Post Superbowl Success!

I weigh myself on Monday mornings.

I lost a pound last week! Even though I went to a super bowl family day.

 Also, the Seahawks won!!!!

Life Timing

Hey blog. I have lost one pound and kept it off this month. So yeah. That doesn't feel like much of an accomplishment, but I am taking it.

My temp job ended earlier than expected. I really loved it there. They said they might try to hire me back in the spring.

I found out today I have an interview for a new job on Tuesday. This would be a temp job for the first four months and then convert to a permanent job. It is close to my house, in a small office, and seems like a good company. The only downside is that it doesn't pay very much.  Like $2 less than what I would expect to make, and made at the last place. After four months I would get, probably, a one dollar raise. They also offer benefits, but I am pretty sure I would stay on my partners, his are so awesome.

But then if this other place wants me back in April what then? I would love to work there, so much. I don't know if they would be able to list the job normally and have me apply. Or if they were counting on going through the temp agency I am with. If they go through the temp agency, then obviously I wouldn't be available for a placement with them.

But something stable, and close to home, would be a huge relief right now. Even though it pays like crap?

In a year and a half we expect to be moving so Partner can start graduate school. I want to have a strong resume and ability to get a job right away in a new town.

But compared to not having a job, the idea of having one and then not being able to take another, sound silly. Too much of a good thing in that case.

These kinds of things get me stressed out. But dieting has been going well. I think I feel on track enough to start blogging again, and try to stick with it. My blog has become a great example of how every time you try to lose weight, you learn something and get a little more successful. I have tried and given up my efforts a handful of times. But I will keep trying, and one time it will come together and I will lose weight and have a healthier lifestyle. So there.

Post Christmas Update

Hey blog!

I gained back the two pounds lost, because of Christmas cookies mostly. And a lot of meals with family, where it was harder to control what I ate. But I am so confident that I will lose weight this year. Every time I start to try it becomes easier.

Also, I am working a temp job! This will help me lose weight, I have to eat a healthy breakfast, and pack a lunch. I really like my job so far. It would be super if they could keep me permanently.

So yay! I feel more confident and hopeful then I have in a while. Even in the depths of cloudy, rainy Seattle winter.

Still doing it

Since my last post, I have lost half a pound.

So not a huge loss. But considering it is the holiday season, I am doing ok.

I also have another job interview tomorrow. Nervous. But just normal nerves, nothing I haven't faced before.

who lost weight over thanksgiving?

Hey I lost two pounds!
Over the week of Thanksgiving!

How is that for a head start! Going into the holiday season strong.
I have also been going to the gym regularly. Woot!

I will post more now that I am feeling more positive.

Korean Soft Tofu Soup - Cooking and calorie counting

So this dish was fairly easy to count the calories in, this is because I know that my partner and I will just split it equally, and it is all cooked in one pot.

Soondubu on my stove at home

I started with two cloves of garlic and about a cup on kimchi - 8 and 0 calories respectively in a stone bowl on my stove, medium heat
I added a whole can of vegetable stock - 30 - I turned the heat up to almost high
While this gets hot, I add about two tablespoons of red pepper powder, some of the stock, and about two teaspoons of fish sauce in a bowl and mix them up, to avoid clumping in the soup - 90, 16
Add this to the whole and this whole bunch of soup continues to heat
I added five frozen clam meats - 180
I also added about five scallions and half an Anaheim pepper - 20, 5
When this is all bubbly you add the soft tofu, the whole package in this case - 300
Then once this is all back up to a boil I added two eggs, this helps thicken the soup, and it's fun once you find the yolk and break it up - 180.

I added up all these calories and divided them in half, since I knew my partner and I would both want two bowls, which comes to half the stone pot each.  This was all we had for dinner. But it's a filling soup, and served really hot, which is nice on a cold rainy Seattle day.

I recommend counting calories in each dish, and then dividing it up before you serve.

