Etc.
Keto Craziness
Since getting married I’ve gained about 20 pounds. I made it through college without succumbing to the freshman 15 and I’ve been blessed with a pretty quick metabolism most of my life, but I hit 40 and everything went downhill. (It probably didn’t help that in the year and a half leading up to and after the big day I’ve moved 5 times, lost two grandparents, gained a teenager, changed jobs 8 times and dealt with long periods of unemployment, all of which helped trigger bouts with depression and anxiety among other things.)
I’ve chalked it up to all of those things and have whined about the pants that no longer fit (as my ever-patient husband assures me that of course I’m not fat.) But when the fat pants I bought to tide me over became too tight and some of my shirts started to become uncomfortable thanks to my batwing arms I knew I was going to have to do something. The last straw came when I could no longer get my wedding ring on (or back off!)
I have a love/hate relationship with the concept of dieting. I’ve watched my mom struggle with her weight due to health problems since I was a teenager. I know extremes can get the weight off but are rarely sustainable. I’m a true believer in balance. But when things are out of balance we might need to take some relatively drastic steps to get back in balance. And especially having the quick results to keep you going can be important. With that in mind I decided to try a ketogenic diet because I know that I’m definitely out of whack leaning to the side of too many carbs. And I figured a diet that let me eat cheese and bacon could be sustainable for a few months to get the bulk of the weight off since I likely wouldn’t feel too deprived or hungry.
It’s super popular right now and there’s a ton of information out there about what foods are ok and not (with a bit of discrepancies of course.) Because of the popularity I’m still waiting on books from the library and have gotten everything from online searches thus far. They say you don’t have to track calories, just the net carbs but I’ve been using my calorie tracker just to stay in the habit and I’m not super vigilant about counting the actual carbs each day but I use the carb counters and specified recipes in my meal planning and have stuck pretty close to the recommended <20 net carbs/day.
I’d like to say I’ve been perfect at following it. But that’s just not true.The first week I cheated a bit (I just couldn’t pass up the homemade brownies and cookies at book club but I only had one bite of each instead of loading my plate so I still consider that a success) but still ended up 5 pounds lighter. This week I overdid it one day on fruit which hadn’t been on the menu at all but I needed mentally to keep from bingeing on the chocolate I was craving. So far the loss isn’t as spectacular (only 2 pounds) but still happening. Next week I’m upping the game and adding some exercise to the mix so we’ll see how that changes things and then after that’s not so tough I’m planning to work in some intermittent fasting.
The hubs and I are planning a trip to Chicago early in May so the goal is to have all the weight off by then so I can buy a new swimsuit, not have to buy all new clothes (but fit back into all the clothes I’ve stashed away), and be able to indulge in a little deep dish pizza without feeling super guilty!
But I’m curious if any of you have done this…any recipe suggestions? I’m not a super fan of meat. I tend to like it as an accent to the meal rather than the showpiece (though I do occasionally enjoy BBQ or a steak like once a month!) I do love the cheesy, creamy things but I know those aren’t really the best choices. And eggs are tough for me to swallow sometimes, literally. We’ve done a few varieties of smothered and stuffed chicken, a beef and broccoli with cauliflower rice, taco salad, Thai chicken lettuce wraps, and a lasagna using zucchini instead of noodles. I would love to hear what you’ve done and any favorites you’ve found along the way! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! 🙂
Welcome March
February is the shortest month but by golly, it sure feels like the longest one! We haven’t had as brutal of weather here as many across the country have but it’s still been cold and dreary and well, to be honest, I’m over it! So, welcome March! I’m so glad you’re here! And here’s a lovely little verse from Emily Dickinson to say it better than I could.
Dear March – Come in –
How glad I am –
I hoped for you before –
Put down your Hat –
You must have walked –
How out of Breath you are –
Dear March, how are you, and the Rest –
Did you leave Nature well –
Oh March, Come right upstairs with me –
I have so much to tell –
I got your Letter, and the Birds –
The Maples never knew that you were coming –
I declare – how Red their Faces grew –
But March, forgive me –
And all those Hills you left for me to Hue –
There was no Purple suitable –
You took it all with you –
Who knocks? That April –
Lock the Door –
I will not be pursued –
He stayed away a Year to call
When I am occupied –
But trifles look so trivial
As soon as you have come
That blame is just as dear as Praise
And Praise as mere as Blame –
~Emily Dickinson
Winter Footwear
Ladies, let’s talk winter foot wear.
I will never claim to be a fashionista. I like to dress up but I’m also way too cheap and lazy to do it on a regular basis. I have clothes in my closet from high school (in the early 90’s, not the best era for fashion) and despite gaining nearly 20 pounds since getting married the only new clothes I’ve bought have been for necessity (ie I couldn’t breathe in any of the pants I owned.) I try to buy things that are relatively classic but I’ll occasionally splurge on something quirky or trendy…my splurging being at Target. I just can’t stomach the idea of spending $100 for a pair of pants! I’m also a weird size so I struggle to buy things off the rack. My monkey arms and ridiculously long legs have always caused me grief (in Middle School before long lengths were common in the stores I bought most of my pants in the boys section since I could tailor things by waist size and leg length instead of just a one-size fits all approach they used in the girls section.)
And then there are my ski-worthy feet. Super long and gargantuan and ALWAYS COLD!
Which brings me to my topic today. Winter foot wear. You guys, I struggle with this so much. Probably a lot more than I should. So I’m asking for everyone’s input. What do you wear in the winter?
I find myself either klunking around in my pseudo-Uggs or sliding and freezing in a variation of ballet flats which probably looks a little better, but this girl needs socks!
Because my feet are huge I feel like they look even bigger and bulkier in anything other than those ballet flats when I’m wearing skinny jeans.
Athletic shoes are occasionally an option but not for work days. (And again, look rather ridiculous with skinny jeans)
So my blogosphere friends. What do you wear in the winter to keep your feet warm?! Particularly that would be work appropriate. My popsicle feet are begging for your help!
Jesus Is My Peace
In a church meeting this weekend we had a remarkable lesson about the role of Jesus Christ in our lives. One of my favorite verses of scripture is in Isaiah (you’ll probably recognize it from Handel’s Messiah) that announces the Savior as Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God and so forth. Now a lot of those names are a little hard to relate to on a day-to-day basis and we were encouraged to think about what Jesus means to us each and every day.
And each and every day I find that I need peace. Whether it’s an emotional situation, a crazy family situation, work or the evening news or not being able to find a parking space or a million other things that happen all the time, there always seems to be a lack of peace. And so I turn to my Savior for that “peace that passeth all understanding” and He never fails me. Sometimes its just a moment of solace, sometimes its inspiration to solve a problem, and sometimes its just the reminder that “this too shall pass.”
I’m grateful for this Christmas season to be reminded of the birth of a babe in Bethlehem who was destined to be the Prince of Peace and the constant peace in my life. If you were to fill in the blank what would role would Jesus play for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Jesus is my_________.