Dashing Through December!
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@Mihani
I am glad you were able to spend time with your friend before she passed away. I am sure the love you showed helped to give her a peaceful crossing.0 -
Hello, @Mihani - Thanks for checking in. We figured you were busy with your friend. I am sorry she is gone, but I hear in your speaking that she had great, full, active life right up to the end, and that she had you and other friends around her in those last days. That's as good as it gets, I think.
I am glad your salad prepping friend is helping you eat well while you deal with your friend's passing and the end of year work crunch.
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Morning all...cold here this morning...40s...not crazy cold, but for us, cold enough.
Powering down on cuties, pomegranates arils, olives with garlic and jalapeno. JUICES...and oatmeal. Most likely a salad later on...something simple.
Nothing much going on at my place of work...cept one very rude salesman early this morning. Memo to this goofball...being rude to the receptionist is not the wisest move...I sometimes get leads and well, you have just be checked OFF MY LIST! Dork head!
Alrighty then...hope everyone has a good day. I am trying to figure out something to get me back to losing, cuz I am going the wrong way.
I just feel better when I am juicing a lot...so I guess I need to fix my environment to make it happen...like my kitchen needs a THOROUGH CLEANING!1 -
OMG...this A S S H O L E...totally started in with me again. I get so upset when this happens. Just a total chauvinistic salesman! Thinks I am nothing. Man, I was shaking after he talked to me. I have no one to go to, either, on the weekend.
When I told him how rude he was being, he turned it all around and said I was the rude one.
Finally, my blood pressure has calmed down...if I could, I would cry...but I won't...trying to hold it together. Everyone is so nice to me. Every once in awhile there is a salesman here who does get into it with me...he thinks he runs the place and we all work for him. But that's it. I get along fine with everyone.
This guy is brand new and he is going to tell me how I am to do my job. I wish I could quit. I did not deserve this treatment today. F'in A S S H O L E!
Ok, I am done.
Going to go make a cup of Teavana Peach Tranquility. Love you guys!1 -
Oh man... sorry Magic! I remember you said one salesman was a jerk with you and now there's a new one doing that! I am glad you kept your temper but you shouldn't let them get to you. I am a big fan of smile/ignore/walk away when people are being a-holes. I do still try to practice my mindful meditation. Just stop, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths clear down into your lower lungs and clear your mind. The other benefit is it freaks out the person who is being jerky with you. LOL
Thanks for the kind words Austin. She was definitely a remarkable lady and I can't grieve over-much right now because she lived life on her own terms right to the end.
I got stuck in the office much later than anticipated and not sure I have time or energy to throw together soup tonight. I think I will sort out my salads for the week and get a salad dressing made. Maybe I'll just have a veggie wrap for dinner tonight. I will be in the office all day tomorrow too. I am going to take a long weekend in January for sure. I figured I'd spend one day of it doing a soup marathon. I used to do that quite often and then I would freeze the soups in serving size containers so they were always ready to go. I will come up with some other things that freeze well to make too, so I can get through the winter without thinking about prep between my freezer stock and salad prepping friend.
Thanks for being here y'all. I will be hit or miss the next couple weeks trying to get through end of year. I sure hope, now that we have the extra help, that we won't be in such a crunch the end of next year.
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Thanks for the tips, @Mihani . I will keep them in mind. One of the managers already talked to me, cuz this baby of a salesman went and "TOLD ON ME". Are you kidding!? OMG.
REEEEE DICK U LOUS!
Also, Mihani we hope this year end is not so stressful...sounds like with the help you have, things will be better. NOT easy, but better. The soup and veggies/salad sound amazing!0 -
Hey @magic71755 - I am so sorry that the salesman got under your skin. My experience of professional salesmen is that some of them can indeed be super ruse -- not like part of the job description, but seems to be part of the package. Anyway, if you can, @Mihani 's suggestion of deep breaths is a great one. Breathing and getting more oxygen in your blood has immediate effects on your blood chemistry and mood.
Has either of you ever tried the 4-7-8 technique? I am betting @Mihani for sure. Here's a description (and if you try it, be sure to include the whooshing sound as you exhale). It's a very basic version of something I have studied in martial arts, and I am so SO clear that breathing is another great way to intervene in my current state of health!
