Month: September 2023

September 2023 Update

So, as I had predicted September was not as euphoric as August had been.  Part of that was due to my own dabbling in various ways to see what would and would not work in terms of adding back in foods that aren’t terribly compliant (as well as using up some foods already in the house), but some was a general bit of frustration when either my weight loss seemed to have slowed or more notably when exercise felt difficult.

The month started on a high note, and I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made with my weight.  I am very impatient about it all of course, but it is hard to complain when I’ve lost as much as I have.  Hopefully this coming Monday’s weigh-in will put me over 50 lbs of total lost weight.  I’m apprehensive about it, but I’m always apprehensive about weighing myself.  I don’t know if that feeling goes away at some point.

This month has been all about simplifying my meal planning and getting down to the most basic foods that I would enjoy eating for my life.  I like to make soup with many ingredients, but I’ve really tried to hone in on the least number of ingredients to make something I still love.  That is going well, and there have been no surprises.  I need to learn to trust myself.  I know what I works for me; I didn’t really need any big experiments to tell me that.

I’m planning to focus on food costs in October.  I want to see how much I can lower my grocery bill and still feel just as satisfied.  It will be similar to September, but I already know that my walnut milk might have to be replaced by soy or almond.  I might need to switch from lemonade to water, especially seeing as I go through so much these days.  What I want for this next chapter in my life is to simplify everything.  I want to live cheaply and gently.

I want to have all of the extra weight gone yesterday, but I just need to keep reminding myself that none of these things happen quickly.  I put in a lot of time gaining the weight; I need to give myself time to lose it.

Daily Log: 30 September 2023

FOOD:

  • HTeaO Unsweetened Peach Cobbler Iced Tea
  • GV SF Lemonade
  • Diet Coke
  • Roasted Seaweed
  • great northern beans, steamed cauliflower, collard greens, mustard, cayenne pepper

NOTES: I haven’t been feeling well for a few days with sinus issues, so my cravings have been unusual.  While I’m generally off of Diet Coke, I got a couple and they were fine.  I prefer my lemonade normally, but it tasted off to me.  Today I wasn’t very hungry at all, but when I finally did eat I felt sick to my stomach.  I need to remember that I don’t have to eat when I don’t feel hungry.  Today it felt like an obligation, and that isn’t a good reason to eat.

🍄 Full Log for September 2023 🌾

Daily Log: 27 September 2023

FOOD:

  • steamed green beans, Just Egg Patty, Gardein F’sh Patty, unMeat Roast Beef Style Chunks, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder, NuSalt
  • Soup: tomato sauce, mushrooms, Hatch green chiles, 2 Serrano peppers, onions, unMeat Roast Beef Style Chunks, collard green potlikker, McCormick Tasty Zesty Basil, Thyme + Lemon Zest Seasoning Mix (sugar, basil, thyme, turmeric, salt, garlic, onion, etc), onion powder, garlic powder, mushroom seasoning, white pepper, paprika, crushed red pepper, kidney beans
  • GV SF Lemonade
  • Reign Inferno Jalapeño Strawberry Energy Drink

🍄 Full Log for September 2023 🌾

Daily Log: 26 September 2023

FOOD:

  • Soup: tomato sauce, mushrooms, Hatch green chiles, 2 Serrano peppers, onions, unMeat Roast Beef Style Chunks, collard green potlikker, McCormick Tasty Zesty Basil, Thyme + Lemon Zest Seasoning Mix (sugar, basil, thyme, turmeric, salt, garlic, onion, etc), onion powder, garlic powder, mushroom seasoning, white pepper, paprika, crushed red pepper, kidney beans, Smoky Rice
  • GV SF Lemonade
  • Reign Inferno Jalapeño Strawberry Energy Drink

🍄 Full Log for September 2023 🌾

Daily Log: 25 September 2023

FOOD:

  • romaine salad mix, kidney beans, green beans, steamed cauliflower, Head Country Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce, Walden Farms Thousand Island Dressing
  • GV SF Lemonade
  • Starbucks Medium Roast Cold Brew Coffee, Elmhurst Maple Walnut Barista Edition Milk, salted caramel syrup
  • Reign Inferno Jalapeño Strawberry Energy Drink
  • 2 grilled ears of corn, roasted Anaheim pepper, steamed broccoli, stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, romaine salad mix, Walden Farms Thousand Island Dressing, brown mustard

NOTES: I slept really well, but I woke up feeling terrible.  The pollen from weeds is high right now and I think I’m just dealing with that.  I even overdid the caffeine in an attempt to compensate, but it didn’t do as much as I had hoped. Continue reading “Daily Log: 25 September 2023”

Daily Log: 24 September 2023

FOOD:

  • red beans, steamed cauliflower, Head Country Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce
  • GV SF Lemonade
  • Starbucks Medium Roast Cold Brew Coffee, Elmhurst Maple Walnut Barista Edition Milk, salted caramel syrup
  • romaine salad mix, Roma tomatoes, kidney beans, steamed broccoli, kidney beans, pineapple, spicy 3-2-1 dressing, Walden Farms Pear & White Balsamic Vinaigrette

NOTES: I’ve been working on reducing food costs as much as possible, so I looked at how we could do that within the patterns of eating both Justin and I are currently using.  I have gotten into a similar habit to my parents where I buy far too much food, but there aren’t a ton of people eating that food.  I like the variety, but that has some disadvantages.  I’m going to work on some sort of meal guide that should help.  Neither of us is good at following a meal plan, but maybe having a variety of dishes with overlapping ingredients will allow us to get some control over that.  Even if we didn’t make the thing we absolutely wanted on a given day, we would at least have the items on hand for something we tend to enjoy.

🍄 Full Log for September 2023 🌾

Daily Log: 23 September 2023

FOOD:

  • 1 medium russet potato, 2 small red potatoes, steamed cauliflower, Head Country Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce
  • GV SF Lemonade
  • Starbucks Medium Roast Cold Brew Coffee, Elmhurst Maple Walnut Barista Edition Milk, salted caramel syrup
  • 1 medium russet potato, 2 small red potatoes, collard greens, potlikker
  • 1 medium russet potato, 2 small red potatoes, Brussels sprouts, red beans, unMeat Chicken Style Chunks, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper

NOTES: I’ve already started worrying about my Monday weigh-in.  I don’t like dreading it, especially when I’ve been losing weight.  I guess I just don’t trust it to last still.  I’m so worried about whether or not I will be able to get down to a healthy weight that I just assume I won’t.  I hope that changes in my brain at some point.

🍄 Full Log for September 2023 🌾

Daily Log: 22 September 2023

FOOD:

  • steamed kale, pineapple chunks, unMeat Chicken Style Chunks, chili beans
  • GV SF Lemonade
  • Stuffed collard green (collard green leaf, Smoky Rice, Gardein Ground Be’f), grilled squash (yellow & zucchini, grilled pepper (Anaheim & Bell), steamed onions, steamed bell peppers, Corn & Beans
  • Starbucks Medium Roast Cold Brew Coffee, Elmhurst Maple Walnut Barista Edition Milk, salted caramel syrup
  • 2 medium russet potatoes, Head Country Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce

NOTES: Chef AJ was right, pineapple makes kale so much better.

🍄 Full Log for September 2023 🌾