Healthier Lifestyle Thread 9th November till 15th November

[dragonfly411]

well TGIF, I sure do need a rest. We went to bed early and slept late this morning... soo tired. Last night I made my normal tuna patties but added some curry powder and a bit more mustard and MAN were they GOOD! I steamed some green beans to go with them. I did get in a nice brisk walk with the puppers but that was really it. I was done by 9 pm. We had breakfast smoothies again this AM, mine was mixed berries with mango, soy milk, yogurt and some choco whey protein. SO had that minus the mango (he is allergic). I had some crackers and hummus a little earlier as a snack and am having salad with bleu cheese and craisins for lunch. Afternoon will be some almonds and dinner tonight is undecided. I"m making chili for the weekend but it won''t be done for dinner so I''m debating there.

Skippy - thanks, I''m going to try it, and thanks for the hug!

rod - I hope you feel better!

marcy - I lurv the sound of your shoes!!

tlh - it is so awesome that you are running and doing the races! I can''t wait to be back on track and hopefully train as well as you have been

 

[Skippy123]

Hi friends, I think I will bundle up and walk this afternoon. Hubby and I are meeting for Pho, yippppppeee!!!

Then it is chicken for dinner! Friday nights I like because usually we are running around doing things during the rest of the week and tonight we usually sit together and watch tv. hehe This weekend I get my haircut. Nothing else too exciting going on; we might go to lunch with the neighbors.

Everyone have a great Friday and weekend!!

ROD, I know the gummy thing is weird but I am on some medication that is suppose to cause weight gain; I have been really diligent about making sure I track everything I eat so I think it might have been the medicine talking and not real hunger pangs. Oh honey, I hope you have a super restful weekend so you can kick this bug booty. huge hugs and hope you feel better and no longer stopped up.

MARCY, no, the weather is nice here; I guess we didn't get our storm, it is about close to 60. I think we are about 20 degrees warmer than you and then 15 to 20 degrees cooler than TLH based on talking here but I could be wrong. hehe I know we don't get as much snow as Denver and CSprings because I have friends who live there and tell me about all their snow; Santa Fe gets hit and we stay dry and there are 50 mins from here but they jump in elevation too. hehe I like seeing their snow pictures though! Did you get snow? Yay for a family and buying barbies! I need to go to the tree and see what the kiddos want; I probably will do that when I shop for my nephews. I am so excited to buy cute baby clothes. hehe Let's avoid gummy, all they are is sugar and water me thinks. hehe

TLH, oh yeah on the gummy bears, that is why I didn't give in but it was driving me nutso! Last night I had a big glass of spleeytime tea in case the attack of gummy's came back but it didn't thank goodness! hehe YAY YAY for the neighbor turning off his music at 9! OMG that is so AWESOME you have a half marathon on Sat!!! Okay you might think I am silly but there is cute girl that runs in my neighborhood all the time; she is awesome, she runs cold weather, etc so I totally think of you when I see her so dedicated! YAY TLH!!! cheering you on here!

 

[lliang_chi]

Whew!!! I can''t believe Friday took so long to get here!!! Last night I CRASHED HARD around 8:30 or so. So I didn''t go to the gym. James went for a run and tonight he went to the gym. I''m such a lazy bum, I''ve just been on my computer and watching shows I missed during my time away for the wedding & Honeymoon...

TLH, aw your race on Sunday sound AWESOME!! I hope your hubby takes it easy tomorrow. I know what you mean about stubbornness... I haven''t started a thread on the pictures yet. I''m slowly collecting non-pro pics from friends and family. I''ll put together a few Flickr pics that have been uploaded and put them on a thread

Skip, Mmmm... it''s totally getting to be pho weather here in Chicago. Sis just went to Japan so I''m out of a pho buddy unless I can convince James to try it. He might... Yay! haircuts! I love getting them! I can''t WAIT to chop off my hair that I''ve been growing for the wedding. Or should I say my stylist has been growing for me since she refused to cut off much of my hair since she knew I was getting married. Good job on the gummy craving. I''ve been craving chocolate for some odd reason. I *NEVER* crave chocolates...

Dragon, yay on your eats

Marcy, Yay on your pink NBs You''rs so sweet that you brought Marty tacos.

