Author Topic: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition  (Read 21027 times)

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #100 on: March 12, 2019, 07:08:50 AM »
I am sleep deprived too.  We are staying in a very noisy airbnb.  I can't wait until I can totally go on my natural sleep rhythm. When I am on a three week holiday I get into a beautiful rhythm.  I can have a wakeful period in the night and then have an early morning nap and not feel zapped for the day. 

Tris Prior

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #101 on: March 12, 2019, 07:54:26 AM »
Blargh. I've just sort of accepted, I think, that until my body gets over time-change jetlag, I am going to cope by eating more and drinking more coffee. I mean, it's either that or sitting at work (where I have nothing to do, which is not helping) white knuckling it and thinking "don't eat, don't eat, don't eat, no more coffee, no more coffee, no more coffee" over and over again until I can't stand it any more and give in and then feel bad. Better to accept that this is a rough patch and I need to do what's necessary to avoid falling asleep at my desk.

I drank so much water in lieu of eating yesterday, I was floating by day's end. At least I got lots of steps in running to the bathroom, haha.

Sooner or later my body will adjust and I will stop feeling like crap. This happens every year. Though it is STUPID.

zygote

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #102 on: March 12, 2019, 08:48:15 AM »
Yeah, I definitely spoke too soon. Last night wasn't great. I didn't get home until 10:30, and then I watched the Bachelor finale. Didn't go to bed until 1, and couldn't fall asleep until 2. Delayed effect of the time change?

Tonight I won't get home until 10 and I know I'm going to end up watching part 2 of the Bachelor finale. Because, you know, priorities.

This is why I have trouble with consistency. There's always something that seems more important to me than sleep. I don't even regret staying up too late last night because I enjoyed myself.

Tris Prior

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #103 on: March 12, 2019, 09:49:39 AM »

This is why I have trouble with consistency. There's always something that seems more important to me than sleep. I don't even regret staying up too late last night because I enjoyed myself.

I so hear this - I get in this loop of "I already have to say no to so many things I like to eat and drink, I have to say no to buying things I want or going places/doing things I would like to do because of cost, and NOW I also have to say no to MORE things I enjoy because my stupid body needs what to me seems like a ridiculous amount of sleep?"

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #104 on: March 12, 2019, 05:10:56 PM »
I stopped tracking my macros around end of January and have just been eating what I need. My weight crept up slightly before returning to normal and if anything I have lost a bit of weight and I'm less focused on food.

I JUST stopped counting calories and macros last week! Hoping I can maintain. I was definitely over-focused on food and may now be swinging a little bit in the too-permissive direction, but I am optimistic I can level out.

Ugh, so sorry everyone is struggling with the time change. I had to wake both my kids up this morning, which I NEVER do. Even my "lark" was still out cold.

I found that listening to my hunger signals and ensuring I was eating enough protein helped me to level out after a few weeks.

Thanks for the tip! My experience counting macros gave me a MUCH better idea of what constitutes sufficient protein than I ever had before.

Today I ate Chick Fil A chicken minis, an entire 3 oz bag of Cheetos, and most of a donut (in addition to my nutritious meals). I feel like this was a healthy choice. All that counting threw off my awareness of my own signals a bit. Guess what? I felt kinda sick. Shocking, I know. Now I am craving nutrient-dense foods :-).

@chaskavitch, I'm soooo sorry! I hope the little one is sleeping better and elsewhere soon :-).

oneday

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #105 on: March 14, 2019, 06:29:00 AM »
Blargh. I've just sort of accepted, I think, that until my body gets over time-change jetlag, I am going to cope by eating more and drinking more coffee. I mean, it's either that or sitting at work (where I have nothing to do, which is not helping) white knuckling it and thinking "don't eat, don't eat, don't eat, no more coffee, no more coffee, no more coffee" over and over again until I can't stand it any more and give in and then feel bad. Better to accept that this is a rough patch and I need to do what's necessary to avoid falling asleep at my desk.

That actually sounds like a healthy choice!

Yeah, I definitely spoke too soon. Last night wasn't great. I didn't get home until 10:30, and then I watched the Bachelor finale. Didn't go to bed until 1, and couldn't fall asleep until 2. Delayed effect of the time change?

Tonight I won't get home until 10 and I know I'm going to end up watching part 2 of the Bachelor finale. Because, you know, priorities.

This is why I have trouble with consistency. There's always something that seems more important to me than sleep. I don't even regret staying up too late last night because I enjoyed myself.

I wouldn't say "spoke too soon".  You really did get to bed earlier on those days.  The last few days might be an anomaly.  You can get back on the prior schedule, I know you can!

