Plants and Pickleball

[Starflower]

Hi Erin!

Love your new journal name! I just read through all of it. Your posts are very helpful and encouraging. MWL isn’t the best choice for me, either, but I’ve recently been feeling like it’s something I ‘should’ be doing. It’s very encouraging to see you do so well never having done MWL. My reasons are similar to yours. I think I’ll stay the course. Thank you!

Wishing you a wonderful week!

[Daydream]

Erin, your new title makes it easier for me to find your journal! I only tried a sauna once several decades ago. I'm glad you were able to avoid the Easter chocolate.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

I LOVE your new journal title!!! You made it "you"!!!

Awesome that you are getting back into pickleball and having fun with it! I am a "newbie" but loving this sport a ton!!

I have not done the sauna recently - is it very helpful for relaxing sore muscles?? I like to do warm spa baths for that reason!

Hope that you have a sunny and happy week yourself!!!

Best,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Starflower, just yesterday I again contemplated doing MWL as while away I did gain a bit of weight. Im still not totally where I want to be with my body. I have excess flab in places where I shouldn’t. I do generally follow most of the principles such as preload with soup or veggies and a 50/50 plate. For now I will keep chugging along I guess. It is quite interesting that we both keep thinking it’s something we should be doing yet can’t quite commit. I know I could do it for a period of time it’s just hard for me to wrap my head around not having bread, nuts and seeds in the long term. I’ve been focusing on getting lots of veggies and beans into my daily diet and feel pretty good about that. Glad my journal has assisted you in some way! The one thing that I do know is I will never go back to eating meat. I enjoy being slim, energetic and healthy way too much haha.

Thanks Daydream, glad you can find me easier. I’ve been staying in the sauna just under 30 minutes now. When I come out I feel like a new person, it’s like when I go for a massage I just feel so light and relaxed. I think it’s a bit like meditation although I’m not really meditating while in there…might try that a bit.

Stephanie, not sure if the sauna helps with sore muscles, but quite likely it would. I have been trying not to over do it too much so my muscles haven’t been that sore, so yay to that. So glad you are enjoying Pickleball. I love it too. I’ve made so many nice friends and I think it’s the social part of it that makes it the best.

I had a really nice week, walked with friends that I hadn’t seen in months and hung out with my kids. On Thursday morning the outdoor Pickleball courts were put up so we played outside. Was nice being in the sunshine. There is still snow around the trees in the area, but courts are all clear. I cooked a pot of black beans yesterday and will make another batch of sweet potato bean burgers. I’m also planning to make some banana oat cookies and some date bars as I need some on the go snacks. Might try adding black beans to them. Taste test lol.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Erin

[VegSeekingFit]

Stephanie, not sure if the sauna helps with sore muscles, but quite likely it would. I have been trying not to over do it too much so my muscles haven’t been that sore, so yay to that. So glad you are enjoying Pickleball. I love it too. I’ve made so many nice friends and I think it’s the social part of it that makes it the best.

I had a really nice week, walked with friends that I hadn’t seen in months and hung out with my kids. On Thursday morning the outdoor Pickleball courts were put up so we played outside. Was nice being in the sunshine. There is still snow around the trees in the area, but courts are all clear. I cooked a pot of black beans yesterday and will make another batch of sweet potato bean burgers. I’m also planning to make some banana oat cookies and some date bars as I need some on the go snacks. Might try adding black beans to them. Taste test lol.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Erin

Hi Erin,

Glad your muscles haven't been sore!!! I am loving Pickleball --- played for about 3 hours today (took day off). As you say, it is amazing how many nice folks you meet --- Love the social part as well!

Your food sounds yummy!!

Hope you enjoy the week.
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Hello journal. It’s been a busy month. Took a trip with daughters to East coast of Canada. I had never been and it was always on my list of places to see. We had a wonderful time, did some hiking and biking and some pampering. We stayed in airbnbs so we were able to prepare much of our food. Mostly oats with fruit for breakfast and some large salads with potatoes or rice for dinner. There was some eating out so definitely some oil.

We are having a bit of a heat wave here with temperatures in the high 20s. Quite nice to have so much sun. We have a lot of fires in Alberta, but so far the air quality hasn’t been to bad. We could use some good rain, but there is nothing in the forecast for the next while. Now that I’m back I will resume my gym routine and I will be playing a lot of Pickleball. Also planning for some longer bike rides and hikes in the next while.

Not surprisingly the scale has moved a bit further in the wrong direction. My plan is to get refocused and stick to simple eating. I will be eating lots of starchy salads and potatoes as I love that food. I’m going to take Mark’s advice about stopping when full, with a plan to finish the food as a snack later. Quite often the salad bowls end up too large and I just finish them as they are so tasty. No need to eat it all at once if I’m already full. I’ve just cooked up a pot of pinto beans with a bay leaf so I will be enjoying those. I need to pick up lots of fresh veggies today as well.

Happy Mothers Day. Hope everyone has a great week.

