It's one of those days - when I keep shovelling in the food! Last night, when I was packing my lunch, I thought I was bringing too much. Well, I had it finished at 12:20 and then went to the nearby take-away and bought a large order of onion rings and an order of fries. That kept me full for most of the afternoon, but it didn't stop me from eating two helpings of my Poor Man's Lasagna and a big piece of apple pie. Maybe I'm exercising too much!
Yes, I am still exercising although I'm taking tonight off. I'm still not feeling any better and I still don't see any improvement ... I'm doing between 30 to 45 minutes a day and started two weeks ago so shouldn't I be seeing some benefits by now? My clothes are actually getting tighter - so much for the "getting rid of inches theory." I admit I am feeling a little discouraged by all of this - so far exercise seems to be only giving me a bigger appetite - which I didn't need!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Life's (very) little frustrations
I am back to work, unfortunately on the early shift. I have been exercising 45 minutes a day since last Wednesday and since Sunday, I've been eating very healthily.
So why do free meal invitations always come when I'm being good? We just found out we're required to be at a dinner at a nice restaurant tonight. The invitation came just after we ate a huge lunch, with the idea of having a very spartan supper. And tomorrow, there's a free lunch at work. If you're anyways thrifty, you never turn down a free meal but I wish they were a little better spaced out so I could enjoy them more!
Today I took a two pound bag of pasta, two bottles of really good tomato sauce and some cheese and made nine lunches to keep in the freezer - sort of a healthier version of those frozen pasta dinners that seemed to be soaked in sodium - not these! We call 'em Lizzileenas since my name is Elizabeth and they're suppose to replace frozen supermarket lunches. They're actually pretty good and easy to make. In total, it cost me around $5 to make the whole lot so that's a lot cheaper than frozen, even when they're on sale.
Yesterday, I made a pot of Yorkshire tea, which is a blend of Assam and Indian teas. Best with milk, even though I don't usually add milk to my tea but this needed it. Just a nice basic strong tea - there are days when only this sort of cuppa will do.
So why do free meal invitations always come when I'm being good? We just found out we're required to be at a dinner at a nice restaurant tonight. The invitation came just after we ate a huge lunch, with the idea of having a very spartan supper. And tomorrow, there's a free lunch at work. If you're anyways thrifty, you never turn down a free meal but I wish they were a little better spaced out so I could enjoy them more!
Today I took a two pound bag of pasta, two bottles of really good tomato sauce and some cheese and made nine lunches to keep in the freezer - sort of a healthier version of those frozen pasta dinners that seemed to be soaked in sodium - not these! We call 'em Lizzileenas since my name is Elizabeth and they're suppose to replace frozen supermarket lunches. They're actually pretty good and easy to make. In total, it cost me around $5 to make the whole lot so that's a lot cheaper than frozen, even when they're on sale.
Yesterday, I made a pot of Yorkshire tea, which is a blend of Assam and Indian teas. Best with milk, even though I don't usually add milk to my tea but this needed it. Just a nice basic strong tea - there are days when only this sort of cuppa will do.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Drinking my yogurt
I love yogurt but my newest favs are those yogurt drinks. I know they've been around for years but sometimes I take time getting to things. I'm a big fan of the DanActive drinks, especially the strawberry flavor. Today I bought some Yops on sale for 50 cents and I may have to get more - they were delish. They just remind me of a slightly sour milkshake. In fact, I'm almost craving them, which could be related to the fact that I'm eating less salty foods and maybe the sourness makes up for that. Whatever the reason, they're great!
Success!
After about two months of adhering to a low-sodium diet (with a fair bit of straying), I can happily report that my systolic pressure has stayed steadily at 116, compared to my highest reading of 140. I have added a (very) little exercise so I expect that will get even better as I embark on a regular exercise plan. And that started today - we started our health club memberships and I did 32 minutes on the treadmill, 8 on the exercise bike and about 5 minutes on the various weight machines. I don't feel any better - exercise has never made me feel better or even good, even when I did it regularly when I was much younger.I have never found that it gave me extra energy either. But I guess it must be done.
