Happy Monday all! Normally Monday isn't a happy day but I think this might be the best day of the week. We're supposed to be getting a massive amount of snow from tomorrow afternoon through Wednesday mid day, anywhere from 8-15+ inches. Just thinking about it makes me a bit irritable :) Don't get me wrong, I love snow but I would prefer that snow that measures more than 1-2 inches fall on a Friday night so I don't have to drive to work in it. I think that might be asking a bit too much.
I had a very quiet weekend. I actually felt like a sloth for the most part. I decided to grab groceries on Friday night because we were supposed to get ugly weather early Saturday morning. Because it was icing I decided to stay in Saturday morning, therefore I didn't get my workout in. I worked around the apartment on Saturday and did some reading and movie watching. I stayed up way too late on Saturday night and didn't get up until almost 10 on Sunday. While I was ecstatic to have caught up on some much needed sleep, I didn't get my workout in because I wouldn't have been able to make it to church on time if I had. I felt kind of bad about missing my scheduled workouts but I'm getting over it.
Now, I would like to say that while I skipped my workouts I was still eating well to counteract the inactivity. Unfortunately that would be a lie. My naughty eating started on Friday when the cath lab guys brought in Fragels (fried bagels). I had never had a fragel before and don't know that I should ever have one again. There is a local bakery that, instead of baking them, fries their bagels and then rolls them in cinnamon and sugar...it's kind of like a donut only way better! Even though they sound kind of gross, they are dangerously tasty. I probably wold have been OK but later that day a patient brought in homemade chocolate brownies. I was in a junk food nose dive! I rounded off the evening by ordering a pizza. I figured the day was shot so I might as well have the one food I crave, yet rarely eat. It was good but the problem with pizza is that there are always left overs. Well, it's not really a problem but it generally leads to another day of questionable eating. I may not have made the greatest choices this weekend but by Sunday my eating was getting back to normal and my workout motivation was back. I guess I just needed a few days of splurging and relaxation.
In keeping with my new years resolution, I found a new recipe to try this week. I made it last night and while the recipe sounded and looked really good, it really wasn't. It was a Mexicany, chicken casserole and it has potential to be good but prepared according to the recipe it was not good. I might even call it bad. I have 3 of 4 servings left and I don't know that I'll eat it. I hate the idea of wasting food but I also hate the idea of wasting calories on something that I don't enjoy. I'm very torn.
Anyway, I'm very hungry and should eat my lunch before my lunch break is up. Have a great week!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Recipe: Japanese chicken-scallion rice bowl
For dinner last night I made my second new recipe of the week. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it before trying it. However, after getting it thrown together it was very tasty indeed! As always, I made slight changes to accommodate the ingredients I had and/or was able to find.
You will need:
8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 c. chicken broth
1.5 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. mirin (see below)*
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
6 scallions trimmed and thinly sliced
2 c. cooked rice, use whatever kind of rice you like
Cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Mix egg and 2 egg whites in a bowl and set off to the side.
Pour broth into a medium sauce pan along with sugar, soy sauce and mirin. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Add chicken to the simmering broth. Cook for 5 minutes. Gently pour egg mixture into the pot, do not stir. Sprinkle scallions on top. When the eggs firm up stir with chopsticks or knife. The directions say this should take about 3 minutes but I cooked mine for almost 10 to make sure the eggs were done...I hate undercooked eggs.
Divide rice into 3 bowls and add 1/3 of the chicken and broth into each bowl. As is, this will be around come out to three, 380 calorie servings.
*Mirin: this is a very sweet rice wine. I could not find it in the grocery store I normally shop in. I looked online and most sources agree that you can either substitute 1 tbs. white wine and an extra half table spoon of sugar or you can just omit this step altogether.
You will need:
8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 c. chicken broth
1.5 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. mirin (see below)*
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
6 scallions trimmed and thinly sliced
2 c. cooked rice, use whatever kind of rice you like
Cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Mix egg and 2 egg whites in a bowl and set off to the side.
Pour broth into a medium sauce pan along with sugar, soy sauce and mirin. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Add chicken to the simmering broth. Cook for 5 minutes. Gently pour egg mixture into the pot, do not stir. Sprinkle scallions on top. When the eggs firm up stir with chopsticks or knife. The directions say this should take about 3 minutes but I cooked mine for almost 10 to make sure the eggs were done...I hate undercooked eggs.
Divide rice into 3 bowls and add 1/3 of the chicken and broth into each bowl. As is, this will be around come out to three, 380 calorie servings.
*Mirin: this is a very sweet rice wine. I could not find it in the grocery store I normally shop in. I looked online and most sources agree that you can either substitute 1 tbs. white wine and an extra half table spoon of sugar or you can just omit this step altogether.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Recipe: broccoli, cannellini bean and cheddar soup
This is a really easy and incredibly nutritious soup. It takes about 15 minutes to make. It does require blending, you can use either a standard blender or one of the handy-dandy immersion blenders. If you try this, don't let the ugly green color scare you, it is quite tasty.
You will need:
6 cups of broccoli florets, fresh or frozen will work
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
1 can any type of white bean
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
pepper and garlic powder to taste
In a 4 quart pot bring water and broth to a boil. Add broccoli and boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans and heat through, about another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Blend until smooth.
Upright blender: add half of the broccoli and bean mixture and half of the cheese to blender. Blend until smooth and pour into bowl. Add the other half of veggies and cheese and repeat.
Immersion blender: you can dump your cheese in and mix until smooth.
This recipe makes 4 servings around 225 calories each. I did use 2% milk fat cheese instead of full fat. It's a very filling soup thanks to the 9 grams of fiber in each serving.
You will need:
6 cups of broccoli florets, fresh or frozen will work
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
1 can any type of white bean
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
pepper and garlic powder to taste
In a 4 quart pot bring water and broth to a boil. Add broccoli and boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans and heat through, about another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Blend until smooth.
Upright blender: add half of the broccoli and bean mixture and half of the cheese to blender. Blend until smooth and pour into bowl. Add the other half of veggies and cheese and repeat.
Immersion blender: you can dump your cheese in and mix until smooth.
This recipe makes 4 servings around 225 calories each. I did use 2% milk fat cheese instead of full fat. It's a very filling soup thanks to the 9 grams of fiber in each serving.
No bake cookies and green soup!
Wow, I can't believe it's already Wednesday. This week is going by at a very quick pace. I feel like it was just Monday morning. I've had a rather boring week so far. The weather has been blah, none of the shows I watch have been airing new episodes, the book I'm trying to read won't grab my attention and there's just not a lot going on. While it's been a somewhat meh week, things are looking up. First, one of our families brought in a butt load of cookies today. They made chocolate no bake cookies and they were excellent! Also, I got the new book I ordered from Amazon last week and I read the first few pages and I think it's going to be a good read. Finally, my first of two new recipes that I'm trying this week turned out really well. It's really ugly but quite tasty!
I get periodic e-mails from several different recipe websites and last week I got my monthly spam from delish.com which featured healthy and hearty recipes. I decided that two of them sounded good. Last night I made the broccoli, cannellini bean and cheddar soup. Not only is is extremely healthy and green but I got to use my new immersion blender...how fun! I just hope that the Japanese chicken-scallion and rice bowl turns out as well.
I don't really have anything fun to share. I did get a new phone over the weekend. I'm not into the smart phones, I couldn't afford one even if I wanted to be into them, but it does have the full keyboard which will make my texting more enjoyable. I don't text a lot but I do enough of it to make the combined keys of a standard phone a pain. Anywho, there's my big excitement...man I need to get a life. I hope that you're all doing well and having a great week.
I get periodic e-mails from several different recipe websites and last week I got my monthly spam from delish.com which featured healthy and hearty recipes. I decided that two of them sounded good. Last night I made the broccoli, cannellini bean and cheddar soup. Not only is is extremely healthy and green but I got to use my new immersion blender...how fun! I just hope that the Japanese chicken-scallion and rice bowl turns out as well.
I don't really have anything fun to share. I did get a new phone over the weekend. I'm not into the smart phones, I couldn't afford one even if I wanted to be into them, but it does have the full keyboard which will make my texting more enjoyable. I don't text a lot but I do enough of it to make the combined keys of a standard phone a pain. Anywho, there's my big excitement...man I need to get a life. I hope that you're all doing well and having a great week.
Friday, January 21, 2011
48 D...wtf?!?!
Happy Friday all! I hope that you are all staying in and cozy warm on this frigid, frigid Friday. I had a really good day today that culminated with me leaving work 15 minutes early and taking in some wonderful sunshine! If it's going to be cold at least it was sunny! Because I left work early, got to my car early and had some spare time, I decided that I would run to Lane Bryant tonight. I recently received my reward check of $25 and I wanted to use it before it expired.
