Everyday Systems

sibyl

I don't know about the standing desk idea...

I worked retail and stood around all day long and by the end of the day my knees just quit on me. Of course, I often worked 12-13 hour days, too. Maybe standing for just 8 isn't so bad. Or if I had something to lean on or rest on, like a stool or ...

sibyl

Go Mz Merry Kat!!

sibyl

The older I get, the more I find a savoury breakfast (bread, meat/egg, cheese) with a little fruit is the best kind of breakfast. Having muffins, or bread with jam, or other sweet things just isn't as satisfying.

I wanted to add a cereal caveat. In the winter, when its cold, I like having hot ...

sibyl

Daisy:

I honestly have no idea how to make the peas and bananas salad. I think it invovles tinned peas, as opposed to frozen or fresh, and I know it has mayo, bananas, and salt & pepper, but if there are other ingredients (and in what proportions) I don't know. The aunts make it. :) Its kind of a ...

sibyl

I haven't had cereal for breakfast in years. I have the same (similar) issue as Carole - it gets soggy way too fast, and I can't stand milk. Having a pile of soggy grain products in a bowl of room temperature milk is not appetizing in the least. The only time I ever eat cereal any more is dry, as a ...

sibyl

Yep. For example, the apple sandwich. You peel off the outside skin and slice it long-ways. You put mayo, not Miracle Whip, on the bread. Lay the apple slices on one slice of the bread, maybe sprinkle a little salt if you like, and put the other slice on top and enjoy. It is a crunchy, sweet/tart ...

sibyl

:lol:

I'm not trying to earn any 'stars', Deb. Just trying to prove to myself that I'm in charge, not my body. My body's been calling the shots for far too long in my life.

Like I said, just an experiment.

Thanks, though. Its nice to have people saying 'eat something' instead of 'you're eating ...

sibyl

Hrm.

Weekdays:
Breakfast about 7 am.
Lunch (scheduled) is 12 pm.
Supper is any time after 6 pm, usually by 8 pm.

Weekends:
Breakfast about 10 am
Supper about 7-8 pm
Maybe a snack around 3, maybe not. Usually something sweet or salty in the evening.
*or*
I 'graze' all day, with lots of mini-meals ...

sibyl

Now if only I had toys/suffed animals or a background pic to change! :lol:

I've found this week that I simply cannot go from breakfast to dinner without eating something - my head gets fuzzy and I can't concentrate on anything (blood sugar dropping too much?), which might be okay if I was at home ...

sibyl

:lol:
Wow, Deb, I didn't realize my little problem would turn into such a long (and interesting) post.

Nope, all I do at work all day is sit in front of the computer and run reports and push paper. None of it is physical, unless you could running to the printer to grab your stuff before someone ...

sibyl

I added it all up, and it seems I only walked about 22 miles the week I was there (not counting going in circles in the museams, art galleries, shops, etc).
Doesn't seem like a lot at all, written out like that. Then again, I was 'wandering', not power walking, and the important thing was that I was ...

sibyl

I think, from wandering all over Vancouver, that there are more crows there than pigeons or seagulls.
Highlights:
*finding a home-made 'ident card' for a "Private Eye Super Spy License" for a little girl named Cecila. She'd drawn a badge and a picture and everything on it. Sadly, it was lying on the ...

sibyl

I've thought of going for a walk at lunch instead of having lunch. The beauty of the new office rules is that we can no longer eat at our desks, so I can't do both.
Its just right now they're in the middle of construction (our half of the building is done, but not the other one), and I don't fancy ...

sibyl

Last year I participated in NaNoWriMo, and I'm going to this year again.
Basically, the challenge is to write 50,000 words of a novel (i.e. one coherant or at least semi-coherant storyline) in 30 days (the month of November). Works out to about 1700 words a day. Why? Because we can. And if we can't ...

sibyl

Oh, this is good. I can't justify buying a pedometer right now, and trying to figure out how far I've walked with maps and rulers and calculators is a pain in the behind.
I did so much walking in Vancouver and I'd really like to figure out how far I acutally went.

sibyl

Berries. Melon. Cherries.
I could stuff myself to explosion levels on any of those. Fortunately they aren't cheap. :wink:

I also like pears, and banannas (if they aren't too ripe), and oranges, and grapefruit, and nectarines, and peaches, and nectarines, and sweet green grapes, and concord grapes ...

sibyl

I've had peanut butter and cheddar cheese (the really sharp kind). It wasn't bad. Better than pickles, any way...

