Category Archives: Healthy Eating

October 20, 2025 · 10:11 pm

Why Chia Seeds?

Organic Bazar


“Chia seeds are tiny, nutrient-dense seeds from the Salvia hispanica plant that offer numerous health benefits. You should take them because they are packed with fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and antioxidants, which support heart health, digestion, bone health, and can help with weight management. They can be easily added to your diet by sprinkling them on yogurt, adding them to smoothies, or making chia pudding.” ~ Google

Brian introduced us to chia seeds when we arrived in Thailand at the beginning of April. We were having digestion and elimination problems, and Brian suggested we try drinking a glass of water with 1 tsp of chia seeds dissolved in it. Harvey immediately said he wouldn’t drink any more.

Since then, I’ve increased it to 1 tablespoon in a large glass of water each morning, along with a tablespoon of olive oil. I also take a pro-biotic pill in the evenings before bed. I drink lots of water all day and into the evening.

RESULT? Only two problems in 7 months – one of which was a definite reaction to food we ate, because Brian had trouble, too. This is a record for me. I consider chia seeds a miracle for this alone.

“Add chia seeds to your diet because they are a nutritional powerhouse packed with fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and antioxidants that support heart health, improve digestion, and can help with weight management and blood sugar control. They are also rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which are vital for bone health.”

  • Improved Digestion
  • Boosted Energy Level
  • Heart Health Support
  • Weight Management
  • Stronger Hair & Skin
  • Better Mental Clarity
  • Overall Wellness Boost

I know I may sound like a commercial, but I have rarely been so strongly sold on one thing I can do for my health everyday – drink the large glass of water with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. I stir it up, then use a timer to let the seeds soak for 10 minutes. I stir again before drinking it down. At first, the texture of it bothered me. Now I just think about all the good it’s doing for me and drink it down.

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August 1, 2025 · 8:53 pm

Street Market

Brian and I went to a street market yesterday evening. I had not been to one before and had to work at closing my mouth instead of leaving it hanging open!

It seemed like everything in the world was for sale, but primarily it was all types of food, clothes, and jewelry, with places where you could get a foot massage or manicure and more.

There was stall after stall of wonderful food that looked and smelled wonderful. My mouth was watering the whole time we walked around.

The weather was perfect. Apparently, there are street markets all over Chiang Mai. You could spend hours in each one, never seeing everything that was offered. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around at this one.

We got some roasted chicken, a big sausage, and some fresh orange juice to share for dinner. YUM!

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June 13, 2025 · 10:16 pm

New Food And Drink Friday

Brian and I shared a breakfast, then I went for a glorious, healing massage by Khun Wey-o. I changed clothes and we went to visit Harvey at the nursing home. It is our 56th wedding anniversary today, so I was hoping we would have a good visit with him. He was upset, making baseless accusations, unhappy with everything, saying ‘they were out to kill him, and that if we left, he would die.’ Not the best way to celebrate a marriage… We did contact the management to ask if there is anything else we can do that might brighten his mood. He has good days and bad days and no one can predict which will be which.

When we came home, I immediately grabbed a hoodie and my book and we headed for the coffee shop next to our condo building to be ‘scarce’ while my wonderful new housekeeper, Khun Nong, cleaned my place. (I’m trying to say this casually, but I’m simply thrilled to have help at all – first time in my life!) AND with the things I’m having trouble doing these days, such as scrubbing floors, dusting the things I would rather ignore because they are up too high, down too low, or I’m just lazy and would like to ignore them). When I come back, everything is shining brightly. Ahhhhhhhhh!

While at the coffee shop, we tried a new thing – orange coffee. I don’t know what all is in it – I just know it tastes fabulous. I made mine last as long as possible, wanting to prolong the pleasure.

And then Brian ordered us Thai Beef & Noodles for dinner. They kindly put the hot stuff in little bags with rubberbands rather than dumping it into the dish. I was very appreciative as I’m a wuss as far as spicy or hot, and if I manage to get some hot stuff down, I pay for it late at night. This was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed every bite. Too many carbs, but good for us otherwise and my taste buds danced a happy dance. 💃

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June 11, 2025 · 10:59 pm

No Joke

Simply Suwanee

Jok (โจ๊ก, pronounced joke), or the Thai version of congee also known as rice porridge, is about as comforting as a Thai breakfast can come.

When we visited Harvey at the nursing home, he was very positive (amazing!) about the breakfast he had eaten. He called it, “Fish Soup,” but nodded when Brian found a picture to show him on his phone.

