It’s Friday!! It feels strange looking forward to weekends off again. And I have a long weekend since Monday is Patriots Day here in Québec (otherwise known as Victoria Day in the rest of Canada).
RunningRedHead how did the power washing go? I’m sure reorganizing your pantry felt great. I keep wanting to organize our various closets and keep putting it off. And some good coming out of this pandemic with your friend realizing she could open her own grooming business out of her home. Some people have been incredibly creative and resourceful to keep their business going during confinement,
curvynotlumpy I too have not been sleeping well at all these past couple of nights, Wishing both of us better sleep. It’s interesting to hear how in California, some universities are already declaring that the Fall session will be online, The same thing is happening here and they are even looking at high schools being online as well, though nothing official yet. Schools in the Montréal area (where I am) were supposed to reopen May 25th but now everything will remain closed until August. Big challenges ahead for everyone in the education system.
I’m happy to report that I stayed active these past two days, despite being so tired from lack of sleep. Yesterday I simply changed the plan HIIT workout for a flexibility workout, because that was all the energy I had left after a work day spent sitting down for training and meetings that left me more exhausted than being up on my feet all day. You’re right curvy that the extra energy spent at work has surely played a big part in breaking that plateau. Though I am at 235 this morning, that 233.8 I saw on the scale the other day gives me hope.
Enjoy a great end to the week everyone!
1: 3.2km walk + 40 minutes lower body strength training
2: 35 minutes core workout WEEK 1:
3: 5.2km walk + 43 minutes HIIT, pilates and lower body strength training workout
4:
5:3.2km + 43 minutes kickboxing with upper body strength training intervals
6: 39 minutes total body strength training workout
7:
8:
9: 39 minutes upper body strength training WEEK 2:
10: 31 minutes flexibility workout
11: 50 minutes pilates workout
12:
13: 40 minutes upper body strength training
14: 34 minutes flexibility workout
Martine: The projects are going well! I’m definitely glad I waited to tackle them until I was done with school though- they’re keeping me quite busy! Way to go staying active despite poor sleep!!
I’m finding that with quarantine life I’m very much a boredom eater. The past two days I’ve stayed extremely busy cleaning, organizing, and sorting things in the kitchen and yesterday the garage and power washing the house. I’ve also noticed lately that being back on track with keto I’m experiencing the lack of hunger that came with the fat adaptation phase when I started two years ago. I’m not sad about it, if anything it will help me get to my goal of doing OMAD intermittent fasting. I have a date tonight with a gentleman I’ve been chatting with for almost two months. We’ve gone on several socially distanced dog walks together, but tonight he suggested making the same meal at home and video chatting, so I’ve got plans to pick up my grocery order and then get started marinating some steaks for carne asada. Happy Friday y’all!!
RunningRedHead: Have fun on your date tonight! This is really happy news. I have a colleague who is due with her and her husband's first baby near the end of June and I'm thrilled for them. I'm happy to see folks navigating safely and life progressing during this pandemic. I completely agree with your boredom eating comment. When I'm busy, I'm golden. When I'm bored, I eat without giving it much thought . Your carne asada dinner sounds and a making it a fun way to spend the evening and getting to know your date.
Martine: I'm glad to hear that the Montreal schools pushed back their opening date. While August seems far away, the days and weeks will pass quickly. Yes, I too, find the sitting and desk work much more exhausting than working while I'm moving. Regular movement is one of the things I took for granted when I was in the office every day. On that note, I found some simple stretching exercises online that I did last night before I went to bed. My body felt better this morning and all day. Great job swapping out your regular exercise routine for your flexibility workout. Both are beneficial. Enjoy your long weekend! Next weekend is Memorial Day in the states. I'm already looking forward to the long weekend.
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Happy Friday! This afternoon my administrative coordinator did a Zoom coffee break for our small team. While I didn't have have coffee it was a lot of fun catching up with my staff who I saw every day just a few weeks ago. We're going to make it a weekly "gathering." I'm very much looking forward to the weekend. I'm going to the grocery store after work to pick up a few things. I usually save grocery shopping for the weekend but I want to get it out of the way.