I got into the store and knew that I was most likely going to end up with a new bra. Not only did I have the reward check but all of their bras were buy 1 get 1 free, you can't really beat that. After looking at the selection I decided that I should get measured to see what size of bra I really need. After all, I've lost 35 pounds and I figured I'd probably be headed towards a smaller size. Now, I have been wearing the same bra size for 2 or 3 years. I'm well supported, nothing digs in, nothing overflows and it's not hanging loose. As far as I'm concerned I was a 42DD. Well, when she did my measurements today she told me I was a 48D...a fricken 48D. I don't know if their measurement markers are wrong or she just didn't know what she was doing but there is no way I wear a 48D.
After this revelation I asked if she could bring me some different sizes so I could try them on. Maybe after all of these years I'd find that I've been wearing way too small of a band and redefine my thoughts on bras. The first bra I tried on was a 44D. Now, maybe I'm just used to a band that's too tight but this bra was too big in the store. I'm sure you're all familiar with the fact that bras stretch...a lot. If I bought that it would be way too big in a very short amount of time. The cup size on the other hand was probably close to where I'm going to need to be if I keep losing weight. After pondering I decided to go with a 42DD for now and a 42D for when my boobs shrink a little more :( I really am going to miss them when they're gone...
On a happier note, I couldn't find my belt this morning so I grabbed my skinny belt, well, you know what I mean. I haven't been able to wear it for over a year and this morning it fit perfectly. I even buckled it in the second hole!
Alright, I think that's all I have. I hope you all have a great weekend and take time to just stay in and relax!
I got into the store and knew that I was most likely going to end up with a new bra. Not only did I have the reward check but all of their bras were buy 1 get 1 free, you can't really beat that. After looking at the selection I decided that I should get measured to see what size of bra I really need. After all, I've lost 35 pounds and I figured I'd probably be headed towards a smaller size. Now, I have been wearing the same bra size for 2 or 3 years. I'm well supported, nothing digs in, nothing overflows and it's not hanging loose. As far as I'm concerned I was a 42DD. Well, when she did my measurements today she told me I was a 48D...a fricken 48D. I don't know if their measurement markers are wrong or she just didn't know what she was doing but there is no way I wear a 48D.
After this revelation I asked if she could bring me some different sizes so I could try them on. Maybe after all of these years I'd find that I've been wearing way too small of a band and redefine my thoughts on bras. The first bra I tried on was a 44D. Now, maybe I'm just used to a band that's too tight but this bra was too big in the store. I'm sure you're all familiar with the fact that bras stretch...a lot. If I bought that it would be way too big in a very short amount of time. The cup size on the other hand was probably close to where I'm going to need to be if I keep losing weight. After pondering I decided to go with a 42DD for now and a 42D for when my boobs shrink a little more :( I really am going to miss them when they're gone...
On a happier note, I couldn't find my belt this morning so I grabbed my skinny belt, well, you know what I mean. I haven't been able to wear it for over a year and this morning it fit perfectly. I even buckled it in the second hole!
Alright, I think that's all I have. I hope you all have a great weekend and take time to just stay in and relax!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Recipe: Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup
Hello, I made some soup for dinner last night and it turned out incredibly well so I thought I would share the recipe with you. After all, tis the season! Normally I make my bean soup with ham in it but I had left over smoked turkey, ring sausage and decided to give it a try. I wasn't disappointed. This recipe is so easy that a chef of any skill level could make it. Enjoy!
You will need:
2 tb. canola or olive oil (vegetable oil works too)
2/3 c. diced onion
1 full sized carrot or a handful of baby carrots (you need to grate these so for my fingers sake I usually buy a big one)*
2 tbs. flour
2 shots white wine (optional, but if you have it around it makes it just that much better)
1 can great northern beans, with juice
1 can chicken broth
8 oz. smoked turkey, ring sausage (ham will do too or you can just leave the meat out)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
In a 4 qt. sauce pot heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cook 5-8 minutes until the onions are tender. Add flour and make a rue (paste). Cook another 3 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. Add wine and stir. This will create a thick gravy. If you aren't using wine add about 1/4 c. of your broth, it will do the same thing. Slowly add in the rest of the broth, beans and sausage. Heat through over medium low heat for about 20 minutes. Add pepper and Worcestershire. Add salt if necessary. I think I also threw in some garlic powder at this point.
This will make 3 servings of approximately 315 calories.
*if you don't have a grater you can always buy a bag of shredded carrots and use about 1/4-1/2 c. of that or just chop your carrots. They will probably need to be pre-boiled though or they will be hard in your soup.
You will need:
2 tb. canola or olive oil (vegetable oil works too)
2/3 c. diced onion
1 full sized carrot or a handful of baby carrots (you need to grate these so for my fingers sake I usually buy a big one)*
2 tbs. flour
2 shots white wine (optional, but if you have it around it makes it just that much better)
1 can great northern beans, with juice
1 can chicken broth
8 oz. smoked turkey, ring sausage (ham will do too or you can just leave the meat out)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
In a 4 qt. sauce pot heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cook 5-8 minutes until the onions are tender. Add flour and make a rue (paste). Cook another 3 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. Add wine and stir. This will create a thick gravy. If you aren't using wine add about 1/4 c. of your broth, it will do the same thing. Slowly add in the rest of the broth, beans and sausage. Heat through over medium low heat for about 20 minutes. Add pepper and Worcestershire. Add salt if necessary. I think I also threw in some garlic powder at this point.
This will make 3 servings of approximately 315 calories.
*if you don't have a grater you can always buy a bag of shredded carrots and use about 1/4-1/2 c. of that or just chop your carrots. They will probably need to be pre-boiled though or they will be hard in your soup.
I've decided what I'm going to do when I grow up!
I'm going to be a magazine editor!
OK, this might not be a realistic goal, especially considering the fact that at almost 30 I think I'm already grown up. Yes, Jenny...we're almost 30! You may be asking yourself why on Earth have I, at this time,decided that being a magazine editor would be a good choice. I've never even feigned interest in this career path. However, as I was sitting last night reading what is probably my last issue of Fitness Magazine, I realized that while there are small bits of information that pertain to someone like me in there, it's really a magazine for seriously fit women.
All of the exercises shown are for people who are not only more fit but also more flexible and coordinated than I am. Not to mention they have beginning positions and finishing positions and I have no idea how they could possibly have gone from point A to point B. Their cardio information is all about training for your first tri or half-marathon, where someone like me is looking to maybe train for a 5K at best. Now don't get me wrong, I think that this magazine is well written and well balanced in it's content. I also think that for it's market it is probably a really great read. However, as much as I would like to think I am, I am SO not the intended market for this mag. In all fairness, when I signed up to get it last year when we did Lighten Up Iowa, I knew it would probably be this way.
As I was doing dishes and thinking these thoughts last night I realized that people like me, people like us, need a good magazine too: enter the thought of me starting my own. I think it would be nice to see a real woman on the cover of the magazine, preferably not in a bikini. Not that I have an issue with the bikini clad models and athletes on the cover of Fitness but I will never have a bikini body. Knowing this, it would be really great to see a woman with a body that is a realistic goal for myself.
Then I started thinking about my sister. She and I went to Dick's sports when I was home over Christmas because she wanted to buy some hand weights to use. She is trying to look her best in her wedding dress after all. Unfortunately, due to my time constraints I was never able to show her any exercises that she could do with them. It would be nice for someone like her, whose education was in management/marketing, not health and physical education, to have a magazine that she could pick up and learn the basics and learn them well. If I, someone who's education was centered around wellness and the like, can't figure out how to do some of these exercises, a beginner surly doesn't stand a chance. Let alone the chance of a serious injury would be great.
I was also thinking that it would be a really great asset to have nutrition information that was more pertinent to women like myself. If I want to lose weight, my nutritional needs are a lot different than they would be if I was only 15 or 20 pounds overweight. I read the articles about balancing diet and exercise in Fitness and I try to adjust the recommendations but who knows if that's accurate. I think having nutritionists who have focused their careers on the overweight population, who understand the physiology and psychology of this group, would be a tremendous help to readers who have no idea what they're doing.
I often think to myself that I'm lucky because my studies have given me a solid foundation of information regarding diet and exercise but there are still times where I have uncertainty in my own lifestyle changes. Am I doing things right or wrong? What areas am I doing my best? Are there areas I could tweak? How can I make my weight loss attempts more efficacious? I can't even imagine coming in without any knowledge. I can certainly understand why people give up because if you approach these lifestyle changes the wrong way it's not a pleasant path. If you do the wrong exercises, or even the correct exercise the wrong way you won't have fun and you can hurt yourself. Severe pain is not a good motivator. If you approach diet changes the wrong way and deny yourself everything you like you will never be able to sustain the changes. You will, at some point, lose your willpower and binge. Don't you think if there were instructions, say in the form of a really great magazine, it would be easier and a lot more pleasant to make these life changes?
I guess now all I have to do is come up with a catchy title, get funding, hire a staff, find contributors and get to work!
OK, this might not be a realistic goal, especially considering the fact that at almost 30 I think I'm already grown up. Yes, Jenny...we're almost 30! You may be asking yourself why on Earth have I, at this time,decided that being a magazine editor would be a good choice. I've never even feigned interest in this career path. However, as I was sitting last night reading what is probably my last issue of Fitness Magazine, I realized that while there are small bits of information that pertain to someone like me in there, it's really a magazine for seriously fit women.