Erin

[Lizzy_F]

Hi Erin! I love how you describe the way you cook in your kitchen. It sounds like you are comfortble without recipes, just putting things together based on what you think will be good. I aspire to be able to do that! I wouldn't know where to begin to make a bean burger without a recipe! The reason I don't generally use many recipes is because I tend to just eat pretty basic stuff. I would like to get more creative! I enjoy watching Dillon (Well Your World) videos because he seems that way - just comfortable in the kitchen and putting things together. I hope this old dog can learn some new tricks, LOL!

I have SUCH a hard time stopping before my plate is empty. Mark's suggestions really are right on point about this, and I am baffled about why a simple thing like "just put some back in the fridge, and have it later" can feel so hard. I guess a lifetime of habits. I definitely grew up in a "clean-your-plate-there-are-starving-children-in-__________ (country of the day)" household. I understand that as both of my parents were born in 1932 to famillies that really struggled through the Great Depression years. But all these years later, why do I still think I have to "clean" any plate this is in front of me LOL?????? Well, I'm hoping for progress and not perfection.

I really want to try Pickleball someday! There used to be some Pickleball at a gym really close to me. I went there about a month ago hoping to find out more, and they stopped having it! It's fun to read how much you and Stephanie and Holly and others really enjoy it!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

Your trip sounds fun!!! We visited New Brunswick several years ago (when colors changing for fall) --- have it on "the list" to see Nova Scotia and PEI at some point...

I think we could eat together --- starchy salads and potatoes for the win!!!

Hope you are enjoying the Pickleball!! I got my son a paddle now that he is back for who knows how long...

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Beth, I really should follow a recipe when I make burgers or something…would likely be easier than just winging it. Sometimes they are too moist and I therefore need to bake them longer. I haven’t been doing much cooking lately just trying to keep it simple. Yes, the finishing what’s on the plate is tricky one. I did read your journal post and I think I struggle with the same, so difficult to leave just a few bites. I did have a success yesterday where I ate just half of my snack and then finished the rest later. I will take that as a win. I have also been making my salad bowls a bit smaller on purpose which is helping me not feel too full. Perhaps you could decide ahead of time to eat just half your food? Might be easier than just a few bites. Or dish the food out and remove one quarter right away and put in the fridge for snack later. Just trying to strategize something that might be easier than leaving a few bites on the plate. I sure hope you can find Pickleball close to you as it is such a fun and social sport.

Stephanie, I agree too bad we don’t live closer I’m sure we would have some fun meetups. That’s great you got your son a paddle. Hope you can play a few games with him.

The fires haven’t eased up, only gotten worse. We really need some rain. The air quality rating is 10+ so most outdoor events are cancelled and we are keeping our windows shut. Nothing we can do, but pray for some rain and hope it comes soon.

Scale is moving in the right direction now. Keeping food super simple just starch, veggies, beans and fruit. I have made an interesting observation. When I eat out the next morning I have 2 fingers on my left hand that are a bit swollen around the knuckle and a bit sore to bend. It eases up after a while. I think this is interesting as I’m quite sure it’s the oil in the food. Most people would never see this correlation as they eat oil all the time and just assume their stiff joints are an inevitable part of aging. I try not to eat out too much…could definitely just bring my own food. Just not there yet.

I got a weird injury this week, I say weird as I was just getting up from sitting on the floor and somehow must have twisted my foot in a strange was. Anyhow there was quite a loud snap and the toe next to the big one hurt like heck. Now it just looks bruised. Of course I was also stupid and played Pickleball the next night which didn’t help as I aggravated it more. Anyways now that I’ve stayed off it and listened to my body saying “rest me please”, I think it’s healing fine and hope to be back on the courts in another couple of days. I also taped it to the middle toe. Due to the smoke play has moved indoors.

I got some great deals at the local produce store, brocolli, apples, kale, zucchini, and blueberries. Oh and also a case of mangos. Looking forward to enjoying all of that this week. Wishing everyone a happy week ahead!

Erin

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

I hope that your foot is healing and you are back to pickleball injury free!!! Never good to hear that snapping sound. I totally understand that playing anyway thing... no fun to be injured.

Also, hope that the wildfires are contained soon and that you and your family are ok.

Have been playing a good amount of pickleball and wondering where it has been my whole life!!! My son has played a few times with me - which is fun... Also, got a nice sized box of mangoes today!!

Wishing you a great weekend!

Best,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Stephanie thank you. Yes toe is now doing much better, I’m sure it wasn’t broken there is still just a bit of bruising right under the nail part, but it’s not stopping me now lol. Wildfires seem to be much better, at least our air quality has been which is nice as we can go outside and not be worried. I know what you mean seems PIckleball has been around quite a while yet I only discovered it when I retired. Although I did see it a few years back, but didn’t think about starting to play back then. Just glad I can play now and it’s great you can play with your son. Hope you enjoyed the mangos, it’s such a great fruit.

Still keeping food simple. Lots of salads as usual. I’m conducting an experiment right now, have increased bean intake and incorporated daily smoothies. I know drinking calories isn’t generally recommended, but it’s mainly greens, flax and a bit of fruit. Very filling I must say. Have also tried to increase exercise intensity a bit. My goal is to change body composition to a bit more muscle and less fat. I will post results in a few weeks.