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy weekend!
Last edited by curvynotlumpy; 05-15-2020 at 07:41 PM.
Curvy: Date night was a lot of fun. I think you can tell a lot about any relationship (platonic, romantic, or otherwise) when you have to work together to accomplish something. Cooking is my favorite to try with someone new and friends alike, but home improvement projects work well too I agree with you that it’s great to see people finding ways to work through everything going on. I’ve seen so much creativity springing up in the past couple of months! The Zoom coffee break sounds like a great idea! Hope your grocery shopping went well—it seems to be something that’s hit or miss lately in terms of stocking and supply issues still.
I’m debating what to prep for work the next two nights. I have cold cuts, eggs, and bacon I could whip up into something easy without having do too much… but I think I want to make something fun. There may be a grocery store trip in my very near future Have a great weekend, everyone!
and welcome to the weekend! I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday.
RunningRedHead: I'm glad you had a fun date night. You can learn a lot about folks as they work through a process. It also gives you something productive to focus on so you're not overthinking "Did I say the right thing? Do I have crumbs on my lips?" You sound like me in terms of potential meal plans. I have bacon and ham in my refrigerator and salmon in my freezer. Lots of options.
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This morning I went to the Farmer's Market and picked up some fresh strawberries. They're in season and while I could have picked them up at the grocery store, there is just something about fresh strawberries coming directly from the farm. I've been craving avocado so last night during my shopping trip I bought one and was at the $2.50 (per avocado) price. I've been keeping an eye on the prices every time I go to the market but they don't seem to be coming down in price. There certainly wasn't a run on them as the store had lots. I'm sure the pandemic has something to do with it as it does with overall rising food prices. On a related note, I'm seeing more things back in stock so hopefully this means that the supply chain is getting stronger.
Looking for some advice or thoughts about expired canned goods and whether they are alright to eat. I'm asking because recently I found some in my pantry. Nothing is wrong with the can itself--no bulges or dents--that might indicate that something is truly not good to eat. The easiest thing to do is open the cans but any thoughts and advice are appreciated.
I haven't been here for a few years and desperately need to get back on track. I started the year at 188.8 and started Keto Jan 3. I managed to get down to 164.4 but the world turned upside down and nothing has been normal since. I am back up to 175 (Iast I checked). I have tried to get back on the keto wagon but I am struggling hard. I crave sugar and have absolutely no will power. I keep making excuses for my eating habits and it needs to stop. I have about 35 lbs I'd like to lose and would love to do it by fall. Anyway, hoping to start in the morning. Wish me luck 😔
Curvy: This weekend ended up being leftover weekend. And I stumbled across a BOGO deal for blackberries and blueberries at my local market, so I got one of each. Oh my! $2.50 per avocado is outrageous! As for your canned goods dilemma, I’ve heard things both ways (they’re fine vs. don’t trust it); I personally don’t trust it. I vaguely remember my grandfather talking about calling campbell’s soup to check and they said it was a guideline but should be fine… I’m not sure if he was just saying that to justify his hoarding tendencies—he was a bit bonkers toward the end Sorry, I’m not much help!
Martine: Happy (belated) Patriot’s day! I’m completely unfamiliar with the holiday, do you have any special holiday traditions you follow for this?
Claustin: Hi there and welcome back! You’ve definitely checked into the right place for some support and accountability! Good on you catching your backslide and taking control—also, please remember that as you said, the world has turned upside down and nothing has been normal; nobody expects perfection amidst a crisis so take the small steps you can and be kind to yourself! Best of luck to you
Last night was a turkey and cheese wrap with mustard, leftover crack chicken, and a leftover cheeseburger. I also had a keto chow shake with me as a just-in-case, which I’m glad I brought because I ended up a little hungry around 5am and it was perfect—not too heavy, and a little sweet! I’ll probably do more of the same tonight (with maybe a hardboiled egg instead of a hamburger, because there are no more of those). I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!