All of the exercises shown are for people who are not only more fit but also more flexible and coordinated than I am. Not to mention they have beginning positions and finishing positions and I have no idea how they could possibly have gone from point A to point B. Their cardio information is all about training for your first tri or half-marathon, where someone like me is looking to maybe train for a 5K at best. Now don't get me wrong, I think that this magazine is well written and well balanced in it's content. I also think that for it's market it is probably a really great read. However, as much as I would like to think I am, I am SO not the intended market for this mag. In all fairness, when I signed up to get it last year when we did Lighten Up Iowa, I knew it would probably be this way.
As I was doing dishes and thinking these thoughts last night I realized that people like me, people like us, need a good magazine too: enter the thought of me starting my own. I think it would be nice to see a real woman on the cover of the magazine, preferably not in a bikini. Not that I have an issue with the bikini clad models and athletes on the cover of Fitness but I will never have a bikini body. Knowing this, it would be really great to see a woman with a body that is a realistic goal for myself.
Then I started thinking about my sister. She and I went to Dick's sports when I was home over Christmas because she wanted to buy some hand weights to use. She is trying to look her best in her wedding dress after all. Unfortunately, due to my time constraints I was never able to show her any exercises that she could do with them. It would be nice for someone like her, whose education was in management/marketing, not health and physical education, to have a magazine that she could pick up and learn the basics and learn them well. If I, someone who's education was centered around wellness and the like, can't figure out how to do some of these exercises, a beginner surly doesn't stand a chance. Let alone the chance of a serious injury would be great.
I was also thinking that it would be a really great asset to have nutrition information that was more pertinent to women like myself. If I want to lose weight, my nutritional needs are a lot different than they would be if I was only 15 or 20 pounds overweight. I read the articles about balancing diet and exercise in Fitness and I try to adjust the recommendations but who knows if that's accurate. I think having nutritionists who have focused their careers on the overweight population, who understand the physiology and psychology of this group, would be a tremendous help to readers who have no idea what they're doing.
I often think to myself that I'm lucky because my studies have given me a solid foundation of information regarding diet and exercise but there are still times where I have uncertainty in my own lifestyle changes. Am I doing things right or wrong? What areas am I doing my best? Are there areas I could tweak? How can I make my weight loss attempts more efficacious? I can't even imagine coming in without any knowledge. I can certainly understand why people give up because if you approach these lifestyle changes the wrong way it's not a pleasant path. If you do the wrong exercises, or even the correct exercise the wrong way you won't have fun and you can hurt yourself. Severe pain is not a good motivator. If you approach diet changes the wrong way and deny yourself everything you like you will never be able to sustain the changes. You will, at some point, lose your willpower and binge. Don't you think if there were instructions, say in the form of a really great magazine, it would be easier and a lot more pleasant to make these life changes?
I guess now all I have to do is come up with a catchy title, get funding, hire a staff, find contributors and get to work!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sticking with the Happiness Theme
I am still reading through a bunch of old Reader's Digest magazines and came across an interesting article last night. It's not featuring weight loss tips or anything but I think the topic is relevant. The article is written by a Harvard psychologist and his research is focused on joy and happiness. He points out that humans are lousy at predicting what will bring them joy in life. He shared various ideas that are to lead us in the right direction so we do find happiness and joy in our lives and don't waste time pursuing dead ends.
I think this can definitely tie into weight loss and health promotion. I think it's safe to say that people can slip into unhappiness easily when they aren't pleased with their body, endurance, health, etc. Sadly, the way we look can certainly make us depressed and unhappy in general. Furthermore, feeling below par and having a poor health status adds more distress to the situation and everything can go downhill fast. Throw in the correlation of being overweight/obese and poor mental health too. We can't pinpoint causation since being overweight can cause depression and vice versa.
The first idea he discusses is committment. He focuses heavily on having strong, stable relationships in your life. Along with that comes the support system that is needed for positive changes in life, like weight loss. If you are able to committ to someone (and to change), happiness is a more likely to be part of your life.
Secondly he talks about "the little things". It's the little things in life that should make you grateful about life. You may not be able to run half a marathon but you can walk. You need to make changes in your diet but you can afford food. You want to work out more and your lifestyle allows you to workout and increase your physical activity levels. I think it's easy to get down on yourself when you aren't meeting goals but you should still reflect and take credit for the process in general and all the small goals you have acheived.
His third idea pertains to "hanging in there". Everyone experiences difficulties and obstacles in life. Humans are more than capable to "roll with the punches". Even better, we are able to learn from mistakes. Sadly we do have those BIG hurdles in life when unfortunate circumstances occur but still, we can press on and heal from loss, heartache, injury, etc. "Hanging in there" certainly pertains to weight loss since it's never a walk in the park.
His fourth idea is going to church (or somewhere spiritual). I admit after joining a church I liked, I became happier last year. It's nice to fit into a mini community and help with good causes. Not exactly sure how to tie this one into weight loss but I can always use prayer and meditation as a means to stay focused.
Giving is the fifth idea he discusses. This one makes me think about church again because I got a lot of joy from donating money last year and giving to those that truly needed it. In a sense we give each other support and motivation through this blog and discussion. I don't think you only have to focus on the money aspect of giving but you can think about all the other methods of giving people attention and support. Weight loss is not possible without the support of family and friends.
His last piece of advice is to invest in experiences. Have fun. Be daring. Try new things. All those things can apply to changing your life style because new workouts need to be tackled, new foods tried, new clothing sizes bought, etc. I can certainly appreciate the idea that saving is important because you never know when you'll have a big expense. I also believe that it's important to enjoy your money and use it in ways to have fun and live life at the fullest. I see examples of this with weight loss because people will take a chance and spend the money on a gym membership or sign up for a 5K. They'll treat themself with a vacation when they reach critical milestones with weight loss. Life's too short and there is way too much to do and see.
Anyway, I was tickled with the article and wish more people thought like that doctor. People would certainly keep there priorities straight if they thought about those six ideas on a daily basis. Most of those can also keep people in the right mindset when it comes to a healthy lifestyle too.
I think this can definitely tie into weight loss and health promotion. I think it's safe to say that people can slip into unhappiness easily when they aren't pleased with their body, endurance, health, etc. Sadly, the way we look can certainly make us depressed and unhappy in general. Furthermore, feeling below par and having a poor health status adds more distress to the situation and everything can go downhill fast. Throw in the correlation of being overweight/obese and poor mental health too. We can't pinpoint causation since being overweight can cause depression and vice versa.
The first idea he discusses is committment. He focuses heavily on having strong, stable relationships in your life. Along with that comes the support system that is needed for positive changes in life, like weight loss. If you are able to committ to someone (and to change), happiness is a more likely to be part of your life.
Secondly he talks about "the little things". It's the little things in life that should make you grateful about life. You may not be able to run half a marathon but you can walk. You need to make changes in your diet but you can afford food. You want to work out more and your lifestyle allows you to workout and increase your physical activity levels. I think it's easy to get down on yourself when you aren't meeting goals but you should still reflect and take credit for the process in general and all the small goals you have acheived.
His third idea pertains to "hanging in there". Everyone experiences difficulties and obstacles in life. Humans are more than capable to "roll with the punches". Even better, we are able to learn from mistakes. Sadly we do have those BIG hurdles in life when unfortunate circumstances occur but still, we can press on and heal from loss, heartache, injury, etc. "Hanging in there" certainly pertains to weight loss since it's never a walk in the park.
His fourth idea is going to church (or somewhere spiritual). I admit after joining a church I liked, I became happier last year. It's nice to fit into a mini community and help with good causes. Not exactly sure how to tie this one into weight loss but I can always use prayer and meditation as a means to stay focused.
Giving is the fifth idea he discusses. This one makes me think about church again because I got a lot of joy from donating money last year and giving to those that truly needed it. In a sense we give each other support and motivation through this blog and discussion. I don't think you only have to focus on the money aspect of giving but you can think about all the other methods of giving people attention and support. Weight loss is not possible without the support of family and friends.
His last piece of advice is to invest in experiences. Have fun. Be daring. Try new things. All those things can apply to changing your life style because new workouts need to be tackled, new foods tried, new clothing sizes bought, etc. I can certainly appreciate the idea that saving is important because you never know when you'll have a big expense. I also believe that it's important to enjoy your money and use it in ways to have fun and live life at the fullest. I see examples of this with weight loss because people will take a chance and spend the money on a gym membership or sign up for a 5K. They'll treat themself with a vacation when they reach critical milestones with weight loss. Life's too short and there is way too much to do and see.
Anyway, I was tickled with the article and wish more people thought like that doctor. People would certainly keep there priorities straight if they thought about those six ideas on a daily basis. Most of those can also keep people in the right mindset when it comes to a healthy lifestyle too.