Rod, I hope you''re feeling better. But you should definitely rest up before hitting the gym again.

CrownJewel, Ugh! Sorry about the stomach bug. Those are the worst!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE the engineering jokes. Sis and James are both engineers. James said he''s heard most of them. He was like "Where are you *getting* these from?!?"

Shiny, keep up with the calorie tracking. Hope JT''s better. So frightful to have to rush him to the ER! His hamburger lip probably still can''t keep him from the ladies though!

Everyone, thanks for all the compliments! I''ll get started on a thread of non-pro pics and cross post in next week''s HLT.

 

[Rod]

Hey......I had a full post written, and we lost power for just a moment and my post was lost. The jist was it was a difficult day. An offer for a candidate was rescinded by the company when the candidate wouldn''t give them an asnwer. It was a great opportunity for him and to be honest, he let his wife blow it for him. Too long a story, but it was very frustrating and I have to start all over again to find someone. Sushi was good tonight. My cold is a bit better. My cough seems to be less and I wasn''t as congested. I''m going to sleep as late as I can tomorrow and our gym is closed for their Family Picnic, so I couldn''t workout if I wanted to. I WILL go Sunday, no matter what.

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. I had hello''s to you all before the power went out. I''m beat and am shutting down for the night. I hope everyone had a good Friday and your weekend is great.

 

[KimberlyH]

Hi my HLTer friends!

Rod, I''m so sorry you''re not feeling well and that the offer was rescinded. Not fun.

TLH, I hope your husband isn''t too stubborn and that you have a great time at your run this weekend. How frustrating to have a noisy neighbor.

Skip, gummys are not the worst craving you could have.

SS, it sounds like you are doing fantastic, congratulations! Poor little JT. Hope he''s doing better.

Lliang, you are one gorgeous woman and bride! Give yourself a break on the exercising, it''s been a busy few weeks!

Hi Marcy, Crown, and Lorelei!

We went on vacaation last week and I did more walking than I have in ages. The baby is doing good, my weight gain seems to have tapered (up about 15 lbs at 23 weeks), and we''re getting excited. Looking forward to rejoining all of you as well.

 

[Skippy123]

Hi friends, hubby and I went on a nice 40 min walk!

It was raining a little but that didn''t stop us. hehe I think we might get lots of rain or even snow tomorrow but it won''t stick around though because it is still too warm for it to freeze. The leaves are red and golden right now on the trees; it is so beautiful!

I got a haircut today and hubby was sweet and told me I look beautiful. heehe

I got some of my holiday shopping done yesterday and today. L''Occitane is having friends and family discount this weekend so I bought some perfume, and lotions for my sister and mom. Also Amazon is having a sale today only for Cooking Light magainze for five dollars a subscription so everyone got a subsription. hehe

HAPPY Weekend friends!!!

ROD, hope you get lots of R and R and feel better soon. hugs and sorry about losing power for a little bit.

MARCY, yay for new running shoes!!

LISA, you are such a gorgeous bride; too bad we don''t live close to each other or we could go get pho together!! Weddings wear a person out so don''t be so hard on yourself. Can''t wait to see more pics!!!

KIMI, yay that you are doing well!! I am excited for you and your hubby! You are awesome to do so much walking; you sound like such a healthy preggo! glad you had a great vacation. Where did you go?

 

[Rod]

Hey.......I slept till 10 AM this morning. Charlie had to be at work at 8, so I was on my own until later this afternoon. I was actually a bit more congested this morning. This cold just doesn't want to go away quickly. We went to a litle pub restaurant near our condo for dinner. It was really really good.I hadn't eaten much today so I decided to have what I wanted for dinner and I had a steak (with a wonderful cream horseradish sauce), red bliss mashed potatoes and asparagus (yummm). Then we went to Sbucks and had coffee and we split a cookie. I'm planning on going to the gym tomorrow. At least that's what I'm planning. There's a young oncologist in our condo, who also works out at our gym and he told me he likes to workout when he's sick as he said "sweating it out" can actually be really good, as long as you don't have a fever and you're not still contagious. It's been over a week since I got my cold, so I shouldn't still be contagious.