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417.php#how-to-do-it
@Mihani - No worries about being hit or miss the next couple of weeks. You are always busy and we know year end is a big deal for you. And if you get back and see you were mentioned often, just know it means we were thinking about you! I sure hope next year the new help has settled in so this is less of a crunch for you.
I am off to work on holiday planning. I just this morning got the revised plan for our family holiday. We had been planning to spend it with my husband's family, but mother-in-law is in the hospital and won't be home, father-in-law is home but stressed, and sister-in-law (who had planned to host Christmas lunch) is down with the flu. Life is busy. We will still be heading down to visit, and I will be packing up ETL meals for me AND standard treats for the family, including a favorite dish for mother-in-law. I make a sweet potato souffle that she loves, and my son wants to make and decorate sugar cookies (with hopefully enough surviving to take and share, but no promises!).
Having a good ETL day so far.0 -
Beautiful post, @AustinRuadhain ! Thank you both for the techniques to deal with his goofball of a human being.
I am just getting ready for work...taking veggie fried rice to the potluck.
I have to figure out what I am taking to my sister's for me for Christmas. Probably go very easy ... burrito bowl/salad kinda thing.
It will be a quiet holiday with Lulu and me. Just a few hours at my sister's on Christmas Day.
Hang in there, MIhani...next year is going to be great...your help will be pretty seasoned by then, and hopefully not such a hectic year.
Austin, sorry bout all the people out of commission in your pack. I loved the part about you saying your son wishes to make and decorate sugar cookies "with hopefully enough surviving to take part and share". Too cute.
Later, my sweet friends.
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Good morning, @magic71755 ! Enjoy that potluck! Veggie fried rice sounds like a yummy choice!
Speaking of fried rice, I went out to a family favorite restaurant yesterday to pick up Asian food for my son and my husband. My son was craving fried rice from a particular Chinese place. He ate an entire order. Not a small side order. An entree order, big enough for several people to share. Watching a growing boy eat is sometimes sorta awe-inspiring. Anyway, my husband is excited because his family orders fast food on Christmas Eve and is planning on pizza, which he does not love. So I am bringing him his favorite Chinese takeout, which contains lots of vegetables. ETL is a bit much for him, but he is edging that way!
Okay, off to cook brekkers for the starving teenager, and then to get to work on today's holiday cooking!
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Merry Christmas!!! I went to work for a few hours then ran a couple errands and came home to wrap presents. I am making very slow progress because I have no energy. None. Zip. I am going to take a nap before heading to a friend's house for the annual Christmas Eve fun.
I plan a total and complete refocus on health, mental/physical/emotional, starting on Thursday. I will indulge in some wine the next couple days. Not too much because I can't really drink much these days without getting a headache. I miss my youth sometimes! LOL
Work will continue to be crazy through the next couple weeks then I can take a little break I hope. At least a weekend would be nice. I just need some recovery time.
Sounds like you are having busy and crazy holidays as well. But we always look back and think wasn't that fun! Weird how that works.
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Just a quiet Christmas with Lulu...going to my sister's later today.
Wishing you all a wonderful day, no matter how you spend it. Hugs, mates.0 -
Hope everyone had a good Christmas...Lulu and I are off today...it's my weekend. Just made a quick run to TJ's (gift card...my sister knows me well)...making sheet pan of roasted veggies for my work week.
cauliflower
broccoli
mini sweet bell peppers
sweet potatoes
onions
yellow squash
I have never done this before.
Just wanted to say hello...I started listening to Atomic Habits. LOVE IT!
HAGDE! Hugs!0 -
Merry Christmas, all!
@Mihani , great to hear your voice!
I got all my holiday cooking done. I took indulgent things off to the family gathering, and found that I was really happy to hang with people and eat pretty much my usual fare.