It’s actually a very popular Thai dish called Jok and is routinely eaten as a fortifying breakfast. Brian got us some this morning so that I could try it. (Next time we order, we’ll get half as much because they super generous.)

Since it is known as a porridge, you won’t be surprised that we used up my carbs quota for the day and more with our breakfast. I’m not sorry, though. I wanted to taste it, and every once in a while, when I’m celebrating a milestone, I’ll treat myself to more. Ingredients are rice, pork, chicken, or fish chunks, mushrooms, onions, and other spices. Really, really nice.

The one thing that was difficult for me was the fresh ginger. I bit down on it and my mouth was on fire. Brian insisted it wasn’t spicy, but I had to try to swallow the rest of it whole and also drink the whole glass of water with breakfast.

Brian sent me a message later, which said, “Yes, ginger is spicy. Comes from a compound called gingerol, which gives it a hot, peppery, and warming flavor. While not as intense as the spiciness of chili peppers (which contain capsaicin) gingerol does create a noticeable “hot” sensation on the tongue.”

So I’m not nuts – just a bigger wuss than we thought. 😛 Other than too many carbs for this lady trying to lose the lard, this dish is a definite winner!

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May 4, 2025 · 8:44 pm

New Regimen – Day 1

I’m back in my condo after eating breakfast with Brian. We combined salad, sliced avocado, bacon, and scrambled eggs in big bowls, plus drinking a mug of hot mushroom tea.
Today was Day 1 of an effort for me to continue losing my lard plus regaining strength from my sudden health issues, plus wanting to be the healthiest me I can be.

We walked to the gym, rinsing off the bottom of our shoes in a tray of water and wiping them on the carpet put there for that purpose. We put our membership card up to a reader as the door unlocked and the lights came on. The owner/manager waved at us.
We were alone, otherwise, and I liked that just fine 😊

Brian showed me all about the treadmill and I was off and walking. I gradually increased the pace to 3.5, which seems to push me a bit, but is a good one for me. The machine showed a path I was supposed to be walking on, but it seemed to be going faster than I actually was. I had been watching Brian, right next to me. He did a good warm up, then gradually increased his speed to where he wanted to be. Then he did a minute or so cool down.

He was worried that I might be dizzy. That was only true for a minute or so on the walk home. I asked him if it would be rude to sit on the back of an elephant statue. He said, “No,” just as I plopped down on one’s back while the other two probably sneered as they watched me.

Brian cut his run a bit short this morning out of concern I might poop out. I did 31 minutes at a speed of 3.5 km/hour. Day before yesterday I did 3452 steps. This morning I have 4963 so far. Pretty good starting point for an old broad!

I will do some yoga stretches now before we leave to go to the hospital, and will do another set after the movers take the furniture away.

The new regimen has begun! 😛

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September 30, 2024 · 10:37 am

Monthly Accountability – Sept. 2024

Tracy Grondahl-Pinterest

At this, the last day of September, I’m 2/10ths of a pound away from my interim weight loss goal of 40-pounds-off.

This is a report from MyFitnessPal.com showing the last year of my ‘lose-the-lard’ efforts. Although I’m only about halfway to my ultimate goal at this point, the trend is encouraging.

My husband and I had a talk this morning, since he has Type 2 Diabetes (though he won’t admit that and says he just has a ‘sugar problem.’) We BOTH are having to accept that our bodies don’t respond to our efforts as they used to. It takes being more serious with more consistent effort to actually realize improvement.

He says he’s being ‘good,’ but looked kind of appalled when I calmly reminded him of what I noticed he ate that was not on his diet recently. I told him I wasn’t the food police and that he was responsible – as am I – for what we put in our mouths. We BOTH need to keep tweaking to make the changes happen.

What seems to be working for me right now – with the occasional plateau – is monitored by my daily use of MyFitnessPal.com. I put in my information on KetoKarma.com (Suzanne Ryan’s website) and came up with this as my daily eating goal –

My experience after doing this about a year is that I need to stay under 1000 calories, where fitness pal says, “You might not be eating enough.” I eat as few carbs as possible, staying as close to 13 or 14 as I can, and try not to eat too much protein – that may throw off my progress. I’m trying to drink more water, alternating between that and coffee until my eyeballs are floating. I’m not snacking – at all. I’m taking Fruits & Veggies vitamin supplements daily to make sure I’m getting all the nutrients I need, as well as taking Calcium for my bones. I’m hoping that eventually, when I meet my ultimate goal, I might be able to stop taking most of the prescription drugs I’m taking now. We’re monitoring blood tests at the times my doc deems appropriate. I’m trying to exercise daily – videos with weights and my half hour yoga stretching.