Kimberly, it's so nice to hear from you. I'm glad everything with the pregnancy is going so well. I'm really happy for you and John!!

Skippy, I'm glad you got a walk in before brrrrrrrrr, it snows. I'll bet your haircut is really cute!! You'll have to post a pic.

I hope everyone had a nice Saturday. Have a great Sunday!

 

[Rod]

I just read this and thought it was interesting:

Weight Management Myths Debunked.

By Michelle May, MD

See why you can eat after 7 p.m., plus get the real story about six other commonly held beliefs.

Diets are filled with dogma about when, what and how much to eat. Certainly "the rules" are usually based on observations that make sense, but unless you understand why you do certain things, you''ll break the rules as soon as the temptation is greater than your motivation. Let''s examine some of these myths, where they come from and how to make long-term changes that will work for you.

Myth #1: Don''t Eat After 7 p.m.

Your metabolism doesn''t shut off at 7:01 p.m., so why is this rule so common? It is based on the observation that a lot of people who struggle with their weight overeat in the evening. Most people have already eaten dinner, so they aren''t snacking because they''re hungry. They snack because of boredom, television, loneliness and other triggers.

Rather than creating a rule to address those habits, ask yourself, "Am I hungry?" whenever you feel like eating in the evening. If you truly are, eat, keeping in mind that your day is winding down so you won''t need a huge meal. If you aren''t, consider why you feel like eating and come up with a better way to address that need. Ken, a man in one of my workshops, realized he was just bored, so he started doing stained-glass projects in the evenings to entertain himself. Whatever works!

Myth #2: Eat Small Meals Every 3 Hours

This rule is based on the fact that many thin people tend to eat frequent small meals. However, most of the thin people I know don''t check their watch to tell them it''s time to eat--they eat when their body tells them to. They eat when they''re hungry and stop when they''re satisfied. Since that tends to be a small meal, they get hungry again in a few hours.

Instead of watching the clock, begin to tune into the physical signs of hunger to tell you when to eat. And remember, your stomach is only about the size of your fist, so it only holds a handful of food comfortably. By learning to listen to your body''s signals, you are likely to follow a frequent small-meal pattern naturally.

Myth #3: Don''t Let Yourself Get Hungry

This one is based on the belief that overweight people are incapable of controlling themselves when they are hungry. In my experience with hundreds of workshop participants, once they learn to tell the difference between physical hunger and "head hunger," the opposite is true.

Think about it. When you''re hungry, food tastes better and is more satisfying. My grandmother used to say, "Hunger is the best seasoning." Besides, if you aren''t hungry when you start eating, what''s going to tell you to stop? Of course, you also need to learn to recognize hunger and make time to eat before you are too hungry, since it''s harder to make great choices when you are starving!

Myth #4: Exercise More When You Cheat

I hate this one because it has caused millions of people to equate physical activity with punishment for eating. As a result, many people either hate to exercise or use exercise to earn the right to eat.

While it''s true that your weight is determined by your overall calories in versus your calories out, exercise is only part of the equation and it has so many other important benefits. Instead of using exercise to pay penance, focus on how great you feel, how much more energy you have, how much better you sleep and how much healthier you are becoming. In the long run, you are more likely to do something because it feels good than because you are forced to.

Myth #5: Follow Your Diet Six Days a Week, Then You Can Have a Cheat Day

This is absurd! What if you were a harsh, overly strict parent six days a week, then completely ignored your kids every Saturday? How would this approach work for your marriage or managing your employees?

It just doesn''t make sense to try to be perfect (whatever that is) Sunday through Friday while obsessing about everything you''re going to eat on your day off. Then on Saturday you overeat just because you''re allowed to, so you end up feeling miserable all day. Huh? Personally, I would rather enjoy eating the foods I love every day mindfully and in moderation. I call this being "in charge" instead of going back and forth between being in control and out of control.

Myth #6: Eat X Number of Calories (or X Number of Points) Every Day

Does it make sense that you would need exactly the same amount of fuel every day? Aren''t there just days when you''re hungrier than others, maybe because of your activity levels or hormonal cycles?