For example, the calories in whole batch of mashed potatoes, then divide it into 6 servings, if that looks about right, take one serving. The whole calories in your roasted beets, divided into four servings, then take one serving. The calories in a chicken breast. Then add the three servings that are on your plate to each other. This way you can add up the whole calories, and then divide, while you prepare each dish. This sounds pretty obvious, but until you have done it a few times, trying to count calories while you cook can be tricky. Also, if you know that the whole batch of mashed potatoes has a certain amount of calories, but you eat one cup, you may not know how many calories are in a cup. Which is why I use the divide it up method. More hands on.

I try to write down how much of each ingredient I put in, and then before I clean up the kitchen, I go back and look on all the packages, or on the Internet for how many calories are in things.
That said, if it's a recipe I have never made before, I try to add up the calories in a rough way, so I can picture how much I can have, and whether or not it will be worth it.

Counting calories

Hi blog.

I did weigh in on Monday, still the same.

I have been to the gym twice this week already. One day of weight lifting, and one of pure cardio. I can already tell I am getting stronger. One great example are squats, I am just doing body weight squats, but the first time I was sore for days, I mean painfully sore, afraid to sit down. I can already do four more squats than I could two weeks ago, and I don't get nearly as sore. It is very exciting!

I thought I would post what a day of calorie counting looks like. Today was easy, nothing I made had very many ingredients. Other days are very complicated and annoying. If it is a recipe or meal I make often, I have been trying to record the calorie count somewhere.

I really hate measuring out my food, but I know I just have to do it with many things, or I can't be accurate. It is a good reminder of what a healthy portion looks like. I am good with most foods, but there are a few things that surprise me.

Toast - 100
Jam, about a teaspoon - 50
Margarine - 40
(This is not a healthy breakfast, but all I did all morning was sew, so I didn't need the energy for anything, I am also trying not to eat if I am not hungry.)

Coffee, splash of milk, packet of light cocoa - 70
Coffee, splash of milk - 10
(I looked around the internet, to figure out how many calories in a splash of 1% milk. This is close)

Can of light soup (It was Progresso Light Chicken and Cheese Enchilada, I do NOT recommend this soup) - 180
String cheese - 80

Three tortillas - 300
Fat free refriend beans - 160
Salsa - 0   Gotta love salsa
Hot sauce - 0
1/2 tomato - 13
shredded lettuce -15
Light sour cream, two tablespoons, I really love sour cream - 70

I made a cheesecake for my partner to take to his work, I licked the spoon - 100

Hot cocoa with water - 60

My total is 1248. This is a pretty low total for calories today. I am not worried though. I was not hungry, and I felt healthy all day. I know some days will be a little higher, and some a little lower. It was a boring food day. But some days are like that.

Anyways. I will post how I cook complicated recipes and figure out the calories another day this week.

Good news!

Well,
Monday weigh in 232.

So the same.

But the good news is that I have been going to the gym. I was afraid if I posted I would somehow jinx it. I have gone four times in a week and a half. I am going three times a week. I am doing a basic weight lifting workout, followed by brief cardio. I need to focus on my diet more, to lose weight. But I sure feel like things are going better.

monday

232.
Same.
I haven't been losing weight, been eating whatever is around, not really paying attention.
I did work out a few times this week.
Ugh.
I will start blogging more again.

Hey Blog...

Hey Blog,

I did not focus on my diet or fitness. I was sad I did not get that job, and it kind of rolled into a big ball of sadness. I got sucked down.

But my partner has been really supportive. We went to the Washington State Fair (Puyallup Fair as it is known here), we had a BBQ with all our friends, and spent time with his sister, brother in law, and children.
Everyone has been so supportive of me.

I am working on getting back on track. My sister is coming over to work on her resume, LinkedIn, and other job search stuff. Sometimes getting out of your own house will help you get more work done, so she is coming over here. I am glad for the company, and will also work on my own job hunt.

Just need to focus on the good things I have going on in my life.

