♪♫ Lost! - Coldplay
I finally have gotten around to writing another blog... and it wasn't several months later! Yay!
Well, I did it... I splurged for the LOST Temple set on DVD! I bid on an auction on eBay and didn't win, which made me really sad. I've been trying to get it for so long. I ended up sending a lowball offer to one of the listing I was watching and surprisingly it worked and I got it! It just arrived a couple weeks ago, and I tested all the discs to make sure they worked (they do). The set is in great condition. The novelty items weren't even opened! It looks like the person who owned it must have only watched it a bit and didn't bother with any of the bonuses. Some of the discs did have some superficial scratches (which is why I tested them), but 3/4 were completely scratch-less. I am so excited!
Speaking of LOST items... I also recieved the three LOST novels that I ordered, which were all in perfect condition. Yay! Also... I ordered the LOST: Messages from the Island book, which is a compilation of the best parts of LOST: The Official Magazine, which ended in 2010. It arrived last week, and its also in great condition. I'm having some good luck finding items for decent prices lately!
Truthfully, I have been a bit depressed lately. I have been struggling with my weight and health. I love sugary foods, and cutting them out of my diet has been hard. Overall, I am down 40lbs from my highest weight, but I have 65lbs to go, and it has been a major struggle. Now that I'm in my 30s, I have noticed that weight loss is much more difficult. I heard before that weight loss becomes more challenging with age, but I guess I thought I had more time before that would impact me. Before anyone says it: yes, I have been tracking calories. I use minimal oils/fats when cooking, and I don't drink my calories! I am hoping to be down to at least 185lbs by October, because I have some clothes that are 1-2 sizes too small that I would love to wear on my Europe trip.
Aside from weight loss struggles, I am also having digestive issues. They are slowly improving, but it has become clear due to multiple rounds of eliminating foods for a couple weeks at a time, that I am lactose intolerant. I initially thought it could be gluten, so I cut that out of my diet completely and strictly for two weeks, but felt no different at all. When I removed dairy? My digestive system worked amazingly for two weeks. I find it hard to give up dairy though... I love cheese! I will say that hard cheeses, like cheddar, don't upset my stomach too much in smaller doses (I guess hard cheese is naturally much lower in lactose), but I also love Greek yogurt, sour cream, the occassional ice cream... thankfully I switched to lactose-free Greek yogurt with no issue, but I haven't found any lactose-free sour cream or ice cream that tastes good. However, I purchased Lactaid pills last week, and so far they've been helping for when I eat dairy with lactose!
Another digestive issue I am facing is the massive increase in fiber that is now in my diet. My body wasn't used to eating so much produce, so its been causing discomfort. I am hoping that issue goes away soon! Thankfully I love veggies, and I used to be vegan and vegetarian, so I know how to make delicious meals with veggies. My issue, truly, is that I just love food in general... Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that at least my enjoyment of the meals is keeping me powering through the discomfort. If I hated veggies and was feeling discomfort, this would be so much more difficult.
When it comes to meals I have been making and eating, here are the main ones:
» Fruit smoothie for breakfast with oat milk, high protein Greek yogurt, honey, and a small amount of protein powder. I alternative between the banana/strawberries/blueberry combo and the banana/strawberries/peaches/mango combo.
» Overnight oats made with oat milk, chia seeds, ground flax seed, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, cinnamon, honey, and topped with almonds and banana slices.
» Ground turkey taco salad with a big pile of mixed baby greens, tomato, guacamole, salsa, black beans, sour cream, shredded cheese, some organic tortilla chips, and taco seasoning for the meat.
» Homemade ground turkey chili with green pepper, onion, garlic, shredded carrot, kidney beans, diced tomato, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
» African chicken peanut stew with basmati rice, made using sugar-free peanut butter, tomato sauce, red bell pepper, onion, and seasonings. The chicken is skin-on/bone-in chicken thighs, but I never like eating chicken skin, so I save calories by not eating that part.
» Beef stew made with double the carrots called for in the recipe, baby potatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings.
» Hummus plate, made with roasted red pepper hummus, carrot sticks, sliced bell pepper, cucumber slices, a bit of low fat feta cheese, and sliced up pita bread. The veggies are 2/3 of the meal.
» Ground turkey stuffed bell peppers, with rice, some shredded cheese, and seasonings.
» Low fat chicken/sausage gumbo. I use 1/2 the sausage the recipe calls for and extra chicken to make up for it. I also use 1/2 the oil the recipe calls for, and reduce the amount of floor used. My roux is smaller than what is typically used for the batch size, but I can't justify consuming that much oil/flour! The meal has green bell pepper, celery, onion, okra, garlic, seasonings, and I eat it with basmati rice mixed in.