Rather than setting yourself up to "cheat" on those hungry days and forcing yourself to eat more food than you want on your less hungry days, allow yourself the flexibility to adjust your intake based on your actual needs rather than an arbitrary number. Important: For this to work long-term, you also need to learn to tell the difference between physical hunger and "head hunger."

Myth #7: Carbs Are Bad (or Fat Is Bad)

This "good food-bad food" thinking makes certain foods special. As a result, you may feel deprived and think about them even more than you did before. Worse yet, healthy foods become a four-letter word.

The truth is, all foods fit into a healthy diet. Since different foods have different nutritional qualities and calorie content, you can use the principles of balance, variety and moderation to guide you without trying to restrict yourself from eating an entire food group.

Truth: You Are In Charge

I assume the rule makers are well intentioned and don''t realize that they''ve created a tightrope that most people will fall off of sooner or later. If your head hadn''t already told you that all these rules are crazy, wasn''t your heart saying there had to be a better way?

It''s time to give yourself a wider path that you can stay on forever. Allow yourself the flexibility to make any decision as long as you consider the advantages and disadvantages of your choices and always keep self-care in mind.

About the Author

Michelle May, MD, is a recovered yo-yo dieter and the founder of the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program, which received the Excellence in Patient Education Innovation Award. She is also the award-winning author of Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don''t Work. Her newest book, Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break the Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle was just released in early October 2009. To learn more about mindful eating, or to order her books, visit AmIHungry.com.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone.I hope you are having a great weekend.I started the day with a healthy breakfast but then we were shopping so long we had pizza and Italian nachos for lunch.

I made PB chocolate chip cookies this afternoon and we each had a couple of hot ones.I am done eating for the day though (like I need anything else).Tomorrow I am making homemade soup for lunch.I froze the rest of the cookies and will take them to work or keep them for Thanksgiving.At least we walked a lot today.

There is a storm moving in tonight with about 6 – 8 inches of snow expected.Some of the guys from Hong Kong are coming in tomorrow for a few weeks; I hope they know how to drive in the snow to get here from Denver.I bet the wide open spaces will be quite a shock to them as well.

Marty picked up a Keurig single cup coffee maker today.The cocoa packets are 70 calories each so I will have to try one some chilly night.He tried one of the coffees and a hot tea this afternoon.I also picked up new muffin tins and a bread pan.My muffin tins were getting disgusting so I threw them out.I simply did not have a bread pan and have a bear bread mix to make so I picked up a bread pan as well. I will probably mix it with 7-Up though instead of beer. It says anything carbonated works.

I graded papers and got our newsletter ready to copy for the astronomy club.How exciting they found significant water on the moon, huh?

On our rounds today I did not even look at clothes or jewelry.What a BORING way to shop.LOL.

Tlh, funny you should mention temper tantrums.I threw a temper tantrum at work yesterday and smacked my hands on the countertop – my thumb joint is still giving me the what for today.I hope your husband doesn’t run and hurt himself.Have a great time in your races this weekend.

Dragonfly, glad to hear you got some much needed sleep.Marty loves curry powder.I am sure he is suffering flavor food withdrawal since getting home.

Skippy, yay for a new haircut.I am sure you look great just like your husband said.I started a little bit of shopping as well.We did not get much snow yesterday; about an inch maybe and it melted already.We have snow expected tonight though.I am with you on avoiding gummy bears.I don’t really like them that much anyway so it’s strange I would be craving them.

Lisa, sounds like a good weekend to catch up on TV.I have been watching movies.

Rod, I am sorry to hear about the candidate blowing his chances with a job offer.Enjoy the gym tomorrow.

Kimi, glad to hear you had a nice vacation and enjoyed some walks.

Laters,

Marcy

 

[Skippy123]

ROD, my hair looks the same but just in inch shorter; I would post a pic but I look the same but slightly different. hehe Thanks! Hope you feel better soon; it usually takes me a week to feel back to normal self when I have a cold and I still feel tired a few days after it is gone. Take care of yourself and let Charlie pamper our sweet loveable Rod. Yum your meal sounds good! Oh I do the mini meals but I eat when I am hungry and never let myself get starved; I think letting oneself get starved is a recipe for binge eating!