SO – as of today, September 30th, there are 39.8 pounds less of me than when I was at my heaviest. There are 41.2 inches less of me now.

“Keepin’ on keepin’ on. “ I’ll report again at the end of October.

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September 17, 2024 · 10:18 am

Goals

I don’t want to live to any particular age, but I would like to be as healthy as possible for as long as I can. I can’t control all of that, but I CAN control –

  • What I weigh
  • What I eat
  • How much exercise I get

As you know, I’ve been trying to lose the lard and move more. I’m about halfway to my goal now.

Eat Smart Move More NC

I started with a BMI of 34, which is labeled on the chart as “Obese.” Right now I have a BMI of 29, labeled as “Overweight.” I’m celebrating JUST being ‘overweight’ now. My goal is a BMI of 24, which is labeled “healthy weight.”

I’m eating a low-carb diet, trying to drink more water, and using MyFitnessPal daily to pay close attention to what I’m eating and drinking.

My moving more efforts include working in the yard, practicing ‘old lady’ yoga stretches, and various YouTube workout videos. I’m doing one now from Good Morning Fitness with stomach exercises done standing that don’t involve jumping. I also like a whole series with Mike from Australia. He has a website called More Life Health Seniors. I’m also trying to make myself at least walk around the house and out to the shop once a day.

I’ve started taking SuperFoodMD Fruits & Veggies supplements, a competitor to the much-advertised brand you see on TV. That one is too expensive for me, but this one costs less than half as much. (I put the two products side by side and they look like the same thing.) I eat basically the same thing for lunch every day, and we eat a somewhat limited number of low-carb dishes for dinners, mainly because my husband will only eat a handful of veggies. I hope that these supplements will help me make sure I’m getting what I need for good health.

Indian Hills Humor – Vince, the Sign Guy

Onward and Downward!

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July 17, 2022 · 9:50 am

Today’s Harvest 7-17-2022

We had a nice harvest this morning, with more coming soon. The weather has started affecting the quality of the tomatoes with some breaks in the skin, a couple of bad spots, etc., but they still taste absolutely wonderful and we’re spoiled beyond redemption, shamelessly devouring some for both lunch and dinner daily while we can. :0)

Tenor

Tonight we’ll enjoy a “Main Meal Salad” (chef type salad) with added chicken from Lunch Bunch, so we’re having a nice, healthy day.

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April 22, 2022 · 9:48 am

Cooking to Lose Weight

momzdailyscoops.blogspot.com

I now have enough cooked and frozen into individual serving containers that we can happily switch between them without my having to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen. That really helps me avoid too much of my cooking ending up inside me. :0)

Lately, I’ve cooked –

  • “Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Bake” – Suzanne Ryan, Simply Keto
  • “Bacon-wrapped Cheesy Chicken” – Suzanne Ryan, Simply Keto
  • “Bacon-Wrapped Hamburger Patties” – homemade
  • “Simply Keto Chili” – Suzanne Ryan, Simply Keto
  • “Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bowl” – Suzanne Ryan, Simply Keto
  • “Tender and Fluffy Almond Flour Biscuits” – Healthy Recipes

Each time I either doubled the recipes or made as much as the pan would hold so that I had leftovers. Now our freezer is nicely stocked with individual portions I can pull and simply heat in the microwave. This frees me up to spend more time outside, or take time doing whatever I need or want to do without worrying overmuch about dinner and staying on my new regimen.

Since my husband is almost at his goal, we’re also free for him to eat a dinner from Real Food or Stu’s Clean Cookin’, both places which provide good food at reasonable prices. They are both too high in carbs for me right now, but he can eat one of those while I choose from the other homemade dinners. Easy-peesy. :0)

Yesterday I told you I finally got back down to my pre-pandemic weight. Balloons flew, bands played, and confetti was thrown in celebration. I was hoping that I would break through to new territory this morning, but I just held where I was yesterday. That’s okay. It will come.

I’m hoping that the regimen of low carb eating and exercise will result in some good changes by the end of the month. And if not, by the end of May. We’ll see. One day at a time.

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July 10, 2021 · 10:30 am

Good/Bad News in the Garden

The grocery store was selling lettuce plants yesterday! I bought two, having little hope that they would do anything this time of year, since they are a cool-weather plant. One of them has already croaked :0( – but this one is still alive as of this minute. I’ll probably have to go ahead and clear out the garden for the season, since my yellow crookneck squash plants are producing lots of huge leaves by very little else. I’ll go ahead and pull everything out, unless this sweet plant is still alive. I’ll pull the onions and start drying them out. We have possibly severe storms coming in this evening-into-tomorrow, so this will wait until next week. It was a fun thing to try, though.

