2015 Week Four

Breakfast:

2 cups of coffee with half-n-half and splenda

1 chipotle chicken sausage
2 eggs
1 oz cheese

Dinner:

1 cup cauliflower w/ranch dressing
5 cheese crisps

Supper:

1 6-oz can tuna (Italian in olive oil)
Mixed with celery seed, dill pickle & mayonnaise
Black olives

The week has started, and as you can see I'm off to a good start. 

Still suffering from the tendons cramping in my toes at night. It doesn't start until I am falling asleep. I've been doing research online and can't really find anything specific that causes it. But one of the things it talks about is dehydration and that naproxen can aggravate it. 

My blood pressure medication, which is a very low dose, has a diuretic in it. So I'm going to stop taking that for awhile.  Also, I was taking Aleve (naproxen sodium) for the pain, so I won't take that anymore either. Unfortunately I had already taken my BP meds this morning, so that will have to wait until tomorrow.

I'm not expecting big changes overnight, but I will take whatever change I can get! In the meantime I will make an effort to drink the full 8 glasses of water. I'm on my 3rd glass as I write.

Breakfast:

2 cups of coffee with half-n-half and splenda

3 slices bacon

Snack:

1 large cheese crisp

Supper:
(At Olive Garden)

Shrimp Scampi appetizer (shared - no pasta)
Olive Garden salad
Calabria Spicy Wings

I thought perhaps it was going to be a leisurely day, but it didn't quite turn out that way.

Dad called at 9 o'clock and said he could take mom to her doctor's appointment, which was at 10:30. Kewl beans! That meant I could lounge around a little longer and enjoy my morning. :)

He called me back at 10:10 and said that his blood pressure had dropped below 100 systolic; he was too dizzy to drive. Yikes! I jumped in the shower, got dressed and over to their house at 10:30. Ten minutes later I was checking her in to see the doctor. Whew! I did it.

All was well at the doctors so I took her with me to run errands; Starbucks (to get her a coffee and keep her happy), bank, Target, senior center, and then home.

By the time we got back dad's blood pressure was back up to normal and he was looking pretty good! We visited for a while, then I headed home to get ready for my Tuesday date with Captan!

So I think he is finally over Pint Night. Makes me happy! :) He got a gift card from his neighbor for Olive Garden, so that is where we ate dinner. But then it was off to the movies.

I have to say, this man, Alan Turing, was a genius. Very misunderstood; and ultimately unfairly persecuted by the very people he helped. However, he was the father of what was initially called the "thinking machine," but which we now call a computer. Benedict Cumberbatch deserves all the accolades he receives for his portrayal of Turing in this movie.

 Alan Turing

And this is where my evening came to an end. It was a good day!

Breakfast:

2 cups of coffee with half-n-half and splenda

2 slices of bacon, minced and rendered down (grease drained)
2 eggs
1 oz cheese

Dinner:

Nothing

Supper:
Charcuterie

This was a rather uneventful day. Hung out with the parents, had a facial, did a little shopping, and finished my day watching TV.  See? Nothing exciting at all!

Now this day was a whole other story!

I had my first day of training at Twin Rivers School District office, 9:30 - 1:30.  I didn't eat any breakfast. Bad planning on my part, obviously.

I met Captain at IHOP and tried to grab a quick salad. Well, I call it a salad, but it really was an inedible bowl of lettuce. I really should have had her take it back. But I tried to eat it. Unfortunately I just didn't have a lot of time before I had to head back to Marysville to my board meeting at Peach Tree Healthcare.

I was 5 minutes late to my Risk Management committee meeting, so that was okay. Then while I was waiting for the board meeting to start I hear (and smell) someone making popcorn. Um... I think I'm in trouble...

Nancy: Would you like some popcorn while you're waiting?
Me: Why yes, I would!

OK, I ate about 1/2 cup.

I walk into the board room and there are cups of M&M peanuts sitting all around. I am really in trouble now...

I am starving! I held out for 2 hours, but just couldn't do it anymore. I had my own cupful.