MARCY, yum for curry powder; I love curry, it is so good. Maybe you could order some online but they do have it at Whole Foods so maybe you could get some the next time you are in Denver? Where did you go shopping? The place I enjoy stopping and looking at jewelry is Costco; they have some fun bling. hehe Yay for a new coffee maker. do you not like coffee? I never was able to like it so I drink tea instead. mmmm We don't have snow at all; it is cold though and should be 55 tomorrow. There is snow on the mountains. hehe


Well our neighbors called so we are going to go eat Indian food with them; I love Indian food so much!

There was a time I didn't like it; which now I think I was nutso. lol In fact we were in England for a week and hubby wanted Indian food so bad but I kept saying no because I had no clue what I would eat; poor hubby. Next time we can have Indian food out there.

I got some shopping done early at Target; it was weird because I went at 9:30 and no one was there? Maybe everyone went to church or it was too cold out? It was nice having the store to myself and not bumping carts. Hope everyone has a great Sunday and I will think of you Rod when I watch Desperate house wives (and Mrs. Salvo too, I think she watches it)! hehe

 

[Rod]

Hey.......I slept till 10 again this morning. I was still a bit stuffed up, but the cough is better. We had breakfast on the terrace this morning, in weather that could only be described as perfection. It was perhaps one of the most spectacularly beautiful days (sorry Skippy and Marcy who are expecting snow). There wasn''t a cloud in the sky. It was lightly breezy and the temperature hit the high 70s by later this afternoon. We had lunch at Panera, then coffee under the oak at Sbucks till Charlie had to be at work at 3 PM. Then I finally went to the gym. It was slow going at first, but then I got into my rhythm and had a surprisingly good workout for someone who hadn''t been in a week. I didn''t have to drop down on any of the weights and I''m actually a bit sore tonight. Since Charlie works until 10, I just had a salad for dinner. Tomorrow starts a new work week........ugggghhh. I''m just not ready for a new work week..............

Yummmm to PB chocoloate chip cookies Marcy! There''s just nothing like a warm freshly homemade cookie! Wow, another 6 - 8 inches of snow? Seems like you''ve already had a full winter''s worth and it''s still just November. I''m thinking the gusy coming from Hong Kong are in for a shock with all the snow and open spaces. Enjoy the cocoa from your new Keurig!!

Skippy, I do feel a bit better. For me colds last a bit longer than a week. I typically feel somewhat better in a week, but my cough and congestion go on for at least another week. I hope you enjoyed Indian food with your neighbors. I''m not a big fan of curry, so it''s not my favorite. I''m watching DHW''s as I''m typing this. Do you also watch Brothers and Sisters?

I hope everyone had a great Sunday and the upcoming week is really good and healthy for all.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone. I made homemade beef noodle soup this afternoon. The house still smells good. We each had a piece of leftover pizza for supper but not much else. I got all of my laundry finished and graded papers most of the day. They showed up to shovel the walk already tonight. Hopefully the few inches won’t be as expensive as the last storm.

Since I haven’t been able to walk much since the weather turned bad I decided I would start wandering the house when I talk to my mom on the phone. That will get me up and moving, warm me up and I won’t be distracted by TV or the computer when we are talking.

Skippy, I so agree getting hungry will lead to overeating. I have learned that lesson too many times. We have some curry for Marty but I tend to eat pretty bland food because of my food allergies. Marty has a supply of spices in the cupboard to help his food have as he calls it “flavor”. I like to go to the Shane Company in Denver. We don’t have a Costco here but they do have them in Denver. Sam’s has some nice jewelry. Marty loves Indian food too. He ate it a lot in Hong Kong. I love to go shopping when the stores are empty. Kohl’s was crazy here yesterday.

Rod, I am sure sleeping in will help you feel better. I am glad your cough is getting better. Enjoy your picture perfect weather; our snow is pretty here too bad it is also cold. I am toasty warm under my fleece blanket. I am with you on ugggghhhh for the beginning of another work week. You are right, homemade cookies are the best and they are such a treat now that I don’t make them very often. Marty and I split one of the cocoas this afternoon. It was pretty good.

Well, I am off to grade more papers then start getting ready for bed. See you in next week’s thread.

Marcy