No topic.

[Trinity]

Today.

B: tea, 4 oz. unsweetened Silk, potatoes. Wasn’t thinking with all the constant excitement and made a second cup of black tea instead of oolong! Duh.

Then part of a soft pretzel.

L: Salad with candied pecans and dressing that contained oil, the rest of youngest’s French fries with ketchup

D: a beer, a glass of red wine, mashed potatoes, rolls, Kuehne Red Cabbage

Then I tasted a couple of frozen semi-sweet chocolate chips that my youngest wanted for dessert. They were pretty good. Then I watched my older daughter eat a Magnum ice cream bar that not only had a chocolate outside layer (not tempting) but TWO layers of chocolate on the outside with caramel in between. Later on I ate one myself. I haven’t eaten ice cow-pus-cream since I was pregnant with the self-same older daughter 10 years ago. Before I took the last bite I remembered that I was supposed to not be eating sweets on days I drank alcohol! Gah!!!

Exercised.

[deweyswakms]

It wasn’t quite enough starch so I was still hungry but felt too awkward to eat something else back at home so had a beer and then a glass of white wine…oh well. Exercised.

Oh boy, you have a lot on your hands (kids, school, hubby, MIL) etc. I am curious why you felt too awkward to eat something AT YOUR OWN HOME?!

Bet you are looking forward to a calmer week.

Keep working it! Marsha

[Trinity]

Hahaha. Marsha, that is a great question. I used to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. But now I’m tired of being under scrutiny. Maybe it’s being 37 or that 3rd kid outnumbering the parents (though she’s wonderful! We had her on purpose). My mother, father, and MIL (FIL passed of his 3rd heart attack in 2013, sadly) are always paying attention to what I eat and when and making comments about it and I’m tired of it (they are all overweight and with the exception of my father wish they were thinner). I’m thin and I’ve been doing this for almost 10 years and I’ve explained it to all of them, exhaustively, repeatedly, and I’m tired. So when any of them are around I just try to be as “normal” as possible. I’m a healthy weight and I have no health problems so I hate to make a spectacle of myself and my weird eating habits. I hope that answers your question. They’re not around that often, it’s not like anyone lives down the street.

B: tea, 2 oz. unsweetened Silk. I wasn’t hungry. Also a tiny punishment for yesterday’s gluttony.

L (out at a Cuban place): vegan fried rice (contained oil), salad with no dressing, plantains, some fruit that had honey on it, and arepas that the waitress said did not have cheese in them but I definitely tasted some sort of tangy dairy taste. I really wanted everyone to try them though because Encanto! The kids weren’t as excited as I was about them.

D: 1 beer and an entire large marinara pizza BUT I only ate 2 times today and NO SWEETS (the drizzle of honey over the fruit can’t count) even though we baked the rest of the cookie dough from the other day. I also had a glass of red wine afterward.

Husband went to work today which was a relief. He was driving me crazy. He turns into a bizarro version of himself whenever we have company, constantly impatient and rushing everyone around, ordering food for them (grrr) etc. MIL probably got bored but at least she didn’t tell the kids this time. Made it through. She’s leaving tomorrow morning. Thank you Jesus.

[Trinity]

Forgot to mention that I did “exercise” (walked around my house for 30 minutes). Yes, I am looking forward to a calmer week. And I should be grateful. This is the first time MIL has come to visit since we’ve lived here (since last August) so I should quit being a whiny DIL and be able to make handle one 8-day visit in 9 months. Still—glad it’s over and don’t have to worry about her coming to visit Georgia in the summer!

[Trinity]

B: tea, 2 oz. unsweetened Silk (not hungry and eager to get out the door)

L (potluck at the church): black coffee, cucumber salad, green beans, “hush puppies” (they were more like plain donut holes), mashed potatoes, coleslaw, 1 slice of rum cake (thought it was pound cake but still delicious), 2 chocolate chip cookies. Wow those cookies were sweet! I didn’t even want any more desserts—just 1 plate of food.

D: First I had some salad with pico de gallo. When that’s gone I’m going to make some hummus to put on my salad with balsamic vinegar like Squealcat—yum. Also MIL made beef stew one night this week but didn’t use one of the McCormick beef stew seasoning packets, which it turns out are vegan and oil free! I put the whole packet, some water, and some chunked up raw russets in the instant pot for 8 minutes (I figured it should take the same time as when making mashed) and they were so delicious.

Exercised. Also husband went to bed early so I can watch something on TV!

A happy day!