Fun note -- I got put in charge of stuffers for the family (12 people, some of whom I see just once a year and do not know well) at mid-day on Christmas Eve. I got all that done, and it meant that I was in charge of stuffing my own stocking. I gave everyone a treat and toy/small gift-y item. Since I was doing my own stocking, I got to choose a very ETL treat, and got myself a whole fresh pomegranate. Oh, my, are those good! And the trick I had hear, of breaking them apart under water in a bowl, worked perfectly. After a few minutes of work, I had a nice tasty bowl of pomegranate seeds. Oh, so delish!
Today's holiday baking project was an old family favorite, a bit updated -- a gluten-free version of Julekage, a Nordic holiday bread that is traditional in our family, for my teenager. He is finishing the first slice and is, oh, so happy. It means the house smells like warm cardamom, which makes ME so happy!
Off to run an errand. Stay healthy and happy and kind, dear ETL friends! 💖💖0 -
Hello there... our secretary is sick and called off today. I'm betting she'll be off tomorrow too. This is a tough time to be short on help! I brought a bunch of work home that I'm going to start on here in a few minutes. I wasn't quite 100% today but I'll have my salad delivery tomorrow and will be totally back on track going into the new year. I am going to work out some way to carve out the time for the treadmill every single day.
I googled Julekage, Austin. Sounds delicious! Saw a couple vegan recipes so I think I'll give it a try one of these days.
Your roasted veggies sound great, Magic. I love roasting veggies, especially in colder weather. Hope you and Lulu enjoyed your day.
I better get to work.
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Hi, all. Although I have read just about every Dr F book & also love veggies & beans, I am a creature of habit. But that needs to change if I want to live another 50 years! So, here I am. I'm new to Myfitnesspal & I'm happy to have found this group.1
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@FoodBodyChanges - Welcome to the Eat to Live group! We are delighted you have joined us! I myself have gotten amazing health and weight loss results from following the basic plan from Eat to Live, along with using MFP's logging to track how much I was eating and to watch what foods work best for me.
For me, getting here involved a long, patient journey of changing habits. If you are interested, I can recommend the work of James Clear as a great place to look for basic information on habits and the value of small changes. He has a book called Atomic Habits. This video on How to Get 1% Better Every Day has been particularly useful to me. He kicks it off this way:
"So if you were able to improve by 1% each day for an entire year... you would end up 37 times better at the end of the year. And if you were to get 1% worse, you would whittle yourself down almost to zero."
Good luck as you work to figure out what works for you on your journey of change! We are happy to help cheer you on!
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@Mihani - I am so sorry you were short on help yesterday and likely today. And hurray for having your salad plan in place.
Isn't it amazing how much we can come to love those huge salads? When I started this, I was not wild about them, frankly. Now I crave my salads! The day I drove home from my in-laws, my big salad was waiting for me when I got home, and I was so, so happy to have it, and I could tell it made my body happy.
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@magic71755 - I am so delighted you are enjoying Atomic Habits!
And I myself LOVE roasted veggies! For me, sheet pan vegetables are so excellent and easy. I hope the experiment is fun and perhaps something useful again!
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General comment. I had 5 hours of driving to do today, and so dug into audiobooks. One thing I listened to was The The Essence of Happiness: A Guidebook for Living. It is short and sweet, and left me with a lot to contemplate. It includes some very calm, practical discussion of noticing what's so, so that you can choose what leads to your long-term happiness. As someone who has uncountable times in life eaten to alleviate discomfort in the moment, or to feed a short-term mouth craving, I found it was a contribution, and pass on the title in case it calls to you as well.
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Hi FoodBodyChanges! Welcome to the ETL group. It's a small group but very fun. I read Atomic Habits on Austin's advice and it was very interesting and I've tried to implement some of the suggestions into my life. Looking forward to hearing from you as you continue with ETL.
Thanks for the recommendation of essence of happiness Austin, will check that out.
How's the day going for you and Lulu, Magic?
It was such a busy crazy day. Secretary still off sick but I anticipated that. I am going to be in the office most of the weekend. I'm going to bed soon. I am so tired, and so glad I don't have to get up at 5 a.m. tomorrow, but I do want to be in the office by 9 or so.