(which I eat with cream cheese, so who am I to talk?)

sibyl

I love fruit, all sorts of fruit. But my absolute favourites are melons, especially watermelon, and berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, currants, blackberries, cranberries, etc. etc.
When I was in Vancouver I noticed blackberry bushes everywhere: in parks, on the side of the road, on ...

sibyl

Okay, so I was on vacation in BC (Vancouver, to be exact) and I went for a long walk every single day. I also only had two meals a day, as the trip budget was stretched as it was. Breakfast at the B&B around 8 or 9 am, and then some kind of supper anywhere between 3 and 8 pm. And you know what? I ...

sibyl

Ha, Deb.

I'm flying to Vancouver. My arms are sure going to be tired by the time I get there, though.

sibyl

Oh, I'm still around. Its just that work got insane with the moving offices and suchlike.

Hey, if I'm just a lowly hobbit that's alright with me. They knew how to eat and move and have good clean fun (although I think they were on the 6 meal a day plan, not 3 ;D)

sibyl

So my holidays start Saturday. As I will be relying on public transportation, I suspect I will be doing a LOT of Urban Rangering. There is something to be said about not having a car that forces you to move...

sibyl

You might like this Eowyn Challenge, that tells you how far you've travelled, as if you were walking from Bag End to Rivendell.

I confess that I don't keep good enough track of my steps, so I have no idea how far I've walked. I'm probably not out of the Shire yet, though.

sibyl

Hey, good job with the exercising.
I haven't been doing nearly enough myself - I'm always 'too tired' or 'too busy' or whatever.
So you missed a couple of days - now you're back into it. Yay!

sibyl

Hey, the park-in-the-backyard thing sounds like my Aunt's place. She used to babysit me and my brother (or her kids did - they were much older than us) - and we used to take off from the backyard into the park all the time. There were trees to play in, a baseball diamond, a playground set with ...

sibyl

July 22nd - NoS day

I can't remember what I ate. Isn't that terrible? Worked a 12 hour day getting caught up on all my backlog of work, as the office is moving in four (count 'em) days, and they don't want to move anything they don't absolutely have too. I do know I went to the parents for dinner ...

sibyl

*giggle*
I have a picture of you walking about the office with one hand clutching coffee and/or a report, and the other one holding up your pants. :lol:

That's awesome, though, that you'd have enough of a change that you need new (smaller!) clothes!

Also, I am very glad to hear you are feeling ...

sibyl

Poor Richard! I mean, a stuffy nose and cough and lethargy is bad enough - but when everyone else is outside enjoying the sunshine its even worse! Here's hoping with some rest and great TLC from mom, he'll be up and racing around in no time.
I hope you guys enjoyed your cakes. That carrot cake ...

sibyl

I've found, over the past few weeks, that now when my body tells me its hungry or whatever, it usually means it. The "I'm bored" or "I'm upset" substitution hunger signals are less frequent, and also more easily distinguished.
That is, I am now more confident in listening to my body, because I'm ...

sibyl

Peanut butter and jam sandwiches.
Meat (ham, bologna, salami, whatever) and cheese sandwiches.
Cheese (hard or spreadable cream cheese) sandwiches.
Bagels.
Muffins.
Toaster waffles or pancakes with fruit.
I used to have pop tarts, but not any more. Maybe on a weekend.

