I need to get some better pics of me in it, but here's one after the bestie threw my "hood" on my head to see what it would actually look like. (It looks like i'm wearing a bit sorting hat from HP). hair is messy and my dress is a bit off center at the chest, but i'll get something new taken in it soon
SUCH a pretty dress!!! You look terrific! Was it anything like the dress you originally wanted??
Question of the Day for June 11
We are moving on to our next country: Japan! The Japanese pavilion in Epcot has my overall favorite shop in all of Epcot: The Mitsukoshi Department Store can be found in a replica of the coronation and ceremonial halls of Japan's Imperial Palace. Named for the oldest department store in the world, the original store goes back three centuries. Here you can find anything from anime books to kimonos to the most interesting Japanese snacks (like dried fish and milk soda chewy candy).
More pictures of all the interesting offerings can be found here.
So, let's talk about shopping: Tell us about what was the best thing that you bought for your healthy living progress! Or tell us what you plan to buy in the future or what you would love to buy. Or even all three!
Top three.... food scale (indispensible IMHO), bathroom scale ( I keep telling myself I should invest in a better one), Fitbit (great for reminding me that I haven't been NEARLY as active as I would like to think!!).
Question of the Day for June 12
We are still in Japan - and it is time to talk about food again! Don't worry, I am not going to ask you for Japanese recipes!! Let#s talk about a typical Japanese food tradition though, that can be adapted for western fare: the Bento Box!
The picture is from Tokyo Dining, one of the three restaurants in the Japan pavilion. They have a bento box on the menu and there it is a selection of different small plates - one could even think of it as Japanese tapas. However, generally the bento box is a food container packed at home or bought ready made for eating on the go. Or you could call it a fancy version of a lunch box!
Do you pack lunches (or other meals when you are on the go) to bring with you? What do you usually bring and what is your favorite?
I pack a lunch for work EVERY SINGLE DAY.... without fail, all during the school year AND during my summer job.... partially to help stay on plan, partially for budget reasons, and partially because there is virtually NO PLACE to get lunch around my school, other than the cafeteria (yuck) or a local min-market/sub and pizza shop (and that would take up the majority of my 20 minute lunch). I mostly bring soups and stews plus a piece of fruit during the cooler months (the majority of the school year).... I make up big batches on the weekends and freeze it into individual portions in mason jars (or recycled peanut butter jars).... super easy to grab, heat up, and then I can just throw the glass jar and spoon into the dishwasher (unlike plastic-ware, which I hand wash). Some of my favorites are lentil soup, broccoli cheddar soup (I lightened up a Panera recipe), curried carrot soup, chicken vegetable, and occasionally beef barley. On warmer days I sometimes switch it up and bring my usual breakfast food for lunch.... plain fat-free greek yogurt with frozen berries. Again, I can throw a portion into a glass jar and it is easy to tote, easy to eat, and easy to wash up at the end of the day!! I also like salads, but they are definitely more time consuming to make, so I have to think ahead and make those at night.
When I am REALLY in a pinch and the fridge/freezer seem empty, I open a can of beans (white beans, kidney beans, or chick peas) or take a portion from the freezer (I try to make my own beans from scratch and freeze them in 1 C portions) and put a serving or two on top of frozen green beans or fresh greens, or leftover cooked veggies.... add a little sauce/dressing/salsa/hummus, and warm for lunch. Surprisingly delicious!
Snacks for lunch aren't out of the realm either.... a string cheese, an apple, a serving of hummus with celery, and maybe some pretzels or a low carb pita bread..... not a big lunch, but something SUPER quick and easy to grab.
I very often pack up food for road trip days as well..... if I am heading out to visit DD (about a 2.5 hour drive each way) or if I know I'll be running errands through a meal, I pack a small cooler bag/lunch tote.... string cheese, apples and/or grapes and/or bananas, 100 calorie nut packs, PB2 on a low carb pita, instant oatmeal cups (you can get free hot water at places like McDonalds), a container of diced chicken breast (finger food), shelf-stable hummus snack packs (WW sells these now!!), healthy popcorn, and ALWAYS a water bottle full of cold fresh water from home!
Weekly check-in:
Worst week I've had since I've started and I have no idea why. Going back and looking at all my numbers and it doesn't really make sense. I started the month at 243 and the goal is to lose 14 lbs. Last Sunday I weighed in at 240 lbs - today I'm at 239.5. I lost .5 lbs this week. Overall I'm just 25% toward my goal.
I'm pretty pissed right now. I had so many opportunities to cheat this week food wise and I didn't once. Went to a couple graduation parties yesterday with tons of BBQ, desserts, and beer and all I had was bottled water. I didn't work this hard to only lose .5 lbs this week!!!
I'm due for a big drop - gonna go run and make it happen.