I know these meals aren't 100% healthy, but it is a significant improvement. I figure that over time I will continue to alter these meals and discover new ones that are even healthier. I definitely need some new recipe ideas right now, because I'm getting a bit sick of the same meals all the time. I used to really enjoy cauliflower "wings" when I was vegan, so I think I'm going to make those soon with some veggies and ranch on the side for lunches. I also would like to try to make Thai red curry with veggies and tofu again. Every time I tried to make it before, it just didn't turn out for some reason. I want to get it right! The restaurant Thai red curry is so good... I don't know how they do it!
Although I am eating much healthier meals, I do still enjoy occassional treats. It isn't realistic to completely cut out junk food. I am aiming for 90% healthy, and 10% junk food. I have a bag of mini chocolate bars (60 calories a piece), and I have a couple of them every other day to keep sugar cravings at bay... and to keep my sanity haha. I also had a big slice of pizza last week for supper, and another night I had a McCrispy burger at McDonald's. I do count the calories of my treats too! That is why I only had the burger with zero calorie pop, and no fries on thes side... the burger is sadly 520 calories by itself! Eventually I'd like to limit my treats to only two sugary ones per week, and one junk food meal per week, but I am taking it slow.
Wow... what a rant, haha. I had so many thoughts to get out about my weight loss and health journey. I hope things improve in the next month or so. I feel like constant digestive issues for months and miminal weight loss will be too discouraging for me...
Another issue that I am experiencing is treating myself for low iron and low magnesium. The iron supplements have been fine. I purposefully purchased ones that are easy on the stomach due to past issues with iron supplements making me sick. I thought I had done the same for the magnesium supplements... but they have made me very sick. I have purchased a smaller dose and a less harsh type of magnesium, which I will start next week... for now I am taking a break from them so that I can feel better. What a rough time...
That is all I have for now! I will leave you with these whimsical circus press-on nails that I made for myself yesterday! Not sure when I am going to wear them... maybe for my birthday?
I finally have gotten around to writing another blog... and it wasn't several months later! Yay!
Well, I did it... I splurged for the LOST Temple set on DVD! I bid on an auction on eBay and didn't win, which made me really sad. I've been trying to get it for so long. I ended up sending a lowball offer to one of the listing I was watching and surprisingly it worked and I got it! It just arrived a couple weeks ago, and I tested all the discs to make sure they worked (they do). The set is in great condition. The novelty items weren't even opened! It looks like the person who owned it must have only watched it a bit and didn't bother with any of the bonuses. Some of the discs did have some superficial scratches (which is why I tested them), but 3/4 were completely scratch-less. I am so excited!
Speaking of LOST items... I also recieved the three LOST novels that I ordered, which were all in perfect condition. Yay! Also... I ordered the LOST: Messages from the Island book, which is a compilation of the best parts of LOST: The Official Magazine, which ended in 2010. It arrived last week, and its also in great condition. I'm having some good luck finding items for decent prices lately!
Truthfully, I have been a bit depressed lately. I have been struggling with my weight and health. I love sugary foods, and cutting them out of my diet has been hard. Overall, I am down 40lbs from my highest weight, but I have 65lbs to go, and it has been a major struggle. Now that I'm in my 30s, I have noticed that weight loss is much more difficult. I heard before that weight loss becomes more challenging with age, but I guess I thought I had more time before that would impact me. Before anyone says it: yes, I have been tracking calories. I use minimal oils/fats when cooking, and I don't drink my calories! I am hoping to be down to at least 185lbs by October, because I have some clothes that are 1-2 sizes too small that I would love to wear on my Europe trip.
Aside from weight loss struggles, I am also having digestive issues. They are slowly improving, but it has become clear due to multiple rounds of eliminating foods for a couple weeks at a time, that I am lactose intolerant. I initially thought it could be gluten, so I cut that out of my diet completely and strictly for two weeks, but felt no different at all. When I removed dairy? My digestive system worked amazingly for two weeks. I find it hard to give up dairy though... I love cheese! I will say that hard cheeses, like cheddar, don't upset my stomach too much in smaller doses (I guess hard cheese is naturally much lower in lactose), but I also love Greek yogurt, sour cream, the occassional ice cream... thankfully I switched to lactose-free Greek yogurt with no issue, but I haven't found any lactose-free sour cream or ice cream that tastes good. However, I purchased Lactaid pills last week, and so far they've been helping for when I eat dairy with lactose!
Another digestive issue I am facing is the massive increase in fiber that is now in my diet. My body wasn't used to eating so much produce, so its been causing discomfort. I am hoping that issue goes away soon! Thankfully I love veggies, and I used to be vegan and vegetarian, so I know how to make delicious meals with veggies. My issue, truly, is that I just love food in general... Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that at least my enjoyment of the meals is keeping me powering through the discomfort. If I hated veggies and was feeling discomfort, this would be so much more difficult.
