This is just about our lives - four cats, two kids, a musician and a preacher.
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This is where you stick random tidbits of information about yourself.
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Sunday, September 01, 2013
Lila joined the Runner's Club at her school. They run twice a week right after school. There are two 5k runs that they have as goals - the Jingle Run in early December and the school's fundraiser Fun Run in May. I'm so pleased that Lila enjoys exercising! She said that she does want to drop a few pounds. I would like to see her eat a better diet, too, but exercise is also a great place to start.
I am reticent, oh yes, rrrrrrreticent to put this in writing. (Yes, that is a Music Man reference. Mrs. Eulalie McKecknie Shin is also rrrrrrreticent.) I'm thinking of training for that May run. I definitely want to sign up, and I may just walk it. But I've never run before. I think I'll be close to my goal by May. With less to jiggle, running may be a possibility.
I'm also thinking of joining the HealthPark. I've been going with Randy on the family days. Once the weather turns and walking in the neighborhood isn't an easy option, I'll need the HealthPark for my exercise. It might be good to get in that routine before I actually need it.
I've been scared of the scale these past few days. Exhaustion hit like a ton of bricks. I got my walk in on Friday, then could hardly move the rest of the day. The tired carried over to Saturday. Our week was emotionally draining. When I am that tired and spent, I make poor food choices.
There were Chik Fil A sandwiches in the fridge, leftover from last week's Impact KY lunches. I had 1/2 of one (and shared generous bites with Hobbes). Randy bought donuts for the kids. I had 1/4 of one. Peanut butter is back in our pantry. I did miss it over the summer, but I didn't miss the temptation. My cheats weren't huge or full meals. But I didn't feel good after eating them.
I did NOT eat any of the Chik Fil A chocolate chunk cookies that are still in our kitchen. Lila has been enjoying them in her lunch this past week. She has enough for lunches all this week, too. Thinking of the cookies as Lila's helps me resist.
10:27 PM
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Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Did I tell you that I've been walking lately? I have! We live in a beautiful neighborhood, and I've been walking almost every day for several weeks now. I love feeling stronger.
Lila and I have also been ice skating again. The ice rink is only a 1/2 mile from our house. We go on Sunday afternoons. I wish they had more open rink hours. I would love to skate during school hours. The open skate afternoons are kind of crazy with kids skating everywhere.
I'm down 48 pounds now! SO close to 50. Can I make it there by Labor Day? I'm almost half way to my goal loss.
I tried on pants at Kohl's today. How is it that my 16's are baggy, but 14's are still muffin-top territory?
Finding jeans to skate in has been challenging. The first Sunday, I wore the 18's that were snug last Spring. I could pull them down without unbuttoning! Wearing baggy clothes feels . . . dumpy. That's really not the look I'm going for. Somewhere, I have a whole stack of size 14 jeans and pants. Hopefully I'll find them soon.
10:29 PM
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Friday, August 16, 2013
These last four pounds were hard! It took me almost a month to get rid of them. Our vacation to St. Louis seems like a big french fry fest. We also sampled fried pickles at two different restaurants. Very good! They actually remind me of fried banana peppers.
So I'm down 45 pounds now. I've been walking more lately and that feels good. I've found a route with all sidewalks. I really don't like walking in the street, even if it's a quiet street.
Still juicing. Still making nut milks. Still adding avocado to most of my green juices. The return of Lila's PB&J lunches is not good for my will power. Peanut butter in the house is haaaaaaaaard to resist.
I fixed hazelnut/pecan/brazil nut milk yesterday. Oh my word, that is so good! My favorite glass is when it's still warm, right after I've made it. It tastes like nutella and pecan pie in a glass.
I use boiling water for the first blend, then I let the nut/hot water mixture sit for about 15 minutes. I'm not sure it makes any difference, but I think the steeping might bring out more of the nut flavor.
Getting closer to my goal a little at a time. This time last year, I was stressed about wearing my OSO polo shirt for a summer concert. I had two sizes in my drawer, and neither fit. I tried them on today just to see, and the smaller size fit! Maybe I'll break out that shirt for some Strings Attached classes.
5:24 PM
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Wednesday, July 17, 2013
41 pounds down!! I've been juicing 3 1/2 months now. The first month was pristine. I could count the cheats by the spoonful in that first month. Now I have a little nibble every day. The big picture still looks good, I just can't stand that gnawing hunger at the end of the day.
