Finding Time

The children are both down for an afternoon nap--and I'm snagging this time to post.  This health and fitness stuff sure takes time, doesn't it?   Not only meal planning and grocery shopping, but making time to exercise, taking time to journal food and exercise to paper and electronic journals, and, of course posting to my blog and reading your posts.  I'm working hard to get back into a schedule where all that happens, but I'm having to whittle back some of the time stealing habits I've slouched into recently.  I love my new iPad and Netflix and Words with Friends, but I think I'm going to have to put my iPad time on a reducing diet too.

I read through twenty or so posts from when I first started here.  It was fun reading what I'd written and remembering those times.  I also got a great idea for dinner last night--grilled scallops (marinated for 10 minutes in orange juice w a sprinkle of soy sauce) and a summer salad that's a family favorite (black beans, corn, chopped ripe tomato, chopped avocado, fresh cilantro and fresh lemon juice).  What a great, light dinner for a hot humid night.

We had intermittent rain showers, so DH and I skipped biking and went for a   late night walk instead.  This morning, before the children came, I got out and walked two miles on my favorite river path.  I took along my Nike+ to record my mileage, but guess I need a new battery, because it wouldn't record.  My iPod worked, though, and I started listening to The Help,
by Katherine Stockett.  I subscribe to audible and download from there and put the books on my iPod and my Kindle.  I only allow myself to listen when I'm exercising (at the gym while I do my weight routine and when I walk).

Here's a picture from our brief trip to Chicago a few weeks ago.  I think this is a temporary art installment, but what could be more perfect for the Windy City?

It's a New Day

Hello faithful readers.  It's been way too long since I've checked in.  I'm not proud of my summer performance.  I've lost and gained the same 2 or 3 pounds all summer.  My exercise is minimal--a bike ride or two a week and a couple trips to the gym for resistance weights.  My eating is okay, but just okay--nothing to shout about.  In short--I need to get motivated and moving again in the right direction.

To that end, I'm going to re-read my posts and start to catch up on reading your posts--I've missed you.  So far so good on today's on-plan eating (it's only 8:40 am!), but I'd like to plan at least the main meals for the week ahead.  Also drink my quota of water for the day.  And exercise--let's see if I can get in 5 good sessions this week.

It's a new day, and I've always loved new days.

Hiking

We've filled up SIL's 8 person van and are heading up toward Mount Baker for 3 days of hiking.  This should help my exercise quota!  Laura & her family love to camp, but have nicely agreed to real beds & showers for the evening accommodations.

I always manage to forget how wonderful the Seattle summer weather can be.  We're enjoying the sunshine and low-70 degree weather.  I think the predicted high today is high-60s.  The heat in the house kicked on last night.

We've planned DIY breakfasts and lunches for our trip and one dinner (hamburger soup).  We'll only eat out twice in three days.  Nice on the pocket book and on the food plan.

Okay, I've got to turn to and get packing (literally!).

Happy Fourth!

From the mouths of babes

We're just back from a few days at the Jersey shore.  DH had a conference and Jeannine and I played at the beach.  No sunburns, thanks to SPF50 and judicious avoidance of mid-day rays.  4:30 to 6:30 was a delicious time to be at the beach.  The water was perfect and Jeannine found some great shells for her collection.

We're having Johnny and his family over for dinner tonight (grilled salmon, pasta/basil/tomato salad, green salad) to celebrate little Jack's 2nd birthday.  It's a few days early because we're leaving for the west coast tomorrow.  Our presents for him are a pair of toddler binoculars and a red plasma car (if you don't know what this is, check it out on youtube!)

While Jeannine's 11 and not actually a babe, she said something really smart that made me think.  We had been out for a nice dinner in Asbury Park and a bit later when we were walking on the boardwalk, we offered to stop at one of the many ice cream stores to get her a cone.  She nicely demurred, saying that while her tongue thought that was a great idea, her head and her stomach were of a different opinion (believe it or not, that's a fairly accurate account of her wording).  Isn't she smart??   I'm quite sure I wasn't that smart when I was 11 and not sure I'm that smart even now.

