DIET & SLEEP: 2021

Had this in "rants" and could not find it so here we go again.

July 16 Diet and Sleep

Yesterday woke up disgusted with my fat self. One look in the mirror and I look like the Pillsbury Dough boy. Have been out of shape since I was fired from Sears in 2006 that is also when my sleeping patterns changed to awake every 2 hours. I tried, after Dorian died, to remove bread from my diet and felt lighter. Then seemed like I was losing muscle tone. So gradually I was adding bread back to my diet. I was enjoying Pepperidge Farm 100% whole wheat bread- one slice toasted brown after breakfast cereal. Lunch time I had one slice of toasted Pepperidge Farm Pumpernickel Dark after my quinoa or soba noodles or beans. Supper was special as I boil my vegetables and drink the broth after supper and dunk a Star Market toasted round bread in it. So things worsened when I finally got my appetite back from the Vertigo-migraine I had in June 2019. Took over a year. All through the pandemic lock down I comforted myself with  12 Gold Fish crackers. Quickly increasing to 25 then just a heap of them after breakfast. I was reasoning that my body was craving salt and that is why they tasted so good. LOL I also was unconsciously increasing the vegetables I was eating at night going from half a cup  of cut green beans to a full cup same with the peas. Broccoli I went from 5 stalks if small to 7 if large. outta hand! Worst part of starting a new dietary regimen is one day and you see no results you think you have failed. It would help immensely if I could get out for a 20 minute walk each day. But the crazy drivers, the winds or the heat prevent that. Before this I was always able to walk. But the car fanatics here seem to think that blowing smoke and burning rubber is okay and driving erratically . I still do my 40-50 minute knit and walk routine inside before breakfast after I have done my walking and ball exercises and 10 minutes on the exercycle and then 15 minutes of chi gung. Hope I can remain calm and stick with this. I was ready to cry.

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oh almost forget. I was reading about grapes and grape juice. Since fresh fruits are so hard to come by. One week peaches are great next not so much, same with oranges, apples etc. I stopped drinking juice because it was so expensive. Rather have a piece of fruit. So we had a hot spell- really brutal and humid and I was hankering for a popsicle. I would never trust a commercially made one so wanted to do a juice. Concord grape seemed the best bet and I could not find my popsicle set here. So when shopping I looked for popsicle sticks- none, small bathroom dixie cups. too expensive. saw plastic cups in a pack of 20 with lids- 5 ounces. Got those. The juice was not available in juice boxes so had to buy a 64 ounce bottle. The article also mentioned that a small amount of grape juice before bed would help with sleep.. So I froze 10 cups and the rest I will drink. Haven't had the frozen yet but did the juice in a small cordial glass one night before bed. Well it created phlegm like I had eaten a bowl of ice cream. LOL BUT went to bed at 9:30pm and slept through to 3am. a record for me. Usually awake every 2 hours to pee or read restlessly. So that was nice. Second night I decided to drink it earlier and more seeing if that would give me a full night of sleep. nope was awake every 2 hour.s. Did the small cordial glass again last night and was awake every freaking hour all night long.. I needed a nap after lunch and that was interrupted by an air compressor priming. I give up.
July 19 2021

Back to diet and being Pillsbury DoughBoy

I have to write this down and record here so I can follow. Not craving the 2 slices of bread each day and accustomed to the one slice a day. Other things I need to cut back and eat maybe every other day.

I walked to the post office this morning around 8am. Haven't been on a walk in a while. Heard construction noise near the short cut so had to turn around and walk through Commerce Park- rt 137 and rt 28. ugh sweaty. But I could feel it in my stomach muscles.

but my plan is:

Sunday: whole wheat toast . Sunflower seed butter used to have that every day but will cut back. Grape Juice

Monday: Pumpernickel toasted. Yogurt. should cut back on that for the dairy.

Tuesday: Round bread toasted. Sunflower seed butter. Grape Juice

Wednesday: Whole wheat toasted . yogurt

Thursday: pumpernickel toasted. sunflower seed butter. Grape juice

Friday: round bread toasted. yogurt

Saturday: no bread. Sunflower seed butter. grape juice.
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July 28

well. Everything seems to fall apart once you set your mind to it.

Finally finished the bottle of Concord Grape juice. It was tasty . I think I have had 5 of the frozen ones. They are not "slushies" as I had hoped but actually are perfect- they stay cold and you drink it slowly. A good pickmeup and refreshing. I will buy another bottle and do the same . I took one with me on a Sunday trip to Hyannis naturally grape stains everywhere.

Still sticking to the one slice of bread. Not really craving the others. I still drink the vegetable broth after supper. But supper portions are getting out of hand again. Trying to eat up the lima beans because they are tough but they are extra. good grief. I seem to think- well they are just vegetables. Other problem is I am eating later because of the late start I get because of interruptions. Like the men being late or noise or fumes. Eating that late ( around 6) means I am sleeping on my supper. Gotta whip myself back into shape and eat at 7-12-4.

Here is the first list I wrote out- I can barely read it but can LOL

 then after a few days of that being boring I wrote out a simplified version. I had switched my brain to a level teaspoon of sunflower seed butter and yogurt Monday-Wednesday-Friday and whenever. oops missed it today and my chocolate kiss. more about that later.

 was going to tear up both lists and depend upon myself alone. Safer to keep both just in case I slip and screw up.