RunningRedHead happy to hear the date went well. I never cease to be amazed by how far we have come technology-wise and how this pandemic has pushed all of us to use it to get closer to one another. Glad your home projects are doing well too. And regarding lunches, I too always pack more than I need, cause you never know if you'll get hungry.
claustin wishing you success on your road to the 140s
curvynotlumpy those Zoom coffee breaks sound like a great alternative to keep the team together. Before we all could go back into the store and start prepping for an eventual reopening, only two of us could go in at any given time, so our manager had started doing Messenger meetings. Except sometimes with little time to get ready, so poor lighting was my friend About canned goods, I heard that most foods can last forever in cans, but they may lose some of their freshness over time. I say open it and find out. Ever since the craze of avocado-on-everything, the price has really gone up. But I see a lot of prices going up these days with this pandemic. The laws of supply and demand...
I had the best intentions to have a very active day yesterday, but continuing my streak of bad night's sleep, I barely had any energy after lunch and Saturday turned into a rest day, including a long nap in the afternoon. Can't say that I slept any better last night, but I got moving today, doing all the laundry, completing my workout and fighting the urge to order out. I actually decided to make supper earlier than usual and exercise afterwards. It was an upper body strength training workout, the only type of heavy exercise that I can do on a full stomach. An extra day off tomorrow for Patriots' Day. There are no real celebrations, even when we are not in confinement. It's just nice to enjoy a long weekend just when the weather turns nice. I'm excited about all the "firsts" of Spring, like yesterday smelling freshly cut grass for the first time, or today hanging out clothes to dry (both my favourite smells of the Spring/Summer!). I just wish I would sleep better, but I know it's related to the stress I'm feeling over preparing the store for whenever we reopen and what is to come when we do. I start training a few of our employees on the new health and safety measures on Tuesday, but still no official opening date.
Hope everyone has been enjoying a wonderful weekend!
1: 3.2km walk + 40 minutes lower body strength training
2: 35 minutes core workout WEEK 1:
3: 5.2km walk + 43 minutes HIIT, pilates and lower body strength training workout
4:
5:3.2km + 43 minutes kickboxing with upper body strength training intervals
6: 39 minutes total body strength training workout
7:
8:
9: 39 minutes upper body strength training WEEK 2:
10: 31 minutes flexibility workout
11: 50 minutes pilates workout
12:
13: 40 minutes upper body strength training
14: 34 minutes flexibility workout
15: 51 minutes lower body strength training with cardio intervals
16: WEEK 3:
17: 41 minutes upper body strength training
Thank you everyone for the kind words of encouragement and the warm welcome backs I am starting to remember how much I loved this group.
Today was a good first day. I had 2 boiled eggs, 1 slice of deli turkey breast, a cheese string and some cashews for breakfast. For lunch I ate 2oz chicken breast, broccoli and ranch dip. Then for supper I enjoyed a lettuce wrap burger with pickles and a side of asparagus with melted cheese. Felt good to not snack and munch all day. I actually felt full and didn't have any cravings or munchies today. I had 4 bottles of water (I need to up my water intake) and went for a 2km walk then a 2km bike ride. It was a great day.
I don't track macros or count calories. I purchased a 8 week meal plan in December when I first started Keto and I just substitute things I dont like (tonight was supposed to be lemon garlic herb roasted pork chops with asparagus and cashew salad - but I am an incredibly picky/plain eater). I have ketostix I will try on Wednesday to see how I am doing. I was at a large amount of ketones but haven't been able to get past trace since February even with three days of liquid fast (broth, tea, water). So I am nervous that it wont show and then I will get discouraged and binge again. I am trying hard not to think that far ahead and just take it one meal at a time. I feel so much better when I eat right. Just wish my brain would remember that instead of giving in to cravings or thinking it needs junk that it doesn't. I lay in bed at night so nauseated in cold sweats yelling at myself that tomorrow is going to be better, no more sweets, no more sugar...but then the morning comes and I have horrible not-even-food foods for breakfast, then because its not satisfying or filling I binge eat all day and repeat. Today though, I felt in control. I felt so good. I felt prepared. Tomorrow, I will try and remind myself of the goods about today.
