Yes, I took this picture from the back deck of a home we were renting in Flagler Beach, FL this past January. I had just returned from the Flagler Beach Farmer's Market and was displaying the bounty I had purchased. I have some strawberries in my refrigerator right now, but you can be sure they don't look or taste like these did. Everything you see had been picked no more than four hours prior to my purchasing it at the market. Oh, for that kind of simplicity in all things.
My life is a little too complicated right now and I generally rebel when that happens. Comparatively speaking, my life is anything but complicated and I have worked very, very hard to get it that way. Most of the people in my "real" life understand that when Mr. B is out of school, I am much less accessible to other people because my full attention is focused on the things he and I plan together. This is as it should be and I don't apologize for that. When he returns to school each August, I go through a period of readjustment as life returns to normal. Bottom line is, we have a good time during the summer and I miss him when he starts back to school. But we are there now, he is fully involved in what is shaping up to be an incredibly busy academic year at the community college where he teaches and is program coordinator for the department. And all of those people in my "real" life are coming out of the woodwork asking for my attention and wanting to catch up. MIL is already asking when there will be another day for her and my own mother needs some attention as well. All of this is testing my new resolve to make decisions that work well for me and then let my "yes" be "yes" and my "no" be "no."
To celebrate that resolve, I am going hiking tomorrow and Saturday and I couldn't be more excited. I am hiking tomorrow with a new group of friends that hike together regularly. I was never able to get hooked up with them last spring, but decided that would be a priority come fall. A day in the woods usually gets me back on track emotionally. Two days will be a real treat.
I have also been working on a new schedule that is a bit more organized and takes into consideration some of the out-of-control, hit-or-miss issues that had begun to weigh on me. What I'm trying to say is that I do have the luxury of free time, but when I left CorporateLand, I vowed that I'd always use my time wisely and not fritter it away. While I don't waste time, I'd like to see a more disciplined schedule of accomplishing certain things at the same time every week. Based on some of the things I've learned recently, here are a couple of changes I'm going to try.
1) I am going to grocery shop ONCE a week and it will be on Tuesday morning. I'm going to take another crack at planning menus and making a grocery list on Monday. At this point in my journey, this change will serve several purposes not the least of which is keeping me away from the demon sample pushers (ALL of our grocery store and Sam's have these all the time) and freeing up more time for other things.
2) The other big change is that 4-6 p.m. will become blog time. I have found only two things which keep my focus totally off of food. One is hiking and the other is blogging. When hiking, I have no interest in food as anything other than fuel. When reading and writing blogs, I simply forget about food. 4-6 p.m. is my absolute worst time of day for bad eating. My day's activities are done and I am home. This has always been my time for reading and reading calls for recreational eating. I've always said if 4-6 p.m. and social events could be eliminated, I'd not have a weight problem. The hardest part for me will be NOT reading your blogs early in the morning. And I may still read my favorites, but most reading and writing will be done from 4-6.
3) Although I have eaten well for five days now, I have not lost any weight. And I know why. Yes, I have eaten well, but I am still eating too much. I'm making some changes in this area as well, but will share them in a post of it's own.
For the first time, something happened in BlogWorld yesterday that has really troubled me. I know I'm new and will have to get used to this, but it's the first time it's happened with someone I saw as a friend. Many of you did too, so I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed. I missed this person and went to their blog to see if I had missed a post. The blog has been removed. This person (and I don't feel it appropriate to identify who) had been blogging for awhile and her writing is delightful. She had been struggling with several stops and starts over the past few months, but it was a total shock for me to go to someone's blog and find it GONE! For whatever reason, she chose not to continue blogging and to remove her blog with no word of farewell. I just want to encourage you to keep this person in your thoughts (it doesn't matter if you know who it is or not) and if by any chance, she is still reading, please know that I miss you and if I can help you in any way, please, please do not hesitate to email me. You have my email address. We are all struggling in our own way. You were, and are, just one of us. We never expected perfection. We just liked YOU!
This is an odd community we are part of in that one can appear and/or disappear in an instant without a trace. I can't help but be sad now that I've experienced this firsthand.
One more thing....I bought an eggplant on my Tuesday morning grocery store outing. Please tell me what to do with it. You all are inspiring me to try new things in the kitchen.
What is the time of day you are most tempted to veer off-plan? What do you do for distraction?
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My difficult time is between 4 and 6 pm also. I am prepping dinner at that time and sometimes have to eat a bite of peanut butter and 1 cracker to get through. Also, I distract myself by doing laundry and taking my little dog for a short pee walk. Reading blogs works for me, too. I could drift through the day in Blogville!
ReplyDeleteGlad you have a plan to get back on track.
When I was a housewife-mom back in the old days I spent a lot of time at home alone. ALL of those hours were difficult times to not keep eating. Now, I'm rarely alone so I find that I can stay focused on healthy eating a little bit easier. Still, those late afternoon hours are the toughest for me too.
ReplyDeleteReading through my blog list helps me remember what I *should be doing with my health* and that is always a good deal.
Another GREAT post! Good for you for prioritizing your time. I feel the same way when hubby is home (and family). I find it difficult to prioritize my life with so many demands, but I know it will change as time goes by and the demands change too.
ReplyDeleteI too get sad when I see bloggers who have "disappeared". I have tried to stay in touch with so many of them and it hurts and makes me wonder what happened to them. I know that I myself can play the "numbers game" - you know, thinking that b/c I "only" have X# of followers, my blog must be boring! Or when I don't get comments - people don't care? Etc. Etc. That's where I have to think about WHY I'm blogging - for my own accountability and to encourage others.
