I try to work my regular shifts and even do a little overtime when it is offered, so if I am looking to leave early, it is usually because I don’t feel well or there is something going on that I need to leave early for.  If I have company, for example.  That happened a few times this month.  I think today was the 5th time for the year that I left early.  Some people sign the paper to go home every day.  I can’t afford to go home early all of the time, but if it is necessary, then I make a decision to do it.

I have tried to stay on plan for the early part of the week, but when I am not feeling good, the lazy way wins.  I did not eat well for some of the meals I had this week.  Today was one of those days that I went off plan for supper.

If you haven’t heard of the phenomenon that is called “Chase The Ace” then you are missing out on something fun.  It is a lottery, so if you don’t gamble, it is not for you.  It does usually get run by a charity though, so if you wanted to donate the winnings back to the charity, that would be an option that you could still play if you don’t accept the prize for yourself.

There are a few of these events going on in the city, and all over the Maritimes.  You purchase tickets, and there is a growing jackpot.  There is a weekly prize amount, based on the number of tickets sold.  A certain percentage goes to the charity, and a certain amount is the jackpot.  The weekly prize is what you win if you don’t pick the Ace of Spades out of the remaining cards in the deck every week.

So if your ticket is drawn, you get to pick a card from the table.  If you pick the Ace of Spades, you win the jackpot. If you pick any other card, you win the weekly prize.  This week someone else picked another card, so next week we get to try again to “Chase the Ace.” The charity that is running the event that I go to is three local SPCA shelters, and another animal rescue.  I am a person who loves animals, so I like going when I get the chance.

I took my migraine medicine and had a nap when I got home today.  I woke up in time to go to the Chase The Ace at Houlie’s Hometown Pub.  The food there is excellent.  I wasn’t feeling great, but I said to my husband, “Even zombies have to eat, ” and we decided to go.  He only has every third Thursday off, and we have gone a few other times.

I REALLY enjoy the mozza sticks there.  In fact, I don’t even want to share them, they are that good.  I have had the nachos and a pulled pork wrap with sweet potato fries there before.  I have heard that the seafood chowder is amazing, and I wanted to try it tonight, but I will have to wait for another time, as it was sold out.  I opted to try the fish and chips and had sweet potato fries instead of traditional fries.  Sweet potato fries are on plan, so I sort of did OK. (I tried. I don’t feel good.  Eating with a migraine is a gamble in itself).

I have been watching MasterChef again.  I tapped the batter with my fork, and it sounded like it did when Gordon Ramsay did it on TV.  I cut into the first piece of fish, and just like on MasterChef, the fish was flaky and glistening.  It was really tasty, too.  I was eating my supper, and a thought occurred to me.  Pepere, my grandfather on my mother’s side, always said something when we were having a meal with fish.  He would always say, “Fish for brains!”  My hope is that the fish will help my brains feel better and lose the migraine.  It also can be loosely thought to reflect the zombie comment I had earlier said about going out for supper.

We didn’t have a jackpot winner this week so the chasing will continue at least for one more week.  The jackpot was around $4,800.00 tonight and will be higher next week.  I did get to see some friends and support a charity tonight.  I also had a delicious meal, and now I have a full belly to fuel me to start feeling better and work harder tomorrow.  Something was telling me to eat fish at supper tonight.  So even if it was off plan, it was a choice I made and I think it was the right one.

Trust Your Gut.

 

Weekend Warrior #22

Weekend Warrior

Please accept my apologies for posting this on a Monday. (Which is now Tuesday).  I was literally too tired to finish it before I went to bed last night.  The weekend was THAT busy and took ALL of my energy by the end of it. I started writing it yesterday morning and will leave it in its original format.

I am in the middle of a busy weekend again!  I find that it happens a lot in the summer.  The sun is out, and people want to do more things together.  Family and friends gather around, yard sale season happens, and there is always something going on somewhere.  Usually too much to be able to participate in all that you want to do.

Back in April, we took a road trip to visit Nanny Webber in Nova Scotia.  Yesterday was her 109th birthday, and we went back on a day trip to visit and have some birthday cake.  We got there and she was very happy that we made it.  We didn’t commit because sometimes things happen, and just in case we couldn’t go, we didn’t want to make a promise that we couldn’t keep.  I am happy to say that she was surprised to see us step through the crowd of people.  In fact, I would say she was delighted.