Good Night everyone. Praying tomorrow brings you success and contentment.
God Bless.
Latishia
claustin: and welcome back! Good luck on your journey. I admire how well you're planning your meals. They sound so yummy and clearly you're making some really great choices in terms of feeding yourself. I think focusing on what you can do today is wise.
Martine: I hope you're enjoying Patriot's Day and that you had a better night's sleep. Thanks for the reminder that eating times can be pushed up or back depending on circumstances and level of hunger. I think I get too locked into "normal' eating times that I make bad food choices just to stay on schedule rather than eating when I'm legitimately hungry.
RunningRedHead: Your leftovers sound yummy and such variety. Boiled eggs are a go to for me. They're filling and they always satisfy. A few months ago I bought two clear egg holders from The Container Store. I was constantly thinking I had more eggs than I actually did and was always running out . Problem solved; now I always know.
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Weather wise Monday is off to a weird start. Since I've been working we've had full sun, partly cloudy, dark skies, and a heavy downpour. At one point we were actually having full on sun while it was still raining. Last night I made breakfast burritos for dinner. It was really a nice change from what I had been eating and I always enjoy breakfast for dinner . For lunch I'm eating a tamale, some blueberries, and Greek yogurt.
claustin sounds like you enjoyed a perfect day yesterday, great job! Hold on to that feeling whenever you feel unmotivated to stick to your plan.
curvynotlumpy spot any rainbow during that sunny downpour? I haven't had brinner in ages, I love brinner! And your lunch today sounds delicious. Someone (aka the husband) ate what I had planned for lunch today (it was last night's leftover veggie burger in a pita with roasted veggies). I had other leftovers but was really looking forward to that pita.
What a gorgeous day we've had, and it's supposed to be like this all week long, and warming up even. I ran all over this morning, finishing up the grocery shopping from Saturday (had to go to 4 different places to find chives, what's up with that?!), and a reno store to buy an electrical fan, since temperatures are going up and I broke our fan at the end of last Summer. I HATED the experience, way too many people, way too close. Our government has officially given the go-ahead to stores in the Montréal area who have an outside access to open May 25th. I don't know if our store will be on that list, we'll know more tomorrow I guess. I foresee a lot of time spent on scheduling in the next few days (I'll have to prepare three weeks worth of schedules once we get the official reopening date).
After not going out for a walk yesterday, I just had to go out today and take in some sunshine. It felt great and energizing. I also prepared a Mexican casserole for supper, and just now completed my daily workout. I really, really did not feel like exercising today, but I'm still going after low 230s this month and it's not going to happen without some hard work. I invested in some exercise shorts, as I always feel too hot wearing capris when I work out during the Summer months, and it's really the best piece of workout clothing that I have purchased so far. Capris I'll keep for when I go walking, as I'm not comfortable wearing shorts out in public.
Have a great start to this week everyone!
1: 3.2km walk + 40 minutes lower body strength training
2: 35 minutes core workout WEEK 1:
3: 5.2km walk + 43 minutes HIIT, pilates and lower body strength training workout
4:
5:3.2km + 43 minutes kickboxing with upper body strength training intervals
6: 39 minutes total body strength training workout
7:
8:
9: 39 minutes upper body strength training WEEK 2:
10: 31 minutes flexibility workout
11: 50 minutes pilates workout
12:
13: 40 minutes upper body strength training
14: 34 minutes flexibility workout
15: 51 minutes lower body strength training with cardio intervals
16: WEEK 3:
17: 41 minutes upper body strength training
18: 3.2km walk + 26 minutes HIIT + 24 minutes core workouts
Curvy: I agree with you on the boiled egg comment and the clear egg holders. I’m debating buying one as well. It’s funny you mention the container store (love them!), I just bought a closet system from them and finished installing it and organizing my things at 1:30 this morning
Martine: Technology is a wonderful thing (when it works), isn’t it?! You make a great point regarding over packing lunches… I’m actually debating getting an oversized lunch tote some of the other girls at work have so I don’t have to put things in the fridge. The issue I have with bringing more than I need as overnights can get boring and I am definitely a boredom snacker Your Mexican casserole sounds delicious and intriguing! What goes into such a thing?