I just want to say this.... as I started reading about your worst week.... I was thinking..."oh, too bad... he must have had a small gain".... and then I realize that you lost! I pray that you aren't beating yourself up over this. YOU STILL LOST! Maybe not as much as you anticipated or wanted.... but it happens. And I'm SURE in the past you have had weeks where you lost more than expected/anticipated and you were pleasantly surprised, right? Well... this is the universe's way of balancing things out. Some times we do EVERYTHING RIGHT... and we aren't rewarded in the way we would like. But remember that EVERY PARTY you attended and stayed on plan at was a chance to reinforce these HEALTHY habits. Just like the kids you coach.... if they busted their butts in practice and did EVERYTHING right on the field and still lost the game, I'm SURE you wouldn't berate them for losing. Instead you would remind them that they are still learning and growing and that they did a GREAT job and that the NEXT TIME it would pay off! So Coach.... let me tell you the same thing.... YOU ARE DOING GREAT! You are taking charge of your life and your health and it IS paying off! Maybe not this week in the way that you wanted.... but it is and it WILL continue to pay off... it will pay off in additional years of your life to spend with your kids (and future grandkids).... more years with your loving spouse. YOU GOT THIS!!
I have the bento bowl that I got in Japan... I like to keep the protien separate when I take a salad then mix them when ready to eat. Now do I actually use it? Not lately and eating lunch "out" has been one of my downfalls lately, so I need to get back to taking my lunch. I looked at the other Bento boxes when I was just there but didn't get one and of course wish I had.
Over points again yesterday but much, much better on sugar consumption... The only sugar I had was in my Arnold Palmer at lunch, no candy or baked goods. It showed on the scale this morning, so woohoo!
Today I turn the dreaded 60, doesn't feel much different than 59 so I guess I'll be ok
. Nothing major planned, no cake that's for sure!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
I hope it was WONDERFUL!!! And remember.... 60 is the new 30, right??
Question of the Day for June 13:
A new week and a new country! We are moving to France today!
France is a country that often is associated with luxury goods: fashion, champagne, perfume and so on. While most of us would not have any interest to wear the clothes that are being shown at the couture fashion shows in Paris, small doses of "luxury" can be great as non food related treats now and then, a new book, a new mascara, a trip, a facial, new clothes - the list is long.
Do you use non food "luxury" treats consciously as a motivational tool? What are your favourite non food "luxuries"?
I would say clothing. Not that anything I buy is really "luxury" but things like splurging on a "new-to-me" dress (like the one I wore this past weekend) is a reward and my way of saying to myself.... "you deserve this... you've lost the weight and KEPT IT OFF.... so show it off!!". Yes, the dress was under $25 (which I think is high for a consignment shop, but it is a silk dress).... but that is a splurge for me. And I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't feeling GOOD about myself. I'm not big into any other things that most ladies like... facials, massages, mani-pedi... no thanks!
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Hey friends!!! Crazy whirlwind weekend is over! The graduation and wedding were wonderful, even if the weather was slightly less than cooperative (unseasonably cool temps, high winds, and rain showers off and on). Eating (for me anyhow) was SPOT ON during the "big day" (my ONLY splurge was the small slice of wedding cake sans frosting, no cocktails, no appetizers other than fruit, no starch with my main dish) but fell apart a little yesterday because my Mom (God bless her) bought a small birthday cake to celebrate my birthday a bit early (while we were all together) and then we ended up hanging around for pizza for dinner. So my perfectly on-plan breakfast/lunch yesterday ended with a small piece of cake (truly, very small), 1.5 slices of garlic mushroom white pizza, a light beer and a handful of tortilla chips. I guess it could have been worse! Glad I wrote it all out here because in hindsight it really doesn't seem like such a big disaster!
So much to get done here this week.... the last batch of graduation party invites MUST get into today's mail, I have to do my WW inventory and get that loaded online, and of course, the house is a DISASTER zone!
I did take another look at the scale Saturday morning and was rewarded with a WHOOSH number that I haven't seen in months and months!!!!!!! But honestly, I'm afraid it wasn't a "real" number and that if I report using that number I will end up rebounding upward next week. So I'm reporting in with my Friday number and if Saturday's number sticks around, I'll have a good report next week! So reporting in
60% progress so far this month!! Giving myself a cheering smilie for that one!!
Off and get busy!......................P
Going to work on making them lose again and hopefully too big so I can go buy smaller ones. I am not fashion person at all but just love new fresh basic clothes.
It took only one screening of the Impressions de France video at the pavilion to make me want to book a trip to France... and left a year ago today for London and Paris. (I am so sad to think it's been a year!). Sadly "real" France isn't quite Epcot France - Paris is a "sh!thole" as I so eloquently told my global business professor - but the provincial France area is great. The Monet Gardens and the surrounding areas of the provincial towns feel like you're literally in a real-life Beauty and the Beast town scene. We had lunch at this adorable tavern and enjoyed the rural areas more than the major city. And of course - Disneyland Paris was phenomenal 