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Hey, y'all! A quick note. I just finished my dinner, and remembered I have meaning to mention a new favorite vegetable -- Napa cabbage! It is very tasty and easy. I put some into a microwaveable dish wish a dash of water and then steam it in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, long enough to soften up the ribs. Tonight I just cut it into strips, but checking www.drfuhrman.com , I am reminded that shredding would be better, so I will do that next time ("Shredding the cruciferous cabbage activates its powerful immunity-boosting, cancer-fighting isothiocyanate compounds.')
When it is steamed, the leafy part turns sweet, and the white ribs are tender. I sprinkle on a little bit of black pepper and it is ready to eat. Napa cabbage is available in the regular grocery store where I live, and is not overly pricey.
P.S. I may try this Dr F recipe that uses napa cabbage.1 -
Just a quick hello this morning! Welcome to our newest member! @FoodBodyChanges ...we love you are here and hope you join in on a regular basis.
I need to revisit what I am doing...cuz I really am getting nowhere as far as losing weight is concerned.
Today, I am changing it up a bit...taking a salad in a bowl to work...I have never done that. Please keep in mind, I work in a Cadillac Dealership (receptionist)...front and center...so eating out of a bowl (no lunch breaks...eating at desk)...is not that easy. I am thinking I can get away with it at about 7pm...I work two long shifts Fri-13 hours Sat-12 hours. Not much traffic at that time of day.
I need to get that salad in every day. That is my newest 1%. I used to take a massaged kale salad that I was able to massage into a little Sistema Mug. NOT so conspicuous.
Anyway, great info from @AustinRuadhain ... lots of YOU TUBES from James Clear to give newbies to this great guy an idea of what he is about.
Hoping the days are not to hectic for you @Mihani. But with your help out sick...I see you are still being pushed to the max.
This is not a very quick hello. LOL
I think I need to revamp my kitchen and make the environment better suited to WFPB eating. The method...it's about the method/system NOT the goal. So very James Clear.
LOVE you guys. Have a wonderful day. Hope it is delicious.
ETA: My other small change is NOT to eat anything after work Fri/Sat...I did it a couple of times and felt good...but then, last night I went back to having something small. I think even if it is small, it is the act of thinking I have to eat after work that does me in. So no more.
I pushed myself this morning and made a batch of almond milk to take to work for my oatmeal...my berries and flax meal are included in that meal...can't leave that out. At first, I was thinking it was too much to do this morning in my very messy kitchen. But I did do it. Dr. Esselstyn swears by oatmeal every day. There is a YOUTUBE from Jane, his daughter, on just that. Recorded last New Year. She was rather rude when her dad was trying to speak.
Dr. E is over 85 now...and so is his wife Ann. I like their spunk. Great role models for me, at 71. Later, mates. GTG
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Today, I work 8am to 8pm...I brought:
one green juice
ginger shot from Trader Joes
4 cuties
oatmeal with blueberries, cinnamon, raisins, flax meal, almond milk
rice with cauliflower, broccoli, tiny bit of left over sweet potato
Trader Joe's herb salad, pomegranate arils, cukes, tahini-lemon dressing
6 Tasso olives, stuffed with jalapeno and garlic
HOME ... in bed with Lulu and no more eating.
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Thanks, all, for the warm welcome. @magic71755 - wow, no lunch break? Well, keep up your salad eating anyway. (Maybe that will prompt them to get you time out of the public view to eat!!)
We're supposed to get snow for the next 3 days, so I ran to the store for veggies. It was already getting slick out there! And I'm actually excited to get back on track after all the holiday visiting is done. One more family meal tonight. It's about 80% on-plan, so that's better than a big mac. Hmmm, maybe I should set higher standards for comparison, lol!!2 -
@AustinRuadhain I had just shared this with my supervisor this past week...she had seen I brought some as a snack. I took the baby way out and bought them already seeded ... Costco sales a 4 pack. But I have seeded them myself...not this way...but next time THIS WAY FOR SURE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TH30N0JfG0 1 -
It's 7:19...forty minutes to go. Still did not eat my salad...will save for tomorrow. And did not drink my green drink...also, save for tomorrow.
I am going to go home, cuddle Lulu...watch a bit of TV...get into bed, play words with friends...cuddle more with LULU and NOT EAT.