Just for the record
I like ice in my water, not on my sidewalks. I was sorely tempted to reset my alarm clock and get an extra hour of sleep when I looked out my window this morning. It was very wet and very wet in January rarely bodes well. I stepped out of my apartment and onto the stoop and it was damp but not slick. Thinking that this was a positive indication for the rest of the sidewalk I stepped down and nearly fell on my butt. Let me tell you, breaking my butt would have definitely put a kibosh on my workout. Fortunately I did make it to the gym without incident and was able to get my workout in. The drive to work wasn't all that bad either, thank goodness they've been salting the bejeebus out of the roads lately! Tomorrow might be a different story when all of this water freezes but I won't think about that until then!
Things have been quiet over the last week. I did have a nice surprise in the mail the other day. I got a late Christmas card from my aunt Peladija and not only was there a nice drawing, she also enclosed a $300 check. I was speechless. Granted, my aunt is very comfortable, financially speaking, but I never expected this from her. I know I've said this before but I must reiterate, I sure am blessed with a wonderful family!
My second week of new years resolutions went much better than my first. I have been doing my dishes every night and working on getting things in my apartment more organized. I finally took down my Christmas tree and cleaned out one of my cupboards. I have a few more major projects to do around the apartment before I'll be satisfied but I'm headed in the right direction. I think this weekend I'm going to organize the laundry room and give the floor, base boards, washer and dryer a good scrubbing. I also tried a new recipe this week. It's an overnight chicken enchilada recipe. I tweaked it a bit to use ingredients that I had available and to make it a smidgen healthier. I have to admit it was very tasty. If anybody's interested let me know and I'll be glad to post the recipe.
It must have been the last time I blogged, I had several reviews about movies and TV shows that I had been watching. After reading the blog entry LeAnn left a comment asking me if I'd been reading anything lately. I pondered that for a minute and as I sat there thinking I realized that I hadn't ready anything new in quite a while. Perhaps and handful of months. I really like to read but I just haven't been in the mood to read any of my unread books that I have at home. I looked through my stack again the other night and pulled one out (The Crimson Petal and the White) that I'm hoping to get into. Once I'm done I'll let you know what I think. I also ordered a book that I've been meaning to read for quite some time called The Monk Downstairs. It came highly recommended from Jessica and I've never regretted reading a book she suggested.
Finally, I made it to my first 5 pound mark, post-new years! While I'm excited, I'd be even more excited if I hadn't gained 5 pounds over the Holidays. It's so hard to believe that you can gain weight so quickly. Anyway, I'm excited to go out and buy my first pair of earrings. I'm double excited because my niece told me over Christmas that she would like a pair of Aunt Coley earrings, meaning ones that dangle. I OKd it with her mother first and she gave me the go ahead as long as they don't hang down too far. I think I'll get her a few pairs for her birthday in February.
Well, that's about it. You're caught up on my life. I hope all is well with you! Have a great week ladies.
Things have been quiet over the last week. I did have a nice surprise in the mail the other day. I got a late Christmas card from my aunt Peladija and not only was there a nice drawing, she also enclosed a $300 check. I was speechless. Granted, my aunt is very comfortable, financially speaking, but I never expected this from her. I know I've said this before but I must reiterate, I sure am blessed with a wonderful family!
My second week of new years resolutions went much better than my first. I have been doing my dishes every night and working on getting things in my apartment more organized. I finally took down my Christmas tree and cleaned out one of my cupboards. I have a few more major projects to do around the apartment before I'll be satisfied but I'm headed in the right direction. I think this weekend I'm going to organize the laundry room and give the floor, base boards, washer and dryer a good scrubbing. I also tried a new recipe this week. It's an overnight chicken enchilada recipe. I tweaked it a bit to use ingredients that I had available and to make it a smidgen healthier. I have to admit it was very tasty. If anybody's interested let me know and I'll be glad to post the recipe.
It must have been the last time I blogged, I had several reviews about movies and TV shows that I had been watching. After reading the blog entry LeAnn left a comment asking me if I'd been reading anything lately. I pondered that for a minute and as I sat there thinking I realized that I hadn't ready anything new in quite a while. Perhaps and handful of months. I really like to read but I just haven't been in the mood to read any of my unread books that I have at home. I looked through my stack again the other night and pulled one out (The Crimson Petal and the White) that I'm hoping to get into. Once I'm done I'll let you know what I think. I also ordered a book that I've been meaning to read for quite some time called The Monk Downstairs. It came highly recommended from Jessica and I've never regretted reading a book she suggested.
Finally, I made it to my first 5 pound mark, post-new years! While I'm excited, I'd be even more excited if I hadn't gained 5 pounds over the Holidays. It's so hard to believe that you can gain weight so quickly. Anyway, I'm excited to go out and buy my first pair of earrings. I'm double excited because my niece told me over Christmas that she would like a pair of Aunt Coley earrings, meaning ones that dangle. I OKd it with her mother first and she gave me the go ahead as long as they don't hang down too far. I think I'll get her a few pairs for her birthday in February.
Well, that's about it. You're caught up on my life. I hope all is well with you! Have a great week ladies.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Happiness is....
-Happiness is making others in your life happy but realizing that you can only make others happy when you're happy with yourself. I read that gem in Good Housekeeping while waiting for Jon at physical therapy tonight. Sorry if you're reading it twice since I also used a version of it for my Facebook status.
-I finished the book "Running with Scissors" that LeAnn lent me over Christmas. It's a very odd book which makes the content scary since it's based on the author's childhood and adolescence. I strongly suggest you read it Nicole. I'm going to add the movie to my Netflix queue too since I enjoy reading books and their related movies thereafter. I may read the author's book "Dry" too since it's also based on his life and the preview was intriguing.
-I feel very adultlike since I received my first box of offering envelopes at church this Sunday. For the first time ever I'll be able to claim my offering to church at tax time too.
-I watched "Heavy" on the A & E Channel tonight. Over the season they will feature 22 obese people and show their battle with getting a handle on healthier habits. I appreciate the show since it's showing how to lose weight the right way, exercise and diet. However it's still unrealistic since they get daily physical trainers and help with diet. I appreciate they show the long-term challenge and how going back to "real life" can create obstacles or undo hard work. They also recognize how food can be an addiction and I think that fact can be left out from other shows that promote healthy change and weight loss.
--Gavin turns 11 this week. I don't feel as organized as usual when it comes to his birthday. We did a pre-celebration thing yesterday when I took him and his friend to an Iowa Energy game in Des Moines. We did ice cream before the game too. Hopefully on Saturday we can do a birthday dinner at Hickory Park with family in Ames after Gavin's basketball game. He's going to have a friend spend the night later in the month. He shared that he's always wanted a lava lamp so I got him one today. I wasn't aware he's "always wanted one" so that was a surprise but I'm glad it was a feasible gift to find. He's going to pick out a pair of new tennis shoes too since he's all concerned about his footwear. I got him a gift card to Perfect Games (similar to Chucky Cheese) but I cannot find it anywhere. Nothing like losing money before I can give it away.
--I have a strong urge to attend a Weight Watchers meeting this week. We'll see how that goes and when I can get it to work with my schedule. I'm not looking to the crowded meetings since attendance skyrockets with the start of a new year.
That's all the randomness I have to share at this point. Hope everyone is having a good start to the week!
-I finished the book "Running with Scissors" that LeAnn lent me over Christmas. It's a very odd book which makes the content scary since it's based on the author's childhood and adolescence. I strongly suggest you read it Nicole. I'm going to add the movie to my Netflix queue too since I enjoy reading books and their related movies thereafter. I may read the author's book "Dry" too since it's also based on his life and the preview was intriguing.
-I feel very adultlike since I received my first box of offering envelopes at church this Sunday. For the first time ever I'll be able to claim my offering to church at tax time too.
-I watched "Heavy" on the A & E Channel tonight. Over the season they will feature 22 obese people and show their battle with getting a handle on healthier habits. I appreciate the show since it's showing how to lose weight the right way, exercise and diet. However it's still unrealistic since they get daily physical trainers and help with diet. I appreciate they show the long-term challenge and how going back to "real life" can create obstacles or undo hard work. They also recognize how food can be an addiction and I think that fact can be left out from other shows that promote healthy change and weight loss.
--Gavin turns 11 this week. I don't feel as organized as usual when it comes to his birthday. We did a pre-celebration thing yesterday when I took him and his friend to an Iowa Energy game in Des Moines. We did ice cream before the game too. Hopefully on Saturday we can do a birthday dinner at Hickory Park with family in Ames after Gavin's basketball game. He's going to have a friend spend the night later in the month. He shared that he's always wanted a lava lamp so I got him one today. I wasn't aware he's "always wanted one" so that was a surprise but I'm glad it was a feasible gift to find. He's going to pick out a pair of new tennis shoes too since he's all concerned about his footwear. I got him a gift card to Perfect Games (similar to Chucky Cheese) but I cannot find it anywhere. Nothing like losing money before I can give it away.
--I have a strong urge to attend a Weight Watchers meeting this week. We'll see how that goes and when I can get it to work with my schedule. I'm not looking to the crowded meetings since attendance skyrockets with the start of a new year.
That's all the randomness I have to share at this point. Hope everyone is having a good start to the week!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Wrap up...
