Optimistic October
Mihani
Posts: 4,102 Member
Mornin' Ladies (and Scott if you stop by) and hello October!
As I mentioned I have had some slips lately not eating quite as well and missing workout classes. It stops now! I don't care what is going on at the office I have to keep up with my classes because they seem to be a catalyst for keeping everything else in line.
I was chatting with a friend about something though, and I am not sure my thoughts about it are fully formed, but I think the novelty of the classes is starting to wear off and it's all more routine, and maybe my brain needs something else new. So I'm going to look into some classes at the local art studio. I've never been good at arts and crafts type things but the classes are cheap and it is something new to challenge and engage my brain with something other than work.
I have kale and collards which I plan to cook up with garlic and onion. Also got cucumber, yellow squash, peppers, red onion, and celery to mix up with a variety of beans (probably kidney, pinto and baby lima) and toss with a dressing (need to find a good one for bean salad if anyone has suggestions). I'll top my lettuce with the bean salad this week. Also going to make a batch of mashed potatoes. Stick to IF with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli or peas around 11 am, salad for lunch around 3 pm, workout or treadmill when I get home and have a smoothie before 7 pm.
As I mentioned I have had some slips lately not eating quite as well and missing workout classes. It stops now! I don't care what is going on at the office I have to keep up with my classes because they seem to be a catalyst for keeping everything else in line.
I was chatting with a friend about something though, and I am not sure my thoughts about it are fully formed, but I think the novelty of the classes is starting to wear off and it's all more routine, and maybe my brain needs something else new. So I'm going to look into some classes at the local art studio. I've never been good at arts and crafts type things but the classes are cheap and it is something new to challenge and engage my brain with something other than work.
I have kale and collards which I plan to cook up with garlic and onion. Also got cucumber, yellow squash, peppers, red onion, and celery to mix up with a variety of beans (probably kidney, pinto and baby lima) and toss with a dressing (need to find a good one for bean salad if anyone has suggestions). I'll top my lettuce with the bean salad this week. Also going to make a batch of mashed potatoes. Stick to IF with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli or peas around 11 am, salad for lunch around 3 pm, workout or treadmill when I get home and have a smoothie before 7 pm.
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In September, I lost 3 lbs of my 6-lb goal. Ruby not being able to walk in the park anymore upset my routine and not exercising is always a disaster. I used her injury as an excuse and while I kept up the walks around the property for the dogs, it isn't enough to work its magic on me. I need to really work up a sweat on the treadmill, at least 3 times a week.
In October, I am going to prioritize my workouts. I need to reduce the number of dates and nuts I'm eating. No date-nut based desserts and the problem will be solved.
I've been avoiding dealing with all of the appointments and things I need to do before our trip this winter. Now that it is October, technically we are going to Mexico NEXT MONTH!!! (the very end but still).
Mihani, I think you're onto something with classes becoming routine and no longer giving the same effect. Switching things up can be good. I hope you find a class that you enjoy.
Donna, how is candle making going? I bought a box of soy wax pellets and wicks, but got distracted and didn't get into it. I'd love to see some of your happy candles! and cards. you make such gorgeous cards.
Spring, I would be knocking people over left and right in a class like that! If I do try a group class, I'm thinking aqua fit, because I'm imagining with all of the frothing water, no one will be able to see what I'm doing. (and if I punch someone under water, it won't hurt them as much!)
today
smoothie w/ greens & strawberries, half banana, almond milk
mixed greens salad with red wine vinaigrette, then smaller portion of garbanzo bean pasta w/ tofu, walnut parm
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Love ❤️ the name! Optimistic October!
My birthday 🥳 10/13!
Taking the next 3 Mondays off vacay days!
That gives me three, 5 day weekends!
Goals :
1 walk Lulu twice a day
2 sauna 30 minutes
3 pool time 45 minutes
Today’s menu
Coffee ☕️ with Nutpod
Oatmeal grape nuts blueberries soy milk
Ezekiel sandwich LTO Gardein small Be’f burger 🍔
Bean corn vegetable salad
Ninja Creami pumpkin
Have a delicious day everyone!