I had the worst nights sleep last night.  Laid down at 11, awake by 2:30.  Still awake at 5:30.  I don't even know what is going on.  This is so abnormal for me.  Well I'm making use of the time: packed lunch for today and tomorrow, catching up on forum time...I bet I crash tonight!

galliver

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #106 on: March 14, 2019, 09:51:33 AM »


I had the worst nights sleep last night.  Laid down at 11, awake by 2:30.  Still awake at 5:30.  I don't even know what is going on.  This is so abnormal for me.  Well I'm making use of the time: packed lunch for today and tomorrow, catching up on forum time...I bet I crash tonight!

I don't usually have traditional insomnia (I have trouble with going to bed, not falling asleep, usually), but I have started to have issues the night before a presentation/interview/etc. Last time (November) I was freaking out, I had done everything I could...stretchy-yoga before bed, melatonin, reading a book...still tossing and turning for hours. What finally put me to sleep was meditation-like breathing and counting breaths. And as in meditation, returning my thoughts to this when they strayed. IDK if this may help, just sharing.

Last night I thought of this thread and started getting ready for bed at 10ish. After getting cozy in bed fitbit says I passed out at 11:30. Then I was wide awake 30 minutes before my alarm at 6:10, for a total of only 6.5h sleep again...

At least I managed to make coffee this morning?

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #107 on: March 17, 2019, 07:33:30 PM »
Sometimes it's about the small wins like a cup of joe, @galliver

You may have hit the nail on the head.  There was a huge work deadline on Friday and wasn't sure I'd make it, probably the stress interfered.  Saturday was another weird early-wake morning, this time a couple hours later, though.   Probably a stress-hangover.  At one point, a coworker had said "UPS doesn't come at 5:30, they come at 5:00" and I tell you I could feel every blood cell in each of my veins.  I got the project complete and packaged for mailing and ran it over to the UPS pickup area on Friday just as he was walking in the door!  Talk about a close call. 

Still trying to hit target bedtime and not always successful; will keep trying!

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #108 on: March 18, 2019, 05:29:27 PM »
Sometimes it's about the small wins like a cup of joe, @galliver

You may have hit the nail on the head.  There was a huge work deadline on Friday and wasn't sure I'd make it, probably the stress interfered.  Saturday was another weird early-wake morning, this time a couple hours later, though.   Probably a stress-hangover.  At one point, a coworker had said "UPS doesn't come at 5:30, they come at 5:00" and I tell you I could feel every blood cell in each of my veins.  I got the project complete and packaged for mailing and ran it over to the UPS pickup area on Friday just as he was walking in the door!  Talk about a close call. 

Still trying to hit target bedtime and not always successful; will keep trying!

OMG what a nightmare! Good for you, though!

I have been just a seething ball of anxiety because my husband and I have bought a new house and moved in this past weekend. Packing and kids and ugh. The good news is our new bedroom is reeeeeally dark, which helps with sleep! Yay!

Today in minor wins, I claimed my free Chick Fil A breakfast entree of the week (hashbrown scramble, which I ordered in burrito form) because this makes me unreasonably happy. BUT I have treated it as an early lunch rather than a second breakfast :-).

Also, we got Chinese food last night because of the move and I am teaching my beloved about my portion sizes--he sometimes serves my food and on this occasion he wanted to save my leftovers--and my beef and broccoli is going to make FOUR meals! Score!

galliver

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #109 on: March 18, 2019, 06:09:27 PM »
Sometimes it's about the small wins like a cup of joe, @galliver

You may have hit the nail on the head.  There was a huge work deadline on Friday and wasn't sure I'd make it, probably the stress interfered.  Saturday was another weird early-wake morning, this time a couple hours later, though.   Probably a stress-hangover.  At one point, a coworker had said "UPS doesn't come at 5:30, they come at 5:00" and I tell you I could feel every blood cell in each of my veins.  I got the project complete and packaged for mailing and ran it over to the UPS pickup area on Friday just as he was walking in the door!  Talk about a close call. 

Still trying to hit target bedtime and not always successful; will keep trying!

OMG what a nightmare! Good for you, though!

I have been just a seething ball of anxiety because my husband and I have bought a new house and moved in this past weekend. Packing and kids and ugh. The good news is our new bedroom is reeeeeally dark, which helps with sleep! Yay!

Today in minor wins, I claimed my free Chick Fil A breakfast entree of the week (hashbrown scramble, which I ordered in burrito form) because this makes me unreasonably happy. BUT I have treated it as an early lunch rather than a second breakfast :-).