Happy Tuesday...are we enjoying this snow yet?!?! I'm really not looking forward to my drive home tonight, not one bit. Oh well, tis the season. Anyway, I had to finish my blog yesterday before I got to the one thing I wanted to really talk to you about. However, before I get to that I would like to give you 1 more review.
I like movies this time of year. The weather is crappy and I don't really go out to do much in the snow so I spend a lot of time reading (yes LeAnn I do still love to read I just haven't ready anything new in a while...any suggestions?) and watching movies. I really love Netflix instant view because there is just so much to watch. I've recently completed the made for TV miniseries of The Pillars of the Earth. It was wonderful. Pillars is set in old England around 'The Anarchy.' King Henry I was ruling when his only legitimate son was killed. When Henry I died his nephew claimed himself to be king, along with the churches blessing. The only problem is that Henry 1 wanted his daughter to act as queen until her son, only a baby, was old enough to rule. I liked that it was a fictional story built around a base of true history. The fiction comes in when a cathedral is burned down and the Prior (head monk) and a conveniently located master builder decide to rebuild a grand cathedral in it's place. In the midst of the war there is a great love story that is just really excellent. This story has a little bit of everything and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
So, I've talked to Jenny briefly about this website but I want to share it here too. As I've been focusing on eating healthy and tracking my calories and such I've really been hunting for a good food tracking website. I've been calculating on paper but I wanted something more official. I've used other websites before and I always have the same issues, they're slow, they never have the foods I eat and if you cook with your own recipes they're never accurate. Well, with the help of a co-worker, I finally found a website that I LOVE!!! Loseit.com is amazing! First, it's so fast which is great. Second, if the food you eat isn't in their list they have a really easy way to add it. Most importantly, at least for me, you can enter your own recipes!! All you have to do is add you ingredients to a list and then tell it what portion you ate. It's fantastic.
Another feature of the site that I really like is that it doesn't just tell you what calories you're eating. In the reports section it will tell you what portion of your calories came from fat, carbs and protein. I like this because it's keeps me from over indulging on carbs and jilting myself protein. It also tracks cholesterol, fiber, and sodium. There are things that I don't often follow for myself.
I could keep going on and on about how much I love this site but that seems a bit tedious. If you get a chance play around with it. It's good fun and I think a really great tool for someone who's really looking to accurately track their diet.
OK, I think that's it for now. Have a great night ladies!
I like movies this time of year. The weather is crappy and I don't really go out to do much in the snow so I spend a lot of time reading (yes LeAnn I do still love to read I just haven't ready anything new in a while...any suggestions?) and watching movies. I really love Netflix instant view because there is just so much to watch. I've recently completed the made for TV miniseries of The Pillars of the Earth. It was wonderful. Pillars is set in old England around 'The Anarchy.' King Henry I was ruling when his only legitimate son was killed. When Henry I died his nephew claimed himself to be king, along with the churches blessing. The only problem is that Henry 1 wanted his daughter to act as queen until her son, only a baby, was old enough to rule. I liked that it was a fictional story built around a base of true history. The fiction comes in when a cathedral is burned down and the Prior (head monk) and a conveniently located master builder decide to rebuild a grand cathedral in it's place. In the midst of the war there is a great love story that is just really excellent. This story has a little bit of everything and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
So, I've talked to Jenny briefly about this website but I want to share it here too. As I've been focusing on eating healthy and tracking my calories and such I've really been hunting for a good food tracking website. I've been calculating on paper but I wanted something more official. I've used other websites before and I always have the same issues, they're slow, they never have the foods I eat and if you cook with your own recipes they're never accurate. Well, with the help of a co-worker, I finally found a website that I LOVE!!! Loseit.com is amazing! First, it's so fast which is great. Second, if the food you eat isn't in their list they have a really easy way to add it. Most importantly, at least for me, you can enter your own recipes!! All you have to do is add you ingredients to a list and then tell it what portion you ate. It's fantastic.
Another feature of the site that I really like is that it doesn't just tell you what calories you're eating. In the reports section it will tell you what portion of your calories came from fat, carbs and protein. I like this because it's keeps me from over indulging on carbs and jilting myself protein. It also tracks cholesterol, fiber, and sodium. There are things that I don't often follow for myself.
I could keep going on and on about how much I love this site but that seems a bit tedious. If you get a chance play around with it. It's good fun and I think a really great tool for someone who's really looking to accurately track their diet.
OK, I think that's it for now. Have a great night ladies!
Sigh
I have a zillion things I could be doing right now but I've decided to take some time over my lunch break and blog. We had a 2 hour late start in Ames today so it was nice to spend some extra time at home this morning with Gavin. We didn't do anything constructive but made some breakfast (holy cow he eats a lot of food) and I hung out and checked email. I probably could have cranked out some work for ISU or DMACC but decided to have a low key morning. Not sure I was focused enough to do any quality work anyway.
I laid down last night before 10pm and I was asleep before 10pm! I cannot remember the last time I was in bed and sleeping before 10pm. My usual bed time is between 11pm-12am. I woke up on my own too....at 5:15am. Luckily I was able to fall back asleep until 7am.
I went to bed earlier so I could finish my book "Eat, Pray, Love". I've been reading it since December and now own it (thanks to Jon's dog trying to eat it). I did like it for the most part but I wasn't wowed by it. I appreciate that it's based on a true story and I admire the author's strength throughout the story. I'm not big on meditation though so some of the content didn't trip my trigger so I had a hard time sticking with the book.
Yesterday was quite stressful. I still feel a little unsettled from it. Jon had another doctor appointment with the physician's assistant associated with his surgery. In my opinion (and the physical therapist's) Jon has made great strides at physical therapy and is gaining flexion in his knee every time he goes to an appointment). We both went into the examination room thinking the doc would be pleased. The doctor immediately manipulated his knee and asked him to do some motions. I could tell the doc wasn't happy at all. Apparently he expected Jon to be able to sit on the edge of the exam table and bend his knee to 90 degrees without assistance and without a warm-up. I was personally shocked by this. I looked at the PT paperwork last month...nothing was said about reaching 90 degrees by the next appointment. The physical therapist was not aware of this goal either. Fact of the matter is that Jon's surgeon wants to schedule another surgery in February to break up scar tissue and physically manipulate the knee in all directions while Jon is under complete anesthesia. Jon's not happy....neither am I.
We got a conflicting opinion from the physical therapist too. He thinks Jon is ahead of schedule with recovery and says there is not a build-up of scar tissue. I wish we could go to another surgeon and get a second-opinion but Worker's Compensation dictates where he can go for medical treatment. Hopefully he talks to his case worker and lets him know he's worried that the surgeon wants to operate again and may not need to. We have a month to work on the flexion and get it to 90 degrees and make the doc happy.
I've been trying to help out and get Jon to appointments when possible. I found out today that his parents are keeping his Jeep at their place so it sounds like they want to handle all the appointments. I had made some plans for this week and next though...blah. Not sure why I'm so pissed about it but I'll just roll with it. Maybe I can swipe it from their place and still help from time to time...especially on Wednesdays. I wanted to be able to transport Jon to and from PT so I could assure he was home by 5:30pm so I could get to DMACC and teach by 6pm. He was going to hang out with Gavin since I work at the Ankeny location until 8pm. Eh, enough of that...just writing about it is making me angry and it really shouldn't be. I do know I'm being kind of assholeish about it. (Yes I just made up a word) I am grateful they can help but I get so irritated when my help is turned away.
I fully support your goal to move back to Iowa Nicole! You need to find a job near central Iowa so I can vent to you when I'm frustrated! Same goes for Tiffany! I'm sure I'll vent to my sister tonight too.
That's enough for now...time to calm down and supervise some teaching assistants. Adios!
I laid down last night before 10pm and I was asleep before 10pm! I cannot remember the last time I was in bed and sleeping before 10pm. My usual bed time is between 11pm-12am. I woke up on my own too....at 5:15am. Luckily I was able to fall back asleep until 7am.
I went to bed earlier so I could finish my book "Eat, Pray, Love". I've been reading it since December and now own it (thanks to Jon's dog trying to eat it). I did like it for the most part but I wasn't wowed by it. I appreciate that it's based on a true story and I admire the author's strength throughout the story. I'm not big on meditation though so some of the content didn't trip my trigger so I had a hard time sticking with the book.
Yesterday was quite stressful. I still feel a little unsettled from it. Jon had another doctor appointment with the physician's assistant associated with his surgery. In my opinion (and the physical therapist's) Jon has made great strides at physical therapy and is gaining flexion in his knee every time he goes to an appointment). We both went into the examination room thinking the doc would be pleased. The doctor immediately manipulated his knee and asked him to do some motions. I could tell the doc wasn't happy at all. Apparently he expected Jon to be able to sit on the edge of the exam table and bend his knee to 90 degrees without assistance and without a warm-up. I was personally shocked by this. I looked at the PT paperwork last month...nothing was said about reaching 90 degrees by the next appointment. The physical therapist was not aware of this goal either. Fact of the matter is that Jon's surgeon wants to schedule another surgery in February to break up scar tissue and physically manipulate the knee in all directions while Jon is under complete anesthesia. Jon's not happy....neither am I.
