Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Stresses and Research

Post Number: 20
Days of Tracking: 4/4
Days of Points Calculated: 4/4

WARNING: Long post. You might want to take it in stages.

We survived the inspection of the property. Not sure what the consequences are. We shall see. Hopefully, life will continue as is so I can clear a few of these stresses out of my life. Never mind that I was informed of a new stress today. One that will involve more of MBWM's time, energy, effort, and skills. And the more that MBWM is expending her energy, the less she has available for the family, and the extremely less she has for herself. And the more likely she is to work herself into a state of exhaustion. I've been trying to give her time down, but it rarely happens. As near as I can determine, the only way she gets down time is if she leaves by herself. If I leave one person, kid or grandparent here, her attention will be required.

So, to help her out, I try to make sure I am helping where I can. We started the frozen meal experiment at lunch today. With the inspection hanging over our heads, we chose the quicker avenue of cold cereal. But for our next meal, we launched the experiment at lunch. We chose Michelina's Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli. It has 250 mg of sodium. It costs 7 points. To extend the food a little, we added about 2 cups of our own broccoli and 1 cup of cauliflower. We also added 1 can of chicken, which has 320 mg of sodium and costs 1 point per person. In order to speed up the cooking process, I ended up mixing the partially cooked meal, the veggies, and chicken into one bowl. This did defeat the purpose of becoming familiar with a single serving. Which I realized (and was reminded by Asian Red Fox and MBWM) right after I had mixed all the food together. It was amazing how much food was available. MBWM ate her fill which was probably about a cup and a half. I first ate a salad (spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery {0 points to here}, ranch dressing {6 points}, and cottage cheese {2 points}). I served about 2 cups of the main dish. It was easily less than one-third of the food available in the serving bowl. Asian Red Fox ate the remaining food in two helpings. I know MBWM and I were full. I still consider this a success since I was full after an enjoyable meal that cost 16 points.

16 points would be about half my available points at my goal weight. But I am starting to see the changes in my thinking. I want to preserve 15 points every day as unused. So I pick the points I use with more care. And when I want something rather disastrous (Like an onion kaiser roll, toasted, with margarine), I have been cutting it in half. Or a bag of M&M's, I eat it in smaller stages so I can eat it over the course of an hour or more. Now, that I have seen this success, now comes the stickin' it out, the keep on keepin' on. It is still early in the mind-altering, lifestyle-changing process, but that's okay.

A few minutes ago, little Quail gave a cute, "He heeee." MBWM said, "Life is better with gummy bears." Yes, yes it is.

I received a fun and educational link from MBWM: Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy

Starting with the above article, I went through another series of links with the ease ever present on the Internet. Following along in my interest in weight loss and bettering my life, I came across these articles (in order):

  • The Habits Of Supremely Happy People
    • This is an extensive list. Not short at all. Quite a few good ideas.
    • Built into it indirectly is one of my favorite quotes, "Fake it 'til you make it." Some times I push through the times I don't want to be doin' what I'm supposed to be doin'. I fake it until I make it. And before I know it, I am feeling honestly what I have been faking.
    • The habits compliment each other and can be implemented in any orders or combination.
    • A Line I Noted Well (My favorite three headers from the article):
      • They surround themselves with other happy people.
      • They make a point to listen. 
      • They get spiritual.
    • It was quite difficult to only pick three. The complete list is under the P.S. Which three would you pick? It won't be easy.
  • Why Weight Loss Depends on Your Faith
    • This attracted my attention because discussions of faith are interesting to me. This one is based more on what you believe about yourself, rather than your spiritual beliefs.
    • Since I want to research self-hypnosis (as an outcome of my free visit to Positive Changes), the section Beliefs are like a live-in hypnotist was of particular interest.
    • A Line I Noted Well: There are a lot of pieces of the weight loss puzzle and you'll need them all in place to make it work. But your faith is a big piece of the puzzle. [...] Having the right faith will open the door to them and set you on the path to their fulfillment.
  • Wisdom From the Dalai Lama: 'Keep Working on It'
    • Quite a bit of good information that fits well with my LDS faith. We believe that the trial process that is one part of this life. This is something that allows us to learn adn grow throughout this life. We will never be perfect in this life. All sentiments similar to what the Dalai Lama had to offer.
    • A Line I Noted Well: Instead of a pithy prescription that we could all record or post on our status or tweet out, what we got was acknowledgment that every day, every minute, we make a choice about whether to try to be happy or not. Choosing happiness means cultivating your compassion, your generosity, your concern for others and continuously trying to push those ahead of the negative thoughts that wander into all of our lives and constantly push into our heads.
  • There Are So Many Kinds Of Yoga. This Chart Can Help.
    • First, it's a fun chart.
    • Second, Yoga has many amazing benefits. This sparked by interest.
    • A Line I Noted Well: Selecting Yes to the Start Here question leads to the question -
      Are you overwhelmed by this chart?
      By the way, if you select Yes on the above question, it takes you straight to Hatha Yoga
    • A Line I Noted Well: There is a question near the bottom center that says -
      Do you like to go with the flow?
      If you answer No, the chart takes you to Try Pilates
  • Healthy Lifestyle Changes Might Reverse Cell Aging, Study Suggests
    • Lots of neat science, but the results are in the first paragraph (quoted below)
    • A Line I Noted Well: Eat whole foods. Exercise. Meditate. Rely on supportive family and friends. All of these things have been linked, whether independently or together, with better health. And now, a new study shows it's never too late to start reaping the benefits of changing to healthy lifestyle -- and that those changes could even reverse cell aging.

It has become the time to make the dinner. Fortunately, I have assistance from MBWM's purchases (frozen stir fry peppers for our rice dish and the frozen meals), Asian Red Fox (she's cooking the fish and green beans), and happenstance (there is leftover rice from hay stacks a couple nights ago). I am off (my rocker) and into the kitchen.

Thanks again for reading up. I cannot believe how much I wrote today. But then again, I do enjoy writing. And I'm still amazed at the 200+ page views.

Yours in the crazy, joyful insanity of doin' somethin' you enjoy,

Eliot

P.S.:
Borrowed from MBWM: My doctor asked if any members of my family suffered from insanity. I said, "Nope, we all seem to enjoy it."

Borrowed from Asian Red Fox: Cross the Road They Said...

P.P.S.:
The headers from The Habits Of Supremely Happy People

  • They surround themselves with other happy people.
  • They smile when they mean it.
  • They cultivate resilience.
  • They try to be happy. 
  • They are mindful of the good.
  • They appreciate simple pleasures.
  • They devote some of their time to giving.
  • They let themselves lose track of time. (And sometimes they can’t help it.)
  • They nix the small talk for deeper conversation. 
  • They spend money on other people. 
  • They make a point to listen. 
  • They uphold in-person connections.
  • They look on the bright side.
  • They value a good mixtape.
  • They unplug. 
  • They get spiritual.
  • They make exercise a priority.
  • They go outside.
  • They spend some time on the pillow.
  • They LOL.
  • They walk the walk.
Can you pick your favorite three?

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