I had to go to my parents house after the meeting. They had leftover potato soup still warm on the stove. I had a bowl of that, too.

Yep, I've learned to not let myself get hungry. I paid the price.

Breakfast:

2 cups of coffee with half-n-half and splenda

Dinner:

5 bites of salad

Supper:
1/2 cup popcorn
1 cup M&Ms
1 bowl of potato soup

A carb fest is never a good thing...

Friday was a girls day out. I took Darlene winetasting at Naggiar Vineyards, way up in the foothills in Grass Valley.

I had a Groupon for winetasting and any one item from their bistro menu.  Darlene chose the antipasto platter, full of meats and cheeses.  Delicious! We spent probably 2 hours here.

Next stop on our agenda was Mt. Vernon Vineyards. Um... today was not the day to go there, unless you like being treated badly. We left after 2 tastings.

Off we go to Cante Ao Vinho in Rocklin. What??? They are only open Saturday and Sunday? ~sigh~ OK...

We go back into Loomis and are lucky that Popie Vineyards tasting room is open! Although it was 4:45 when we got there, she was more than happy to serve us. We stayed until 5:30 then decided it was time to eat.

We went to Carmelita's in Roseville. I had carnitas, all beans an no rice, with guacamole. MMMmmm...

Anyhow, that was pretty much the end of Friday. All in all, a pretty good day!

Saturday was a lazy day. I put on Kalua Pork to cook last night. The recipe says 16-20 hours, but no way. It was falling apart after 9 hours. Going to partake of it tomorrow for Super Bowl!  I am also making a cheese sauce for the sandwiches, and a brown sugar pound cake. But since I don't have any toffee bits I will use chocolate chips. 

It's going to be a good day!

And this is where I leave you as I have shopping to do. BTW, the only thing I ate today was the leftover carnitas. 

Super Bowl was everything I hoped it would be. Great game, good food, time with my family, and my almost-5-year-old grandson making a cannonball in the swimming pool!

No carb count going on for me today.

And now comes a big decision for me. I'm not going to be blogging for a while. I am struggling with health issues and need to figure out what is going on. I don't think I have RLS, I think the medication I'm taking is hindering weight loss (which once again was zero this week), and I need to focus on making me better.

Through all of this I will continue to low carb, walk on the treadmill, drink lots of water, and all the things I need to do to make me better.

I love you for hanging with me. I'm not gone for good, just stepping back for a while.

~Lin...

~xxoo~

2015 Week Three

Monday, January 19, 2014

A new week has started and I so appreciate this man's message of peace.

I am off to a great start.

Simple breakfast of charcuterie. Walking on my treadmill. Dull and uneventful, isn't it?  I did go to Kohl's and bought a belt. Why is it that women's pants no longer fit at the waist? I need something to snug them in so they don't slide down my hips. Then to the grocery store where they had bacon, 2 lbs. for $5 and avocados, 5 for $5! And beautiful brussels sprouts! I cannot wait to make roasted brussels sprouts with garlic aioli!

How yummy do they look?

Dad made chili for dinner tonight. From scratch. Easy on the beans for a more low carb option for me. I am most appreciative. Snacks were a handful of nuts.

And in the middle of everything I got a phone call from the temp agency. I may have a 6 week job! I should know more tomorrow. :)

All in all it has been a day of peace and quiet, for which I am most grateful. Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tomorrow is Pint Night. Tomorrow will be a another story.

Nighty-night!

Let's do these two days together, shall we?

Tuesday started off just fine. Breakfast was bacon and avocado. Yum! And of course I walked on my treadmill, too. No lunch because I'm trying to keep it to 2 meals a day.

Captain and I decided to not meet at Happy Viking (I am so over Pint Night, and he's getting there!) so we met at Logan's Roadhouse for dinner. I ordered their wings because the don't bread them before coating them. They were delicious! Wings, celery and blue cheese dressing. MMMmmm...

Then it hit. I was having a bad food night. Let's just say I barely made it home.