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Mihani, I would love to take a craft class, let us know what you decide! I would also like to hear more details about your bean salad. Some sort of balsamic dressing would be nice, I think.
Carla, I know what you mean, hard to make yourself do it sometimes. Hang in there!
Marilyn, thanks for posting recipe!
I have increase my walking to about two miles a day now. I think I'm getting a little stronger but it's at least due to the cooler mornings we're having. I try to get out as early as possible. If I wait too late, people keep trying to give me a ride. I love that people are so kind--they see an older woman walking with a cane and want to help, but it can really break my walk up, lol. I wish I could lose weight a little faster but I'm just happy to have lost a little.1 -
Day 1 of 1st five day weekend
Walk Lulu💚
Sauna 💚
Pool
Walk Lulu
Today’s menu
Coffee with Nutpod
Usual cereal oats, grape nuts, blueberries, flax meal, cinnamon, soy milk
Gardein b’f burger on Ezekiel bread with LTO KETCHUP
CORN and bean salad lowering calorie density by adding more celery, red bell pepper and lettuce
Pumpkin Ninja creami!
Have a delicious day y’all!1 -
Esmer, nice job on your walks! I have a recipe for a red wine vinaigrette that I enjoy I bet it would be nice if you subbed in the balsamic for the red wine vinegar. Actually, I like that Idea. I'm going to try it next time.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup cashews, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then drained
1/3 cup fresh water
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp coconut aminos
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic peeled
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt (opt., to taste)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
Drain cashews. Put all ingredients into a blender.
Hope you enjoy your 5 day weekend, Nanc! I'm sure Lulu will too.
So, I got my period yesterday and woke up 2.7 pounds lighter. Too bad it was one day too late for my official weigh-in! I guess it will make for a good number in October.
I had an excellent food day yesterday, following through on my plan and not having any snacks or sweets. It was a recovery day from exercise, aside from a few walks with the dogs.
Today:
oatmeal w/ banana, blueberries, walnuts
mixed greens salad with tomatoes and a vinaigrette
3/4 cup cooked garbanzo bean pasta with sauce, baked tofu & walnut parmesan
1/2 a large apple
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Spring, water aerobics sounds like fun to me. I love the water but haven't really done any swimming in years because I refuse to wear a swimsuit. A few years ago I started seeing swim shorts and definitely going to get some of those and do some swimming next summer. My brother has a pool at his condo.
Esmer, two miles a day is excellent! That is funny people stop to offer you a ride. I think a vinaigrette sounds good. I would like to try the recipe Carla posted but I am fresh out of cashews. I may make it without the cashews and see how it turns out. This is just an experiment I don't have a recipe for it or anything. I wanted kidney beans but I'm out of those so I think I'll use pinto beans, chickpeas and black beans. Mix with chopped celery, red onion, red pepper, english cucumber, fresh cilantro, add the dressing and let the flavors combine. I'm guessing it will be good for 4 days.
Carla, I like the sound of that recipe. Not so sweet as some. I love the Shane & Simple vinaigrette but when I used it on pasta salad realized it was too sweet for that. Yay for dropping those pounds. I used to gain and lose 5 pounds or more from the monthly. Ugh!
Nanc, enjoy your long weekend!
Have to get some laundry going and get more work done, make the potatoes and cook the greens. Here it is after 1:00 already. Yeesh. Where does the time go?
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Mihani, if you have walnuts, you could try those. The fat in the nuts goes a long way for the flavor.
Yesterday I didn't have my salad before dinner because I forgot all about it!
I am down another pound this morning. Not going to complain about that!
I think we have one more night of spaghetti already prepped. We get 4 meals for the two of us out of one recipe. If I remember, I'll start with a salad.