Claustin: It sounds like you had a great first day back. In terms of the nausea and cravings, that sounds an awful lot like keto flu, out of curiosity do you supplement your electrolytes? At the risk of giving unsolicited advice, I found this information from the keto subreddit to be extremely helpful (and very well-sourced). Glad to hear you’re holding onto those good vibes of having a great, on-plan day and you’re using that to stick with it—way to go!
A little bump up with water weight yesterday, which is understandable—I usually have some water retention from lack of sleep on Monday’s as I switch back to a normal day schedule. Yesterday after my nap I finished unpacking and organizing all the components of my new closet. I think I started that process around 4pm and finished everything around 1:30 in the morning. Now to live with it for a little bit and see how I’d like to organize it so it’s functional. I will say the design is brilliant, so deceptively simple yet incredibly functional! I will definitely buying a few more for other closets in the house. The one in my foyer could definitely use some organization hacks to create extra space as it’s approximately the size of a shoe box! I hope everyone has a fantastic day!
curvynotlumpy and RunningRedHead add me to the list of hard boiled eggs enthusiasts. As a vegetarian, eggs are always an easy option for protein, but I try not to overdo it. But boiled eggs are such an easy and healthy snack.
RunningRedHead I can see your point about packing a big lunch and eating it all even when you're not hungry. I pack a lot of veggies and I make sure to eat them first, before any other snack I include in my lunch bag, so I fill up but with little calories. And add me to the list of people who love the Container Store, though I rarely order from there because of high currency exchange. I can spend a long time browsing through their site, dreaming of organizing everything. And to answer your question, the Mexican casserole that I make is like lasagna: a bit of enchilada sauce at the bottom, covered with flour or corn tortillas, layered with a mix of beans, roasted peppers/jalapenos and corn, then sauce and cheese, and repeat for another layer, baked in the oven at 450°F for about 15-20 minutes.
I was awake at 2:15am and could not fall back asleep until about 5am. When you have to get up at 6am, that's the worst thing that can happen cause then you're all groggy. I make due for now but I hope that when this stressful period passes, I'll be able to regulate my sleep better. Still no word on an official reopening date. And I am growing very frustrated because I trained a first group of employees on the new health and safety measures today, and during a conference call held at the same time, they changed some of the very procedures I had just explained. We did warn employees that our company is constantly re-evaluating the situation as new info comes in from health authorities and the government, as well as feedback from stores that have actually reopened, but don't ask me to start training yet if you still aren't sure on the protocols to be used (rant over).
I felt so tired when I got home that I honestly didn't want to exercise. David encouraged me by saying "A little something is better than nothing", so I was looking for a short flexibility workout, but then I remembered that today, the challenge I am currently doing included a choice between kickboxing or a flexibility/toning workout, so I lucked out and went with the latter. Though the days are warming up here, I'm hoping the mornings will too so I can walk early before work, for some extra calorie burn. But with my current sleep issues, I must be mindful of what my body can and cannot do. I still think of those two days when I woke up fully rested during confinement, fond memories
Stay safe and positive everyone!
1: 3.2km walk + 40 minutes lower body strength training
2: 35 minutes core workout WEEK 1:
3: 5.2km walk + 43 minutes HIIT, pilates and lower body strength training workout
4:
5:3.2km + 43 minutes kickboxing with upper body strength training intervals
6: 39 minutes total body strength training workout
7:
8:
9: 39 minutes upper body strength training WEEK 2:
10: 31 minutes flexibility workout
11: 50 minutes pilates workout
12:
13: 40 minutes upper body strength training
14: 34 minutes flexibility workout
15: 51 minutes lower body strength training with cardio intervals
16: WEEK 3:
17: 41 minutes upper body strength training
18: 3.2km walk + 26 minutes HIIT + 24 minutes core workouts
19:38 minutes toning and flexibility workout
Martine: Congrats on getting outside to enjoy your beautiful weather. I find a good walk can do wonders for my attitude and spirit. I love capris and feel more comfortable in them but at some point they do become really hot to exercise in. My two favorite pair have really deep pockets along the thigh that are perfect for my keys and phone. Yes, please do share your Mexican casserole recipe. It's funny that you mentioned buying a new fan, I need a new one as well. What's the word on your store re-opening?