So eating low sodium really does make a difference, at least for me. Have I lost any weight? Maybe a few pounds. I think a regular exercise program should take some more weight off. However saying that, my clothes do seem to be fitting a lot better - I even bought a small t-shirt at the mall the other day that's plenty big. I can't remember the last time I bought a small anything!
So eating low sodium really does make a difference, at least for me. Have I lost any weight? Maybe a few pounds. I think a regular exercise program should take some more weight off. However saying that, my clothes do seem to be fitting a lot better - I even bought a small t-shirt at the mall the other day that's plenty big. I can't remember the last time I bought a small anything!
Monday, August 9, 2010
I love being on vacation!
Yet another relaxing day here. Got up late, did some writing, went to an all-you-can-eat buffet and then went shopping - perfect day in my estimation! The buffet featured pasta dishes and was OK although my sweetie made my day by saying my pasta dishes were much better! Got a nice grey golf shirt for $4.99 and a beige sweat-type shirt also for $4.99 at Mark's - gotta love those end of season sales. Then I got a Sigg water bottle for $3, a box of my favorite Golden Bonbon Orange Nougat and some Turkish Delight, both for %4.99 each, along with an interesting looking box of Touch Oolong for $2.49, all at Winners.
I'm now drinking black Cream tea, from Adagio, which is truly worth ordering across the border for - it tastes like a good tea that has cream in it. Probably won't have any supper tonight since I am still stuffed from lunch but I do feel like making something ... not sure what though.
I'm now drinking black Cream tea, from Adagio, which is truly worth ordering across the border for - it tastes like a good tea that has cream in it. Probably won't have any supper tonight since I am still stuffed from lunch but I do feel like making something ... not sure what though.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Summertime and the drinkin's easy ...
It's been a while since I posted - I haven't been overly busy but I have been overly tired. I'm going to blame it on the oppressive heat we've been experiencing this summer - we Maritimers aren't really used to this! Anyway, today's my first day of vacation and I am looking forward to gloriously wasting time ... too many deadlines can be counterproductive!
The local Bulk Barn has been selling small bottles of fruit-flavored waters and we have been drinking far too many of them lately. They ring in at around 80 calories so I am assuming they are flavored with real sugar and not artificial sweeteners. Cherry and peach are our favorites although the coconut isn't too bad either. At 49 cents a bottle, it's a relatively cheap treat. We've also gotten into the habit of taking a small cooler with us whenever we go out so we don't have to buy (expensive) drinks. I've been making plenty of lemonade and iced tea as well, with white apricot tea bags from the Bulk Barn winning out as this summer's favorite. Another favorite is lime water - to me that is the quintessential taste of summer since it was the major summer drink in my family when growing up. Rose's Lime Cordial watered down with icy cold water tastes like August to me.
Of course, I haven't given up on hot drinks. The Keurig is in use several times a day, mainly sometimes for the lack of heat it gives off. Current favorites are Timothy's German Chocolate Cake Coffee for the morning, followed by Timothy's White Orange Indulgence Tea. However, saying all that, I do feel a sudden craving for a pot of Harney's Paris Black tea and maybe a jug of iced black tea for later.
Maybe fall is just around the corner.
The local Bulk Barn has been selling small bottles of fruit-flavored waters and we have been drinking far too many of them lately. They ring in at around 80 calories so I am assuming they are flavored with real sugar and not artificial sweeteners. Cherry and peach are our favorites although the coconut isn't too bad either. At 49 cents a bottle, it's a relatively cheap treat. We've also gotten into the habit of taking a small cooler with us whenever we go out so we don't have to buy (expensive) drinks. I've been making plenty of lemonade and iced tea as well, with white apricot tea bags from the Bulk Barn winning out as this summer's favorite. Another favorite is lime water - to me that is the quintessential taste of summer since it was the major summer drink in my family when growing up. Rose's Lime Cordial watered down with icy cold water tastes like August to me.
Of course, I haven't given up on hot drinks. The Keurig is in use several times a day, mainly sometimes for the lack of heat it gives off. Current favorites are Timothy's German Chocolate Cake Coffee for the morning, followed by Timothy's White Orange Indulgence Tea. However, saying all that, I do feel a sudden craving for a pot of Harney's Paris Black tea and maybe a jug of iced black tea for later.
Maybe fall is just around the corner.
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