My left knee is definitely improving. Stairs have been much easier.
I love that it's easy to change my favorite juices just by adding one different ingredient. Watermelon has been my magical addition this week. Juicing the rind is good, too.
Last week's magical find: PECAN MILK! Oh my word, this is good. It reminds me of pecan pie. I fix my nut milk with a dash of sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon and a tiny splash of maple syrup. I add coconut oil to almond milk, and coconut water to all of my nut milks. I've tried almond, brazil nut, sunflower seeds, and pecans. Sunflower seed was my least favorite milk. It had a bitter aftertaste.
I'm still blending my green juices with avocado. It tastes so good, and I swear my hair is shinier.
So September . . . Labor Day was my original date for reentry. I've changed my mind. Now I want to stick with juicing until I reach my weight loss goal.
12:04 PM
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Sunday, May 26, 2013
I seem to be stuck at 30 pounds. Temptations have been strong. I encountered a magnificant cheese table at a wedding reception tonight. There were at least a dozen fabulous cheeses out. The trio had that table all to ourselves after the guests went on to dinner. Who could resist? I didn't.
I don't really mind giving into the temptation of good food. I do feel shame and frustration when I give in to junk food. Cheez It boxes multiply in this house. I wish I could abolish them permanantly. After everyone else is in bed, those Cheez Itz throw themselves at me.
Even when I give in to cheats, the majority of my nutrition is coming from juice. I'm going to stick with this for the long haul. All of the food that I miss will still be there in September.
The palms of my hands may or may not be turning orange from all of the carrots I'm juicing.
12:36 AM
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
30!! The pants in the next size down fit again.
Sticking to just juice is so much harder at home. Last night I got home at about 9:00 and there was leftover Shells and Cheese on the stove. I asked Randy to get rid of it. There is no way I could have resisted those leftovers.
As long as food is already in the fridge or freezer, I'm usually okay with leaving it there. Usually. I haven't had a cheat since Saturday. Here, Saturday means soup. Justin Crandall is a master soup chef (and owner/chef at Pangea Cafe). He creates and donates the soup that we serve at our church's soup kitchen. This past Saturday he fixed Spicy Beef Stew. Of course I had to have some.
I realize that I talk more about the food that I can't have than the juice that I'm making. I do like the juices that I fix, but they aren't all that exciting. The avocado blending still pleases me greatly. Fennel, red pepper and poblano peppers are also favorites.
Here is my shopping list:
Spinach
Cilantro
Kale
Asparagus
Hearts of Romaine
Cucumbers
Celery
Fennel
Poblano peppers
Red Bell peppers
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Naval oranges
Grapefruit
Apples
Ginger
I buy whichever oranges and apples are on sale. For eating, I prefer big crunchy Gala apples. I've found that juicing the bagged apples works fine and I can save a few dollars there.
Juicing is definitely expensive. I'm not spending money on eating out, buying cheese and Greek yoghurt, or snacks at the gas station. But the veggies and fruits that fill my shopping cart cost more than what I'm saving by not eating junk. That's fine. I would rather be healthy and (more) broke (than usual).
12:56 PM
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Sunday, May 12, 2013
The salad dressing that Mom made for the Taco Salad came from the Forks Over Knives cookbook. It had pureed white beans, cilantro, tahini, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. It was really good. I'm looking forward to fixing that one once I'm back to eating.
Forks Over Knives promotes a vegan diet that does not include any oils. I'm not sure I would eliminate coconut oil or olive oil.
Someone asked the other day how long I'll keep going with the juicing phase. I have Labor Day set as the end of juicing only. Then I'll keep juicing and add whole fruits and veggies. I really hope to be close to my goal by then.
Another someone asked how much weight I hope to lose. I would like to lose 100 pounds total. I've already lost 27.
I do feel time tick tick ticking. I know that menopause is in my not-so-distant future. No sign of it yet, but at 44 it couldn't be too far off. There is no way I want to enter menopause with that much extra weight hanging on.
My knees have been screaming at me to get rid of the extra pounds. There are 16 very steep hardwood stairs to get to my teaching studio. Those stairs are far too painful for someone my age. I hope that getting my weight down will take care of the pain. I'll let you know!