Meanwhile, though my tomato plants don’t look pretty, they are producing. This is what I brought in this morning. There are more to come tomorrow. This is the time of year we feel super rich. We have lots of ripe tomatoes to each for both lunch and dinner. :0)

I’ll take pics of the onions when I get them onto the trailer screen to start drying.

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June 5, 2021 · 9:36 am

Friday’s Harvest

We had a good harvest yesterday. My spinach output is dwindling with the warmer weather and soon will be finished, so I’m getting as much as I can and freezing it so none will be wasted.

I’ve never actually done much with yellow crookneck squash before, so this is a lot of fun. I have a lot of little bitty squashes coming on. I decided that the ones above were large enough to harvest. I have a spiralizer tool that will make them nice for sauteing this evening to serve with some pork chops. :0)

It looks like I might have a good sweet onion crop this year. I won’t actually know until much later, but things look good right now. I also have some celery that I grew from cutting off the bottoms of celery I bought at the store. The stalks are ‘spread out’ rather than like the ones you see at the store in the tight groups, but they taste fine, so I’ll take them.

We have small green tomatoes and lots of blossoms on our tomato plants. We have two brick planters that we converted to square foot garden planters. I’m hopeful we’ll have lots of ripe tomatoes to slice and enjoy soon.

I need to do some weeding, but it’s getting dark outside, looking like it’s going to storm. Maybe I can get something done between raindrops…

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May 16, 2021 · 4:06 pm

Thing Two

I may have mentioned (griped) that, starting about 6pm this evening, we’re supposed to get rain every day through the 27th! So Thing Two on my list today was to harvest some of our veggies from the garden.

The garden has gone nuts. I filled my basket with spinach, then went back and harvested lettuce. By the time I got everything washed and stored, I was too tired to go back and harvest more.

The thing I’m MOST pleased with is that I grew an actual head of lettuce. Just like one you can buy in the grocery store.

Today’s lettuce harvest
Today’s Spinach Harvest

It’s about 4pm here now. I’m going to get a cup of coffee and enjoy my book for awhile, now that I have finsiehd Thing One and Thing Two. :0) I hope your Sunday has been a good one.

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May 14, 2021 · 9:32 am

Garden Progress

Raised bed square foot garden May 13th
This is cabbage. I’ve never tried to grow this before and I’m like a kid at Christmas. The center portion is where the head of cabbage is forming. I’m going to find as much information as I can. It’s FUN!
One kind of lettuce.
2nd kind of lettuce
Can you see the cute yellow crookneck squash?
I have blossoms on the tomato plants, although none show in this picture.

The forecast is for thunderstorms EVERY DAY between the 17th and the 27th. I’m going to try to get a nice harvest in, either today or tomorrow, before all the rain starts.

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May 4, 2021 · 3:37 pm

Garden Veggies

flickr.com

I lucked out and the storm last night did not clobber my veggies.

cabbage
Squash
Lettuce
Spinach
Nook Tomatoes

2nd tomato planter

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May 3, 2021 · 5:35 pm

2nd Harvest

Simply Pallets-Etsy.com

Today’s spinach harvest is the best I have ever had. I am really amazed hat how large and healthy the leaves are! Some of the leaves are 8 inches long!

This is a small head of lettuce.
frilly lettuce
Butter Crunch Lettuce

I could have harvested a lot more today. I’m HOPING that the storm tonight doesn’t batter my sweet plants. I have a gallon bag of spinach and a gallon bag of lettuce that we’ll give to our hairdresser when my husband gets a haircut tomorrow. Meanwhile, we will have a huge chef salad for dinner tonight. :0)

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April 27, 2021 · 9:42 am

Leave Room

etsy.com

So far, so good on my garden veggies. We are due for rain this evening-into THURSDAY, with some possibly severe, so fingers are crossed again.

This is the whole garden, except for the two brick planters of tomato plants on the other side of the house and yard.

As you can see here, the zucchini and yellow crookneck squash didn’t like the recent freezes. I’m hoping that the main plants are healthy and that they will put on more leaves now that we have supposedly passed the danger of freezes and frosts.

The spinach is happy.

Buttercrunch Lettuce
This is cabbage. I’ve never grown it before so I have no clue what I’m doing. I’m like a little kid watching a magic show.
Nook Tomatoes
As you can see, these tomatoes need to be weeded.