I usually have any one of the ...

sibyl

July 21st (day 2) - No S Day

B = cinnamon raisin bagel w/ cream cheese; tea, clear
L = plain bagel w/ cream cheese & peach jam; water
S = big bowl of greek salad; water

Lunch was supposed to be a plate of charity lunch stuff, but the charity lunch was cancelled at the last minute and I had brought ...

sibyl

Thanks for the smiles everybody. It wasn't just the melon - it was the whole huge meal. But yeah, I guess a little extra melon and fish isn't as bad as snacks and candy and whatever else. And its not like I said "oh I screwed up so I can now have X and Y and three things of Z".
I'm very stressed out ...

sibyl

Starting over.

Sigh.

Almost a month gone, too.

Breakfast and Lunch Monday was perfect No-S

Then I went to my parents for dinner, as did my brother. My dad went all out making dinner for the 'whole family'. Smoked fish & rye bread to start. Pasta and ceasar salad for dinner. And loads of melon ...

sibyl

So today I walked to my (first ever) writer's group meeting. I didn't know it, but downtown was hosting an "Art on the Street" event. There were little tents and booths everywhere with paintings, carvings, photographs, hand-crafts, fibre art, jewelry, etc., etc. I couldn't spend much time looking ...

sibyl

Thanks for the lovely compliments everyone.

July 15th - success

B = crackers & peanut butter (I'm all out of bread); iced tea
L = pasta primavera, pear; iced tea
S = BBQ ham steak, ceasar salad, lime nachos & salsa; water

To make up for the tiny dinner the night before, last night's dinner was ...

sibyl

Oh, and since everyone else is posting pictures of themselves, I thought I'd jump off that bridge too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/sibyl_star/Home2/sandy.jpg

This is the picture I based my avatar doll off of. Its part of a larger group photo of the family, but this part's the only one ...

sibyl

July 14th - success

B = turkey wrap; iced tea
L = cheese and ham pizza, pear; iced tea
S = half an 'everything' bagel with chicken salad, lettuce, & tomato, dill pickle, and strawberries; water

-note: I was in a focus group last night, and supper was courtesy of them. I only managed to snag half ...

sibyl

I love your beard!

EDIT: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

sibyl

Nathan:

I'm not sure I'd call a moose a speed bump. More of a mobile car crushing machine. :lol:
Not that I've ever seen one in person - I've eaten moose but never seen one. My brother, on the other hand, has run across several (I was going to say "run in to" but then I don't think he'd survive ...

sibyl

I think digging potatoes is exercise - the real kind!

Aren't potlucks, buffets, and other party spreads a huge temptation? They are for me. It sounds like you did a great job of "virtual plating".

sibyl

Jan: That chai iced tea sounds really good. I have some chai tea myself - I just might have to make a batch.

sibyl

Hey, that's awesome.

Its always really nice when someone recognizes your efforts at something - especially something so hard as losing weight.

sibyl

I confess to being a t.v.-as-wallpaper watcher as well. Its so quiet in my apartment, with just me and the 'boys' (my 3 cats), that I often end up turning the t.v. on just to have something to listen to. And then I get hooked, watching crap show after crap show, sitting on my butt as the hours go by ...

sibyl

I haven't been rangering much, aside from parking in the back of the lot and other such things, because its too flipping humid, hot, and smoggy. There are warnings everyday not to go outside unless you have to due to the smogginess. Ugh. :x I wish I had a job near where I lived so I didn't have to ...

sibyl

So, there's this charity drive going on at work to buy backpacks full of school supplies and clothes for disadvantaged kids going back to school in September.
Unfortunately, it seems to be one long bake sale. Strawberry shortcakes, cookies, crumb cakes, squares, brownies, etc., etc. There was even a ...

sibyl

After you become a sylphlike shadow of your former self, I'd love you to go back to said doctor and see what she would say THEN!

:lol:

I've never been 'sylphlike' - too much fisher and farmer stock. I have good peasant bones! :wink:
But it is stupid that to have your health problems taken ...

sibyl

Ah, Deb, you love to push the Yoga!