9:41 PM
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Tuesday, May 07, 2013
The "cheat" that I ate tonight was so very good! Mom made a Taco Salad from the Forks Over Knives cookbook for Graves and Natalie tonight. I couldn't resist. You chop Romain lettuce and mix it with corn, several kinds of beans, tomatoes, broccoli florets. The dressing is made from blended white beans and herbs. I wasn't around when Mom made the dressing, so I don't know exactly what's in it. But it is GOOD! It's so tasty, you could eat it with a spoon (okay, I did eat it with a spoon).
I only had a small ramekin serving, so it wasn't a bad cheat. Some people eat fruits and veggies along with their juicing and still call it a fast.
Yesterday, I juiced enough for two days. A day without juicing felt a bit like a vacation. I haven't even gotten the juicer out of the trunk yet.
9:16 PM
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Monday, May 06, 2013
My avocado juice was amazingly good! I wish I had more for tomorrow.
Today was my reset day. I had five iffy days in a row. It started with little cheats - a spoonful of peanut butter, an plump almond while I made the almond milk. Then it just snowballed. I refuse to even name what I ate last night. It was Lila's favorite fast food meal. She said her tummy hurt and she didn't want the rest. She left it in front of her chair, then stole my place on the couch. I sat in her chair and ATE that horrifying fast 'food'.
It felt good to get back to a clean juice day. I juiced enough this morning that I don't have to unpack the juicer tomorrow. That almost feels like a vacation.
I watched Forks Before Knives the other day. Graves described it as compelling and I agree. Eating a vegan diet makes so much sense to me. The movie presented research from several different sources that all show evidence that meat, dairy and the Standard American Diet all lead to heart disease and cancer.
The juicing phase of this diet is just the beginning. I've been reading vegan blogs, poring over recipes and drooling over pictures of fantastic looking food.
9:14 PM
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Sunday, May 05, 2013
Tomorrow is a new day. I think that's all I'll say about that!
Mondays are usually hectic, trying to get out the door with juice made for two days and packed for an overnight. This week I have to pack for four nights plus concert black. So tonight I'm thinking of the juices I'll make in the morning.
Kroger had a special on avocadoes today for $1/each. I've wanted to try avocado with a green juice so I picked one up. I'm picturing what's in the fridge, and this is the green juice I have planned:
Pineapple
Apple
Romaine Lettuce
Cilantro
Kale
Asparagus
Ginger
Cucumber
Avocado
I have a big chunk of pineapple left. The last time I juiced an entire pineapple and put some in each of that day's juice, I wound up with a painful sore on my tongue. My tongue is still kind of tingly. It tastes so good, but then I pay.
I'm glad to have all of my morning juice favorites stocked:
Strawberries
Orange
Red Pepper
Carrot
Sweet Potato
Ginger
I can't believe I made it home with that huge stash of produce and still forgot the spinach. Bummer.
This upcoming week away will be really busy. It's a good time for a reset. The pull of temptation has been very strong at home these past few days.
9:20 PM
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Friday, May 03, 2013
Today was a much better day. I made it through with my plan intact.
I also got my walking shoes out! Yesterday I walked in the neighborhood. The azaleas are absolutely gorgeous right now. Friday is Family Night at the HealthPark. Randy has the only membership, but we can all go on Family Night. Randy and the kids swam and I walked the indoor track. I hit a few of the machines, too.
Six weeks until Kings Island! I looked at the online tickets today and I think we can swing two days this year. I tell you, roller coasters are a strong motivating force behind my fitness drive. Do you know how teeninsy those seats are? And the shoulder restraints?? I've been able to squeeze in these last few years, but it hasn't been fun, comfortable, or pretty.
I want to move my body a lot between now and then. Wouldn't it be nice if a day at the park didn't just about kill me?
9:20 PM
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Thursday, May 02, 2013
Uh oh. Another infraction, this one far more serious than a few bites of potato pancakes and spaghetti. I had a slice of pizza tonight.
Lila and I came home from her soccer practice, and there it was - warm pizza in the box. I tried to resist, but it called to me. I cut one slice in half. Then Lila deconstructed hers and I ate the cheese. Then half a crust. It was a slow and guilt filled nosh. And, honestly, it wasn't as good as the pizza of my dreams. Papa John's tastes . . . processed.
Tomorrow is a fresh day. I make a pact to plan my juices and stick with them. No bites of anything. Just juice, herbal tea and water.
My Republic of Tea delivery should arrive tomorrow. I think it's Coconut Chocolate Tea. Earlier this week I got a tin of Cinnamon/Cardamom tea. It's very tasty! Herbal tea has been my friend on this fast. It warms me up and gives me a bit of flavor.