Also, we got Chinese food last night because of the move and I am teaching my beloved about my portion sizes--he sometimes serves my food and on this occasion he wanted to save my leftovers--and my beef and broccoli is going to make FOUR meals! Score!
We spent the weekend finishing moving in/unpacking and cleaning because bf's folks are visiting this week. I was reminded that moving is terrible... (I unpacked like 3 of our remaining 15ish boxes, bf did one but dealt with other clutter).

All that to say, hang in there! Eat Chinese food! Allow breaks! Good luck!!!

zygote

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #110 on: March 21, 2019, 08:36:29 AM »
Well, back on the wagon. After not sleeping enough this weekend, I went to bed before midnight the past two nights and got 7-8 hours of sleep. I even got up at 7:30 today and don't feel dead. I still would like to get to work a bit earlier so I don't have to stay as late, but progress is progress.

I also downloaded the Cronometer app. I've been eating a significantly reduced amount of meat lately for a lot of reasons, and I wanted to see what my nutrition profile looks like. Turns out that I'm getting all the micronutrients I was worried I was missing, but I am way low on protein and way high on fat. Especially saturated fat. It was eye opening. High cholesterol runs in the family and mine was right on the edge of the range last time it was checked. I should really pay more attention to that before it gets worse. I've been craving a lot of cheese and using a lot of coconut oil in baking. Maybe I need to consider upping my lean meat intake with some chicken and fish to balance things out. Unless anyone else has vegetarian/vegan ideas? I already feel like I eat a ton of beans and tofu. I don't know what other foods are high in protein and low in fat.

The other thing I noticed is that I am eating like 2700 calories a day, whoops. I am absolutely not active enough to justify that kind of intake. I used to be underweight due to chronic nausea, and I have slowly gained it back over the past 8 years or so. I'm at a good weight now (smack in the middle of normal BMI) and am thrilled I can eat, so I'm not really interested in dieting or restricting. But I imagine if I keep this up my weight will keep creeping up gradually until I'm overweight without realizing it. So I'm glad to be aware of it. I honestly think that I've been so tired that my body wanted more food to replace the energy. I'm not going to put a calorie limit or anything, but I am going to watch my dessert portions and see if getting more regular sleep makes me less hungry later in the day.

Why is health so complicated.

Tris Prior

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #111 on: March 21, 2019, 09:26:56 AM »
I honestly think that I've been so tired that my body wanted more food to replace the energy.

This is absolutely true in my case; I am forcing my body into a schedule it does not like and it is leaving me constantly HANGRY. The energy's gotta come from somewhere and if you can't sleep, yeah.

I've been fighting sugar cravings, badly. This morning I actually got in line at the Dunkin' Donuts in the train station because my inner 2-year-old was screaming DONUT DONUT DONUT. Got nearly to the front of the line. Saw the calorie information on the donut I wanted (360). Sighed, got out of line and went to work. Ate my healthy breakfast. Still starving. Sigh.

On the plus side, I'm doing a good job of limiting my wine consumption to weekends only. I'd been doing that before but completely fell off the wagon during the winter due to being angry over the polar vortex, haha.

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #112 on: March 21, 2019, 11:39:29 AM »
@zygote, better sleep helps EVERYTHING! I totally believe that you have been craving calorie-dense foods. Seems like now that you know, you can swap in some, like, fruits and so on for some of it without feeling hungry or deprived. I've also heard that it takes a lot of calories to gain weight and your appetite may adjust naturally.

I also fond that I was eating a lot less protein than I thought. I've definitely been eating more chicken since then. I am partial to things like taco bowls that have a little meat but also beans. I also like to slow-cook chicken breasts with taco seasoning in a little chicken broth, then shred it and use it on salads. Yum!

@Tris Prior, I'm sorry you felt donut-deprived. Sadness!

I took my husband's advice and caught up on rest yesterday. I let him help me.

galliver

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #113 on: March 21, 2019, 07:55:58 PM »


Turns out that I'm getting all the micronutrients I was worried I was missing, but I am way low on protein and way high on fat. Especially saturated fat. It was eye opening. High cholesterol runs in the family and mine was right on the edge of the range last time it was checked. I should really pay more attention to that before it gets worse. I've been craving a lot of cheese and using a lot of coconut oil in baking. Maybe I need to consider upping my lean meat intake with some chicken and fish to balance things out. Unless anyone else has vegetarian/vegan ideas? I already feel like I eat a ton of beans and tofu. I don't know what other foods are high in protein and low in fat.

...

Why is health so complicated.

I know right?

I tend to find myself protein deficient whenever I track food in spite of eating meat, probably because I'm not a huge fan of beans or nuts.