I timed it right at the grocery store again the other day. I got a bag of kiwi which had 21 for $1. The price for 1 was also $1 in the regular section.They all felt a bit soft, but have been amazingly tasty. Also 2 very large cauliflower for $1 each. With the price of produce it’s nice to find bargains from time to time. June is a busy month for family gatherings as we have 2 birthdays and Father’s Day. We already celebrated one birthday. I prepared all the fixings for power bowls or burritos and everyone assembled their own. Dessert was fruit pizza which has some oil in the crust so definitely a rare occasion thing. We had a nice time playing a card game and chatting. Also took the little guy to the park and the adults enjoyed the swings as much as he did.

We are having the most unbelievable weather. Very warm and so little rain. We do need some rain, but it’s sure been nice to have all this sunshine and bonus there are no mosquitoes!

Hope everyone is enjoying their starches and is able to get outside and enjoy some sun and nature. When I walked yesterday I was surprised how fragrant the trees were, it was really wonderful.

Erin

[Ejeff]

I made a batch of red lentil “tofu” this week. Super easy, basically just soak the lentils and then blend with the water and spices. Pour into a glass pan. Once it hardens in the fridge it just dumps right out of the pan. I airfried the cubes with just some salt and pepper and they were quite tasty. I find red lentils have a bit of a strong flavour that I’m not sure I like. Maybe my lentils are a bit stale or perhaps I just need more seasoning. In any event, this would be a very good alternative for those avoiding tofu due to it higher fat content.

I have been enjoying some arugula in my salads this week as Costco had it available. I used up the rest of my brown lentils and made a quick soup with carrots, potato, onion and garlic. Was pretty tasty. I blended some of it, specifically the potato chunks as I wanted to freeze some and I don’t like the texture of potatoes once frozen.

Our run of incredible summer weather continues. We did have a good night of rain this week which was badly needed. Forest fire smoke is still lingering, but not at dangerous levels. The week was great I kept super busy walking, playing Pickleball and doing my gym workouts. Also enjoyed babysitting, it’s fun to play and watch the little guy explore. Today I am hiking with my daughter in a close by nature area, looking forward to that. I have noticed that I don’t seem to have arm pain anymore when playing lots of Pickleball. I’m quite happy about that and I believe it’s because I have been doing push ups and lifting some weights. Not sure how much muscle I have gained, but it must be enough that I have more strength to play often and not get a sore arm anymore. That’s a win for me!

At the recreation centre where I workout, as I’m on the machines I can see down into the lobby atrium. Pretty much every time I see families eating chicken fingers or burgers and fries. Isn’t it just so silly that a place you are going to get fit and healthy has a fast food restaurant that serves this junk? I haven’t really looked at the menu as I always bring my own food. I do see some people eating food they have brought from home so good for them.

Have a great week!

Erin

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin!

I am intrigued with your red lentil "tofu" idea!!! I never noticed much the underlying taste of the red lentils as I use them with a ton of tomatoes in chili or the Mary McD Sloppy lentils...

It sounds like your plan to add muscle is going well. That is awesome!!! It is really great that it is helping the arm ache from playing lots of pickleball. I have noticed this too recently --- maybe I will "join you" in weights!!!

Also finding it strange watching folks go to the gym and then eat crap. I used to go to Lifetime fitness where there was a food station that sounds similar near the outside pool. In the mornings, mostly would see peeps buying protein shakes.

Hope you are enjoying the summer!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Hi Stephanie!

Yes, adding a few weights or some push-ups on a regular basis is a good strategy for a bit more muscle. I don’t do all that much, I stick to M/W/F, but over time I am seeing results.

I am definitely enjoying summer, still having great weather. We did another 2.5 hour hike yesterday in a beautiful nature area. This time I made my backpack a bit heavier. We are doing one longer hike at the end of August in the mountains which is 43km over 2 days so we are “training” for that. I put that in quotes as we are not seriously training, but we are doing some preparation which is better than nothing.

Erin

[Ejeff]

Yay for July. Gosh the year sure is flying by. We had another birthday celebration this time I prepared a smokey pasta and kale dish. It’s so easy to make and everyone really loves it. The sauce is made from lemon, liquid smoke, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots and sunflower seeds. The seeds could be left out for a lower fat option and I’m sure it would be just as tasty.

Sometimes I’m too lazy to marinate tofu, but I have found if I cube it up and air fry it, then sprinkle with a bit of garlic powder it’s quite tasty. Then I just eat as is or toss it into my salad or pasta bowl as an addition. Been keeping my food very simple as usual and enjoying that. My salads haven’t been too interesting, I will fix that this week by roasting some peppers and preparing some cabbage for that extra crunch factor.

Yesterday was Canada Day so we went and watched a little parade in a smaller town close by. It was fun to watch our grandson’s excitement when the floats with music and especially the horses went by. And the weather gods were watching out for us, the big thunder and lightning storm held off just long enough for us to make it back to our car. It’s that time of year when the thunder is so loud you are sure it’s coming right down into your house. There was also a huge tornado that passed through our province I watched a video of it, so scary. Happy July 4th to everyone in the US!

Erin