I weighed in this morning at 233. Bummer. I can lose it again. But it sure doesn't look very good. Not actually losing weight is not going to make this blog super motivating to others is it? At the same time, if I am not honest with myself and my blog, then what am I doing?

My goal is to lose weight consistently over the next four weeks. Then I will start leaving comments on the other weight loss blogs I read, and start trying to get mine read by people other then family and friends. See if we can make this really work.

Monday Morning Measurements

230!

So I did not add anything to my midweek weigh in. That is okay. I had family in town this weekend, so I ate out. I was alone in the apartment, and house sitting for a family who has an elderly cat. This means my week was sort of odd. I think I didn't eat enough breakfast and lunch, and then it was hard to eat a healthy dinner.

It's good to look back and see what I can improve on. It is also good to lose a pound, better than nothing!

How to Get My Life in Shape

I am bored.

My partner is gone for the weekend. He's on a trip with college friends. I am happy for him, though I am feeling a bit at loose ends.

I have been bored. Even when I am quilting or doing other things I enjoy. It's nice that I am losing weight, but I really need to get a job. I can't stand it when I think of all the time I have "wasted" watching TV or surfing the internet this last year and a half.

It really makes me so anxious I feel sick.

That doesn't do any good though. I can't take back the last  year and a half I have been unemployed. All I can do is move on with my life. Get my life in shape. Losing weight and getting physically fit is a great start. It gets easier to stay on track, and improve my health. Now I really need to make a concerted effort to get myself a job.

Ugh. Stressful.

Mid Week Weigh In Cheat

I have never been obsessed with the scale. I did watch my sister go through some of that during her weight loss process though, and have been trying to avoid the same happening to me.

Today I cheated and weighed in mid week.

It was awesome!

As you may have read I had disappointing news at the beginning of the week, so eating healthy has been a bit more of a challenge. Getting that validation from the scale that I have been doing things right was a huge boost. I think it will really encourage me to keep it up, and stay on a healthy path the rest of this week. I am only down one pound, but by the end of the week I can make it more.

So yay!

Take that encouragement wherever you can get it.

Frizzy and Encouraged! Ignore the awkward body language going on in this photo

Bad News but Not Eating

I found out that I did not get that job I interviewed for a week ago. I sort of figured, since I had not heard anything yet. I was hoping that with the holiday weekend it had just gotten away from them. But I asked today, and was told they went with another candidate.

I am really disappointed.

But I am not going to eat. I know it won't really hep. It might make me feel better for a few hours, by helping me ignore my feelings. If I just let myself feel disappointed now, and focus on activities that are healthy and make me feel good, I will be able to recover faster and move on to the next thing.

In the past following through on my own advice was hard. The more times I try, the easier it gets. I think today will be an okay day. I will be healthy.

Frizzy and is making room in my calorie count for a beer today 

Monday Morning Measurements

231.3

Exactly the same weight as last week, even down the tenth of a pound.

I am okay with that. I had a job interview and subsequent total freak out. It was also a holiday weekend.

I did okay.

This week I will focus on being thorough in my food journal. I will post some recipes of things I am making, with calorie count. It will be a success.

Happy Labor Day and International Workers Day! Thank a union member!

Home Organization as a Weight Loss Tool

I am not the only person who eats when they are stressed out or feeling overwhelmed. I know that for myself and many other people a messy home can trigger these feelings. My partner and I have struggled for over a year since we moved in together to get our apartment in shape (or fit!) We had too many belongings for the space. My partner especially has a tough time getting rid of things, old paperwork, toys, odds and ends he may one day want for a project. 

A few weeks ago he had a few days he took off from work for vacation. Unfortunately we needed to be in town for part of the weekend for a funeral. We decided that we would put off our camping trip and use his vacation days to get our house in shape and spend some quality time together. 

In the end we got our bedroom completely cleaned out and organized. It feels great! I tell you every time I need to go in there for something during my day I get a little buzz. It is so nice now. It helps me feel more in control of my life. This feeling carries over into other choices I make, like my diet and physical activities. 

