Good morning from the frigid foothills of Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands! It's a "balmy" 10 degrees as I type and the mercury will not rise to 20 degrees today. That will set us up for overnight lows falling below 0.
There are lots of little tidbits today.
Diet & Health
I'm getting serious about my weight and health. I don't want to be tied to weight loss medications for the rest of my life and have not, in fact, been using any for two or three months now. I've also been gaining back some of the weight I had lost.
I looked into several diet plans. The one I most liked, Optavia, I found through the friend of a friend. My friend shared the before and after photos of her friend. I was able to talk to the friend who after having lost 153 pounds is now a coach for the program. She is local. Her success is real and she would be my coach. The drawback is that the initial start up is $428. That includes the books and the meal replacement and snack foods for a month. After the first month you can tweak it to fit what you want and need. I liked that unlike some plans where you have to eat their food forever, this one, once you reach your goal begins easing you back to eating all "normal" food rather than their replacements.
Tim told me to do it if I want to, but I just have so many qualms about dropping that kind of money right now. So last night I went to Walmart and bought meal replacement shakes, protein bars, and other items comparable to what I'd have gotten in the program...all for a LOT less money. It would be nice to have the personal coach and the books, but I'm sure I can get someone else to step in and encourage me. Plus, as I begin this journey today, I'm telling all of you so you can encourage me and keep me accountable. Kick my butt if I need it!
This morning I took all my vitamins, drank a shake, and rode through the mountains of North Carolina (via a DVD) on my exercise bike. I feel good!
Cat Minds
Maine Coon cats seem to have a very different mindset from other cats. They don't seem to be phased by things that usually discourage other cats. Spray them with water...they love water! Yell, clap, startle...yeah, they don't really startle very easily and as far as yelling, clapping, and the rest, they will just look at you and keep right on doing what they were doing.
This has all become frustrating as Jasper is not only a curious cat, he's a VERY active one. He is into everything and this week he has, for the first time, started jumping up on the kitchen counters which is a huge no-no in this house. Tim absolutely HATES it (and I'm not particularly fond of it) so I am desperate to stop it.
So far, the best thing is distraction. Jasper seems to be easily bored so I got a laser pointer and he loves chasing that around. Unfortunately, I have to be fully engaged when we play that and can't realistically do it constantly. Still, if he's somewhere he shouldn't be, if I flash the light he will immediately jump to the chase. It doesn't teach him to stay down to begin with, though.
It's a good thing he's cute. He's currently making it very hard to type by draping himself across the keyboard and my chest, purring loudly, and nibbling on my ear.
Does anyone have any experience with Maine Coons and have advice?
Reading
Mummy Dearest, another in the Claire Malloy series by Joan Hess. In this one Claire is newly married and in Luxor, Egypt for her honeymoon...with her teenage daughter and her best friend in tow and without her husband.
I don't want to ruin anything for you, but it's a mystery and it's set among both modern Egypt and the ancient ruins. Since Hess's writings are funny, this one is sort of Scooby-Doo for grownups. Ha! It's right up my alley.
Work
My work has been rather sporadic this month due to weather or clients being ill. I can't say I mind getting to stay home on the nasty days, but I'm not quite as thrilled on payday. I hope things are starting to get on the path to normal.
And speaking of work...
I need to go get dressed and ready to head out for today's client. Have a blessed and wonderful day!
It sounds like you are starting out on the right foot towards your eating plan. Now I need to get my butt in gear and get started too.
ReplyDeleteI'm praying I can do this. My weird, all over the place schedule can make it tough.
DeleteGiving up sugar and heavy carb's is what helped us lose weight. Steve lost 45+ and I've lost 35+ which is quite a bit for us. My blood sugar is now normal, my thinning hair grew back, my finger nails are growing (never had that before!), my skin color is good, I breathe better, I don't ache like I used too and all my clothes are lose. We're also saving a lot of money by not buying processed food. Sugar is poison and it was slowly killing me. Win Win!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know there's a cat that isn't weirded out about water or sudden noises. *lol* Good kitty.
Y'all stay warm!
Love & Blessings. xx
That is amazing that changing your diet helped that much! I know that part of everyone in the U.S.'s problems is the food we eat. So much of it, even when trying to eat healthy, is not the same food our grandparents ate. Everything is genetically modified, over processed, and whatever else they do to it. My big thing is the Diet Coke. I really need to break that habit. I never really thought it affected me before, but I've noticed this winter that the evening cravings are ridiculous and they say artificial sweeteners will do that. The cravings have been so strong I can't ignore them even though I'm not hungry. I'm trying to drink more herbal tea, but haven't made the total switch just yet.
DeleteCoonies are a different kind of cat for sure!
Trying to stay warm...it's minus 4 this morning!
I am on a journey now since my TIA to get weight off.... man, having menopause fighting against it - it s a STRUGGLE for REAL. I have about 70 lbs I need to get off... Wishing you the best. I'm just trying the good ole way - STARVATION - LOl
ReplyDeleteI have about the same amount to lose. We can do this!
DeleteYou know, I wish I looked like I used to when I thought I needed to lose weight years ago! LOL! Menopause. Ugh! I try to eat healthy. Until I don't! Stay safe and cozy!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the truth?! All those years ago we had such ridiculous ideas of what we looked like. I see those old photos now and I would take that body in a heartbeat!