Wednesday wasn't much better. Nothing I ate agreed with me. I settled for chicken with a dumpling that my daughter-on-law made. Not low carb, but easy on my stomach. Sure do hope tomorrow is better.

Thursday has been a good day. I made those Brussels sprouts that I've been talking about. They were pretty darn good. Two things, though. I used olive oil to roast them in, as it adds a great flavor; and I would use roasted garlic to make the aioli instead of raw. I will make them again, for sure! I had them for breakfast, along with bacon. Strange, I know. But the nice thing about living alone is you don't have to worry about being conventional with your meals!

I also made those Chile Jack bites. Coconut flour has a flavor that is completely different but tasty. You definitely need to use a mini-muffin pan. I used a chicken-jalapeno sausage and it tasted good. With a regular muffin pan it made 8. I ate 6.

I have been walking on my treadmill and I'm up to 4 minutes now. I do it several times a day. Haven't been doing the exercises because I'm trying to focus on where I need the help the most. So for me it is building up the strength in my legs. I need to be able to walk again! And when I say walk, I'm talking distance, not just around the house.

There you have a brief synopsis of my day. I am surprised at the lack of cravings I am having. Rather enjoyable, I must say. I am not feeling deprived in the least.

Friday started off taking my mom to her eye doctor appointment. She has Macular Degeneration and she goes in every 6 months for a check-up. Good news is, there is no bleeding or fluid; bad news is, her vision is getting worse, just not from the MD. 

When I came home I was hungry, to say the least, since I had not eaten breakfast. I knew I had some ham and some cabbage that I needed to do something with. So I diced the ham, mixed it into the cabbage, and fried them together in a bit of olive oil.  It made one nice, big bowl full.

It kind of looked like this:

I did some walking on my treadmill, went over to Yuba College to see my girlfriend and meet some of the people in Fiscal Services. Hoping they will ask me to come work part time for them!

As the evening wore on I was not feeling too well. I was just chilled and tired. Then I started having a pity party.

I was feeling sorry for myself for having to always watch what I eat. I feel like I've been on a perpetual diet my entire life. I mean, when you're 9 years old and weigh 100 lbs, you've definitely got issues.

I grabbed my guacamole (very low carb) and my box of Cheez-Its and feasted. Well, not really feasted. I probably only had maybe 1/2 cup of those little bad boy crackers. But I should not have; because then I felt really, really bad.

Then I went to bed... early...

Got up at my usual time, made my coffee, then weighed myself. I was hoping for a few pounds down. WTH??? 

I tried so hard, and I'm really bummed out. I don't feel like I'm retaining water, but maybe I am. Maybe I need to reevaluate what I'm eating and stick a little more closely to the ketogenic food list (on No Bun Please) than I think I have been. Or the Atkins Phase 1 Induction food list.

Tomorrow is another day.

But in the meantime, this is what I ate today:

Breakfast:

2 cups of coffee with half-n-half and splenda

3 slices bacon

Dinner:

2 eggs scrambled w/1 oz shredded cheese

Supper:

Crab
Salad
A couple of bites of pasta

I forgot that tonight was the crab feed. Oh well, it only happens once a year.

Tomorrow is a whole new day to begin anew.

Breakfast:

2 cups of coffee with half-n-half and splenda

3 slices bacon

Dinner:

1/2 cup nuts
Cauliflower with ranch dressing

Supper:

Pot roast
Jicama/Carrot salad
Cooked carrots with butter

That was what I ate today. Pretty good, if I do say so myself! Trying to get more veggies in my diet.

It was a lazy day. I just relaxed and enjoyed all the TV shows I had recorded. DVR down to 10% full! I did take out the trash and load the dishwasher, but that was the extent of it.

About 1 pm I got a text message from Dad.

Dad: "Yeah, Linda? What are you doing?"

Me: "Nothing. What's up?"

Dad:  "Well, it's our 28th wedding anniversary and I made pot roast and wanted to know if you wanted to come join us for dinner?"

Me: "I would love to!"

He bought her roses!

I think they love each other.

It was a lovely way to end my week.

~Lin...