:lol:

I'm posting today's No-S dinners early - the day isn't over, but with the heat and humidity in my apartment, I couldn't eat if I wanted to. Ah, the "Extreme Heat Diet" :D I did Ranger a bit by parking at one end of the (air-conditioned!) mall, and ...

sibyl

Hi Sibyl,

I've been reading your check-in. Early on you mentioned problems with your knees. Do you have structural problems with the knee joint itself? Oftentimes, when our knees ache a big part of the problem is a lack of strength in the muscles around the knees... though sometimes there are ...

sibyl

June 12th - success

B=carrot muffin, hunk of cheese; tea, clear
L=a leftover wrap from the shower, pear, two small garlic/cheese biscuits (they're all gone now); water
S=a couple of slices of the leftover chicken roll from the shower, some leftover pasta salad, a few crackers with artichoke dip ...

sibyl

I read it!

If a few crackers and a glass of milk help you exercise, I'm sure it could easily be made part of the 'dinner plate' - just have your milk with exercise, and water with the actual dinner.

That's better than not exercising at all. I completely agree about the not-a-morning person thing ...

sibyl

Since I'm trying very hard to break the 'grazing' habit I got into, I don't have any snacks at all. The first few days were really hard getting from lunch to dinner - I swear my co-workers could hear my stomach begging for food. But I stuck with it, and now its much, much easier to get through the ...

sibyl

I haven't seen the underside of 180 since high school.
Good for you.

sibyl

A double rainbow? That's so cool!!

sibyl

Oh, yeah.

July 8th - success

B = ham and cheese sandwich, handful of cherries; iced tea
L= tortellini with broccoli, pear, cherries; tea, clear
S = ham slices, some cheese, zucchini relish, pickles; more iced tea.

sibyl

Well, the weekend was a "S" weekend all around.
It was my cousin's wedding shower on Sunday, and I was helping my mom host it. So Saturday I went over to the parent's, and helped decorate the house, clean, wrap prize gifts and so on. I also made special cupcakes for desert.
Saturday I was doing ...

sibyl

I've never eaten at an Applebee's - how's the food? What are the portion sizes like? Just wondering...

sibyl

I prefer real sugar to the fake stuff for almost everything, but I drink a lot of Diet Coke - not Diet anything else, but Diet Coke. I can't stand the real stuff. There's this slightly bitter aftertaste to it (from the artifical sweetner) that I'm hooked on.

As to the weight-loss study, it confirms ...

sibyl

On Sunday its my cousin's wedding shower - my mom and I are hosting it. Its the first 'shower' I've ever hosted. Since she's getting married on a beach Mexico, we're having a 'beach/Mexican' theme. Instead of a traditional 'shower cake' I'm making these cupcakes that you decorate with gummy candies ...

sibyl

Deb:

I drink *loads* of water throughout the day. My office is so dry I can't help it. So I don't think that was it. But thanks for the suggestion.

I *was* tired and cranky, though, so maybe that had something to do with it. Its harder to stay on track and focused when you're tired.

sibyl

July 7th - success

B=PB&J; tea, clear
L = 'frozen dinner' - roast chicken, veggies, and taters, two mini garlic/cheese buns; water
S = roast veggie & feta pizza (individual sized), small handfull of cherries; big glass of iced tea

I don't know why, but yesterday was a very hard day - I was hungry ...

sibyl

No stupid terrorist is going to worry me into eating too much of the wrong stuff at the wrong time though. Huh.

I'm very glad to hear that you and yours are safe. And your attitude is great - terrorists only 'win' when they force us to change for the worse through fear. "Stupid terrorists" indeed.

sibyl

Yay Samurai - glad to see such a big success!

sibyl

I need to go shopping. I have no fruit in the house. :(

July 6th - success

B = ham and cheese sandwich; tea, clear
L = linguine carbonara, two mini garlic/cheese biscuits, banana; water
S = ham steak, four slices of cheddar, two eggs, cucumber slices, pickles, and olives; big glass of iced tea ...

sibyl

*Hugs*
I'm sorry you had a really crappy day yesterday, Deb.
I got divorced two years ago, and haven't had a relationship since. It can be really hard and lonely and I totally sympathize.
I'm sorry you got off track, but I am glad that you realize your 'off day' was still loads healthier than ...

sibyl

I always sort of dislikes food advertisements - they seem to all encourage bingeing and/or eating unhealthy foods.
Now, however, they irritate me even more. Its this constant barrage of consume this and consume that, and then right next to them are all the ads for weight loss suplements and shakes ...

sibyl

Have your milk with dinner. No Snacking!! :)

Ack, I shouldn't post when I'm still half asleep. :P Sorry.