(Spanish is going well, Spring
Four video classes so far. Much harder to actually use the language. That's when you realize you don't know what you think you know. )
okay, i'm off to make this day a good one!1 -
Day 2 of my 5-day weekend.
water bottle before coffee #win
walked Lulu #win
sauna for 30 minutes #win
working on the kitchen today and then pool time! Did not walk Lulu twice yesterday...and no pool. Will try to improve that today!
water
coffee with NP
oatmeal, the usual
Gardein Be'f burger, the small ones...they still have them at Whole Foods...on ezekiel bread with LTO and ketchup
apple honey crisp
Trader Joe's GF quinoa tortillas with TJs dairy-free parm shreds with hatch green chili ...made into quesadilla...side of frozen green beans, steamable bag bird's eye
dessert: green smoothie (spinach, banana, blueberries, organic unsweetened soy milk, maple syrup) turned into Ninja Creami.
Have a delicious day everyone.
Congrats on your weight loss Carla.
I am down NINE pounds...what a frickin battle! Finally into a new decade!2 -
magic71755 wrote: »I am down NINE pounds...what a frickin battle! Finally into a new decade!
Big congrats on that, Nanc!!! Way to fight that frickin battle!2 -
Change of menu for me...
Just had 10oz package of frozen green beans (steamable bag, Bird's Eye) and small baked potato.
So, dinner will be either the quesadilla or the burger.
Same dessert.
Oh and an apple.
Thanks, Carla. Next knee replacement February 2023...would like to be in the 135...I have a ways to go.1 -
Way to go Nanc and Carla! Slow and steady wins the race as they say. It has taken me over 3 months to lose 13 pounds, but it is coming off. I fear it is just going to keep getting slower the closer I get to my goal. That's why I keep telling myself my real goal is to be strong, because the scale is not always my friend.
Stuck to plan so far today!
B - mashed potatoes with greens
L - big ol' salad
D - will be a smoothie after PT
I changed up the potatoes. I was out of plant milk so I just reserved more of the cooking water to mash them and I think they are just fine without the milk. I may even like them better. I threw two bunches of chopped kale in the pot during the last 5 minutes of cooking so the greens would wilt in. Then I mashed everything up with garlic and onion powder, nooch, black pepper, TJ's 21 seasoning salute. Really good! It seems like it is a lot easier to stick to plan when I have some potatoes to eat every day.
Was feeling too tired to mess with dressing so I just used a jar of salsa in the "bean salad" which was very good on a big pile of lettuce for lunch. I was too full to eat my planned snack of an apple and a few walnut halves.
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Good morning sweet peas!Day 3 of my 5-day weekend. I loved my day off yesterday. If I could afford it, I would do it permanently.
Just finished walk with LULU...did not get to the second one yesterday...we had intense dust winds...horrible...so we hunkered down and watched from the safety of our home.
Did have one bottle water before coffee...that is day two of my new habit. 2/2
Love your mashed potato and greens recipe @Mihani . My dad always made spinach and mashed potatoes...how funny...very eastern European, I think.
Today's Menu: Easy peasy!
watercoffee with NP
quinoa tortilla quesadilla with hatch green chili (TJs) and TJs dairy free parm shreds
potato and broc or potato and green beans or potato and spinach!
my usual Gardein Be'f Burger..the small one...old style package...130 cal each. Very hard to find. They upped their game to keep up with the Impossible and Beyond. Too much for me...I love the little ones. Taste like they are straight from the bbq when made in the air fryer.
green smoothie Ninja creami for dessert
Off to the sauna...home for awhile and then mani/pedi
Have a delicious day everyone!
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Mihani, art classes sound like fun. I've been trying to find something around me but haven't had much luck yet. You've reminded me that I have a huge bunch of kale to cook up, probably tomorrow. I may take an aqua class one day, but I don't have a one-piece bathing suit, and I don't think I'd be comfortable with the skirt on the two-piece floating up in the water the whole time. When I get close enough to my goal weight I'm going to go out and get a new suit that I can wear for these classes.
Carla, October is also my month to prioritize workouts. Now that my back is feeling better, not 100% yet but good enough to workout, I decided to get a routine into place. LMAO about punching under water not hurting so much!! So true. Thanks for the vinaigrette recipe, it sounds delicious.