[Trinity]

B: tea, 2 oz. unsweetened Silk, the rest of the “beef” stew potatoes, a couple (McD) waffles with maple syrup

L: microwaved potatoes, green beans, the rest of the pico de gallo, an apple, 1 Cherry Coke Zero

To preface the following I have historically, on the same day something I dreaded has ended, been really good. And then, on the second day which is the first full day of that thing being over, I make it through the whole day and then go crazy at night like woo hoo, it’s over! So—today I really was NOT going to drink alcohol (even though it’s Sunday) because it’s already going to be hard to wake up at 6 when for a week I’ve been sleeping till 8-8:30 (waking up naturally! Wow!) BUT for dinner I had 2 glasses of white wine (it’s gone now), microwaved potatoes, the rest of the baked beans, the rest of the stupid cookies no one wanted to eat, then a few pieces of Easter chocolate while stuffing eggs. But now the rest of it (the chocolate) is zipped away in a suitcase upstairs and I am going to be SO GOOD this week leading up to going to my parents’ for Easter.

[Trinity]

Today: tea, 2 oz. unsweetened Silk, potatoes, vegetables, bean sauce, fruit, 1 Cherry Coke Zero, Speedy International Stew. Exercised.

I was going to make hummus but instead I cooked a bag of navy beans in the Instant Pot and blended it with garlic and onion powder, nutritional yeast, and balsamic vinegar to use on salad/vegetables so that’s the “bean sauce.”

Not a great night sleep-wise thanks to my Sunday night insanity. Other than not being able to fall asleep and waking up a lot, I was so hot.

Glad everyone’s back in school (youngest goes back tomorrow). Had to go upstairs to wake up 2 out of the 3 this morning. My son had a field trip today so that’s a pretty sweet way to come back from spring break!

I’ve noticed that when I write this in another app and then paste it here, it formats better than if I just type it all in on the site so I’m going to try to remember to do that from now on.

[Trinity]

Actually I’m not convinced it makes a difference either way.

Today: tea, 2 oz. unsweetened Silk, fruit, vegetables, bean sauce, potatoes, 1 Cherry Coke Zero, Vampire Soup. Exercised.

I went ahead and made my morning tea to cool in the fridge overnight—sometimes I get so hot drinking hot tea in the morning. Uneventful day. I realized that Tuesdays are my only day that is now both free during the day and in the evening. Kids are ready for bed and going nuts upstairs while we wait for husband to get off the phone. His mom called and I think he thought it had something to do with what we found out last night but it’s clear she only called to chat. I am not on facebook (anymore). My husband’s younger brother found out yesterday, I think on facebook, that their older stepbrother’s cousin tragically died in a motorcycle accident—he was only 26 or 27—but they (my husband and his younger full brother) weren’t sure if the older stepbrother in question had been told. I tend to stay out of these things. The cousin was from older stepbrother’s mother’s side of the family and they shared a father.

Anyways, I managed not to drink alcohol yesterday or today though I really wanted to. It only took a week to start craving it nightly again. I really want to stick with not drinking on weekdays even after Easter.

I remembered what I was going to say—Squealcat referenced a recent post by f1jim in or near which I found Jeff Novick’s “plate test.” I did some research today on Cronometer using my food scale and my typical plate of potatoes and vegetables may be just short of the required 12–15 g fiber but it would be right on target if I always add a small apple.

[squealcat]

How did the bean sauce turn out? I sometimes make my hummus with half chick peas and half navy beans. turns out really creamy and the taste is great !

I once figured out my daily fiber and it was around 50gms a day. I have (on most days ) a half to one cup of beans each day and that helps. I thought Jeff's plate test was interesting. I hadn't read that before this week.

-squealcat

[Trinity]

The bean sauce turned out to be really delicious! Definitely very creamy. But oh man, after it’s gone (which will be soon) I guess I’ll go back to avoiding beans because of their “effects”—it’s so embarrassing! Usually cooked from dried it’s not a big deal, and I thought blending them would make them even more digestible (if that’s the issue?) but no luck. (Not willing to take a supplement that would avoid this, either.) I think due to all the delicious peeled potatoes my fiber intake is not quite what it needs to be if I’m not including some beans or some brown rice (which I like but get tired of easily) or oatmeal (which I like but also quit recently because all the water in it was causing me to pee all morning and I want to keep the calorie density low so don’t want to mess with the ratio). I’ll keep tinkering with it!

Today: tea, 2 oz. unsweetened Silk, fruit, potatoes, vegetables, bean sauce, white rice, maple syrup, Raisin Bran, sweetened Silk, Frosted Flakes, Vampire Soup, 2 bites of a roll (contained oil). Exercised.

I made a cup of green tea in 2 minutes this afternoon (1 to almost boil, 1 to steep) so I have no excuse to be grabbing a Cherry Coke Zero out of the fridge which was an impulse buy on Sunday because they’ll be good to help me through Friday which is a fasting day.

It’s “that time” (of the month, sorry for TMI) and it’s hitting me really hard, doubtless thanks at least partially to all the junk I ate over spring break. Sleepy/cranky/achy/crave-y hence almost everything from white rice on. Headache too which is new so maybe it’s unrelated. At dinner my daughter told me the commissary rolls everyone loved last time didn’t taste right and when I tried part of hers I agreed.