Most veg protein sources are seeds or nuts...which means they tend to either have fat or carbs...Some of the fats are food though? You could try more grains (quinoa, wheat/farro, oats, etc...rice is pretty low), peas (a legume!), edamame, nut butters, and hummus. Also chia seeds-my bf would put them in water to make a gooey drink but I prefer them in baked goods? They're a bit like poppyseeds that way...

Not sure what the extent of your vegetarianism is, but...low fat dairy? Nonfat Greek yogurt? Eggs?

I will now go eat red meat, since bf is making a roast for his mom We haven't done this in a while, I'm excited!

Tris Prior

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #114 on: March 22, 2019, 08:24:56 AM »
I struggle with protein too - I'm vegetarian and I try and eat lots of beans but, when I was tracking, this meant my carbs were also through the roof. Nuts = my fats were through the roof (and I've concluded that my quick weight gain a year or so ago was largely due to me increasing my nut intake; I now eat them rarely and I haven't had too much trouble maintaining my weight loss). More protein would throw off my other macros so I gave up.

Eggs? Except now those apparently are killing us? Oh well, that will change tomorrow. :P

Tempeh is supposed to be good for protein too. I tried it recently and found the texture weird, but maybe there's a better way to prepare it (I marinated and baked). I vastly prefer tofu.

zygote

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #115 on: March 22, 2019, 09:27:44 AM »
I've been fighting sugar cravings, badly. This morning I actually got in line at the Dunkin' Donuts in the train station because my inner 2-year-old was screaming DONUT DONUT DONUT. Got nearly to the front of the line. Saw the calorie information on the donut I wanted (360). Sighed, got out of line and went to work. Ate my healthy breakfast. Still starving. Sigh.

There is nothing like a Dunkin' Donuts donut. On St. Patrick's Day I got Irish creme iced coffee, and couldn't resist a donut to go with it. Heaven. Luckily this was before I started tracking my food, haha.

@zygote, better sleep helps EVERYTHING! I totally believe that you have been craving calorie-dense foods. Seems like now that you know, you can swap in some, like, fruits and so on for some of it without feeling hungry or deprived. I've also heard that it takes a lot of calories to gain weight and your appetite may adjust naturally.

I also fond that I was eating a lot less protein than I thought. I've definitely been eating more chicken since then. I am partial to things like taco bowls that have a little meat but also beans. I also like to slow-cook chicken breasts with taco seasoning in a little chicken broth, then shred it and use it on salads. Yum!

Yeah, I've already noticed my hunger going down after a few nights in a row of 7+ hours of sleep. I do keep getting a big hunger pain around 4 PM, right when I am craving an afternoon nap. I really do think it's correlated. And thanks for the chicken suggestions! Those would be an easy way to get a little extra protein.

Most veg protein sources are seeds or nuts...which means they tend to either have fat or carbs...Some of the fats are food though? You could try more grains (quinoa, wheat/farro, oats, etc...rice is pretty low), peas (a legume!), edamame, nut butters, and hummus. Also chia seeds-my bf would put them in water to make a gooey drink but I prefer them in baked goods? They're a bit like poppyseeds that way...

Not sure what the extent of your vegetarianism is, but...low fat dairy? Nonfat Greek yogurt? Eggs?

I will now go eat red meat, since bf is making a roast for his mom We haven't done this in a while, I'm excited!

Thanks for the ideas! I like pretty much all of those foods. I'm definitely open to eating dairy and eggs. As with most things, my desire to go vegetarian/vegan is complicated. I prefer it for ethical and environmental reasons, but not at the expense of my health. I spent so long being nauseated all the time (and slide backwards if I'm not vigilant) that I don't want to totally cut out things that agree with me. Chicken, fish, and greek yogurt are all pretty safe. So I am definitely not fully vegetarian or vegan, I just try to cut down on meat and animal products if I have other choices that work. Introducing meat or dairy a few times a week to improve my protein intake is still a lower level of consumption than before, when I didn't think about it. My wife made beef tacos last night and I gladly ate them, so.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #116 on: March 31, 2019, 10:59:44 PM »
Sleep pattern has gotten close to normal, so I'm switching major focus to other topics.  Still keeping an eye on the sleeping to keep it in line, though.

Next order of business is to follow the physical therapists edicts (started last Wednesday).  Right now it's gentle stretching and one simple, pain-free exercise.  This is aimed at getting my back and core in shape to eliminate back pain.  Not sure I need encouragement; being in less pain is itself a pretty great motivator!

Oh, I just realized sleeping is tied to this; the stretches are supposed to be first thing in the morning so I need to go to bed on time or a bit early to allow for waking early to do the PT!