She and Roy’s father were happy to see us, but a little sad that it was just a day trip, and that we would be making the drive home the same day. She told me that she kept asking her son, Roy’s dad if we were going to make it.  He didn’t know.  She said she kept asking him because she knew that if Roy made the trip, that I would go with him.  What a nice thing to say.  Nanny Webber really is a special lady, and I like spending time with her.

I had made her a bracelet, for her birthday.  I made it too big for her wrist, but because I made it, I packed what I needed to fix it if I had to.  I asked her what colour to take out, and with a few minutes and 2 tries, I got it to fit better.

On the way back from the party to her place, we had a car full of party food, gifts, cards, and balloons.  I took a few selfies of me in the car with the balloons.  I mean, when I looked into the back seat, all I saw was balloons!  It was just screaming selfie!

109 Birthday Balloons

109 Birthday Balloon Selfie

We went back to her place and made a visit.  We had a plate of sandwiches and sweets.  Then we got her to open her gift.  What do you give someone for their 109th birthday?  Well, along with the custom made bracelet, we found a little crystal flower and vase decorative suncatcher in pink and green.  We also got her a piece of decorative art, themed with things grandma says.  She read some of it, as the words went in different directions within the frame.

Then it was time to go.  She said she had a good day, and I think she was a little tired but didn’t want to tell us.  So we said our goodbyes and went to our next stop.

We had a 4 to 5 hour drive in each direction.  We planned to have supper with a friend on the way home, to break up the drive. We had a nice visit and then got back on the road.  It was 1 am on Sunday by the time we got home.

We set the alarm and went to bed.  By 1 pm, we had divided to get some groceries and to start laundry, got a chicken in the slow cooker, put away the groceries, and started the dishwasher.  We were off and running to go see Spiderman Homecoming with friends. I enjoyed the movie, it was fun.

After the movie, we rushed home to get the house ready for company.  We were expecting guests and they were staying overnight.  We finished up after they arrived, and had a filling chicken supper.  We had strawberry shortcake for dessert and a visit before making up the bed for the guests.  I did not stay up much later than my company last night.  It was a full and busy weekend.

What did you do this weekend?  Were you a Warrior like me, running here there and everywhere?

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 22

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Home page for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 22

Well, folks, it has been a fantastic day!  I didn’t start off too well, I started the day with a sugar low.  I didn’t let that stop me, not for too long. I ate my banana in the car and had a juice box when I got to work.  My sugars, of course, went up from there.  As usual, I chased the banana with a black coffee.  That’s how my days start.  I don’t usually have the juice box, and I don’t usually have the low at that time of day.  So what is going on?

I have worked hard this week to find my way back to working on me.  I have had to make some decisions and some changes.  I have started cooking meals that are on plan this week, and I am letting myself enjoy what I make.  That is how Trim Healthy Mama is supposed to work.  I’m not an expert, and I stray a little here and there, but I am getting my groove back, and the scale is responding the right way.

I am also happy to say that I am sitting here melting in my living room.  It is said to be the warmest day of the week, and it is more than warm.  I am not just warm because of the temperature in here, but also because I have made it to Zumba twice this week.  So when I write that I am melting, it is literal.  I worked out in this heat, hydrated, and now I am relaxing in my little almost sauna.  It sounds better than it is, but I am not here to complain.

I am here to try and help people.  I have been lacking in that department, lately, because I was not trying very hard myself.  I have had enough of that noise!  I am back and working hard to make more progress than before!  I am seeing it, and when I see it, I know it is real.  I am cooking.  I am planning.  I am working with recipes that I really love because that is what keeps me going back to this plan.

My sugars are coming back around.  That is one of the most important things I can do for my health, is to monitor my sugars, and eat so that they stabilize.  I am working on that, and THM is the way for me to do that.  When I add in exercise, it is a remarkable difference in how I feel, and how I attack every day.  Planning is so important for me when it comes to food.  I have worked hard this week to make food that is on plan so I can start winning this thing called life we all play at here.

