Seestorcoos journal

[Letha]

Plus, the storage in our house is completely and totally inadequate (although my best friend could still be fanatically organized here). I don't even have a place to put my towels and sheets - have to store them in my art supplies cabinet. Beads, paper, prismacolors, and pillow cases. My dream house has built ins everywhere so everything has a place while enabling me to have a floor and surfaces that are clean and empty. So peaceful when you walk into this dream house......

Hi Seestorcoo,
I can relate to the lack of space. We removed some stand alone IKEA cabinets from the kitchen when we put the house on the market in an effort to make the kitchen appear larger. We figured the house would sell in a couple of months and we could tolerate the inconvenience. Nearly 18 months later I’m still storing cans under the bed and veggie broth, etc. in the bedroom closet. Similar situation in the bath. We took down the tacky shelves near the sink, pared down to our essentials which are now kept in travel bags under the sink. We’re considering taking the house off the market and I’m putting my tacky shelves back up so I can see all my stuff all the time!
Letha

[seestorcoo]

Yeah, I think so.

Foodwise - did mostly okay yesterday...did one little fall off the wagon but not too bad. I fixed toadfoods cabbage soup a couple of days ago and we are working on that. Also, enchilada casserole w/polenta. DP has started counting her calories in an effort to speed up her weight loss. She asked me how many she should have a day and I went to nutritiondata.com and put in her info and came back with some numbers for her to work with, depending on how much she wants to lose. Although I am sure that last months weight gain for her was just one of those flukes and that she'll be down a lot this month, I think it is good for her to track her food and the calories so she's more aware of what she puts in her mouth. She's mostly let me do the label reading and I think seeing for yourself helps awareness.

As for myself, my cheating is starting to show...if not on the scale too much, its showing in my body. My gastritis is acting up again. That will go away once I am really good for a week or so. Just another incentive.
We went on a bike ride yesterday and it felt so good!! It was sunny and not too cold and there were birds singing and it was lovely. Felt good to move my body.

Sewing - went to my sewing teachers house yesterday for the lesson. She showed me the clothing her and her business partner are making (very cute). She just got a serger and showed me how to use it and I serged on my scrub top - WOW! It makes it look so professional! Really really fancy - you wouldn't know that I'm just learning to sew. I came home and showed DP and it looks like (maybe?) I'll get a serger for my birthday! The machine wasn't nearly as scary as it looks (although I certainly haven't threaded it yet!). Then, I tried on the scrub top and it was wayyyyy too big. Just in case anyone is going to go sewing, know that simplicity patterns are much much bigger than store bought clothes. So, we will have to alter my scrub top before we finish it. Another good experience. Will also take my measurements so this doesn't happen again. Also, I can't leave well enough alone and I am going to fancy the top up with buttons and piping and such. What fun.

Have made the ABC list the last couple of days (2?3?) and have been amazed how much more organized I am. Have gotten a lot done. I may take a break from it today just to have a feeling of "I don't have to get anything done" but think I'll go back to it. It really helped. Also thinking about my ultimate goals...one of the things I read about this system is you start thinking about "what do I want people to say about me?" and that helps you define your big goals. So, I'm thinking about that.

That's it I guess. Have a long rough week ahead of me - 56 hours in 5 days - so I may not be on here much. Or I may as a source of sanity. Who knows.

Have a good day.

[seestorcoo]

to say today - very little time and doing nothing but work. My partner did make some incredible potato soup. I'll ask her if she used a recipe and if so, I'll post it later this week.

Have a good one.

[toadfood]

How did you and DP like the cabbage soup? I liked it but it took me a long time to eat it because I tend to like one-dish meals, and it isn't substantial enough (for me, anyway) to be a whole meal by itself.

[seestorcoo]

My partner really liked the cabbage soup - I wasn't that crazy about it. I increased the cabbage content to make it more hearty. I felt very gourmet making a fancy asian soup with its own special broth though.

I've been not doing great on McD - been eating bad stuff at work. I've got the coffee girls trained though to refuse to sell me muffin tops. And then, today, I remembered how to not buy things at work (hmmm, wonder why it took me so long to remember this?)....don't take money. So, I am not taking any money to work. That will at least stop the vending machine raids. It's totally stress eating at work. I've been taking McD food but in the moment, its chocolate I want. I'm convinced that my partner is going to lose massive amounts of weight this month - she has really tightened up on her program and increased the exercise. I feel a little left behind but at the same time, knowing that its my own fault. This weight loss thing is so complex and so simple at the same time.....so many reasons that I overeat or eat unhealthy things and yet, the solution is simple...just don't do it.

I've really got the sewing bug. One of the CNAs at work is a trained tailor (from the Philipines) and makes all her own scrubs. I was making her stand still so I could look at her seams last night....crazy. This one set of scrubs she wears looks so perfect, it makes my virgo self crazy. This weeks homework includes making bias tape. Woohoo! Not only am I loving learning this just because I've always wanted to and to make things that are in my head, I also love the idea of learning a new skill that could make me money "just in case". Grew up in survival mode and always have that in the back of my mind.