Anyone else have some updates?

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #117 on: April 01, 2019, 09:40:06 AM »
We were hosting bf's family from the Midwest for ~10 days, which was a mixed bag "healthy choices"-wise.

We wanted to show them cool stuff (Hearst Castle and desert superbloom), and fulfill their requests (wine tasting), but by cramming all that in one weekend we spent a lot of time in the car (at least 14 hrs in 3 days?) But we did take some good walks, and everyone seemed pleased with the experiences overall... We also ate too much, but most of it was good (turkey and fish tacos on diff nights, vegan restaurant w/ friends, roast w/ potatoes and veg).

Now trying to return to a semblance of normality in spite of lots of local work travel (~1hr away) in next 2 weeks, and my parents visiting on the weekend!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #118 on: April 01, 2019, 12:49:36 PM »
@oneday, yay for good sleep! Good luck with the PT. It sounds actually like a pretty decent way to start the day, all things considered!

@galliver, WOW that is a long visit! It sounds like a lovely few days.

I am still working on modulating my eating and activity levels. I haven't been getting to the gym much with the move and various schedule changes but I've tried to pop by even for some quick, greatly-reduced-weight workouts so I don't lose a bunch of muscle mass (I find that I need to be careful with weight when I am going very irregularly, or I will get KILLER sore). And getting used to eating the right amount of nutritious food without counting calories.

I made a double-batch of mashed potatoes last night so we can have leftovers because leftover mashed potatoes contain resistant starch! I mean, I'm not suggesting they're a health food or anything, but if I happen to want some for Sunday dinner, I might as well add what nutritional value I can, right?

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #119 on: April 01, 2019, 01:51:12 PM »
Tomorrow should be my last PT appointment! I have been really diligent in following orders and doing the exercises every day so it feels good to have this pay off. I am also thinking of trying for a small run with the dog tomorrow morning, which will be my I Am All Better victory lap.

Healthy choices - finding the meditation classes that I can make and fitting them in even if they are off my regular schedule. And I am about to get up and head to the basement gym for my workout. I am so pleased to be able to do this again

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #120 on: April 01, 2019, 01:58:58 PM »


@galliver, WOW that is a long visit! It sounds like a lovely few days.

It was initially 6 full days (arrive late/leave early on neighboring days), but they got delayed by 2 due to cascading cancellations from the Max8 stuff. It was a whole thing. So I guess I was exaggerating w/10 days. It made it easier to squeeze in all we wanted to do, and it's great to see family...but also hosting is always work.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #121 on: April 05, 2019, 12:14:47 PM »
In spite of it being a weird week, I exercised all 5 of the last 5 days! 2x climbing gym (did my first 5.10d yesterday!) 1x jog, 1x weights, 1x really sad bike machine in apt fitness room+weights. I also managed decent sleep (7-8hrs in bed before 6:30am, 6-7 hrs recorded sleep), and we got no takeout (leftovers, bf cooked, frozen dumplings+bag salad). Kind of blown away by myself!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #122 on: April 06, 2019, 08:56:45 PM »
Yay @galliver happy dance! That's a really stellar week!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #123 on: April 08, 2019, 10:00:06 AM »
I was on vacation all last week, and I got 8 hours of sleep every night. Usually, I immediately turn into a night owl and have a very rude awakening when I return to work. But this time, I went to sleep between 12 and 1 every night and just set an alarm for 8+ hours later. So I was up by 9ish every morning. I easily could have slept later, but then I definitely would have not been able to go to sleep again at the same time. It reaffirms my desire for 25 hours in the day....

Sadly, I got home late enough last night that I only got 7 hours of sleep. I really feel the difference. It's made me realize how important it is that I prioritize getting 8 hours.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #124 on: April 08, 2019, 07:58:48 PM »
Sadly, I got home late enough last night that I only got 7 hours of sleep. I really feel the difference. It's made me realize how important it is that I prioritize getting 8 hours.

That's really good feedback from your body.  Do you have a plan yet for getting the 8?

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #125 on: April 09, 2019, 09:33:15 AM »
Sadly, I got home late enough last night that I only got 7 hours of sleep. I really feel the difference. It's made me realize how important it is that I prioritize getting 8 hours.

That's really good feedback from your body.  Do you have a plan yet for getting the 8?

Sort of.

As I'm making more of an effort, I'm learning that 8 hours of sleep requires the alignment of a lot of factors. My life isn't really structured around it, so it's taking a lot of adjustment (big and small). The biggest one is that I often don't get home at a reasonable hour. It leaves no time to do the little chores that come up in daily life like cooking, cleaning, etc, let alone relaxing and getting ready for bed. There are little things I can do, but I'm basically setting myself up to fail most nights with my schedule. This will require some long term changes.