About the eggplant - I had grilled eggplant this past summer and it was awesome! It was made in a meal at a resort that we went to - they tweaked a bready recipe for me (I can't eat gluten) and used grilled eggplant as the "bread" that was wrapped around this mushroomy sauce. It WAS SO GOOD! I love eggplant in cut veggies to put on the BBQ (just w/ a bit of olive oil and stir now & then until it's cooked) -- my hubby & all the kids LOVE this (in fact, we go through so many veggies when I do this - mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, smaller pieces of cob corn, - whatever you want - oh onions for sure - YUMMY!).
OK, I'll stop my "epistle"...
D
PS I forgot to mention Eggplant Ratatouille!!! Yum!
ReplyDeleteD
Great plan for "the witching hour"! That's probably my worst time, too.
ReplyDeleteGood rules you are making for yourself as you learn. I hope you enjoy hiking with the new group.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the disappointment of someone disappearing. I took a guess at who it is you're talking about and I think I was right. She's done that before and she came back, and I hope she does again. If she's reading this, COME BACK!!! We understand!!
Our minds are running parallel. I'm trying to make a workable schedule for myself. I already have lots of "set" things (babysitting the kids, WW, BSF, Praise Moves) and certain times I like to exercise during the week. I spend way too much time in Blogland, I'm afraid. It is good for me in that I get inspiration, I learn things, and I enjoy the camaraderie, however, I need to get a more disciplined about how often I check in here. I'm afraid I leave things undone (laundry, anyone?) and sit here instead. I'm rooting for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining my blog. I find your posts easy and intriguing to read. I like to read how you look at things.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a fan of eggplant, so I don't really know of any recipes.
I totally understand the 4-6 p.m. hours...or basically the just before supper hours. I'm going "snack free" in September and have been having orchard fresh honey crisp apples for when I get hungry inbetween meals.
I like your strategy for keeping focused during those difficult afternoon hours. It makes me sad that people stop blogging. Maybe she found other outlets for her support. That's what I'm hoping.
ReplyDeleteI also have a day for grocery shopping AND making out a weekly menu. I've done it for years and is one of the most helpful things I do for my health...although it didn't use to be for my health. It's really just a way to simplify my life and make sure my family gets fed. I hope your hikes over the next couple of days are a wonderful and refreshing time for you. Be blessed.
ReplyDeleteMy worst time of day is probably after dinner. I plan to have a healthy snack/dessert, and then hold off on eating it as long as I can. Otherwise I am tempted to keep on eating.
ReplyDeleteIt would be hard for me to wait until 4-6pm to check into the blogs!
By far my worst time is after dinner. And that is usually, probably not coincidentally, when my husband and I sit down in front of the TV or to read for a few hours. It also helps me a lot to get on the computer instead, but when I have done this at that time of day in the past, I felt like I was being almost rude, if that makes sense. Sigh. I think your plan sounds great for you. I struggle with meal planning and could never do a week at a time.
ReplyDeleteThe other day I decided to go back to my google reader and clear out blogs that had been inactive for a long time. I always wonder why. One of my favorite bloggers quit not too long ago but she wrote a farewell post explaining why and I told her how much I appreciated that.
At a friend's house I had grilled egg plant and it was really good. I can't remember what she put on it-- I think maybe a margarine spread of some sort with some spices, but I think if you did a google search you could find something. All she did was put the stuff on the eggplant and then put it directly on the grill. She also did zucchini and squash, but put those in foil.
ReplyDeleteYou organization and planning will allow you to continue to be successful on your journey. I applaud you for being so determined. I find a lot of strength in blogging. As others have noted it is more than just your own posting; it is reading other blogs. SO, I get it why blogging from 4-6 will be a tool for you. I get that, too. But, I am so sad to hear that one of our blogger friends has left. I hope they are reading and know that they are missed. Take good care, Michele
ReplyDeleteMy worst time is when I get home from work, and whenever I start dinner. I somehow want a snack the minute I walk in the door, and then I nibble while I cook. When I wasn't trying to control things, I'd often sit down to dinner already full from all the nibbling.
ReplyDeleteNow, I try to have meals prepared to the point that they are just about heat & eat, so I can get in & get out.
My other most difficult time, and the thing I still struggle with the most is when I'm alone. This little voice tells me that no one will know, so it won't do any harm. I know that to be a lie, but it is still a struggle. I keep good snack foods like fruit & nuts in the house, but those can still be eaten to excess, and I do.
Love the schedule! Blogging can get out of control for me as well. It is so easy to let a few hours roll by while I blog hop!
ReplyDeleteYes I miss that blogger too! She has done this before because of privacy issues concerning a family member and she surfaced later with a new blog. I too hope she comes back. I tried to email her but that came back as well.
Worse snack time for me is 3-5 in the afternoon. If I turn on Oprah or get on the computer, go outside and pull weeds or do anything outside of the kitchen I get past it. So then I guess it really isn't do to hunger now is it?
That time from 4 -6 is my worst time also! Something about the kids walking in the door from school sounds a bell in my head that it's snack time. Like Pavlov's dogs! I like your plan of distraction!
ReplyDeleteIt saddens me when someone takes down their blog, also. I always hope it's because life became too hectic and they wanted to stop rather than they are giving up the good fight in their journey :(
HI Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI also wear a pedometer and have for years. I love it. It keeps me busy. Another blogging friend takes folded laundry to each room separately in order to get more steps. I do that too now - I call it "TB Walks" (have you ever seen "TB's Journey" blog?
D
Great job on -43! I am also at -43!! Yay for us both. Excited to follow your blog. Would love for you to stop by mine. =)
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteThanks for understanding my inner satirist.... and inner conflict. I've always just thought of myself as "sarcastic", but "satirist" sounds a whole lot better!
My time will be limited for bloggin' fun, but I will check in on you as much as I can. Go Girl! You and I are at about the same place with our weight.