Photo of the Week
Apollo & Athena, watching and snoozing.
General Discussion
I’m making an effort to change my perspective on food this year, because I really need to lose the weight I gained back over the holidays, and I need to keep it off. I also need to keep better track of what I’m eating, to avoid the gastric issues that cause me pain with certain types of foods in certain quantities. With that in mind, I have two new mantras that work about 80 percent of the time:
It’s okay to be hungry.
It’s okay to not be hungry.
Whenever I start feeling “munchy”, I ask myself, “am I really hungry, or do I just ‘feel’ like eating?” I’m trying to be more cognizant of why I’m eating, and whether I actually need to eat, or whether it’s just for pleasure. Sometimes it’s okay if it’s just eating to enjoy the food, but I need to be aware of what I’m doing and how it fits into my actual daily nutritional needs.
I’m also training my brain to recognize when I’m eating even though I’m really not hungry. I don’t need to keep eating if I’m full during a meal, and I also don’t need to eat just because it’s a meal time.
Emotional eating is a big thing for me too. Like many people, I tend to crave snacks (some healthy, some not) when I’m stressed, and I need to figure out a more constructive way of getting my dopamine “hit”…or at least a less caloric option (baby steps).
My body needs so much less than I actually eat…it’s amazing how much of a disconnect there is. Before the holidays, I was doing really well just cutting my portion sizes in half, and I really wasn’t hungry. It was more of a mental head-fake that I needed so much food.
Then I got a CT scan, and found out about my redundant (too long/twisty) colon and its propensity toward constipation, and I’ve had to really cut back on a lot of the high fiber foods I enjoy (ironically – a lot of people with my problem need more fiber, but I seem to need less). That’s left me in somewhat of a lurch, since complex carbs seem to make that part of my gastric system happier, but some of those same foods (breads, regular pastas) make me swell up everywhere else (we’re talking “can’t fit into jeans I just wore the day before” kind of thigh and hip swelling…it’s that pronounced).
So I’m learning a whole new way of eating, having to leave behind some of my favorite foods, and often eating less just because I don’t know what to eat. It’s a process, and hopefully I’ll have a better handle on it in another month or so.
Currently Reading
On my kindle: Creative Self-Publishing by Orna A. Ross (non-fiction)
Print fiction: A Gambling Man by David Baldacci (thriller)
A River of Words by Carol R. Ward
Video Highlight
Another hair video this week – only Victorian, this time, with potions! Check it out: httpss://youtu.be/ORwD-8U2f9c
Song of the Week
This week, I’m all about the dinosaurs. This is an amazing rendition of the Jurassic Park theme song, don’t you think?
httpss://youtu.be/-NqaupGcCpw
Pop Quiz!
When was the last time you ate bologna?
For me, it’s today! I have some locally made bologna in the fridge right now, and we’re having sandwiches for lunch today.
Post Round-up
The Writer’s Desk (last updated:1/31/2022)
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