Part of this project was also creating a little studio for me to work in. I quilt and do other fabric related projects. 

I forgot to take a before picture of the studio side of my bedroom, but I do have some fun pictures of what we did. 

All of the stuff that came out of the bedroom, way too much stuff

You can see we took the dresser drawers out too. We actually went through and got rid of clothes we don't wear, and folded everything. We tried to focus on all the details we could, and get the room really polished. 

My craft shelf before, really poorly organized and bad use of space

Turning an old dresser into my new sewing table. Yes the dresser was black, I was 15 the last time I painted it. 

Craft shelf organized now. The big cardboard box stores all my quilting fabric. I even have room now for batting as you can see on the bottom shelf

Studio

Frizzy and Fabric

Getting fit can affect many parts of your life. Try cleaning or organizing something, use the energy you get from that to focus on yourself and your diet or exercise. It was inspiring for me.

Interview Outfit

I did remember to take a photo once I was in my interview outfit. It's from my phone and the quality is not super.

frizzy and job hunting 

Monday Morning Measurements

I didn't take any measurements yet.
But I did weigh myself this morning.

231!

Lost two pounds this week.

AND

I had a job interview today that went really well. I don't know yet if I have a second interview. We will see.

Job Interview!

FRIZZY AND SHOPPING!

I have been working with a temp agency for about a year now. I've only had two jobs so far though. This agency doesn't place you, they give you tons of information about all sorts of jobs, and asks that you apply to the ones you are interested in. They store information about you, so you just click, and you are applied. They do some of the more traditional temp type work, where they give you a call and send you out the next day, but I haven't had any of those actually.

Lately I've been thinking that this agency and I were not the best match. I had been struggling to find jobs that would suit me. However, I saw a listing last week for a major non-profit that looked super. Well I get to interview with the organization on Monday!

I have a few nice professional pieces, for situations like this. Though the slacks I have were too short, and I altered them myself. The only problem with this is that the work hasn't lasted very long, they need a touch up.

I am so excited about this interview, however, that I decided to go buy a new blouse. Something for luck and confidence.

I have been trying to avoid buying clothes because I really believe I am on the path to losing weight. I do believe though that doing small things to make yourself feel better can have a big impact. So one new shirt might make all the difference on Monday!

I will post pictures when I get back.

7:46 : I totally forgot to get pictures. Sorry blog. I got a funky but professional tank to wear under my suit jacket. Wish me luck.

Try New Veggies

I have been focusing on my diet this week. I eat fairly well most of the time, but obviously if I ate well all the time I would lose weight. I admit that my partner and I get convenience food for dinner when we are busy. Which is ridiculous because I am unemployed, and I should have time to cook dinner most nights. I also admit that I binge eat from time to time. I often snack after dinner, or have two helpings. This has contributed to my weight staying the same for so long.

So I have been focusing on making really yummy dinners and having a healthy portion. Focusing on being positive, instead of feeling restricted in what I eat.

To further these efforts, we got some yummy vegetables at the local farmers market. We also got one we have never had before.

Luffa looks like this at the store - wiki commons photo

Luffa! Also known as Silk Gourd or Chinese Okra. That's right, the same luffa they use to make shower sponges. When it is young it is commonly eaten in Vietnam and many parts of Asia. It is part of the cucumber family of vegetables.

The luffa cut up, I put some other veggies in the shot to look nice and fresh. We only got two little ones to try so they didn't go very far. 

I actually lived in China for six months, and have taught myself to cook a lot of the dishes I miss. So I used the luffa along with eggplant for Fish Fragrant Eggplant, Yu Xiang Qie Zi.

Dinner turned out pretty good. The luffa were really soft, I overcooked them. They did taste like cucumber, but were a bit slimy, less so than okra. 

My partner was really excited to make a GIF on his new phone. So there I am. 

Frizzy and cooking