Things that are helping:
-Scheduling worknight hobbies at 7, not 8. If I have a choice, always aim for 7. If not, really consider how important it is before committing. I'm going to keep all the commitments I've already made in the next few months, but really stick to this moving forward.
-Prioritizing what needs to get done at home and being realistic about how long things take. The to-do lists I have in my head each evening are usually too ambitious. Some of it can wait.
-Limiting TV to shows I am already watching. I used to watch a lot of TV to unwind, but my evening hobbies have become more important to me. If I've already spent the evening doing something fun, I don't need to watch TV too.
-The downtime function on my phone. I'd rather get something productive done than waste time on social media if I only have a little bit available at night.
-Thinking of bedtime as earlier than it really is so I start getting ready sooner.

Got 7 and a half hours last night. Not perfect, but better.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #126 on: April 09, 2019, 03:56:49 PM »
Those sound like great ideas, @zygote! Good luck!

I have been eating more junk good than feels good, so I did a little detox meal today where I had shredded taco chicken breast on a kale salad tossed with dressing made of yogurt and lime juice. (With some refried beans and exactly one serving of tortilla chips.)

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #127 on: April 10, 2019, 03:30:07 PM »
@zygote, those are really great concrete steps to take towards your goal!  Sure, it's not an overnight (lol) change, but in a short time you'll be able to implement some or even all of those.

@La Bibliotecaria Feroz that sounds like a good, healthy meal to balance out the junk. Yum!



Second PT appointment today.  I am to continue the stretching; this could go on for 3-6 months before I don't have the "rebound" effect where the muscles tighten up again each day.  It's a long time, but I'm glad to know at some point I won't be as broken!  2 weeks down, 11 (or 24) to go.

Also got assigned a few more strengthening exercises.  I'm excited about these.  They are what I've always needed but never knew what to do.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #128 on: April 24, 2019, 06:10:15 AM »
This wasn't really a choice, but I've been without a computer at home for the past three days.  It's actually been quite nice to be offline at home for a few days.  Hopefully this will give me a bit of momentum to keep my usage down once my computer is fixed.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #129 on: April 29, 2019, 07:33:44 PM »
@Raenia  it counts!

I've been struggling with healthy choices over the weekend, which was a long one for me, and travelling.  Not that I've gone off the rails, but it's much harder when the routine is changed.  It might mean that it would be better to change up the routine more often...

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #130 on: April 29, 2019, 07:38:44 PM »
@Raenia, let's say that seizing the opportunity is a healthy choice!

@oneday, routine changes are the pits! Maybe you need, like, some backup routines :-). Some go-to easy healthy choices that don't take too much thought.

My healthy choice today is that I got up and went to the gym even though I didn't have to be at work until 10, and the kids did not have school, so I could have just not set an alarm. But I knew I would regret not going.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #131 on: May 05, 2019, 12:21:37 PM »
LBF, it's admirable that you went to the gym in those cirmcumstances.  I admire that!


Sleep habits are still in the "slipping" category, not "reasonably in control".  It shows up as reduced productivity at work and a vegging on the couch at home.  This is not the life I want!  Got a few extra hours of sleep last night, so will use that to springboard back into an earlier bedtime tonight.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #132 on: May 05, 2019, 01:46:00 PM »
LBF, it's admirable that you went to the gym in those cirmcumstances.  I admire that!


Sleep habits are still in the "slipping" category, not "reasonably in control".  It shows up as reduced productivity at work and a vegging on the couch at home.  This is not the life I want!  Got a few extra hours of sleep last night, so will use that to springboard back into an earlier bedtime tonight.

Good luck with finding that routine!

I have been experimenting with keeping a time diary to see if I am using my time as productively as I would like.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #133 on: May 05, 2019, 03:00:30 PM »
I am healed up and back to running with the dog. So I stay healed up, we are alternating days so every second day I  doing my rehab exercises and trigger point releases. The other thing that is making a difference is being back at work and commuting by bike. It counteracts the running action and seems to be really helping. Plus I get to ride around a beautiful waterfront and see dogs twice a day!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #134 on: May 06, 2019, 10:42:35 AM »
I spent this weekend down at my dad's house - my sister came down as well and we worked to clean and declutter his house.  My healthy choice was to not bring my laptop down with me, and go screenless for the weekend.  It's refreshing to have a small reset, and 2 days isn't enough for me to get behind on anything.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #135 on: May 06, 2019, 01:36:59 PM »
My non-healthy, non-choice was to get (viral) bronchitis last week :/  0/10 do not recommend. Tested out new job sick leave policy (good), health insurance (good), local urgent care (rushed and dismissive). Enjoyed a diet of honey-lemon tea and cough drops. Went through 1lb of honey in 5 days...which would concern me, but it kept me breathing, so.