All appendages are crossed that all my sweet veggies make it through until Thursday afternoon, when the rains are supposed to be over for a bit.

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April 22, 2021 · 10:16 am

Garden Progress

Pinterest
Butter Crunch Lettuce
Spinach
Zucchini

I’ve been covering my veggie plants and tomato planters with sheets for 4 nights now, and so far, things seem to have come through the freezes all right. The Zucchini has had the most reaction. I’ve had to cut off several leaves from the plants. They blackened with the frosts and freezes. There is enough left of the plants that still looks good I think they will make it.

According to the weather website we are now past the freezes. This is really unusual here. Usually, our last frosts are April 5th, and that is even pretty late since I have been trying to grow things. We are supposed to get rain tonight and all day tomorrow.

I have the sheets spread out on the fencing around the garden, trying to dry it out during the day today so I can bag them up and put them away.

I HOPING that things will get back to normal for gardening soon.

Although the veggies seem to be doing all right, my elephant ear bulbs did not make it over wintered in the garage. I have finally given up on them and ordered more bulbs. I am hoping those will arrive soon so that I can get them into the ground.

I gathered my first harvest of the year recently, and we enjoyed a main meal salad last night, featuring our own spinach and lettuce! It’s been quite awhile since we were able to do that. I loved it!

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April 18, 2021 · 5:53 pm

1st Harvest of 2021

As you can see, the plants in my veggie garden are happy at the moment!

I celebrated our first harvest of 2021 this afternoon.

I am about to go cover up the veggie planters because the weather people are forecasting a possible frost tonight! I find it hard to believe, but I’ll sure take the time to go cover things up.

I will get out tomorrow and do some weeding – particularly in one of the tomato planters, plus do some fertilizing. I will also mix and spray more weed killer, starting under the planters in the garden.

Here is today’s harvest of leaf lettuce. I actually have three kinds this year – head lettuce, a kind of frilly leaf lettuce I haven’t harvested yet, and Butter Crunch lettuce. I had enough to fill 3 one-gallon storage bags.

Here is the harvest of spinach today. Again, I had enough to fill 3 one-gallon storage bags. This is the best lucky I’ve had with spinach ever.

We will have a nice, fresh salad tonight to go with our leftover hamburger patties and macaroni and cheese.

I’m smiling on my way back out to the garden. :0)

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April 18, 2021 · 10:51 am

Eating with Winnie the Pooh

A. A. Milne – E.H. Shepard – Winnie the Pooh – DreamsQuote

Last night I gave into our desire for comfort food, since our weather has been gray, cool, and rainy lately and made hamburger patties and macaroni and cheese. It hit just the right note with my husband, and he declared the meal ‘delicious’ several times.

Mostly we are trying to watch what we eat in an effort to lose our lard, get as healthy as we can, and be able to continue doing most of what we would like to do. We have found two places locally who are offering REAL FOOD and STU’S CLEAN COOKIN’ – individual frozen dinners with few ingredients – all of which you can pronounce and understand – with measured portions that are GOOD for us. We feel as it we have found a treasure trove.

Particularly when the weather is good, I like to spend a lot of time outside – working in our veggie garden, gathering harvests of lettuce, spinach, radishes, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, onions, and tomatoes each time I can for us to enjoy right from the garden. Much of the time I am helping with the lawn or weeding my flower beds, so it’s nice to have veggies from the garden and a good-for-us delicious dinner that only has to be nuked to be ready to eat.

As soon as I finish here, I’m planning to go out and take pics to share with you, hopefully harvest my first gathering of veggies, plus get things ready to cover the plants for some possible freezes this week.

I hope that you are well and happy this morning, and that your Sunday is a nice one.

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April 10, 2021 · 11:11 am

Storm

Sound Cloud

We had quite a storm last night – heavy rain, gusty winds, hail, flying hairballs…. I went out this morning to see what havoc had occurred.

Two of my three new azaleas were pretty battered, but I’m hoping they will perk up once they get a chance to catch their collective breaths.

My garden plants seem to have come through fine. As you can see, one of the next jobs will be to spray weed killer under the planters.
As you can see, I need to pull off yellow leaves and weed this tomato planter.
The ‘nook’ tomato planter is looking pretty good..