I just tried a step & sculpt class at the gym this morning. It was fun even though my steps were totally out of whack with everyone else's. I signed up for Thursday and Saturday too, figured I'd give it a try for a week. It was a really good workout and I think I'm going to be sore tomorrow (but in a good way).
Magic, 5 day weekends are awesome! Congrats on the NINE lb loss, that's quite an accomplishment.
Marilyn, that's an interesting recipe - I've never heard of using stewed tomatoes for a sauce.
Esmer, two miles a day is great. Our weather here is getting cooler too, but since I joined the gym I've been using the treadmill instead of walking outside. I actually prefer to walk outside but feel like I have to get my money's worth, LOL.0 -
Great job getting in some water before coffee, Magic. I do the same... drink a big glass while I get the boy his breakfast and get coffee started. I pretty much add greens to everything I can these days. I figure the more greens the better!
Spring, glad you are enjoying classes so far. I had to bail on tonight's class again. We have a bunch of crazy things going on at the office that are all due in the next week and not a single one is going smoothly. I'll hit the treadmill here to make up for it because I'm pretty sore from PT last night and not sure I want to do strength tonight.
Mostly stuck to plan today, same as yesterday, except I got into the pretzels at work. Completely stress eating wasn't hungry and didn't need them. I was thinking of trying to run to the grocery tonight but I'm really tired and stressed out right now and might just go right to bed after treadmill.
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Hi all, still crazed at work and having trouble with the snack monster. The salty crunchy is my go to. I'm going to take Saturday completely off work though. Classes, cleaning, cooking. I'm going to do a full on Mary's Mini starting Sunday because it's always a good way to get myself back on track.
Treadmill and an early bedtime tonight!
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Hola amigos!
Spring, nice work trying out that class and signing up for more. I hope your class today goes well!
I remember those little burgers, Magic. They would be great in the air fryer. I love you and Lulu having 5 days weekends. I wish you could do that all the time, too!
I'm glad you're taking Saturday for yourself, Mihani. How's your doggo feeling lately?
Yesterday I got in around 7500 steps by walking the dogs, but otherwise took it easy. My heel is hurting from my treadmill workout 2 days ago. I think I can get away with a workout today again if I wear shoes with a lower heel that don't press on it as I run.
Not much to report. We're having day 2 of stir fry with homemade sauce. we had it with noodles instead of quinoa yesterday & probably will again today.
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Mihani, glad you're taking a day off on Saturday, it seems you work 7 days a week most weeks. What's Mary's Mini?
Marilyn, that second recipe is what I'm used to for a pasta sauce, crushed tomatoes, yes!
Carla, between your homemade sauce and Marilyn, your recipes, I think I have to get my DH to make some of his homemade sauce next week.
Tuesday it seemed like I was a step and a half behind the instructor and other students in the class, today only seemed like one step behind most of the time, so these classes just might work out for me. Except my right bicep hurts - actually they both hurt but the left one hurts in a "got a good workout" way and the right one hurts in a "may have gone to far" way; not sure how that happened. I iced it earlier so hopefully by tomorrow it'll feel better.
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I managed a workout on the treadmill this morning, but my heel wasn't all that happy about it and it's pretty sore now. I ordered a brace to stretch it at night and some compression socks for daytime that will be here on Sunday.
We haven't done our full meal rotation but we're making pasta anyway. It's easy and we like it so it helps us stay on track over the weekend.
have a good weekend, all!0 -
Spring, hope you are feeling better. And yay for classes seeming easier to follow. Mary's Mini is a very simplified version of Dr. McDougall's starch solution. It's kind of designed to keep you full but blast cravings away. I have done it a few times, and still try to keep some potatoes in my days most of the time. It's easy for me because I looove potatoes and can eat them every day without any problem.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/information/marys-mini-mcdougall-diet/
Carla, funny you should ask about the boy just now. He was so sick last night. Not sure what was wrong but he does tend to have tummy troubles sometimes. Labs often do, in my experience. So that was my treat this morning, to clean up the floors before work. Keeping him on a bland diet for a couple days. You are doing awesome keeping up with the walking and exercise!