Your chocolate milk could be considered a snack, but its also a nightcap and there's nothing wrong with that. So enjoy it, if it helps you sleep and keeps the cravings down.

Also, don't ...

sibyl

sibyl wrote:Have your milk with dinner. No Snacking!!

Ack, I shouldn't post when I'm still half asleep.

Sorry.

Your chocolate milk could be considered a snack, but its also a nightcap and there's nothing wrong with that. So enjoy it, if it helps you sleep and keeps the cravings down.

sibyl

Have your milk with dinner. No Snacking!!

sibyl

Sounds like a great little spot! I know what you mean about eating to please others. Isn't it silly?

sibyl

Go Jan!

sibyl

Oh, you lucky thing you!

Deer flies are nasty biting insects that come out in the summer. They eat blood, and the bite stings horribly.

sibyl

One little thing that helped me get past the hump was that whenever I was feeling like I was 'starving' I would tell myself (quite firmly) that there were lots of people in the world who got along with just one meal a day, or who were actually starving. I wasn't. I had a nice meal waiting for me at ...

sibyl

You have a couple of options.

1) Stick it out, drinking lots of water, chewing gum, fidgeting, etc. Leave any food items at home, and don't bring any money to buy any.
That's what I did last week when I had some late dinners - lunch at 12:30, dinner after 9:00 pm. I found once I'd reached a certain ...

sibyl

Go Margaret!
Your tenacity is really amazing. Even though you may have 'fallen off the path', you just keep getting back on. Good for you.

sibyl

carolejo wrote: Right now I really really want to eat a Twix bar... But not as much as I really really wanted to eat one this time yesterday. Ha. That's progress of a sort, I guess.

It is progress. Don't sell yourself short.

sibyl

Sometimes those 'clean out the fridge' meals can be the most interesting and imaginative meals around. It sounded good to me!

sibyl

Gwendo:

Ouch! I'd be freaked out if I lost part of my tooth too. I definately think illnesses and physical trauma are 'S' - maybe not 'indulgence days', but definately days to relax normal eating habits to accomodate the illness/trauma.
I hope you like your dentist.

sibyl

Thanks for the encouragement Reinhard.
Yesterday I was out shopping with my mom, and I took the time to explain the No-S thing to her again, and I think I did a better job. She's still worried I'm 'depriving' myself somehow by not getting the 'occasional treat' - S days notwithstanding - but I just ...

sibyl

Hi!!
I found the first week of 'no snacking' to be the worst - I was feeling 'hungry' less than two hours after lunch. Lunch time snacking was my big pitfall.
Now, while the cravings are still there, its much easier to ignore, and they are hitting later and later each afternoon. I find chewing gum ...

sibyl

Oh, yeah, chewing gum helps a lot with fooling my mouth into thinking its eating. I'm rather oral, always putting something in my mouth (it took a long time to wean myself off of the 'chewing pencils habit'). After all, what's better - a piece of sugar-free gum, or a bag of chips or a chocolate bar ...

sibyl

Well, it depends. I'm West of the Atlantic provinces.

Also, they don't have "Central" sandwiches. Although I suppose I could invent one...

sibyl

Day Eighteen: S-day
Even once my rate slows down, it's just a matter of time before I lose what I want to lose. And then you'll all see me and Reinhard on Oprah together pimping No-S.

I'm already practicing my lines:

"I feel like he [indicating Reinhard] is my guardian angel." [Burst into tears ...

sibyl

Deb I know this is your thread but if I could hi-jack it for a sec...