I’m feeling very lucky that the hail storm didn’t decimate my garden, as they did one year in the recent past. I’m trying to ‘hold my mouth right’ so the good luck continues. :0)

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April 7, 2021 · 9:22 am

Garden Progress 4-7-2021

broccoli
celery
leaf lettuce

spinach
tomatoes
Yellow Crookneck Squash
Zucchini

Things are looking very happy right now. We are under a possibly severe storms warning most of the day, so I’m HOPING that the storms are just rain and wind, rather than hail.

123RF.com

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March 27, 2021 · 10:22 am

Open Mouth…

Food Network

Since I’m not having much success with not eating between meals, I’m trying to gather some things that will be better to snack on than others.

I cut up celery and radishes yesterday. I have baby carrots and some cherry tomatoes. I can make a pretty, colorful, healthy snack for myself now to enjoy with a bit of dip.

My husband and I usually have something before bed. I know we shouldn’t do that, but I feel really deprived if he is eating and I’m not. I got some Sweet Freedom No-Sugar-Added Ice Cream Bars that are doing the trick.

My eyeballs are floating from all the water I’m drinking each day, and I’m adding to that since I’m working outside now.

I’m hoping that I can report some progress soon. :0)

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March 23, 2021 · 9:35 am

Thoughts on a Tuesday 3-23-2021

Camelot Care Centers

There are lots of reasons to be down these days. Some of them we share. Others are personal. I think it’s more important than ever to be grateful we are HERE and ALIVE, and live with enthusiasm for the gift.

I just went out to check our spring garden. The plants are totally unaware of any possible problems in our world. I’m not advocating being UNAWARE. I guess I’m advocating living as IF “heavy, heavy” isn’t hanging over our heads. Much of what is happening is beyond our control. We can be aware of those things, but concentrate on the things over which we DO have some control.

My spirits rose today as I saw that my garden plants – well watered from an overnight rain – seem to be thriving. On the other side of our property, our tomato plants are also looking good. I stopped to remove the PVC irrigation pipe that was shattered on one brick planter during one of our last winter storms, saving the faucet part that we can reuse. There are many things to be done in the yard, and I’m happy for the normalcy of that.

I’m taking a new direction in selling my craft products. I’m concentrating my efforts on my page on Amazon Handmade, listing new stuff in a steady stream. Linda Lewis Artworks If you happen to visit, I would very much appreciate your honest feedback.

My husband and I are both in reasonably good health at this point, although our bodies remind us that we might have taken on too much sometimes. :0) We are trying to get the lard off, and I am trying to exercise and move more on a daily basis to stay as healthy as possible. We will both get our 2nd COVID shot next Monday. I will feel relieved that two weeks after that, we should be as protected as we can be and will not be a source of the virus for anyone else.

Today we are scheduled to have some windows replaced. Several years ago we had all of our windows replaced by Window World. We have lived in our home since we built it in 1987. Obviously, some things have really gotten better since then. Replacing our windows made a big difference in our energy bills, but also in the QUIET. Many times we get a hard rain and don’t even notice it! We are very pleased with this company. It has taken a long time for us to get the replacement windows, but we are lucky we are all in a position to do this at all. Hopefully, it will happen this afternoon.

Everett Ruess via Lisa Bearnes Richey

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February 23, 2021 · 9:44 am

Snacks

imgflip.com – tumblr – Spoon University

This is DAY THREE of not eating anything between meals. That, along with portion control at meals and my efforts to move more should result in happy results on the scales and on my measuring tape. The weather is finally warming up, too, which means I can get outside more. I feel that things are coming together now.

It would be easier to simply sign up again for a weight loss/meals provided program again, but I’m determined to take responsibility for what I eat and drink. We are getting lots of help with two new places here locally who each provide individual portion frozen healthy meals. We eat one of those for dinner. I make us a sandwich or tuna salad for lunch. My husband eats snacks when he likes. He is much closer to his goal weight, but we’re still trying to watch his sugar intake.

I’m trying to build good habits that will result in my getting and staying in reasonable shape so I can continue to do most of what I would like for the rest of my life. I’m kind of using you as a check for accountability and reporting. I hope you don’t mind.

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January 27, 2021 · 10:05 am

Crunchy

Veterinarian Bend Oregon

I’ve been doing my stretching yoga poses for several days in a row now and I’m definitely feeling looser. The thing I’m NOT is smarter.

I have proven to myself several times now that I hurt less, feel looser, AND feel better about myself when I do 30 minutes or so of yoga stretches (old lady version) every day. I even give myself a gold star on my desk calendar when I do my practice. And, yet, STILL it does not become a habit, where I notice and miss it when I don’t do it. I would really LIKE for that to happen.