Sweet dreams all. Be kind to yourselves. Night all.1 -
I brought a mung bean brown rice porridge to work last night in a thermos. First time I've done it. It was perfect eating temperature this morning. Yay!1
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magic71755 wrote: »It's 7:19...forty minutes to go. Still did not eat my salad...will save for tomorrow. And did not drink my green drink...also, save for tomorrow.
I am going to go home, cuddle Lulu...watch a bit of TV...get into bed, play words with friends...cuddle more with LULU and NOT EAT.
Sweet dreams all. Be kind to yourselves. Night all.
I did it! Did not eat after work last night!
Yum on the porridge!
BBL!
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Good morning, friends!
I was shopping yesterday and stopped at a local Asian market, so one of today's treats is going to be a persimmon. Anyone else love those? I also picked up some water cress and some baby nal yu bok choy, so I have some exciting veggies on the menu today!
@magic71755 - Congratulations on meeting your goal of the skipping the evening snack, Magic!
And thank you for the pomegranate video! I watched it, and will try doing the cutting a bit differently the next time I prep a pomegranate. I think I need to buy another this week, in order to practice!
Also, thinking about you and your work on salads had me thinking about getting in that Dr F pound-of-raw-veggies and also less leafy versions of salad. That led me to thinking about making a pretty salad in layers in a glass bowl for the New Year's Lunch that we are hosting -- think thin layers of greens alternating with layers of juicier raw veggies. I am thinking the layers might include massaged kale, chopped roma tomatoes, chopped romaine, chopped bell pepper (yellow or orange), water cress, pickled red onion, shredded napa cabbage. We will have a number of vegans at lunch, so I can safely do fun things with vegetables. If it works out nicely, I'll try to remember to take a photo.
@FoodBodyChanges - I'd love to hear more about your mung bean brown rice porridge! Do you make/buy something like this? (I googled the term to see what the dish might be like.)
@Mihani - I hope that you get through crunch time with peace and grace. At least you have your salads at the ready!
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Heading to the office, rather late. Only going to stay a few hours. I still need to do some laundry and I'd really like to get to the grocery today. I have refocused the past couple days and back on track with healthy eating. Need to pick up some mushrooms and do some cooking this evening if I have the energy. It's in short supply lately.
Sounds like everyone is getting back into the groove after the holiday!2 -
At work: @AustinRuadhain LOVE the layered veggies for a salad...I will try that...might be easier for me to put in a big soup, Sistema mug thing a ma jig. Sunday's are totally ok...low key, service is closed and no accounting office. So today, I have my rice dish and salad...also:
Teavana Tea
Oatmeal with the usual suspects
cuties
stuffed olives (jalapeno & garlic)
and my salad and veggie fried rice
After work, more salad and baked potato
NO dessert
@Mihani glad you are not staying at work too long...hope you have the energy to get your meals cooked. Hugs to our super worker bee!
Lots going on in the Vegan/WFPB You Tube world. Over the top inspiration. Do check them out.
FoodBody, do let us know how you are doing.
Later, mates.
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I think we were posting around the same time, Austin. Your salad sounds like a very pretty idea. And Corgi memes! I love persimmons, but it's hard to find really good ones in the regular grocery. Oh, and I use napa cabbage in my salads pretty often. My salad prepper is all about mixing it up for me. Sometimes I have so much stuff that I end up making stir-fry with some of the veggies.
FBC, I too am interested in your porridge. I like all the foods warm in a bowl when the weather turns cold.
Awesome plan for the day, Magic! Does your weekend start tomorrow?
Home, started laundry. Didn't make it to the grocery because I still have a couple hours of work to do so no cooking yet. I really hope by mid-January that things will be clicking and I can start taking at least one weekend day each week to keep up my housework and do some cooking, etc.
My day looked like this:
B - oats with berries, chia seeds, splash of almond milk
L - Dr. McDougall minestrone soup cup, 2 wasa crackers
D - big 'ol salad (green leaf, napa cabbage, arugula, radish, carrot, pickled onion, cauliflower, red pepper, green onions), with un-honey mustard dressing (cashew based), an apple
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5SSIGsYnNI