I am breaking away from the bad habits again.  Only I can do that, I have to believe that I am worth the effort.  Now that I am back in my routine, and back from vacation, it was time to start working on things that help me feel better, and live life better.

After my on plan supper, I was wanting a little something extra.  I tried the new Good Thins Beet crackers.  They are OK, but I saw the ingredients and decided to not eat too many.  I was debating making an on plan shake or smoothie when my husband showed up.  He had picked up his own supper, and cinnamon rolls.  But the best thing he brought home was a bag full of fresh cherries.  I indulged in a bowl full of cherries.  Because let’s face it, life really is based a lot on your perspective, and in what you make of it.  I am making the most of things tonight, and having the bowl of cherries, because who wants to choke on the pits?  Not me.  I’m back, and I am feeling great!

 

Makeup: A Purge and Purchase Story

Once in a blue moon, I get the idea to buy makeup.  Usually, there is an event that I will be attending as the reason for this thought to cross my mind.  This time my motivations were different.  I am spring cleaning my home, and I had decided that I have too much makeup for the rare occasion that I wear it.  I decided it was time to purge it.

I made it official.  I shared my plan on Facebook.  Then I got scared.  Full on panic.  I was worried that if I threw it all out, I would not be able to replace all of the components within my budget.  So I gathered it up to have ready to purge after I bought the new makeup.

Since I had made this a public announcement, I started getting comments.  I decided that I would make use of $85.oo in Optimum Points and buy my new makeup at Shoppers Drug Mart.  I was advised which store to choose in the city, there are two, and then I was asked if I went yet or not.  A few friends wanted to help.  I felt at this point that it was becoming more of an event than a shopping trip on the other side of the city.

One of my friends is trained in makeup application.  She was joining me to get a few hours break from being a full-time Mom.    She had asked me a few weeks ago that if there was anything that I was doing, she would gladly join me to get a break.  She lives outside of the city, and we don’t see each other as much as we used to, so I thought it would be a perfect girls day out if she was available.  She made arrangements, and I would be picking her up the next day.  We decided that if our mutual friend felt up to it, that we would take her too, or if not, we would visit her before the day trip was over.  By this time another friend had asked if she could join us.  So, a party of 4 showed up at the store the next day.

I had decided before we got there that I was going to need a skin care routine.  I don’t really have one, and I wanted to replace the skin cleansers I had been using because they had expired.  The lady I was consulting with helped me with all of my choices.  She was amazing!  She walked me through the basics and helped me pick colours and brands that some friends had recommended, but I had never heard of before.  It was an adventure!  One friend joined the shopping spree and found the store to be quite impressive, as I did.  Our other friends were with another consultant, and one of them, the friend I was giving a day out of the mommy land, she was getting a makeover.

Those of us that were shopping got a bonus lip gloss and 2 free movie admission tickets.  That was really great!  His & Hers gift for her shopping.  Win-win!

When we finished there, it was time to really take a hard look at the old makeup and force me to purge it.  There was a Starbucks next door, so we went in there with my 2 large Ziploc bags full of my older makeup.

We got our drinks and snacks and found a table.  When we were settled in, we made a plan of attack.  Certain things needed to be tossed.  Others could be donated, my friend has a teenager.  As discussed in detail on my Facebook wall, you can clean powdered makeup with alcohol.  90% was recommended, the kind you have to ask for. You wet the powder and wipe off the top layer of the powdered makeup with a tissue.  The rest of the powder is then left to evaporate the alcohol, and it is clean and able to be used safely again.  Makeup that was in decent shape was put into a donate pile.

All the old mascara was tossed, as it was all more than 3 months old.  Any colours or products I wasn’t certain about,  were set aside to compare to my new makeup at the end.  I would say that the donate/toss makeup amounted to 2/3 of the total makeup I had there before I went shopping.

Left: to toss Right: to donate

After we all went home, I then began planning phase 2 of this plan I had hatched.  I needed to find a way to keep all of the new and old makeup organized.  I went on a few different trips to some local stores and found bits and pieces to pull together my very own cosmetics counter in my Master Bathroom.