I also vow to stop looking at vegan blogs until I'm actually ready to make the recipes. I found several recipes for veggie burgers that look amazing! Smokey Sweet Potato and Garlic Aioli burger with avocado slices, a Black Bean Corn Chipotle burger, and one veggie burger that had so many ingredients that it defies titles. They all look so good!
The peanut butter jar also needs to go back in the cupboard. That's some major temptation sitting on the counter. We actually have two kinds of Jif right now - Reduced Fat and Regular Creamy. The Reduced Fat Jif used to be my snack of choice. It's sweeter and more stiff than regular. Now it doesn't even taste like peanut butter to me. The Regular tastes better to me now.Labels: Juice Fast
11:37 PM
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Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Today makes 31 days of juicing!
My two long teaching days are still a bit of a challenge. Juicing enough for two days takes longer than I think it will every week. Now I know that I need to leave a full hour to get through all of that chopping, juicing, bottling and cleaning. Juicing is a rather messy affair.
Traveling with the juicer when I'm staying with family is not a big deal. I'm still trying to imagine how our four days at conference will go. I think I'm going to try juicing at the hotel. We'll have a fridge. Containing the mess will be tricky.
Call me crazy, but I want to take a separate cooler to bring the peel and pulp home. I can't stand the thought of sending all of that pretty compost to the dumpster.
I don't know why I'm thinking of this right now. Conference is still over a month away.
So far my biggest weakness has been leftovers sitting out in the kitchen. I came home from teaching last night DEAD tired. Last week was incredibly intense - 9 rehearsals and 5 performances in 11 days. That would have been enough, but we also had Lila's bout of food poisoning in the middle of that run. She was up every hour, all night.
When I walked in the kitchen, there were potato pancakes on the counter. I squeezed all of the grease out of 1/2 a pancake and ate it. Then I had a bite of Lila's cold spaghetti. Both were quite tasty.
When I was chewing the spaghetti, my ear popped. I didn't realize that it was congested, and probably wouldn't have without that bit of chewing. It made me stop and think about the fact that I haven't chewed anything for a month.
I've been thinking of Indian food lately. Chicken korma, samosas, raita, kheer, chai tea . . . I could go for some of that right now. Or in about six months.
I've lost 24 pounds. Some days that feels great. Some days all I can see is the 76 left to go. I'm looking forward to shopping the sale racks in regular people sizes. I'm also looking forward to bra shopping with color and style selection. They just don't make the good stuff for plus sizes. Labels: Juice Fast
12:41 PM
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Sunday, April 21, 2013
The Juice Fast is still rolling along. I've been telling more people about it. Tonight I went out for dinner between rehearsals in Bowling Green (with two cellist friends). They ate and I drank herbal tea and Sweet Potato/Carrot/Red Pepper/Apple/Ginger juice.
I am amazed at how a 16 oz. juice can satisfy my hunger. I really haven't missed food as much as I had expected. I am looking forward to Thai and Indian food when I get back to eating.
Have I mentioned that roller coasters are part of my motivation in this Juice Fast? We have season passes to Holiday World (our big Christmas gift!). This summer, I want to ride a roller coaster without worrying about fitting into those tiny seats. I want to strap myself in and not worry if the shoulder harness straps will make it all the way to the buckle. I want to ride a roller coaster and just have fun!
Splashin' Safari is a whole different brand of horrifying mortification. Even if I do manage to get my weight down to where I want it, I'm not sure that will eradicate my water park anxieties. Wearing a swim suit in public. *shudder* But we have season passes, so public swim suiting will happen.
I've lost 19 pounds so far.
Labels: Juice Fast
9:05 PM
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
I tried a new juice recipe today. I made Fennel/Cucumber/Hearts of Romaine/Pear juice today. It's light and licoricey. I like it.
Today was a hungry day. I don't usually have an overwhelming urge to eat, but today I want food. I may or may not have given in to Randy's mashed potatoes. He made a batch for the Men's Potluck tonight and left it out on the counter. He made them with sauteed onions. They are probably VERY tasty, even if you only have two very small spoonfulls.
I've lost 17 pounds so far. Today I wore my khaki capris that didn't fit last summer. I'm pleased with that progress, although today my goal seems very distant.