Soon I will be another year older – (unless I get hit by a bus or something before then.) I would LIKE to be able to report that I am taking better care of myself – eating healthy food, eating reasonable portions, losing some of my lard, and moving easier with less pain, building a stronger core.

This is not merely a New Year’s Resolution. I am trying for a true lifestyle change. I am trying to take one day at a time, rather than being overwhelmed by the hugeness of the challenge. I have plans for what I’ll eat today. I will go do my 35 minutes on my elliptical as soon as I finish my blog posts here (and my coffee). We have errands to run and then I will do my 30 minutes of yoga this afternoon.

I will try to be better than I was yesterday.

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January 10, 2021 · 9:33 am

Under Height

I’m doing well so far with getting serious again about eating right and exercising. My scales are starting to take notice and do something besides smirk. I’m doing my elliptical trainer in the morning and my yoga stretches in the afternoon and trying to concentrate on moving in-between. I felt bad Friday afternoon, but other than that have done well. :0)

Instead of a commercial weight loss program as we’ve tried before, we are enjoying frozen meals for dinner from Real Food and Stu’s Clean Cookin’ – both new to Greenwood, interspersed with my own cooking, the leftovers from which are stored in individual servings in the freezer with the other meals. This encourages paying attention to what a ‘serving’ is. Sometimes I fix an extra veggie or salad on the side, but most of the time, it’s just the meal.

For lunch we’re having homemade tuna fish salad – made from one small can packed in water for the two of us – sugar free jello, plus I have olives and my husband has sweet pickles. We are trying not to snack in-between meals or before bed.

I’m trying to drink lots of water.

I’m hoping to be able to report a good amount of poundage loss by the end of the month, but it will take as long as it takes. As long as the scales are showing a downward trajectory and my measuring tape is showing a bit of progress, I will be satisfied.

I will be delighted if I feel stronger, more flexible, have more energy, and feel fewer balance problems as I continue to exercise daily. I smile when I see the gold stars on my desk calendar. I will have earned 6 stars this week – and will have a chance to earn 14 next week. :0)

With so many things happening in the world over which I have NO control, I take comfort that THIS is something I CAN control.

TaoLife.com

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January 9, 2021 · 9:42 am

Me on a Diet…

Meme

I love this picture. Sweets – even chocolate – are not my downfall, though. My personal problems are salty things, breads, and pastas, starches.

So far, we’re doing well on our ‘get-back-on-the-diet-horse’ effort. I’m losing weight even with Lunch Bunch yesterday. For some unknown reason, I felt bad yesterday afternoon – so no exercise stars – but got over it in a few hours, so am finer than frog fur today. I’ll go do my time on the elliptical trainer as soon as I finish here.

As far as goals, I’m officially doing this in 5-pound increments to manage the overwhelming thoughts that might sabotage my efforts. ‘5 pounds’ is doable. Each time I attain a goal, I’ll do a happy dance around the house and then set my goal to the NEXT 5 pounds.

First, I’m trying to re-lose the lardage I gained over the holidays and that has been creeping up during the pandemic. Since I do my exercising at home, I have no excuse for being a slug.

I’m also going to be trying for 2 stars each day – for my elliptical trainer practice and my yoga stretches – with my goal being better balance, more flexibility, less pain, and gained strength.

My overall goal remains –

TaoLife

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December 21, 2020 · 10:12 am

Di-et-Attitude

PinonFunny

My husband and I have decided that life is too short to feel guilty all the time. During the holidays, plus the change of weather, plus this awful pandemic, plus – we will finish out 2020 stuffing our faces. Well, not really, but not raking ourselves over the coals, either, when we overindulge.

We got lots of goodies from friends. We are going to enjoy some of them. We are freezing some for later, enjoying some now, and enjoying some comfort foods.

We are now – finally – into a lifestyle of eating good food, watching our portions, foregoing lots of things, such as sugar, bread, starches, excess carbs, etc. I am trying to exercise on a daily basis, and move more in general. We want to lose the lard, become more flexible, improve strength and balance, and improve the numbers on our quarterly or every-six-month routine monitoring blood tests.

BUT – for a little while – we are allowing the kid in us to come out and play, enjoying the ‘season’, smiling as we enjoy the lovely things that aren’t so great for our health, but make life much more worth living for a few days each year.

May we all be much healthier in 2021, eventually free from worry about the virus.

Stay safe and well.

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November 8, 2020 · 9:54 am

Diets

Dolly Parton – MyWeightLossDream.co.uk – QuotesGram

Nutrisystem, South Beach, BistroMD – all helped, but we stopped, feeling the same as this wonderful quote by Dolly Parton above.