Tomorrow is going to be a challenging day but then no school Friday so at least I can sleep in.

Edit: When I first posted this the text was all small again so let me see if this fixed it…

[Trinity]

Today: tea, 2 oz. unsweetened Silk, fruit, white rice, brown sugar, potatoes, vegetables, the rest of the yummy bean sauce, 1 Cherry Coke Zero, Raisin Bran, Int’l Stew, 2 glasses of red wine, and just less than 2 of the same rolls from yesterday (contained oil): the last one and then the rest of my daughter’s. Exercised.

I made pasta, salad, and rolls for everyone else while I took my older daughter to gymnastics. (White pasta with the non-oil-free sauce that the 3 of them love.) My husband managed to get home in time to watch younger daughter but then made her a hot dog because she asked for one. He was also sneaky about it because, seeing ketchup on her plate in the sink upon coming home, I asked him what she had for dinner and he said pasta. Then I caught him of course when I asked why she had ketchup on her plate. Infuriating. I asked him seriously to only make her a hot dog if he was grilling for everyone. First, they’re incredibly unhealthy. Maximum of 1 hot dog per week please. Second, what kind of message does that send? He didn’t also make my son a burger or veggie burger. On top of ALL of this: I ALREADY MADE DINNER. This is a constant issue with him and the kids. “Why did you do this for them?” “They asked me to.” THEY ARE CHILDREN AND YOU ARE THE PARENT: SAY “NO.” I don’t know what else to do. Can I never leave him alone with them? Not an option. Just not make dinner and leave them to scrounge? Then everyone would be eating hot dogs I guess. Or cereal which would be an improvement over hot dogs. Any ideas, my McDougall friends??? I am getting really tired of bothering with dinner! One of these nights everyone is going to get microwaved potatoes and orange slices!!! Best dinner ever IMHO. I am leaving out the NSA canned green beans with balsamic vinegar that not even I in my fury right now would make anyone else eat. There it is, my perfect meal: 3 fist-sized microwaved potatoes (about 1 lb. raw), 1 can of NSA green beans with balsamic vinegar, and a delicious sliced orange (or other piece of fruit at other times of the year). YUM. And ready in 10 minutes. Eat 3-4 times per day. Sleep. Repeat.

Well, thank you for reading, I feel much better now.

[Daydream]

Any ideas, my McDougall friends???

Here is what I would do about the hot dog issue... First, I would inform your husband that The World Health Organization (WHO)’s International Agency for Research on Cancer says that processed meat (eg: hot dogs) is “carcinogenic to humans". Hot dogs are a Group 1 carcinogen, which is in the same category as cigarettes. Secondly, I would refuse to buy hot dogs. He could of course buy them himself but at least I would not be supporting the problem with my behavior.

[Trinity]

Daydream,

Thank you so much for your support. It really means a lot knowing that someone understands and agrees with how I feel. Alas, I’ve played the carcinogen card and I get back, “Breathing air causes cancer!” which is so shockingly inane I have no response. He is the buyer of the meats also. One day she’ll understand about hot dogs and will most likely either quit eating them or not eat them very often. Or eat them every day having full knowledge. Whatever. I think what bothered me the most about last night is that even having made dinner, he made something else in addition and only for one member of the family. I’ll talk to him more about it after I’ve cooled to room temperature. After Easter.

Typing this in without cutting and pasting to see if it quits doing the stupid tiny text.

Today: tea, 4 oz. unsweetened Silk, 1 Cherry Coke Zero. Exercised.

So awhile ago I was truly having unexplained “c,” searched this forum, and discovered it’s a symptom of B12 deficiency and the problem was solved after I took a B12. Today it dawned on me for the first time that the 30% of the recommended daily value of B12 I get from my 2 oz. of daily Silk is probably not enough for someone with a deficiency though it may be enough for the average McDougaller who is better about taking a supplement (and maybe hasn’t been either pregnant or nursing for the majority of the past 13 years). So I’m going to take a B12 every day for awhile and see what that does. The only kind I can find without looking too hard is 500 mg of the “cyano” version which I was initially trying to avoid but oh well. (Restarting Monday, not taking it to my parents’ this weekend.)

[Trinity]

Happy Easter!

[deweyswakms]

Today was really hard. I really hate to get into it because there’s so much history

Yeah, I hear you. Family stuff is so hard! Sorry you have such opposition about healthy foods. You will be glad to be home and can recover. I gained a couple of #s cause of so much heaviness in the world right now, plus my own family dramas which I am NOT playing in.

Everything is messed up, but all we can do is take care of our own business, our own health. Just be gentle with yourself. You know what to do and how to do it. I gave up (most alcohol, and then rarely) because at my age alcohol really affects my sleep. It's just a coping tool to numb our feelings.

My recommendation is do the elimination diet (search on the site for it) for 3-4 days and I BET all your symptoms disappear.

It's a new day, great time to start over.

Marsha