Labels: Juice Fast
3:53 PM
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For some reason, this was in the non-published file. I wrote it a very long time ago. I remember this Powerball time very clearly. We were living in Shepherdsville. Lila was in her YEAR of fitful sleeping. I would rock her and nurse her many times in the night. They were working on I-65 and traffic was routed over the rumble strips on the shoulders. When I would sit with Lila in the still of the night, the traffic made a rhythmic, rumbly sound.
Dealing with the church in Shepherdsville was a mostly miserable experience. My Powerball dreams kept me from having to think too much about the hateful, angry, spite filled people that took up way too much of our energy there.
So, have you spent your $305 million yet? Thoughts of my multi-million lottery winnings have filled my daydreams lately. They kept me nicely occupied during a painfully contentious rehearsal the other night. And Lila's night-wakings have been filled with all sorts of philanthropic deeds.
We did actually buy Powerball tickets this time. It was an educational experience, having never purchased a lottery ticket before. Rite Aid does *not* sell Powerball. But they do carry Dove dark chocolate bars. I'll probably keep buying Powerball tickets until someone wins this $305+ windfall.
I know what kind of house I would build. I played a wedding at the most amazing mansion yesterday. The drive leading to the house wound through the most idyllic Kentucky countryside. The entrance to the home said "historic country estate" in a country stone/Tudor sort of way. It wasn't outrageously fancy. But the view from the back was just incredible! The house sits high on a bluff overlooking a bend in the Ohio River.Labels: Juice Fast
3:42 PM
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Sunday, April 14, 2013
I find myself unusually optomistic about this weight loss journey. I am very tired of feeling bad about the way I look. I'm also just tired of feeling BAD - lethargic, tired, achey.
Once I get my weight in an acceptable range, I would like to have pictures made with the kids. We haven't ever done that.
Then I would like to have my own professional photos made for business purposes. I've never done that either.
I unboxed several pair of pants that fit last winter. Progress. The pants that I bought last month are feeling much looser.Labels: Juice Fast
9:38 PM
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Saturday, April 13, 2013
Day 13 and I still feel really good!
At rehearsal the other night, my friend Sarah said, "You look really good! Have you done something different?" I told her about my juice fast and she decided that my skin looks different. "You're glowing!"
I actually have noticed a difference in my complexion. Before, my rosacea had been flaring up on the apples of my cheeks. Now the redness has calmed and my skin just feels healthier.
Sarah asked more about my plan. I described it to her and told her about Joe Cross's documentary, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. The next day, Sarah told me that she's thinking about buying a juicer for her birthday.
I'm down 14 pounds now. My clothes are fitting better and my energy levels are higher. I have had a few headaches, but that isn't unusual for me. Lila looked at me the other day and said, "I can tell that your tummy is deflating."
Labels: Juice Fast
4:38 PM
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Sunday, April 07, 2013
I'm thinking about blogging about my juice fast. I'll probably start a new blog just for this journey, but this site will do for now.
I'm on Day 7 of my Big Juice Fast. At first I thought I would aim for 60 days, like Joe Cross and Phil in Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. But a few more days would get me through our trip to Annual Conference. Even after I come off the strictly juicing phase of the Juice Fast, I'll be eating a plant based diet for the rest of the summer.
Day 7/75 is truly just the beginning. So far, so good. Except that I ate 3 big bites of Scampi Potato Soup last night. Randy brought it home from the soup kitchen still warm. I'll have to be more careful in the future. Soup Kitchen leftovers are my favorite. Justin makes incredible soups for the crowds.
But he will still be making soup when I'm finished with this Juice Fast. I'll look forward to that far in the future.
Why am I doing this juice fast, you ask? Mostly for weight loss, which is tied to my desire to feel better. Here is my laundry list of things that I hope will improve through this juice fast: low energy level, achey knee joints, back pain, indigestion and a strong mirror aversion.
My plan is pretty simple. I fix a mostly fruit juice in the morning. I make enough for a mid-morning snack. Then my lunch/afternoon juice is mostly green. My dinner/evening juice is Sunset based. Here are my favorite recipes so far:
Morning Fruit:
Oranges
Strawberries
Carrots
Ginger
Red Pepper
Lunch Green:
Kale
Rainbow Chard
Spinach
Cilantro
Cucumber
Green Apple
Lemon
Evening Sunset:
Carrots
Sweet Potato
Orange
Red or Orange Pepper
Ginger
(Beet, sometimes)Labels: Juice Fast
11:09 AM
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