We got a conflicting opinion from the physical therapist too. He thinks Jon is ahead of schedule with recovery and says there is not a build-up of scar tissue. I wish we could go to another surgeon and get a second-opinion but Worker's Compensation dictates where he can go for medical treatment. Hopefully he talks to his case worker and lets him know he's worried that the surgeon wants to operate again and may not need to. We have a month to work on the flexion and get it to 90 degrees and make the doc happy.
I've been trying to help out and get Jon to appointments when possible. I found out today that his parents are keeping his Jeep at their place so it sounds like they want to handle all the appointments. I had made some plans for this week and next though...blah. Not sure why I'm so pissed about it but I'll just roll with it. Maybe I can swipe it from their place and still help from time to time...especially on Wednesdays. I wanted to be able to transport Jon to and from PT so I could assure he was home by 5:30pm so I could get to DMACC and teach by 6pm. He was going to hang out with Gavin since I work at the Ankeny location until 8pm. Eh, enough of that...just writing about it is making me angry and it really shouldn't be. I do know I'm being kind of assholeish about it. (Yes I just made up a word) I am grateful they can help but I get so irritated when my help is turned away.
I fully support your goal to move back to Iowa Nicole! You need to find a job near central Iowa so I can vent to you when I'm frustrated! Same goes for Tiffany! I'm sure I'll vent to my sister tonight too.
That's enough for now...time to calm down and supervise some teaching assistants. Adios!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Week 1...bad Nicole!
Hey ladies! As my title might suggest I have not been very good about my new years resolutions so far. I ran my dishwasher this weekend, my apartment is mess and I haven't found a job in Iowa yet, sigh... I guess I'll have to work especially hard this week to make up for my slacking last. On a happier resolution note I did make a new recipe this week: braised beef chili. It was good and I'm very glad that I have leftovers!
I feel like I haven't had much to review lately. Between getting all of my crafty stuff done for Christmas and being home for 10 days I haven't done much in the way of reading, watching TV, watching movies or trying new things. Today, however, I have some reviews for you. Enjoy!
Over the last few weeks I've had a chance to see some new movies. What impresses me is the fact that I've seen movies in a wide variety of genres over the last 3 weeks and I liked them all!
Before Christmas, and after new years I got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I. Both times I enjoyed it immensely. For the most part the movie held true to the storyline of the book. I will admit that at times the movie felt long and that nothing was going on, however, that's how the book felt as I read it all those years ago. There was also not a conclusion to this movie. It ended very abruptly and, for all intents and purposes, nothing was resolved. This bothered a lot of people but I knew going into it that this would most likely happen. I figure you have an epic story told in two part, there is definitely going to be a cliff hanger between the two. I am very much looking forward to part II!
Over Christmas I also had the chance to take Hailee and Taylor to Tangled. Tasha was going to take them and invited me along. The theater in Charles City is only $2 and I thought it would be a lot of fun to go with. It was a great movie. I love Disney movies and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The movie was funny, uplifting, entertaining and had great Disney animation and music. I might have to buy this one when it comes out on DVD!
Before Christmas I had a chance to sit down and watch Inglorious Basterds with Brad Pitt. I thought it was an excellent movie. I enjoyed the story and the acting was superb. Word of caution, as I talked to my sister about this movie she said that she and Justin watched the first 20 minutes and turned it off because they thought it was stupid. It's a war movie. There is a plot that if you give it a chance turns out to be pretty solid. The acting is a bit over the top at times but I think it works in this film. It's directed by Quintin Tarentino so you know there is blood if that's your thing. Last, I loved Christopher Waltz in this movie. I think his line 'it's a BINGO' actually bumped me from liking this movie to almost loving it.
This weekend I was so tired and didn't feel all that great, my germy neices and nephews got me ill. So, instead of doing anything else I decided to veg out and watch movies. First, I went to the theater here and saw The Kings Speech. It was phenomenal! Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both deserve oscar nominations, if not oscars for their roles. The story is set in England just before WWII. Firth plays Prince Albert who is not in line for the throne but has a terrible stutter. The movie follows him as he works with a rather unorthodox speech therapist played by Rush. If you know anything about English history (which I did not) or you pay attention to the title of the movie you will know that he does, in fact, become king, and because of this, he needs to have a voice that his people can stand behind. Like I said, I really enjoyed this movie. It was serious, it was funny, it was heart warming...everything you want in a good, based on real life drama. It's not something you need to see in the theater but it is something that should be seen.
Wow, time flies when you're having fun. It's time for me to leave work and I have two more things to review, a mini series and a website. I guess I'll have to save that for my next blog. Have a great night ladies!
I feel like I haven't had much to review lately. Between getting all of my crafty stuff done for Christmas and being home for 10 days I haven't done much in the way of reading, watching TV, watching movies or trying new things. Today, however, I have some reviews for you. Enjoy!
Over the last few weeks I've had a chance to see some new movies. What impresses me is the fact that I've seen movies in a wide variety of genres over the last 3 weeks and I liked them all!
Before Christmas, and after new years I got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I. Both times I enjoyed it immensely. For the most part the movie held true to the storyline of the book. I will admit that at times the movie felt long and that nothing was going on, however, that's how the book felt as I read it all those years ago. There was also not a conclusion to this movie. It ended very abruptly and, for all intents and purposes, nothing was resolved. This bothered a lot of people but I knew going into it that this would most likely happen. I figure you have an epic story told in two part, there is definitely going to be a cliff hanger between the two. I am very much looking forward to part II!
Over Christmas I also had the chance to take Hailee and Taylor to Tangled. Tasha was going to take them and invited me along. The theater in Charles City is only $2 and I thought it would be a lot of fun to go with. It was a great movie. I love Disney movies and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The movie was funny, uplifting, entertaining and had great Disney animation and music. I might have to buy this one when it comes out on DVD!
Before Christmas I had a chance to sit down and watch Inglorious Basterds with Brad Pitt. I thought it was an excellent movie. I enjoyed the story and the acting was superb. Word of caution, as I talked to my sister about this movie she said that she and Justin watched the first 20 minutes and turned it off because they thought it was stupid. It's a war movie. There is a plot that if you give it a chance turns out to be pretty solid. The acting is a bit over the top at times but I think it works in this film. It's directed by Quintin Tarentino so you know there is blood if that's your thing. Last, I loved Christopher Waltz in this movie. I think his line 'it's a BINGO' actually bumped me from liking this movie to almost loving it.
This weekend I was so tired and didn't feel all that great, my germy neices and nephews got me ill. So, instead of doing anything else I decided to veg out and watch movies. First, I went to the theater here and saw The Kings Speech. It was phenomenal! Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both deserve oscar nominations, if not oscars for their roles. The story is set in England just before WWII. Firth plays Prince Albert who is not in line for the throne but has a terrible stutter. The movie follows him as he works with a rather unorthodox speech therapist played by Rush. If you know anything about English history (which I did not) or you pay attention to the title of the movie you will know that he does, in fact, become king, and because of this, he needs to have a voice that his people can stand behind. Like I said, I really enjoyed this movie. It was serious, it was funny, it was heart warming...everything you want in a good, based on real life drama. It's not something you need to see in the theater but it is something that should be seen.
Wow, time flies when you're having fun. It's time for me to leave work and I have two more things to review, a mini series and a website. I guess I'll have to save that for my next blog. Have a great night ladies!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Day of Rest
Hey Ladies:
I've had all kinds of good blog topic ideas in my head this weekend and I hope I can pull most of them out tonight...sadly I think I'll forgot a few.
As you may recall, my only resoultion is to not bring work home with me. I know I'll infringe on this new rule of mine but I sincerely believe it will help me take necessary time for myself to just rest, read, take time for cooking, and schedule workouts in my life. I want other improvements and advantages to stem from that resolution.
The topic at church today made me like my choice of a resolution too. Before Christmas, the pastor started a set of sermons about each of the 10 Commandments. Today we resumed that, and went over #4 Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. It was a 45 minute sermon so I'll sum it up. God needed a rest after he created the earth and we must recognize that we need a rest each week too. The pastor suggested that Sunday does seem to work best for many people but if that's not possible....another day of the week should be used so a person stays energized and focused on what is important in life. It gave me more inspiration to stick to my resolution :)
On a different note, my chiropractor suggested months ago that I start drinking pure cherry juice each day to help with my joint pain. Cherry juice has anthocyanins which are nature compounds that reduce inflammation. I had kept it on the back burner because of the price. The 1 quart I bought cost $20. Fortunately I only use 1-2 tablespoons a day so it will last awhile. I simply mix it in with a glass of juice. Hopefully it works.
Jon is making good progress and reached 50 degrees of bend on Friday. He's been walking around without crutches (but still wears the brace). He has another doctor's appointment tomorrow so hopefully the doc has good things to say.
ISU starts tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have things to blog about later in the week. Have a good one!
I've had all kinds of good blog topic ideas in my head this weekend and I hope I can pull most of them out tonight...sadly I think I'll forgot a few.