Tonight is pita pizza. Yum! Then my usual 3 Saturday classes in the morning so I need to get to bed early.
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Carla, I hope the brace and socks help out with the heel.
Mihani, my arm is feeling much better this evening, thanks. I think I'll be okay for class tomorrow, I'll just use the lightest weights so as not to stress the muscle. I figure by next Tuesday I should be able to go back to heavier weights.
Thanks for the info on Mary's Mini, I'm going to check it out. I love potatoes too!
Have a great weekend everyone!
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That pasta sauce looks incredible! Makes me look forward to spring tomatoes. Busy week this week but so far I've managed to walk three days (MWF) so far. Does anyone have exciting plans for the weekend?
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Carla... name change for Ruby or Radar?
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Made it through my 3 classes this morning. It was awesome and I'm dying. LOL
Going to have a smoothie with plant protein powder, then a nap. After that I will get on work I brought home from the office and do laundry.
Spring, glad your arm is better. Let us know how class goes today.
Carla, I have compression dress socks for work because sometimes my ankles swell like crazy. If that happens I wear them for a few days and it gets better for a good while after that. Yum, pasta! Are you still using the bean pasta?
Esmer, awesome job on the walking this week!
I didn't get to making the pita pizza last night but will do that tonight. For those who haven't heard my "invention" I mash up a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans, add a can of tomato sauce, italian spices and extra garlic. Spread ezekiel pitas with the sauce then add toppings and sprinkle with nooch, bake on a parchment lined baking sheet until toasty. Toppings are going to be red onion, baby spinach, sliced black olives, sliced banana peppers. I know the olives are a bit too much of the salty but I do drain and rinse them at least. I love olives of any variety.
Breakfast was oats with 1/2 cup frozen cherries (sweet and tart mix) and a few walnut halves to fuel my workouts this morning. Lunch a smoothie and probably a bagel. I need FOOD after all those classes in a row.
Nanc, how you doing? How's Lulu?
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Mihani, I am sorry to hear about your sick pup. Poor baby has had a rough year. I hope he's doing better on the bland food.
How did today's class go, Spring? It sounds like you're catching on quickly.
Great job on your walks Esmer. Maybe you can get a t-shirt made up that says Ï need to walk for my health' or something like that for days when you just want to get through a walk and keep the rhythm going. Sounds like a nice friendly place to live
Nance, what are you going to get up to with your upcoming 5 day weekend?
@bisky miss seeing you here. How are you doing?
I keep forgetting to have a salad before dinner. It is ridiculous. I even made a sign for the fridge but somehow we don't notice it at dinner time. Maybe now that I've remarked on it I'll manage to remember.
Spaghetti for dinner. After a salad! Unsure what to do for my foot. I want to keep moving but don't want to injure it. I might just go on a few slow walks around the property with the doggos to keep moving for the next few days and then try the TM again on Monday if things are feeling good.
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LOL @ 5 Miles
and I would get to say that I walk 5 Miles three times a day!
Yes, bean pasta from now on though I think we have half a case of whole wheat that we should go through eventually. Easiest upgrade/trade ever.
3 Classes?! crazy woman!! way to rock it
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Esmer, great job getting the walks in. I've been a little lax with the walking since starting the gym classes. I need to get back into it.
Mihani, 5-mile dog LOL. 3 classes with how much you work, wow, I aspire to your energy!
Carla, try putting your salad sign on top of your plates. That way you'd have to actually move the sign in order to use the plate for the other food.
Class went well today. We had a different instructor, lots of fun and, even though my arm felt better, I went with the lightest weights just to play it safe. Should be able to go back to the heavier ones on Tuesday.
I found out something new about the class schedule today - there are a number of classes that have a red "register" circle next to them and I thought that those were the only ones available for the month. One of the women I met in the step classes told me today that all of the other classes are also available but are just walk-in, you don't have to register ahead of time for them because they're in the big gym rooms. I learn something new every week!0