This is the final result of my organization phase:

Tish’s Organized Cosmetics Counter

Tish’s Organized Cosmetics Counter

Obviously, I did not buy all of the product shown here for $85.00 in Optimum points.  With the points, you have to pay the taxes when you redeem them.  So I think I made good use of the points, and I am using the cleansing routine now on a daily basis.

The pic below shows what I kept, in the Ziploc bag, and what is new is placed on the counter. This is the final result of the purge and purchase:

New and To Keep Makeup.

I have also purchased Vichy Skin Cleansing, Toning, and Moisturizing products, not shown.  I am happy with my purchases, although I find the new lip stain ( the 2nd tube from the right) to be a little bright.  I guess that means I will have to go shopping again…

When I take the time to actually do my makeup and have a reason to put it on, I will write about the experience, with before and after pics.  I have lots of before pics to choose from.  What a fun afternoon we had.  Do you have any organization tips for your cosmetics?  What product is in your must have list?

Weekend Warrior #21

Weekend Warrior

This weekend is jam packed with so many things to do that I cannot possibly do them all.  I started off on Saturday with going to a few yard sales.  I found some great deals!  I got a Pampered Chef Meat breaking tool, for cooking ground beef. (I was SO happy when I found it, I have wanted to try one for a while.  I hope it is as good as I think it will be.  I am fighting the early stages of carpal tunnel in my wrists, and anything that helps me do more in the kitchen with less aggravation to my wrists is a good thing.

I found a Rankin Family cd, bought the DVD of Love, Actually, a movie I am interested in watching.  I bought a new to me Guy Gavriel Kay book.  He is a Canadian Author, and I have read other books by him.

After this, I bought a cheeseburger to go with my coffee as this yard sale was in support of a local SPCA.  We also visited the dogs and cats that were available for adoption.  One of the cats I really liked was adopted by the end of the day.  Good news for that beautiful tabby.

The next yard sale was in a parking lot and had several vendors.  I found a set of 4 margarita glasses, and my new wine glass, aka a Thundermug. Hee hee hee.  I will probably not use it for wine, I think it would hold a whole bottle! It sure got a laugh out of the lady I was buying it from!  I do like beer mugs for other drinks, and it will hold a lot of GGMS over ice, the way it is supposed to be enjoyed.

The third yard sale was a moving sale.  We were nearing the time of day when they start closing the yard sales by then.  I found a little stand alone cabinet for my Master bathroom.  It is wooden, with a door, and three shelves inside.  It has flowers painted on the door.  For $10.00 I consider it the deal of the day!  I was able to find a few jewellery display stands there too.  I was very pleased with my purchases yesterday.  Then we did some more shopping when my husband was done his overtime.

We went to the Scott’s Nursery, the local year round gardening store.  I wanted peppermint plants.  I bought six different types,( Spearmint, Pineapple Mint, Strawberry Mint, Chocolate Mint, Berries and Cream Mint, and Moroccan Mint).  They will be transplanted into their new clay pots today, and distributed around the mini home in an effort to keep bugs from wanting to be inside my home.  It does not seem to have any effect on the housefly that is buzzing around.  Time to buy an actual fly swatter, as the flyers are not packing a big enough punch against this stubborn pest.

I am working on a gift for someone very special.  I have taken the week off from writing my book, and I am hoping to have it finished in that time.  So I will write here when I get a chance, but it may be minimal because this project is going to take a lot of time.  I will also post about the finished project when it is completed.

I have to run out to the Freddy Beach Market, which used to be called The Northside Market.  I am visiting a friend there briefly and getting some ground beef.  We get it there once or twice a month.  It is a farmer we buy it from, and they are there every weekend.  My friend owns a yarn store and is branching out with a table at this market.  I hope it works well for her.

So other than missing out on a free movie downtown, and going to a bar to see an up and coming band with a friend, it has been a really busy weekend so far, and it’s not over yet.  We will be going to see Despicable Me 3 tonight, and I am looking forward to it.  I love the Minions!  And there is supposed to be an evil villain dance off in it too!

Why does there always seem to be more things to do than there is time for on the weekends?  What did YOU do this weekend?

