healthy

W.I.D.E. – What I Didn’t Eat

Angela Pea2 Comments

As part of my weight loss adventure, I learned the importance of logging and tracking what I eat.  It was very educational in the early days, because over the years, my view of an appropriate serving size and my idea of a ‘well balanced diet’ had become extremely warped. I’m pretty much on track now, but I continue to journal my food intake and exercise output.

There are days, however, when I look at that tracker and my head explodes in an eruption of meanness, pointed directly at myself.  I harass myself with the memories of naughty goodness that I wish I never ate.  Sometimes it’s a brownie, or maybe mashed potatoes. Other days it’s bread. With butter.

Since when did I become my own smack-down?  Where’s my inner cheerleader? I ate what I ate and owned up to it.  But what about the empty calories that I DIDN’T eat? As Josie over at Yum Yucky recommends, it’s time to give myself some credit for the crappy foods within chewing distance that didn’t pass my lips.

Reverse Food Journaling is logging the uneaten. Recording the opportunities for noshing on sugary, fatty and otherwise delicious snarffage that will only go straight to my butt. WHICH, by the way, I am still working very hard at shrinking and toning.

So today? Today I’m starting W.I.D.E. – What I Didn’t Eat.  I’m starting with this:

You can click on the pictures and it will pop up a slide show where you can read the snarky comments on each picture.  (Thank you, WordPress, for such spiffy gadgets!)

Be Your Own Cheerleader.  Keep the Faith.

EMail Anglea Pea

fun

BYOC…

Angela Pea1 Comment

I’m a huge fan of Just Me, Drazil and Sheniqua, and I’m playing along with her Bring Your Own Crazy. It’s five little questions you can answer in your own blog to give your blogging brain a break.

Copy, paste and enjoy!

1. Name a Valentine gift you would NOT want to receive.

Whoa – back the truck up here.  Why would anyone turn down a gift of any kind?  It’s a gift! A surprise!  Somebody was thinking about you! That being said, I’d love to receive a Valentine’s gift of any kind. Mr. Pea?  Not so great on gift giving. He leans towards the practical, techie stuff – rarely anything romantic, frilly or fun.  I suspect I’ll get the dishwasher repaired as a Valentine’s gift. Which is really okay, because there are a lot of people living in my house, most of whom only wash the dishes by hand with a lot of grumbling and whining, including myself.

2. What’s your vacation personality? Do you act/eat/talk/do things differently or completely opposite from when you are not on vacation?

Vacation? Uh, yeah.  Doesn’t happen very often.  That house full of grumbling dishwashing teens?  They eat a lot.  Traveling with a crowd can be very, very expensive. When we do go on vacation, though, I am pretty much the same as I am at home.  Laid back and smiling because those same teens are so absolutely silly when they’re set free from the constraints of school, chores and other activities.

3. Describe yourself in 5 POSITIVE words.

Happy
Organized
Giving
Creative
Smart

4. Do you have any phobias or irrational fears or dislikes?

Heights!  Oh lordy, I’m afraid of heights.  It’s a great source of amusement to those teens when I’ll try to be brave and go up on that tower thingie at Six Flags.  I usually end up screaming.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blog land and in real life.

It’s been a long, difficult week at the Pea House.  The Architect has been sick, Princess Pea is edgy waiting for the ONE college acceptance letter she really wants, Mr. Pea and I have been dealing with work demands and stresses and did I mention that the dishwasher died?  It’s been limping along since last summer, but it’s finally and totally dead. Just another kitchen annoyance to go along with the semi-functioning oven. Oh!  And the cable box bit the dust, too.  They’re sending us a new one, which is two days late. AND – the bathroom heater blew up this morning.  Literally blew up, with sparks and everything.  Just so you know, our home ISN’T falling apart and yes, we’re all okay.  The things that are giving up the ghost are at least fifteen years old or older, because Mr. Pea and I are frugal types who don’t replace appliances for style or aesthetic purposes – they only get replaced when they are dead beyond our own ability to repair them ourselves.

Blogland threw a gem in my lap this week.  Josie over at Yum Yucky mentioned keeping a journal of all the stuff she DOESN’T eat. I love love love that!  I spend a lot of time  berating myself for the indulgent things that I do eat, and that is just too danged negative. I do NOT need any negativity in my life, especially from inside my own head.  I need  to praise myself for what I’m not eating, instead.  Like this:

W.I.D.E.

I am seriously going to set up a blog to record what I don’t eat. Thumb my nose at the temptation and the evilness of food pushers. Seriously…stay tuned.

Bring Your Own Crazy.  Keep the Faith.

EMail Anglea Pea

fun

NSV – Because the Scale is Being Nasty Mean

Angela Pea1 Comment

Oh yes she is. 

I call the scale a she, because what else would be so fickle, so cruel?  I’m working my tail off, only, well, my tail isn’t coming off.

So, let’s celebrate a NSV (Non-Scale Victory) instead! Observe: 

It's a Belt!

Look!  It’s a funky studded belt!  OVER a sweater! Around my waist!  The sweater used to be a skin-tight layering piece.  It’s pretty loose now, but just like the leather coat, I’m loathe to part with it.  It’s purple.  And cashmere. Luxuriousness and snuggly warmth all in one garment.  The belt is something I purchased on a whim a while back, under the enabling influence of my daughters.  When I bought it, I could buckle it only in the first hole at the end of the belt.  The plan was to keep it as a goal measuring device and maybe wear it someday.  Someday is today, and that belt is buckled in the LAST hole and it’s still loose over a SWEATER!!  Now just how cool is that?

I need a NSV because it’s been a long, difficult week.  The Architect has been home sick for three days with a raging fever, sore throat and rude tummy (negative flu test, negative strep culture).  He’s tired of being sick and bored out of his mind.  I am soresoresore from Tuesday’s kettle bell training.  We did ladders, with the last bit being pullups.  I can still only do one real pullup, so Bryan had me jump up to the bar to get my chin over and then s..l..o..w..l..y lower myself down.  With all the ladder reps, I did a total 50 reverse pullups.  (Dropdowns?) Today my chest hurts.  Mr. Pea had to help me get dressed this morning because I couldn’t reach behind my back.  My snackiness is still plaguing me, and I’ve been eating my APs this week.   The dishwasher died.  The weather is blah.

Oh!  here’s a bonus NSV.  Even though I’m achy, I went to kettle bell class again today and worked with double bells.  Funny, after sweating and moving for an hour, I don’t feel quite as bad.  The three Advil probably didn’t hurt, either.

Celebrate the NSVs.  Keep the Faith.

EMail Anglea Pea