Don't let a picture of yourself throw you off. Lighting, the angle of your body, the angle of the camera, how the clothes you're wearing 'hung' or 'hugged' you at that moment - all of it can affect how 'fat' you look in a ...

sibyl

Tell 'em its an 'exercise demonstration' to help them sell more sledges and they just might...

sibyl

A one egg western omelet on toast.
(Western omelet = ham, green pepper, and onion)

I have mine with cheese.

Regionalisms are funny. I can walk into any local restaurant and ask for a 'western' and they know that I want a western omelet sandwich. But if I want the omelet, and not the sandwich, I ...

sibyl

July 4th - success

B = Western sandwich, banana; tea
L = Pasta primavera, pears; water
S = BBQ sausage, potatoes, ceasar salad, some melon, and a few cherries; iced tea

* I wasn't nearly so hungry from lunch to supper as I have been in the past, and after supper I was feeling positively stuffed ...

sibyl

Just be careful of flying unpopped kernals...they can be deadly!

sibyl

Okay, so you battle popcorn carts and use your shovelglove as a weapon...

I'm picturing a guy in full samurai gear, armed with a sledgehammer, challenging the popcorn cart to a duel and then smashing it to bits.

sibyl

Oh, that sounds so good! I was wondering what to do with the strawberries I have before the heat kills them...

Thanks!

sibyl

Freakwich -
I know animals can learn. Some are just better at it than others, and Tanis isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the lamp. :roll:
I'm not that worried about the other two, but I'm going to have to figure out how to deal with Tanis - he's a clingy boy and a magnet for disaster.

Deb ...

sibyl

Heck, the way some bathroom scales are calibrated they can be as much as a pound or two off just by the way they're tilting on the floor.
I echo Deb - be proud of your accomplishments, and let the 'numbers' be.

sibyl

I just started, but with an ordinary hammer...I promised the parents I wouldn't start swinging a sledgehammer until I had at least a week of regular exercise with something lighter (going from sedentary to sledgehammer is a bit of a jump, so I agreed).
I was doing this move where I started with the ...

sibyl

Canada day certainly counts as an S-day, Independence day will be an S-day for me. I suppose if one had dual citizenship, they could make them *both* S-days.... :lol:

AND have a glorious four-day weekend. :wink:

I had 3 sucessful "S" days in a row. I had Canada Day "birthday cake" and ...

sibyl

You have a great weekend too!!
Go fireworks!

sibyl

Mmm, barbeque. One of the things that I miss, living in an apartment, is having a barbeque of my own. Counter top grills just aren't the same...

sibyl

You make sense to me. :D
I'm not trying to lose weight - I've never managed to do that - I'm just trying to stop gaining weight. If I manage to lose some, that's a bonus.
Also, I'm trying to build healthier eating habits. The next step is to stop eating in front of the t.v. and start eating on the ...

sibyl

I don't know - 2 meals a day sounds awfully light. What would you be doing, skipping lunch? Because I really don't recommend skipping breakfast, to anyone.
(For people who can't stand food first thing in the morning, wait an hour or two. One of my co-workers keeps a microwaveable bowl and oatmeal ...

sibyl

June 30th - success!!

B = PB&J, strawberries, and cherries.
L = frozen box lunch "veal parmaigan", a pear, and more cherries
D = 'farmer's lunch' - some cold sausage, cheese, olives, pickles, and crackers (I didn't have rolls or a baguette), with some strawberries and more cherries

Today is ...

sibyl

Oh, Deb...
:cry:
I'm glad Richard likes the rules, even if your mom doesn't.

----
My dad just doesn't understand the rules yet, I think. My mom's been trying to 'eat less' for years, but has never stuck to a structure, and I think just having rules is confusing. They do eat pretty good food at ...

sibyl

I've been told I can have the sledge after a couple of weeks 'warm up'.
I'm starting with a hammer. :lol: I'm going to do the 'lever' move and some hammering actions (as if I was hammering something vertical), and I'll probably grab the broom too and do the stirring/shovelling.
I will be working up ...

Everyday Systems

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Re: carolejo's daily Check in