RunningRedHead: Girrrrl, don't get me started on The Container Store . It's a place I could easily spend a fortune in so when I do shop there it is usually for one or two specific things. Congrats on your successful closet installation. That couldn't have been easy .
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It was a busy day in the office! I'm finalizing the position description for our new certifying official who will work directly with our veterans and dependents on their educational benefits.This will be the fourth new hire I've made this calendar year. Hiring, training, hiring, training, that's all I feel like I've been doing this year. Between this and the pandemic I feel very unsettled. Yet, there are so many things to be grateful for and I keep reminding myself of that. Yesterday, we received the letter that the President of the UC System sent to everyone regarding how we're doing fiscally. COVID-19 has resulted in a $1.2 billion deficit . It will be interesting to see how staff will be impacted by it. On a brighter note, we're working with our student peers on preparing a small graduation packet with a military stole and card. In a normal year the students would wear their stole at their graduation ceremony but it will still be nice for them to have for pictures and if they choose to do the in-person graduation in the fall.
Curvy: I think I’m addicted to the Container Store. I just ordered things for my foyer closet and the spare bedroom closet. Send help. Just kidding, I’m so happy to be able to really dig into projects again. The past year and half they’ve been on hold because of school and I didn’t have the time to really put my all into them. I feel so much better with something to do like that—plus it leads to some excellent befores and afters Wow, that is an incredible deficit And that’s in a huge system with a decent support net, I imagine some of the damages done to the smaller private colleges may be irreparable. What a lovely gesture to the military and veteran students! I think that’s absolutely wonderful
Martine: The incredible edible egg indeed! I’ve been getting better lately at gauging my actual hunger vs my brain hunger and packing accordingly. Being back on track with my WOE has helped immeasurably as well, too. I too love browsing the Container Store site for organization ideas! Instagram and Pinterest are good go-to’s as well to reduce the risk of me impulsively purchasing Sorry to hear your sleep was off—nights like that I feel like just staying awake is better than that grogginess you mentioned. And thank you for the Mexican casserole idea! I’m passing it along to my bestie who’s vegetarian, and I think with a few simple modifications I can keto-fy it! Thanks for the idea, it sounds incredible!
Back down to where I was the end of last week-- a fluctuation that would likely not occur as often if I didn't have to work overnights. I’ve been doing a lot of debating over my future career and education path. I want to go back for my doctorate at some point, but I’m not entirely sure when as it would be nice to have a personal life for a little bit… but I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately and I think I’m burned out from bedside nursing. If I go full time in a doctoral program, I could get health benefits through whatever school I go to and just work for some local colleges teaching clinical, and stay bedside per diem or go agency (8-12 hours every two weeks) and then just pick up more hours bedside over the summer to mitigate the seasonal loss of income. A lot of research is about to ensue to see if this plan is something that would be feasible.
. Your carne asada dinner sounds 
and a making it a fun way to spend the evening and getting to know your date.
at the $2.50 (per avocado) price. I've been keeping an eye on the prices every time I go to the market but they don't seem to be coming down in price. There certainly wasn't a run on them as the store had lots. I'm sure the pandemic has something to do with it as it does with overall rising food prices. On a related note, I'm seeing more things back in stock so hopefully this means that the supply chain is getting stronger.
About canned goods, I heard that most foods can last forever in cans, but they may lose some of their freshness over time. I say open it and find out. Ever since the craze of avocado-on-everything, the price has really gone up. But I see a lot of prices going up these days with this pandemic. The laws of supply and demand...
. For lunch I'm eating a tamale, some blueberries, and Greek yogurt.
Your Mexican casserole sounds delicious and intriguing! What goes into such a thing?
I hope everyone has a fantastic day!
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