I've been more or less hanging in there with exercise this month--not the highest quality every day, but at least a couple miles walking and several good long bike rides and trips to the gym.  I think Laura and her family have some quality hikes on tap for next week near Mount Baker.

Are you as smart as our Jeannine?  Do you listen to your tongue or to your brain & your stomach?

Tish

New Toy

Hi all,

A quick post from my new toy. We gave each other iPads for our 38th anniversary last week! I'm still learning my way around. This morning I downloaded the WW app and have decided to track my points+ even tho' I'll continue to eat mostly Core (simply filling) foods.

Our granddaughter, Jeannine, is still here with us and we've been having a lot of fun. A fancy tea and some Civil war exploring in nearby Fredericksburg, a hike and picnic with 3 grandkids, Playing in the sprinkler, a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, playing Farkle and Scramble together on FB, playing whole-house hide and seek with Ella and Jack, and biking after dinner. I'll have to edit and add pix from my Mac later.  Here's one from the tea shop.

Oh, and daughter Laura talked us into signing up for Netflix. I've seen the first seasons of tv shows we never watched (Lost and 24). I've enjoyed them, but think I don't need to see much more.

Do you have a favorite app to help you with you weight loss and fitness goals?

Tish

Nipped in the Bud

I think we've had some marauding deer in our yard.  I haven't seen them, but just look at this picture of the hosta.  It had big luscious (delicious?) buds on it the day before I took the picture.  I've tried to think about how completely this years' flowers from this plant are gone and turn it into a positive.  Trying to nip some bad habit in the bud.  Stop it before it has a chance to become a full-blown problem.  I think it's going to be cruising the candy offerings at the checkout line at the grocery.  One bad habit that I need to nip in the bud.

Here are two of my beautiful granddaughters, Ella and Jeannine.  

Harder to get three of them to sit still for a picture, but here's one with the girls and little Jack.  These little cousins are having a ball playing together.

WW tomorrow.  Hope to continue my losing streak.  After my WI, we girls (my daughter Laura and her Jeannine and I) are going out for lunch and then something fun.  We haven't decided yet.  A movie.  Shopping.  The Smithsonian American History Museum.  The gargoyle tour at the National Cathedral.  I'm going to let them have the final say.

Do you have any bad habits that need nipping in the bud?

Ciao for now.

Tish

Friday Fly By

Wow.  Hard to believe it's Friday already.  We have a welcome cool down in temps and it looks like it's going to be perfect biking weather after dinner!

I'm off in a few minutes to get my blood work done (from my April physical). I was supposed to do this a couple of weeks ago, but forgot about fasting until it was too late. Think I'll take along some strawberries to enjoy in the car, on the way home.

A quick tour of the garden this morning yielded one additional gardenia (with a couple of full buds waiting in the wings) and one of my tomatoes is turning light yellow.  I can almost see the squirrels and birds circling the bush, waiting for what they think is their crop to ripen!  Also my little lace cap hydrangea is blooming.  It had a hard winter, so I'm happy to see it growing well.  I'll take pix later.

I heard recently that Americans eat 135 pounds of sugar per year.  I wanted to check that statistic, because it seemed unbelievable.  Don't believe it.  Americans actually eat 156 pounds of sugar per year!  That's in all forms.  Twenty-nine  pounds of that total is eaten in it's crystal form.  33% of it comes from sugar-filled sodas.  Read about it here.  I cut way back on sugar a few years ago.  I don't buy the 5 pound bag of sugar anymore.  The 2 pound bag lasts us for several months.  (Except when I made 9 batches of brownies around the time of my Dad's funeral!)  I do have a "sweet tooth."  I like the taste of sweet, but adding fruit usually satisfies that need.

How about you?  How do you keep your sweet tooth satisfied without consuming 156 pounds of sugar each year?