That's all. Gotta go to work...Have a good day.

[seestorcoo]

I didn't eat anything bad at work. Took a meal and a half and ate that. And you know what? I wasn't tempted to stop anywhere on the way home for bad food. I wonder if the two things are related.

I get so tired of starting over and over and over.

Thats it for now...I'm falling asleep over the computer - think I must go to bed.

[Letha.]

This weight loss thing is so complex and so simple at the same time.....so many reasons that I overeat or eat unhealthy things and yet, the solution is simple...just don't do it.

Simple but not easy. True of so many things. Quit smoking/drinking/drugging/gambling – put on your shoes, open the door and go for a long walk – remove the contents of that drawer/closet/cupboard and put it all back in a neat and orderly fashion – say a kind word to heal a rift in a relationship. All simple but not easy.
Letha

[seestorcoo]

more wise words from you. Thank you.

My partner has gone on some kind of cooking frenzy. She's always been good at whipping up spur of the moment legal desserts but now, she's expanding. There was the delicious potato soup the other day and today, I woke up to a whole lentil loaf in the fridge. I love having someone cook for me! And so nice to not have to eat my own cooking - I get really tired of that. Wonder what I can do to encourage this new behavior of hers?

I've been eating a lot of oatmeal lately. Not too much - just one bowl a day or less. But I've discovered that if you add cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, a banana and a bit of sugar, its pretty good. Seems to satisfy my cereal craving. I like it best when I'm heating up the leftovers in the microwave and the bananas cook more - they taste yummy then.

There's some sort of presentation at work in March about nutrition in the ICU - it sounds interesting but honestly, I'll probably forget all about it and miss it. See how I am?

Later.

[seestorcoo]

today (not yesterday or the day before). Think I might try some visualization of me eating 100% instead of the pictures that come into my mind of me eating off plan. We made an easy, yummy dinner - sauteed mixed bell peppers with zuchinni in salsa, added beans/refried beans and put it on corn tortillas. Then, made coleslaw with precut cabbage and ff honey mustard dressing for on top. So good and really easy.

Other than that - not much. I'm looking at ellipticals - found one that is a really good deal but only just okay reviews. Trying to decide.

Later...

[Letha.]

Your dinner does sound yummy!
Letha

[seestorcoo]

to do 100% again today! I feel strong. Had a good hearty breakfast of hashbrowns with vegies and a side of lentil loaf.

Don't think I'm going to get that elliptical. Yes, its 1/3 or 1/4th the price of retail but they have generally awful reviews with what appears to be bad customer service. I hate to pass it up since it a "good" one costs over 1000.00 but I think it will save me a lot of grief to just say no. If anyone has had a good experience with a Nordic Track Elite 3000 elliptical, now would be the time to mention it

Saw two good movies this weekend - Gran Torino and The Secret Life of Bees. Sue Monk Kidd is one of my favorite authors (starting with Dance of the Dissident Daughter) so it was fun to see one of her books on screen - especially with Queen Latifah in it. And Gran Torino gave me a lot to think about.

That's it I guess. Having a hard time visualizing myself staying on plan - don't know what the problem is. Will keep trying.

have a good day.

[Becky]

Hi Seestorcoo!

Oooh, all your talk about sewing is really making me miss my sewing machine! And crafts in genereal - I really think it's time I get back into that side of my life I put aside many years ago. I think there are lots of things I could do in a 5th wheel that wouldn't take up much space.

Saw Gran Torino, enjoyed it very much! Haven't seen Secret Life of Bees yet - just got the book at Good Will last week and will read that next (right now I'm reading "Stones From the River").

Glad to hear the Franklin method of organizing is appealing to you, I really think it works!

Keep feeling strong, keep going for the 100%

Take care,
Becky

[seestorcoo]

You know how it feels when someone does you wrong AND rejects you? Both? We dressed up mighty fine tonight (looking quite hot, if I do say so myself and me in my new hairdo) and went to a dance. And there, we accidently sat behind an old flame of mine who both did me wrong and rejected me because I was "too fat." I haven't seen this person in almost 7 years. And you know what? They now outweigh me by at least 50 lbs - maybe more like 70. HAH!!! I was skinnier and my partner was too. Double HAH!!!! We were looking so fine - oh my, it was sweet. One of those moments you quite literally (day) dream of.

It was a wonderful dance.

[toadfood]

Living well is the best revenge! Glad you had fun at the dance -- I haven't been dancing in a long time, unless you count exercise DVDs.

[seestorcoo]

Don't have much to say but want to post as I do better when I stay on here. Woke up early enough that I will try to fix real food before work - that always helps.

My partner has really tightened up her program plus added a bunch of exercise beyond what she already did. She stays strictly MWL (with a reasonable amt of food) and exercises at least one hour a day and only lost 3 pounds this month. She is so depressed about that - I don't know why its not coming off faster. She's still big enough that it shouldn't be this hard. I wish I knew what to tell her - how to make results happen better.