So Monday I did a hand wash. I had 3 Summer dresses that got rained on and grape juiced on over the weekend and hating the laundry and not wanting to wait for that to happen I hand washed them. heavy and a lot of wringing out- not like a pair of jeans but well almost. I could feel it in my neck,back, arms especially my forearms. ouch. To the point that knit and walk was painful. I needed to switch that up anyhow because one shawl is getting heavy. so...

This morning I tried doing one set of before knit and walk exercises- after knit.

My routine used to be

up 3:55am every day. That will stay the same unless over tired and hit the snooze unconsciously. 

fart

do bed exercises they take 4 minutes. Look out window for weather and groan or not groan.

Take bed apart. Turn on wifi. Move my stuff to kitchen, Wash hands start water. Organized breakfast items. Wash up and all that entails.

leg lifts and swings and 2 pound hand weight exercises.

5 minutes of first sips of tea out on the deck

10 minutes of pacing in apartment with soft hand exercise ball.

5 minutes of second tea on deck

10 minutes of 2 harder smaller hand balls for exercise

3rd cup tea on deck

10 minutes on exercycle. Used to do the ball exercises on exercycle. Had to cut out 2 of those sessions as my butt was getting sore where seat meets bones. double ouch.

then I would do 3 sets of 5 minutes of chi gung breathing exercises.

Then knit & walk for 60-50 minutes. Knitting 10 minutes each on 4-5 projects.

My right elbow was telling me to slow down. so did 40 minutes for a while.

Now with this unrelenting soreness of neck arms shoulders and back I am doing this. Hope to stick with it. Most knitters recommend taking a 5 minute break often.

So the leg swings and hand weight were always an annoying part of the morning routine I moved those to after each project of 5 minutes.

Shawl 5 minutes

5 minutes of leg lifts

one sock 5 minutes

5 minutes hand weights front this was sore, and dance

sock 2 5 minutes

hand weights sides and tip toe

lighter shawl 5 minutes and I cannot read my notes, oh go below and feed birds LOL

I did ironing and hand sewing of a hem in the morning. Felt that in my neck and jaw.

Have felt barometric pressure drop all day. Then it cleared for 30 minutes now back to grey skies.

Avocado ripened and I ate that while doing emails this morning it was soooooooooo good.

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ate 12 Gold Fish crackers today. Don't want them to go to waste. I may drop them in my broth at night to use them up.

July 29

Second day of repairing muscle damage. Was able to stick to the new regimen. so far.

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July 30

This has nothing to do with Diet & Sleep. Well maybe the sleep-nap part. But I have noticed recently that I am turning into my mother and her father. Body shape of mother and looking out the window every chance and muttering or sputtering at what I see. Have had grandfather's disposition of "fuck it" for a very long time. But also noticed the morning and after lunch naps mimic his. And listening to the radio AND closing out the world by darkening the rooms LOL

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September 8

Took until a couple of days ago to use up all the extra breads. Round was first to go then the 100% whole wheat. Bought marbled rye for how ever long that lasts. Then will get something different.

Had to get the red grape juice for the second bottle as they were out of Concord. I saw the Concord they DID have had added sugar. Yikes so Red had none and was good. Finished the red and was able to get Concord again- no added sugar. It sure is a great pick me up early afternoon. Any later it spoils my appetite for supper.

so now I no longer have to remember which bread it will just be the one I have once a day.

Sunday-grape juice, Monday yogurt, Tuesday Grape juice, Wednesday yogurt,Thursday grape juice,Friday yogurt, Saturday grape juice.

I have been eating a lot of fresh fruits, Peaches and nectarines have been marvelous for a couple of months. But time to cut back and just do banana in the morning and one or two prunes.

Soba needles since they are not the original ones I loved have become tiring and too starchy. Still made with buckwheat flour but just not the same flavor or consistency  AND they boil over like nobody's business. I will be glad when I can alternate quinoa with a pea or lentil soup.

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September 5

so in an effort to replace the lacking bread with fruits and vegetables I have been eating a mini cucumber each day. Some days craving it right after breakfast but I wait and use it as an appetite suppressant or an appetizer. Make sense? 

I love tomatoes but they are too acidic for me. So I cave to that craving once in a while. Last week I wanted ONE red tomato. Star in Orleans did not have any that looked great so I ended up in Harwich but had to by a package of 4 organic ones.  So peeled them and kept one for eating- still cooking it since I had touched them . LOL but roasted the other three. oh boy did that smell good roasting. And froze those.

kind of messy. I ate the guts. LOL

October 

Thought to myself a few days ago. Who am I trying to impress? I have never had 6pk abs. I was becoming obsessed with having "no neck". Picking myself apart daily. I eased up on that. Trying to relax and eat when I am hungry. Just finished the last of an overly sweet pack of cookies- Paul Newman's double chocolate oreo type. Last few I let melt in the toaster oven for one minute. yum.

Still bread just morning unless it is a Saturday or Sunday and I do not have time for something other than toasted bread because I have more errands to do and need the energy.

so..

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November

still sticking to the bread once a day. Trying to vary my lunches is difficult I need a grain that has protein but quinoa can get tiring every freaking day.

so I made oatmeal, carrots onions and grapenuts. It is kind of too filling so I have to make some adjustments but tasty.

 I have switched from Activia yogurt. The dates of sell by have been too close and I hatehatehate fruit pieces in my yogurt. I would love for these companies to sell a single serving plain yogurt that is not greek yogort that is too rich for me.

So I get 2 Dannon coffee yogurts each week and eat half of it. 2 Yoplait french vanilla.

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