 

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 21

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Home page for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 21

Here I am, in the middle of the week, at 8:30 pm, wondering what to make for supper. Again.  I have mentioned before that planning is the key to me staying on plan.  Last week I was on vacation and enjoying myself.  Yesterday I went back to work, and I have not planned any meals this week.  I need to thaw out the chicken that is in the freezer so I can cook it.  I also want to do some more barbequing but the meat is frozen, so that is out.  Garbage day has come and gone, and I still have food from before vacation in the fridge, that should have gone out with the garbage.  When I open the fridge, it is hard for me to figure out what is good and what is not.  So the fridge needs to be cleaned out.  It may not happen before the weekend.  I have only so much energy during the week, and extra energy is being focused on cleaning my kitchen in the war I am having against the ant invasion.  Cleaning, cleaning, and cleaning.  I do not like the thought of making food in the kitchen at the moment, because of this.

I have done fairly well with staying on plan with my lunches.  Did you ever have a breadless ham and cheese sandwich?  You use the cheese to hold the ham.  No need for condiments, just the ham and cheese.  It would work with any type of meat and cheese.  I had mini cucumbers and grape tomatoes with it.  I rather like it for a change.  It is a good summer picnic style lunch.  If you can keep your lunches tasty and healthy, that is half the battle.  I usually have light laughing cow cheese with unsweetened applesauce as my mid morning snack.  I then wait until I get home and don’t usually eat in the afternoon at work.  On Zumba days, I have a Quest Bar before class.  Protein bars are made for that.  The ones on plan are sweetened with Stevia and Erythritol.  My husband has picked up the wrong ones in the past, so I came up with a tip to help him remember what ones to get.  The ones with, “Steve and E”  He actually remembered it, and it worked the last time.  He brought the right ones home.

I am going to be walking more in the next few weeks.  Not far, but a little here and there. To get the mail, to my neighbour’s house because I am cat sitting, just enough to start building up my activity level.  I want to be more active, and even doing a small amount of extra walking is a good way to start.  I have gone back to Zumba both days this week.  I felt stronger tonight, and a little more like I was able to participate more in the class.  I was not in my head as much tonight, and that means that I enjoyed the class more.  I also plan to get in a few more beach days and to do some swimming.  I used to teach swimming lessons in high school.  I love swimming, so I am working on planning some time well spent at the lake.  It’s not the same as the ocean, but it is close to my home, and I have friends that I can make plans to meet there to have some summertime fun.

I did look for the ginger juice on Monday.  I found a local store that carries other products made by the same company, and I will be going back soon to see if they brought some into their store for me.  While I was talking to the lady at the store about it, another customer also expressed interest in it.  I never left my name, I will just wander back in one day soon.  I may contact them about it first, as I want to be able to get it very soon.  I also need to get some more apple cider vinegar.  It seems I have almost used the whole bottle.  When I am certain the ants are finally gone, I will resume making more recipes that are on plan.  For now, I have decided on a simple supper.  Grilled cheese sandwiches on bread I bought while on vacation.  It has to be eaten up before it goes bad, so it might as well be enjoyed while it is reasonably fresh.  Treats are OK.  I did exercise today.  I ate reasonably well.   I am also going to get the chicken out of the freezer, and put it into the fridge with some greek dressing.  That way I can start cooking it tomorrow when I get home from work.  It’s all up to the planning.  Time to take control again.

 

Weekend Warrior #20

Weekend Warrior

Yes, I know it is Monday.  But when your vacation ends on a Monday, the weekend ends on Monday too.  What a week I have had!

I will be writing about that in a guest post as soon as I can.  I am waiting for pictures from family members to put into that post, and what I write will be determined by the pics they send.

I can tell you that I went home.  I went swimming and spent a fair bit of time between visiting with my family and one of my best friends.  It was a full week.

I was supposed to be writing at this time.  I have not yet started my book.  I was very busy on my vacation while being able to relax and have fun at the same time.

This weekend was also busy.  I was on the road for most of Sunday, after staying Saturday night at my friend’s house.  We stayed there most of the week.  It was nice to spend time with her at her home.