DeleteHi Stacy! I love a nice, chatty post like this. Yeah, I get how you would feel that is a lot of money for the weight loss coaching. I am paying about that much per year for a family counselor and life coaching program, that helps me a lot of the stuff I am going through with my kids (dealing with stuff like you are dealing with regarding your son). I really hated the thought of paying the fee, then finally decided that my mental health is worth it and it's no different than paying for medication, except that it's not, which for me is better. I finally came to the realization that some stuff is expensive and you just kind of have to go with it because you love yourself and your are worth it. Anyway, just my thoughts. As far as weight loss, I keep a food journal and count up my calories and try to keep under my daily calories goal, and then exercise, exercise, exercise. We had a Maine Coon Cat (probably not thoroughbred, but such a good cat). We loved that cat so much. Best. pet. ever. He thought he was a dog and acted like it, so yeah, I do get that Maine Coons do have a different temperament than most cats. Man, it was sure hard to lose the guy when he passed, but man was he just a good cat and so wonderful with our kids. Like I said, he was more like a dog than a cat. Anyway, I wish you all the best with your weight loss journey. Please let us know what is working for you. I am cheering you on out here in Utah!
ReplyDeleteI can journal about food, diet, exercise, but I know from past experience that I'm not going to go as far as counting calories. I've tried that and found it such a pain that I can't be bothered. I do better with just trying to choose healthy foods and concentrate on portion size. My daughter's Coonie is one of the huge ones and he is so mellow, but the trade off is that he isn't as cuddly and lovey as mine.
DeleteI wish you the best with your weight loss. I have the opposite problem, keeping weight on. I have lost a lot of muscle and I need to exercise, but I don't. I have plenty of fat in the middle, but the rest of me is thin. Some of it has to do with osteoporosis. I could not get on an exercise bike, I have no padding to sit on one!
ReplyDeleteI've had a few friends with that problem. I know it's not good, either, but on the whole, I think I'd rather have that one. I've lost muscle during these days of life with covid, too. Too much sitting around.
DeleteI will pray for you as you work on the diet, exercise, etc. May God give you strength to keep moving forward in the right direction. I am not a good dieter and have no tips except to eat healthy and stay active as much as possible. Try to avoid sugars and starches and snack foods and sodas. Eat more vegetables and protein. That's all I know. I used to maintain my weight pretty well when I was more active. But I've gained some in the past couple of years and can't seem to shake it, so I am reevaluating what I am doing and if I figure it out, I'll let you know. God bless you. Your cat is beautiful, and I have no clue what to do. Never had a cat in the house before. Sorry I'm just not much help tonight! LOL.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the prayers. I am going to need it. I swear, I think they put things in our food to make it addictive or cause cravings. I want to try avoiding sugar, carbs, etc., but man, it's HARD. That stuff is hiding in nearly everything. You mentioned that you used to maintain your weight when you were more active. I think that's key. Our lives these days don't really lend themselves to the same level of activity our younger selves (or our parents and grandparents) had. We have to make time to be intentionally active...and that feels like work. lol When I look back I realize part of my problem is that I didn't learn good eating habits growing up. My dad was of the "sit at the table until you eat everything on your plate" mindset and I had to eat everything on the table whether I liked the food or not. We ate lots of vegetables, but also lots of starches, fried foods, high calorie foods. When I was young I was active enough to keep the weight off.
DeleteI have been procrastinating (I'm good at it) starting low carb again. I have packed on 14-16 pounds this year. Comfort food and eating way too much junk. Low carb always works for me. I just need to get started. I've gotten too fond of pasta. Keep us posted. You can help motivate me!! Love ya!
ReplyDeleteI've gained back about that much, too. Between the pandemic and winter the struggle to eat better is real.
DeleteWhewwww that is a lot of money... and yeah especially these days. We did the candida diet years ago and that's when I figured out what we needed to... no salt, no sugar, no bad fats. I always say we're "borderline vegan" or whatever, but really, just fresh fruits/veggies and as organic as possible (hard nowadays due to triple higher prices). I have a friend who has three maine coons... two are "reasonably calm" (her words) and the other is like watching the "Tom & Jerry" cartoon 24 hours a day (also her words).... so I doubt she'd have any ideas for you lol.
ReplyDeleteHa! Yeah, Tom & Jerry is a good description. I usually describe mine as something like a spider monkey on crack! My daughter's Coonie is one of the really big ones and he is as mellow as they come. She loves mine. I told her I'd swap, but she just wants both.lol
DeleteLet me speak up on behalf of Jasper! He's still pretty young, which means he has more adrenaline than sense. He'll calm down a bit. From what you say, he reminds me a lot of my dear and much-missed Reynaldo (who was a short-haired Heinz 57, as far away from a Maine Coon as you could get). For Rey, there was no bad attention. Anytime we interacted, he was fully engaged and excited. You may not believe this, but when Jasper calms down considerably, you might miss his wildman times. PS You'll never keep him off the counter. The most you can hope for is that he won't get on the counter in front of Tim.
ReplyDelete