As you may recall, my only resoultion is to not bring work home with me. I know I'll infringe on this new rule of mine but I sincerely believe it will help me take necessary time for myself to just rest, read, take time for cooking, and schedule workouts in my life. I want other improvements and advantages to stem from that resolution.
The topic at church today made me like my choice of a resolution too. Before Christmas, the pastor started a set of sermons about each of the 10 Commandments. Today we resumed that, and went over #4 Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. It was a 45 minute sermon so I'll sum it up. God needed a rest after he created the earth and we must recognize that we need a rest each week too. The pastor suggested that Sunday does seem to work best for many people but if that's not possible....another day of the week should be used so a person stays energized and focused on what is important in life. It gave me more inspiration to stick to my resolution :)
On a different note, my chiropractor suggested months ago that I start drinking pure cherry juice each day to help with my joint pain. Cherry juice has anthocyanins which are nature compounds that reduce inflammation. I had kept it on the back burner because of the price. The 1 quart I bought cost $20. Fortunately I only use 1-2 tablespoons a day so it will last awhile. I simply mix it in with a glass of juice. Hopefully it works.
Jon is making good progress and reached 50 degrees of bend on Friday. He's been walking around without crutches (but still wears the brace). He has another doctor's appointment tomorrow so hopefully the doc has good things to say.
ISU starts tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have things to blog about later in the week. Have a good one!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The perfect reward...
Every time I lose weight I have a problem. I can never come up with a good reward for myself when I reach a goal. They say that you shouldn't treat yourself with food or laziness because that sets a bad precedent which I have to agree with. Magazines and news articles always tell you to do stuff like buy a new shirt or go get a manicure. However, I feel that that can cost some serious cash before all is said and done. I've been thinking and thinking what I should do for myself as a treat when I reach my mini goals and I think I've found the perfect solution. I am going to start buying myself earrings when I reach a goal! I love earrings but I never buy them for myself because I feel like it's a frivolous expense and that I can spend my money more wisely somewhere else. However, I feel that if I stick to my weight loss and health goals buying a $5-10 pair of earrings once a month isn't such a bad thing. I think I've settled on an inexpensive pair every time I lose 5 pounds and then when I reach bigger goals I can get something a little nicer. I've decided that if I get to 75 pounds lost total I'm going to buy myself some white gold hoops! I love hoops but I usually just buy the 'sensitive ears' type and pitch them after a few months. I think buying some nice ones would be a way to really congratulate myself on a job well done.
Anyway, that's all I had. Do you ever do anything to treat yourself when you reach mini goals? I'm interested to see how others handle this.
p.s. my sister changed her mind on our bridesmaid dresses and I love the one she picked. Here's the link (ours will be in wine): http://www.billlevkoff.com/style/bridesmaid-dress/675#
Anyway, that's all I had. Do you ever do anything to treat yourself when you reach mini goals? I'm interested to see how others handle this.
p.s. my sister changed her mind on our bridesmaid dresses and I love the one she picked. Here's the link (ours will be in wine): http://www.billlevkoff.com/style/bridesmaid-dress/675#
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Resolutions and stuff...
This time of year is always an exciting time. A new year means a clean slate and an opportunity to make major changes in ones life. I don't know exactly why it's harder to make changes at other times in the year but it really is. I always love and dread making new years resolutions. I love the chance to prove that I can set a goal and stick with it. I love how I feel renewed and completely motivated to reach my new goal. I hate how I always make the same resolutions and that they always focus on weight loss. I hate how I never accomplish what I set out to do. So, this year I've decided that things are going to be different.
First, like Jenny, I decided before the first of the year that my goal was not going to be about losing weight. I was reading an article in the newspaper and apparently the most commonly made and broken resolution is to lose weight and get fit. I am not going to fall into this category this year. Prior to New Years I was on a good path to losing weight and improving my health. I did a bit of backsliding over the holidays, which I knew would happen, but life is back to normal and I'm getting back on track. If you listen to the 'experts' they say that it takes anywhere from 21 days to 3 months to form a habit. I've definitely been doing my thing for that long so I don't think I need to stress about making major resolutions where diet and exercise are concerned. I've never felt so free when it comes time to making resolutions so this year I had to think hard about what I wanted. I came up with many but here are my goals that made the final cut:
1. Stop using my dishwasher for everyday dishes. I tend to just load the dishawasher and run it once a week. Instead I will do my dishes by hand each night.
2. I need to be more organized and clean at home. I need to make a chore chart and stick to it.
3. Find a new job that is closer to home...this is more of a new years wish than a resolution but it's still worth throwing out there.
4. Try new recipes. I love to cook and I tend to cook really well, however I tend to get stuck in the same food ruts. I eat a lot of the same stuff over and over. I bought a new vegetarian cookbook that has some really intriguing dishes. I just want more variety!
First, like Jenny, I decided before the first of the year that my goal was not going to be about losing weight. I was reading an article in the newspaper and apparently the most commonly made and broken resolution is to lose weight and get fit. I am not going to fall into this category this year. Prior to New Years I was on a good path to losing weight and improving my health. I did a bit of backsliding over the holidays, which I knew would happen, but life is back to normal and I'm getting back on track. If you listen to the 'experts' they say that it takes anywhere from 21 days to 3 months to form a habit. I've definitely been doing my thing for that long so I don't think I need to stress about making major resolutions where diet and exercise are concerned. I've never felt so free when it comes time to making resolutions so this year I had to think hard about what I wanted. I came up with many but here are my goals that made the final cut:
1. Stop using my dishwasher for everyday dishes. I tend to just load the dishawasher and run it once a week. Instead I will do my dishes by hand each night.
2. I need to be more organized and clean at home. I need to make a chore chart and stick to it.
3. Find a new job that is closer to home...this is more of a new years wish than a resolution but it's still worth throwing out there.
4. Try new recipes. I love to cook and I tend to cook really well, however I tend to get stuck in the same food ruts. I eat a lot of the same stuff over and over. I bought a new vegetarian cookbook that has some really intriguing dishes. I just want more variety!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Cream of mushroom soup
Here is the recipe of the cream of mushroom soup. The recipe says that it makes 4/400 calorie servings but I think that is a really big serving. I think I'll probably get 6 servings which puts it between 270-300 calories.
-Saute 1 small onion (finely chopped) in 2 tbs. canola or olive oil. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and saute over medium heat.
-add 16 oz. package sliced mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
-add 2 tbs. balsamic vinegar and 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce.
-add 1/4 c. barley (I used precooked brown and long grain rice instead because thats what I had on hand)cook 2 minutes.
-add 32 oz. low sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until barley is done.
-whisk together 1/4 c. flour and 1 c. 1% milk until smooth. Add to soup along with 2 cups. diced chicken (I used leftover turkey breast). Simmer until thickened, about 2-5 minutes.
I think the flavor was really good. I did add some black pepper, soy sauce and salt to taste.
-Saute 1 small onion (finely chopped) in 2 tbs. canola or olive oil. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and saute over medium heat.
-add 16 oz. package sliced mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
-add 2 tbs. balsamic vinegar and 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce.
-add 1/4 c. barley (I used precooked brown and long grain rice instead because thats what I had on hand)cook 2 minutes.
-add 32 oz. low sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until barley is done.
-whisk together 1/4 c. flour and 1 c. 1% milk until smooth. Add to soup along with 2 cups. diced chicken (I used leftover turkey breast). Simmer until thickened, about 2-5 minutes.
I think the flavor was really good. I did add some black pepper, soy sauce and salt to taste.
A tasty find and an excellent new recipe!
Happy 2011 ladies! I cannot believe another year has come and gone. I also cannot believe that the holiday season is over. I had a really nice time at home. I haven't been back since the funeral this summer so while it was really great to be home and around everybody, it was really strange to go home and not see my mom. I don't know if this will make sense or not but she feels so much more gone when I'm back home than when I'm in Michigan. We all did relatively well at Christmas I think. I'm not going to lie, there were tears and sadness but we all stuck together and made the night as happy as possible. Anyway, it was a really great trip and, as always, I wish I could have stayed forever. Sadly, that can't happen so I'm now back in Michigan.
I must have been a really good girl this year. I got a lot of really great gifts for Christmas. My sister paid for my tattoo, I got a ton of good stuff from Bob and I got a really cool scarf and sweater from my dad and Shirley. By the way Jenny, the strawberry rhubarb preserves didn't last very long once everybody dug in...very excellent!
New Years was a nice evening although I wish the weather had been a little friendlier. I didn't actually get to see all of my Luther friends because of the freezing rain. Instead of making it up to Winona I ended up in Decorah with Jessica and Larry. I don't like driving on 43 when it's slippery. I had nightmares on the 30th about sliding off the bluffs. Anyway, we made the most of our evening. We ordered ribs from the Hotel Winishiek and watched a movie, played cards and watched the ball drop. It was a quieter evening than I was expecting but it was a good time.