Now we are lucky because two new companies started businesses here in Greenwood – REAL FOOD and STU’S CLEAN COOKIN’, both offering healthy frozen individual portion meals at reasonable prices.

We plan around eating their meals 5 days a week. I then fix a keto-friendly meal that has enough for the weekend, and maybe even a lunch the following week. We eat a frozen meal at night, usually tuna fish salad for lunch, and as few careful snacks as possible the remainder of the day. It’s working for us, albeit slowly.

My husband is basically at his goal weight now. We are trying to be very careful of his sugar, since he is Type II diabetic. I still have about 30 lbs to lose to get to my goal weight. I’m losing more slowly, am the one who is actually exercising, and does all the orchestration of our eating. I would bite my husband in the leg, but basically like him too much to do that just because he seems to lose weight effortlessly. (If he gives me another reason, all bets are off.) :0)

I really like not having to figure out what to cook every day. I also like the fact that we are eating good, healthy food with portion control that actually TASTES GOOD. We can still go to Lunch Bunch to meet our friends each Friday without losing the ground we’ve gained during the week.

I am hopeful that if we ‘keep on keepin’ on,’ (‘holding our mouths right’ as we say in Oklahoma and Arkansas) maybe I will eventually meet MY lard-loss goal, too.

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September 28, 2020 · 9:42 am

Diet Day 1:

My husband is basically at his goal weight now. He is very happy about that, and is determined to keep the weight off. We have been really trying to avoid sugar, and his blood sugar numbers are stellar.  :0)  He really likes the Real Food frozen dinners we have been getting. (We pick up our newest order this afternoon.) He has not been throwing much extra bad stuff into our grocery cart, and is encouraging about MY efforts to lose the lard. He told me this morning he was very happy with our eating plan. :0)  Our main source for food is Real Food in Greenwood. We did get some food from Stu’s Clean Cookin’ this past week and put it in the freezer. Since the weather is cooling off, we try to stock up. Living on the top of a ridge line has taught us that having extra supplies in the winter is a very good thing… We will try some of the newest offerings soon.

I have to admit that I’m a bit teed off that my husband has a so much easier time losing weight than I do. He comes in and nukes our dinner, but I’m the one who keeps up with all of the details, makes lunches and snacks, figures out and cooks a keto meal when indicated, cleans up, etc. He does not exercise and has no inclination to. He eats things he shouldn’t, and yet – he has met his goal!

“I” am eating right and exercising (in one form or another) on a daily basis and still have about 30 pounds of lard to lose. I am drinking so much water my eyeballs float. I am making progress, but V E R R R Y slowly.  Since I am definitely not getting any taller, I will just have to continue my efforts and celebrate each pound that finally leaves.

I feel very lucky that we FINALLY found food that tastes good and have figured out a way to plan our eating for the day around the frozen meal we get from the newest good places in Greenwood.

One of these days I’ll be able to tell you I have finally met my goal!

123RF.com

 

 

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September 27, 2020 · 9:39 am

Weight Loss Tip 2

Born to Workout

I am feeling more in control of what my husband and I are eating now. We are both happy with the food we are getting from REAL FOOD in Greenwood. It’s delicious. We are basing our eating for the day around the meal we eat from there, having a really light lunch and very careful snacks, if any.

We are lucky to have ANOTHER good frozen food place that just opened recently in Greenwood.  It’s called, STU’S CLEAN COOKIN’.  We looked at their menu online yesterday morning, ordered, and were able to pick up our order after 10:00 a.m. yesterday morning! We had paid online and they had our order ready for us. You can’t ask for faster service than that!  We put that in the freezer to stock up. I like the fact that they list the nutrition of each meal on their website. I look forward to seeing if we like their “cookin.”

We get enough to eat 5 dinners per week and then I cook on the weekend, making one of the keto recipes we like. So far, we are losing weight and really enjoying LIKING our food!

My husband is only a couple of pounds away from his goal weight, but he likes the food so much, he is being VERY cooperative about doing this for the foreseeable future while I continue my efforts to get the lard off. (I have around 30 lbs to my goal, I think.)

With good food for the big meal of the day SO easy, I can concentrate on doing the other things I would like to do, rather than being tempted to feed my face in the kitchen.

Right now, the big project is trying to get my onions harvested without being stung/bitten by more fire ants who have taken up residence in my raised bed, square foot planters, and getting the planters cleaned out, things repaired, the boxes filled with Mel’s Mix, and then covered with tarps for the winter.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

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