Mostly recovered now, but will probably continue evening bed rest a few more days (maybe finish another book!) before returning to my previously well-maintained active lifestyle!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #136 on: May 06, 2019, 02:10:56 PM »
take care @galliver.  you don't want a secondary infection.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #137 on: May 06, 2019, 03:52:02 PM »
Oh, no! Feel better @galliver! That's about the amount of honey my children usually consume in their daily routine... I did draw the line at putting honey on HONEY NUT Cheerios. Dudes.

My healthy choice today was to pack adequate nourishing food for a late work day after a big lifting workout. I got to work about 11:30 and immediately wolfed down a chicken bacon ranch on kale salad with some tortilla chips. I had a banana AND a clementine AND cashews for a snack, because hunnnnnngry. I'm on until 8:15, so for dinner later I have pesto soup with chicken and white beans and whole-wheat garlic toast. Mmmm.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #138 on: May 06, 2019, 08:12:44 PM »
mspym, your commute sounds really nice.  Awesome secondary benefit to help with the physical stuff!  I think of you sometimes when I'm doing my PT exercises & stretches, in a "I'm not alone doing this" way and a "She got better and I will too" way.


galliver that sounds no fun.  Glad you are on the mend.


Focusing on sleep time again worked, I got to bed only 5 min after bedtime and up only 5 min after alarm time!  That's about 25 min earlier than I had been getting to bed on average.  I will report in here more frequently for a bit, as that seems to help (being accountable).

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #139 on: May 06, 2019, 08:28:28 PM »
Oneday - I was a skeptic in pain and then I wasn't. Good on you for doing the rehab!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #140 on: May 08, 2019, 11:15:28 PM »
mspym, thanks.

Went to bed way late last night, even though I needed to get up early for work today.  So basically shorted myself an hour of sleep at bedtime and another hour in the morning.  Not good.  So I spent the morning hour awake in bed, but unable to get up.  I hate this, it's such a waste as I'm not getting rest for that hour, but I'm too tired to get up and do anything.  So got up at normal time, which puts me behind schedule for the day.  Wander into the kitchen and lo & behold.  There on the counter is my reminder card for today's PT appointment.  Which means I didn't have to be at work early, the PT is closer to home & was scheduled about a half hour later in the morning.

So dum-dum (me) lost 2 hours of sleep for nothing.  Tonight's healthy choice is signing off now and trying to start eliminating that sleep debt!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #141 on: May 09, 2019, 09:19:53 AM »
mspym, thanks.

Went to bed way late last night, even though I needed to get up early for work today.  So basically shorted myself an hour of sleep at bedtime and another hour in the morning.  Not good.  So I spent the morning hour awake in bed, but unable to get up.  I hate this, it's such a waste as I'm not getting rest for that hour, but I'm too tired to get up and do anything.  So got up at normal time, which puts me behind schedule for the day.  Wander into the kitchen and lo & behold.  There on the counter is my reminder card for today's PT appointment.  Which means I didn't have to be at work early, the PT is closer to home & was scheduled about a half hour later in the morning.

So dum-dum (me) lost 2 hours of sleep for nothing.  Tonight's healthy choice is signing off now and trying to start eliminating that sleep debt!
I totally do the "too tired to get up" thing, too! >_>

I've been doing better since starting a job that had an earlier/firmer start time...but it still happens.

ETA: Update: I have gone through 2 lbs of honey in 10 days...so tired of residual coughing... Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone!
« Last Edit: May 09, 2019, 09:23:37 AM by galliver »

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #142 on: May 31, 2019, 03:43:15 PM »
Big lifestyle change this week! Now that my kids' school year at their old school has ended, I am able to start biking to work almost every day. Yay!

I also seized this opportunity to cut out my morning coffee, made from the gross communal coffee maker and sweetened with fake Oreo-flavored nondairy creamer. I miss it a little, but arriving at work after a pleasant bike ride rather than a soul-sucking car commute make a biiig difference.

Also took the week off from the gym because I have been too busy crawling all over my yard with a hand cultivator, loosening thatch and planting seed in the bare patches. Super hard work and it was nice to feel a different kind of strength!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #143 on: June 24, 2019, 02:41:08 PM »
Oh, no! Feel better @galliver! That's about the amount of honey my children usually consume in their daily routine... I did draw the line at putting honey on HONEY NUT Cheerios. Dudes.