I am also happy to report than while I was back I helped Karla pick out her wedding dress. I cannot wait until October because she is going to be gorgeous in her dress. It is nothing like she had planned on but the dress is incredibly beautiful. Tasha and I had a really wonderful time trying on our own dresses and helping Karla decide which dress she should get. I missed my mom a lot while we were dress shopping and Tasha and I shed some tears but we made it through the day!
I have some thoughts about my new years resolutions but I don't have the drive to write about them tonight. Instead I'm going to leave you with a tasty find and a new recipe. I love guacamole but I have a hard time making good guacamole and the store bought stuff is either usually gross or in such a big container that it goes bad before I can finish it. Well, I was in Wal-Mart today and in the produce section of the store I found the most amazing thing: Marketside guacamole. Not only is it all natural and fresh it's also in individually sealed 100 calorie packets! I figured I'd give it a shot and I am so glad I did. I was so tasty and because it's sealed in 6 packets I can eat my serving and freeze the rest and it won't turn all brown and nasty! If you like guacamole you should give this a try.
Last, I was thumbing through my latest issue of Fitness Magazine. There are always recipes and I always think I should try them. In this issue they had a bunch of lunch and dinner recipes, one of which was for cream of mushroom soup. I made a few changes so I could use ingredients I had on hand and it was amazing. I'll post the recipe on the blog. If you like mushrooms and hearty soups you'll want to give this a try. I couldn't believe how easy and tasty it was!
OK, that's it for now. I hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!!
I must have been a really good girl this year. I got a lot of really great gifts for Christmas. My sister paid for my tattoo, I got a ton of good stuff from Bob and I got a really cool scarf and sweater from my dad and Shirley. By the way Jenny, the strawberry rhubarb preserves didn't last very long once everybody dug in...very excellent!
New Years was a nice evening although I wish the weather had been a little friendlier. I didn't actually get to see all of my Luther friends because of the freezing rain. Instead of making it up to Winona I ended up in Decorah with Jessica and Larry. I don't like driving on 43 when it's slippery. I had nightmares on the 30th about sliding off the bluffs. Anyway, we made the most of our evening. We ordered ribs from the Hotel Winishiek and watched a movie, played cards and watched the ball drop. It was a quieter evening than I was expecting but it was a good time.
I am also happy to report than while I was back I helped Karla pick out her wedding dress. I cannot wait until October because she is going to be gorgeous in her dress. It is nothing like she had planned on but the dress is incredibly beautiful. Tasha and I had a really wonderful time trying on our own dresses and helping Karla decide which dress she should get. I missed my mom a lot while we were dress shopping and Tasha and I shed some tears but we made it through the day!
I have some thoughts about my new years resolutions but I don't have the drive to write about them tonight. Instead I'm going to leave you with a tasty find and a new recipe. I love guacamole but I have a hard time making good guacamole and the store bought stuff is either usually gross or in such a big container that it goes bad before I can finish it. Well, I was in Wal-Mart today and in the produce section of the store I found the most amazing thing: Marketside guacamole. Not only is it all natural and fresh it's also in individually sealed 100 calorie packets! I figured I'd give it a shot and I am so glad I did. I was so tasty and because it's sealed in 6 packets I can eat my serving and freeze the rest and it won't turn all brown and nasty! If you like guacamole you should give this a try.
Last, I was thumbing through my latest issue of Fitness Magazine. There are always recipes and I always think I should try them. In this issue they had a bunch of lunch and dinner recipes, one of which was for cream of mushroom soup. I made a few changes so I could use ingredients I had on hand and it was amazing. I'll post the recipe on the blog. If you like mushrooms and hearty soups you'll want to give this a try. I couldn't believe how easy and tasty it was!
OK, that's it for now. I hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!!
And 2011 is upon us....
I have had a strong urge to blog today and wanted to take a break at work to work on it....however I stayed strong and focused on my numerous tasks in my ISU office. I haven't been very worried about making New Year resolutions. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. I'm sort of sick of making the same resolutions each year and not succeeding with any of them. I guess I do have one "resolution" or rule for myself this year:
I will leave my work at work and give myself down time in the evenings so I focus on Gavin, Jon, and/or myself.
I think adhering to that rule will help me accomplish other goals in life without having to necessarily name them as resolutions. I will be able to cook with a purpose (e.g. somewhat from scratch) when I just focus on making a meal and enjoying it. If I can get into exercising in the late afternoon or evening, I can work out too and not worry about grading papers or doing prep for any of my classes. LeAnn made a commment about writing and how she missed writing fiction. I'm in the same boat...I don't miss writing fiction but I do miss writing letters to people and being better about sending cards for anniversaries, birthdays, etc. By having more time for myself, I won't scramble to complete those things....I might actually get to sit down with a coffee and patience when I write to people.
I've been concerned about my diet and exercise of course but I've been prioritizing my joint problems since the pain is a big distractor. It feels good to be active and I can reduce the pain through general activity but the higher impact things aren't helping matters. Even walking for too long seems to make things worse. Sadly I cannot get an appointment with the arthritis specialist until March 21st. Due to that fact, I'm trying to get an appt with a specialist in Des Moines.
Jon is doing well with his second week of physical therapy. He has reached 37 degrees of flexion in his knee up to today. He's gaining a lot of his independence back too. In theory, he only needs me at home to do the laundry since the machines are located in the basement. Outside of his house, he still needs a driver but sadly my availability is gone now that ISU and DMACC start next week. Thanks to the new course I'm teaching, I don't finish teaching until 3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays so there is no way for me to get Jon from work and to PT on time. Thankfully his parents are able to help when I can't bop down there.
Gavin is currently at basketball practice (I'm in the cafe by the gym using the building's free Internet) and his games start this Saturday already. All his games are at 5pm this season which will be different. They have been in the late morning or early afternoon in the past. He's also a finalist in a geography bee next week. I didn't even know he was participating in it until I got a letter in December that said he was one of the top performers at his elementary school.
Well I'm glad I got this done today...I still have another full day of work to complete tomorrow but I should be on track for the start of the semester on Monday. I wish I didn't have all day meetings on Friday and Thursday. I could use those days to do prep work for DMACC. Heck, I still need to visit the Ankeny campus and get my key to my classroom and see how it's set up. Luckily it's the same class I taught this past semester (that's apparently rocket science and no one can get an A) so I just need to review my PowerPoints before I teach each Wednesday. It's not online though....everything is pure lecture. My class this previous semester was half lecture and half online content. Not sure why they are making me backtrack.
Ok, that's enough babble. Hope everyone's year is starting off nicely. I'm sure it's going to be 2012 before we know it.
I will leave my work at work and give myself down time in the evenings so I focus on Gavin, Jon, and/or myself.
I think adhering to that rule will help me accomplish other goals in life without having to necessarily name them as resolutions. I will be able to cook with a purpose (e.g. somewhat from scratch) when I just focus on making a meal and enjoying it. If I can get into exercising in the late afternoon or evening, I can work out too and not worry about grading papers or doing prep for any of my classes. LeAnn made a commment about writing and how she missed writing fiction. I'm in the same boat...I don't miss writing fiction but I do miss writing letters to people and being better about sending cards for anniversaries, birthdays, etc. By having more time for myself, I won't scramble to complete those things....I might actually get to sit down with a coffee and patience when I write to people.
I've been concerned about my diet and exercise of course but I've been prioritizing my joint problems since the pain is a big distractor. It feels good to be active and I can reduce the pain through general activity but the higher impact things aren't helping matters. Even walking for too long seems to make things worse. Sadly I cannot get an appointment with the arthritis specialist until March 21st. Due to that fact, I'm trying to get an appt with a specialist in Des Moines.
Jon is doing well with his second week of physical therapy. He has reached 37 degrees of flexion in his knee up to today. He's gaining a lot of his independence back too. In theory, he only needs me at home to do the laundry since the machines are located in the basement. Outside of his house, he still needs a driver but sadly my availability is gone now that ISU and DMACC start next week. Thanks to the new course I'm teaching, I don't finish teaching until 3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays so there is no way for me to get Jon from work and to PT on time. Thankfully his parents are able to help when I can't bop down there.
Gavin is currently at basketball practice (I'm in the cafe by the gym using the building's free Internet) and his games start this Saturday already. All his games are at 5pm this season which will be different. They have been in the late morning or early afternoon in the past. He's also a finalist in a geography bee next week. I didn't even know he was participating in it until I got a letter in December that said he was one of the top performers at his elementary school.
Well I'm glad I got this done today...I still have another full day of work to complete tomorrow but I should be on track for the start of the semester on Monday. I wish I didn't have all day meetings on Friday and Thursday. I could use those days to do prep work for DMACC. Heck, I still need to visit the Ankeny campus and get my key to my classroom and see how it's set up. Luckily it's the same class I taught this past semester (that's apparently rocket science and no one can get an A) so I just need to review my PowerPoints before I teach each Wednesday. It's not online though....everything is pure lecture. My class this previous semester was half lecture and half online content. Not sure why they are making me backtrack.
Ok, that's enough babble. Hope everyone's year is starting off nicely. I'm sure it's going to be 2012 before we know it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)