Today was a day to make phone calls, and get my driver’s license renewed.  Then the first step back into my routine, back to Zumba class.  I go back to work tomorrow.  So this is the end of my vacation right now.

I did have a hard time in Zumba.  It has been a while since I have gone to class.  I am not looking forward to going back to work, and back to normal tomorrow.  So I was in my head in class.  I broke free for a few minutes, but it was with a heavy heart that I worked out in class today.  I have a hard time saying goodbye, and there were more than a few this weekend.  It was good to see the people I was able to see and hard to come home.

I was ready, though.  It was time to come home and feel like I was home again.  I love my friends and family, but being home is also a feeling that is good.  Another weekend has ended.  Back to life in the real world tomorrow.

 

 

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 20

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Home page for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 20

Vacation.  It is that time of year when people are travelling, and going to celebrations with friends and family.  Vacation time can be a tricky thing on days when you aren’t in control of the food and drink that you may consume.  This can pose a difficult problem if you are committed to your plan and goals.

You want to be invited to all of the events.  You want to participate in the fun.  For me, fun includes eating and drinking the same things as everyone else.  So it is a tricky tightrope to walk on when you are trying to fit in, even though it may not be the best way for you to stay the course.

I have to constantly check my blood sugars.  That is helpful.   I can adjust the insulin I have to take to adapt for what I am eating.  But as I have written before, sometimes that dosage is a guessing game, at best.

I experienced a low last week.  It was a bad one.  Maybe more because it caught me by surprise, and also because of how long it has been since the last time I had a low.  It isn’t a simple fix, it takes time for my body to recover from a blood sugar low.  This time it took me two and a half hours to feel normal again.

Highs are no better.  I feel really tired, to the extreme of me not being able to physically stay awake.  There are times that I am literally fighting with myself to stay awake.  It is not because I am needing sleep, this too is a side effect of the high sugars, and it is a little hard to explain.  The closest I can come is that it is not something that you can control, only fight it.  I am usually aware of what is happening at the time it is happening to try and recover.  But it is not an easy thing to do.

When you have to think about the effects of everything that you eat and drink, it makes it hard to fit in at gatherings.  A lot of them have sweets and cake and even alcoholic beverages are a source of empty calories.  So what is a person to do when faced with all of these temptations?

Think about the occasion.  What would be acceptable to participate in?  What choices can you make?  Skip the cake or the ice cream?  Or eat salads earlier in the day so you can indulge a little at the celebration?

After all, only you control what you eat or drink.  It is up to you. It doesn’t matter to anyone else whether or not you eat that cake or not.  It really only matters to you.  When you are planning a vacation, keep in mind that sometimes you will have complete control over what you eat and drink, and sometimes you will have to go with the flow.  The trick is proper planning and to not go overboard when you do participate in celebrations.  Remember to drink your water too, it can help speed up the recovery time of eating or drinking off plan.  Really, it is all about balance, both on and off the scale.

Weekend Warrior #19 The Late Edition

Weekend Warrior

Hello to you all, and thank you for your patience.  I am a little off schedule this week, because as I expected, life got in the way of the weekend.  Not to fear, I will be back on schedule for the upcoming week, and plan to post my next Trust Your Gut on time and on schedule.

I am going to keep this short as it is now Tuesday.  Canada Day was Saturday, and there were festivities all over the country.  There were public events, and house parties from one end of the country to the other.  I wore my red summer top and Nova Scotia Hoodie with the Cape Breton patch I sewed onto it myself.

Sunday was my birthday.  I turned 43, and it had a few little surprises.  I was with my family, and that in itself was really special.  There are 5 of us, my parents, and my two sisters and myself.  My sisters have their families with them.  We live in different parts of Canada, and we have not all been together in the same place at the same time in 4 years.  I am getting ready for another family gathering tonight, and I had some help today making deviled eggs and big mac salad for the evening.

Pete Luckett’s Phone Book White and the bottle of Bodacious Smooth White wines were lovely at the gatherings we have been to so far.

I will say that this past weekend was another win for me, and I am still working on winning the whole week long!  I am taking the time I have this week to be thankful for my family and friends, and enjoying the memories I am making.  What did you do this past weekend?