My healthy choice today was to pack adequate nourishing food for a late work day after a big lifting workout. I got to work about 11:30 and immediately wolfed down a chicken bacon ranch on kale salad with some tortilla chips. I had a banana AND a clementine AND cashews for a snack, because hunnnnnngry. I'm on until 8:15, so for dinner later I have pesto soup with chicken and white beans and whole-wheat garlic toast. Mmmm.

@La Bibliotecaria Feroz Do you happen to have a recipe for that soup?  I don't generally like beans, but that soup sounds tasty.  I'm trying to work beans in more as a nice cheap protein source, and pesto sounds like a good way to do it.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #144 on: June 24, 2019, 02:47:33 PM »
Oh, no! Feel better @galliver! That's about the amount of honey my children usually consume in their daily routine... I did draw the line at putting honey on HONEY NUT Cheerios. Dudes.

My healthy choice today was to pack adequate nourishing food for a late work day after a big lifting workout. I got to work about 11:30 and immediately wolfed down a chicken bacon ranch on kale salad with some tortilla chips. I had a banana AND a clementine AND cashews for a snack, because hunnnnnngry. I'm on until 8:15, so for dinner later I have pesto soup with chicken and white beans and whole-wheat garlic toast. Mmmm.

@La Bibliotecaria Feroz Do you happen to have a recipe for that soup?  I don't generally like beans, but that soup sounds tasty.  I'm trying to work beans in more as a nice cheap protein source, and pesto sounds like a good way to do it.


It is this recipe:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252453/chicken-spinach-soup-with-fresh-pesto/

I have made it with kale or power greens as well as spinach. I have even used kale to make the pesto! I also often use pre-cooked shredded chicken or leftover roasted/rotisserie chicken. And I always reduce the broth to 4 cups... otherwise it is very liquid-y. Hope you enjoy it!

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #145 on: June 25, 2019, 08:13:32 AM »
Oh, no! Feel better @galliver! That's about the amount of honey my children usually consume in their daily routine... I did draw the line at putting honey on HONEY NUT Cheerios. Dudes.

My healthy choice today was to pack adequate nourishing food for a late work day after a big lifting workout. I got to work about 11:30 and immediately wolfed down a chicken bacon ranch on kale salad with some tortilla chips. I had a banana AND a clementine AND cashews for a snack, because hunnnnnngry. I'm on until 8:15, so for dinner later I have pesto soup with chicken and white beans and whole-wheat garlic toast. Mmmm.

@La Bibliotecaria Feroz Do you happen to have a recipe for that soup?  I don't generally like beans, but that soup sounds tasty.  I'm trying to work beans in more as a nice cheap protein source, and pesto sounds like a good way to do it.


It is this recipe:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252453/chicken-spinach-soup-with-fresh-pesto/

I have made it with kale or power greens as well as spinach. I have even used kale to make the pesto! I also often use pre-cooked shredded chicken or leftover roasted/rotisserie chicken. And I always reduce the broth to 4 cups... otherwise it is very liquid-y. Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks!  That looks delicious, I'm excited to try it.  My husband loves all things pesto, so he'll enjoy it too :)

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #146 on: June 28, 2019, 11:06:11 PM »
I have been kind of MIA, but... stuck with my plan to travel to a tiny town in Washington to watch a clinic with a very famous horse trainer.  It has been wonderful, educational and relaxing.  Went for a hike/ jog up in the hills above town this evening and then enjoyed a nice dinner out, without going overboard ordering anything unhealthy.  Limiting work to about 15 minutes  of email per day.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #147 on: June 30, 2019, 05:36:16 AM »
My healthy choice this month was to not stress about eating out occasionally - the chaos from the move, plus the lack of food in the house (used up a lot of things in preparation for the move), plus the awful heat this week made home-cooked meals unrealistic.  We had several days of just throwing frozen spinach, berries, and yogurt in a blender and calling it good, and the worst days we just went out.  This kept the house cooler, so we slept better, and let me save my energy for unpacking and organizing.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #148 on: June 30, 2019, 02:25:12 PM »
My healthy choice this weekend was to let myself nap when I needed to instead of trying to power through.

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Re: Healthy Choices: 2019 edition
« Reply #149 on: July 01, 2019, 08:00:37 PM »
I love summer. I love my garden. I am eating SO MANY vegetables these days. Piles of lettuce are coming out of my garden so I'm having daily huge salads. Tomatoes are ripening early this year despite our shit weather?! Just got a good sized handful of snow peas out of the garden tonight which I'm going to toss in an Asian marinated tofu thing that I'm making. YUM

 

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