When it comes to meals I have been making and eating, here are the main ones:
» Fruit smoothie for breakfast with oat milk, high protein Greek yogurt, honey, and a small amount of protein powder. I alternative between the banana/strawberries/blueberry combo and the banana/strawberries/peaches/mango combo.
» Overnight oats made with oat milk, chia seeds, ground flax seed, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, cinnamon, honey, and topped with almonds and banana slices.
» Ground turkey taco salad with a big pile of mixed baby greens, tomato, guacamole, salsa, black beans, sour cream, shredded cheese, some organic tortilla chips, and taco seasoning for the meat.
» Homemade ground turkey chili with green pepper, onion, garlic, shredded carrot, kidney beans, diced tomato, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
» African chicken peanut stew with basmati rice, made using sugar-free peanut butter, tomato sauce, red bell pepper, onion, and seasonings. The chicken is skin-on/bone-in chicken thighs, but I never like eating chicken skin, so I save calories by not eating that part.
» Beef stew made with double the carrots called for in the recipe, baby potatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings.
» Hummus plate, made with roasted red pepper hummus, carrot sticks, sliced bell pepper, cucumber slices, a bit of low fat feta cheese, and sliced up pita bread. The veggies are 2/3 of the meal.
» Ground turkey stuffed bell peppers, with rice, some shredded cheese, and seasonings.
» Low fat chicken/sausage gumbo. I use 1/2 the sausage the recipe calls for and extra chicken to make up for it. I also use 1/2 the oil the recipe calls for, and reduce the amount of floor used. My roux is smaller than what is typically used for the batch size, but I can't justify consuming that much oil/flour! The meal has green bell pepper, celery, onion, okra, garlic, seasonings, and I eat it with basmati rice mixed in.
I know these meals aren't 100% healthy, but it is a significant improvement. I figure that over time I will continue to alter these meals and discover new ones that are even healthier. I definitely need some new recipe ideas right now, because I'm getting a bit sick of the same meals all the time. I used to really enjoy cauliflower "wings" when I was vegan, so I think I'm going to make those soon with some veggies and ranch on the side for lunches. I also would like to try to make Thai red curry with veggies and tofu again. Every time I tried to make it before, it just didn't turn out for some reason. I want to get it right! The restaurant Thai red curry is so good... I don't know how they do it!
Although I am eating much healthier meals, I do still enjoy occassional treats. It isn't realistic to completely cut out junk food. I am aiming for 90% healthy, and 10% junk food. I have a bag of mini chocolate bars (60 calories a piece), and I have a couple of them every other day to keep sugar cravings at bay... and to keep my sanity haha. I also had a big slice of pizza last week for supper, and another night I had a McCrispy burger at McDonald's. I do count the calories of my treats too! That is why I only had the burger with zero calorie pop, and no fries on thes side... the burger is sadly 520 calories by itself! Eventually I'd like to limit my treats to only two sugary ones per week, and one junk food meal per week, but I am taking it slow.
Wow... what a rant, haha. I had so many thoughts to get out about my weight loss and health journey. I hope things improve in the next month or so. I feel like constant digestive issues for months and miminal weight loss will be too discouraging for me...
Another issue that I am experiencing is treating myself for low iron and low magnesium. The iron supplements have been fine. I purposefully purchased ones that are easy on the stomach due to past issues with iron supplements making me sick. I thought I had done the same for the magnesium supplements... but they have made me very sick. I have purchased a smaller dose and a less harsh type of magnesium, which I will start next week... for now I am taking a break from them so that I can feel better. What a rough time...
That is all I have for now! I will leave you with these whimsical circus press-on nails that I made for myself yesterday! Not sure when I am going to wear them... maybe for my birthday?
I've been struggling with weight loss lately as well. I was thin all my life until I hit my 30s, and a combination of things caused me to gain weight: I'm on medication for bipolar that increases my appetite, I stopped being as active I used to be due to knee problems, and I think my metabolism just slowed down as well. Now I'm heavier than I've ever been, and it's hard to stick to a good routine for both eating healthier and exercising, but I'm trying! I wish you luck with your weight loss journey. It sounds like you're on the right track. I think it's important not to completely deprive yourself, so it's good that you're still allowing yourself treats at times.
ReplyDeleteThose nails are gorgeous!! I love them!
I love when I can find good deals on stuff I've had a hard time getting ahold of. Sometimes I don't mind spending a little bit more depending on what it is.
ReplyDeleteWeight is always hard. I tend to stick around the same weight. I did lose a bunch a couple years ago but that's cause of illness and not the recommended way XD. Though I did sadly gain some of that back. But it looks like you're doing pretty much what you should. Don't be so hard on yourself!
Sorry about the stomach problems and stuff. Least looks like your finding ways to improve that. I was taking some iron supplements my doctor subscribed at one point but they made me constipated too much so I just get infusions for my low iron. Glad they aren't bothering you though.
Try to take care!