I've been spending time working on a scarf for myself. I finished it last night - just in time for this snow!
I visited a local yarn shop in town on Saturday and fell in love with this soft, gorgeous purple wool yarn. I had to have it for myself! Wanting to learn how to make a hat and mittens next.
I finally found a recipe for sweet potatoes that I like. It's taken years of failed attempts to finally get me to eat them.
Wash the sweet potatoes and cut into chunks. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil on them, toss gently, lay on a baking sheet and bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees until fork tender. Put into a bowl, throw a few pats of butter on top, a drizzle or two of maple syrup, and salt and pepper. Toss. Enjoy!
I'm angry that my weight loss has stalled out never started. Seriously, I've been trying since January 1st to lose weight and I haven't lost a single pound! This is after changing my eating and exercising more. My mom keeps reminding me that muscle weighs more than fat but I'm getting frustrated. So frustrated, in fact, that I gave up last week and ate whatever I wanted. Now I'm frustrated at myself for that. Deciding not to even pay attention the the numbers on the scale for the moment and focus instead on balance and health.
Joe has become very creative with his homemade play-doh and spends lots of quiet time working with it at the table. Becca and Jacob have turned into bookworms and are going through piles of books weekly, begging me to stop at the library several times a week to replenish their book piles. It's a request I'm happy to fulfill while out and about on errands.
My children have become hungry little monsters the past few weeks. Growth spurt? Extra fuel for these cold days? Whatever it is, they are eating me out of house and home. Yogurt, two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches , a bowl full of popcorn, and an ice cream cone was just one meal yesterday for Jacob and he was hungry not even an hour later. My weekly shopping trips have had to become twice weekly and our food budget is having to go up. Yikes - I need to sit down and rearrange that and see what I can come up with!
Your mom is right that muscle weighs more than fat. But in order to lose weight you need to #1 feed your metabolism. Eat your three meals and watch your portioms at each meal. Have healthy snacks in between. #2 Eat protein and carbs at every meal. They combine and make a better protein. #3 Don't forget your fresh fruits and veggies. #4 Only eat fresh foods. No processed foods with added salt. Salt retains fluid. You will lose water weight at first then will look thinner if you stay with a low sodium diet. A good measure is 160 mg per serving. A dietician told me that if you have 500 mg of sodium at each meal then allow 500mg total for your snacks you will then have your 2000 allowed for the day. Good for your heart and weight. #5 Drink water. Just not too much. #6 Watch your fat and sugar intake. Cut them out or down as much as possible. Your sweet potato recipe didn't need the butter. You already had the oil. Yes it tasted good, but you had two fats on there.
ReplyDeleteRemember even if you never lose weight but eat healthy as much as possible you will feel so much better. Good luck to you! It is hard losing weight I know. Been there and almost done with it. I just have to eat healthy for the rest of my life for the sake of my heart.
Beth
Thank you for all the info! You are right...the sweet potatoes already had a fat on them and didn't need the butter - I'll try them next time without it!
ReplyDeleteAfter the birth of Joe I lost 50 lbs. within the next two years (I only count the 30 lbs. though as the first 20 lbs. fell off very quickly after pregnancy...a lot was baby weight and water weight). I know I can do it, it's just harder now that I'm not breastfeeding (that burned a lot of calories) and since I've gained a lot of that back. Portion control, portion control, portion control is my new motto.
I have been buying a lot of fruits and vegetables and we have been going through them incredibly fast - that is why I am disappointed in no weight loss yet. Time to keep on chugging down the track though! Thanks for all the inspiration!
Just remember too much fruit is like eating sugar. Moderation and PORTION CONTROL,PORTION CONTROL!!!! LOL
ReplyDeleteBeth