Discover the Wild (and Healthy) Side!! – WISH May Lifestyle/Weight Challenge

Sounds like a good time to me! I swear I gained 10-15 pounds on my 11 night cruise that I never have been able to lose but the food is just so good! I'm sure you'll drop that 7 in no time.

 

It stopped raining long enough last night for me to do a 20 min walk with the dogs and then a much faster 2 mile walk on my own. It's a start. I'm hoping it stops again for a while tonight so I can get another longer walk in, otherwise I might do a video at home.

I'm trying a new protein powder today. I mixed it with some frozen mixed berries and almond milk. It's pretty tasty. Like others, I find the smoothie without the protein powder leaves me hungry again in an hour or two.

 

Another watermelon lover here! Definitely my favorite, but I worry I eat too much when it's around. Other favorites are cherries, raspberries, and strawberries. I also really enjoy green grapes with a bit of cheese! I find I can usually easily incorporate the fruits into my diet... it's the veggies I struggle with. But I am making an effort to balance it out a bit more.

No, I'm not afraid of the bats. I think they are interesting!

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I'm on plan as I went to the gym last night and am seeing the weekend weight come off. Not the greatest workout I have had, but I am telling myself I don't have to kick my own rear every single time now that I am going so much. Slow and steady-- marathon, not a sprint.

Today is going to be a bit off as I am going to a concert tonight. Jimmy Buffett -- so having a margarita is basically a requirement! I'll be making a pitcher for the tailgate, but plan on having just one and sharing the rest

ETA: One drink--- not one pitcher.... just to clarify

 

What is your favorite fruit? And what is the fruit you eat the most often? Is there a lot of fruit in your daily meals?

And a bonus question: Are you afraid of the bats?

I love fruit... it's all just sugar after all isn't it? I think pineapple might be at the top of the list right now, but we're slowly sneaking up on berry season where locally grown will be available, which is always a delightful time of year. Peaches yum, cherries more yum. One summer while in high school I worked for the Youth Conservation Corp: we were stationed at a camp just east of the mountains in prime orchard territory. Just prior to 4th of July break, a nearby cherry farmer told the camp leaders that he couldn't harvest his crop for profit because the cherries had too much scaring from rain, so he said we all could come over and pick anything we wanted for free. So we all headed home with suitcases full of cherries, instead of dirty laundry... the best stinking cherries I've ever had in my life, as they had been left on the trees long enough to really rippen.

I love both of the nature walks and do them every trip. I enjoy lingering and watching the fruit bats... bats aren't real common in this region, so if I encountered one in the wild it would freak me out a little bit. When I was in Austin last spring I was staying right down the street from the Bat Bridge, but didn't get down there to see the nightly ritual... some day.

 

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What is your favorite fruit? And what is the fruit you eat the most often? Is there a lot of fruit in your daily meals?

And a bonus question: Are you afraid of the bats?

My favorite fruit is probably berries. I grow raspberries and blueberries at home so I can't wait for the fresh picked ones. My chocolate lab always wants to "help" me pick the raspberries especially.

I'm not really afraid of bats but I'm not overly fond of them after a caving incident on a school canoe trip in HS where we had hundreds of them flying very close. It felt like they were in my hair so I guess you could say that I like them from a distance.

 

A quick HELLO!! Sorry I have been MIA - things have been busy with work, school, sport etc and at night I have just been watching some TV and falling asleep - on the couch most nights eeekk. I hope you all have a great day - I will be back tonight to catch up

 

My favorite is water walking however between time and a husband who at times starts ranting about how much gas we are using I don't get to do this that often so I often don't do physical activity. I got out of walking around the house when I tried to push it too much and during my recovery time the house got to be a mess so now if I try to do faster walking I risk slipping on a paper or something and getting injured. We didn't have much money to do more than a card for me for mother's day so I had said what I wanted was the main rooms of the house picked up and a card. I got a card ( given to me a day late) that had 12 year old been older I would have been asking a lot of questions and been greatly concerned. It was one of those I want to reassure you that I am fine and am going to be ok and on the inside it says your grandchildren on the other hand. DH has been told that next year he has to take her shopping as this year I took her in so the last ingredients needed for the meal she made for the family on Mother's day could be purchased and she picked out the card herself. I would try walking one of the rabbits but it's not like walking a dog. You just stand there and hold the leash and if they move you move plus you keep them from going under places like the deck, or the car, or the camper, and anywhere else getting them out could be a project. Not exactly conducive to getting physical activity.

Luckily we don't have a lot of bats around here but considering they can carry disease and have been known to bite people from what I know about them I do not care for them one iota.


Today has been a hard day for me as we had a Deputy killed in the line of duty in another county. A BOLO was issued statewide and the suspects were first found in yet another county with a chase that went through 4 different counties before the suspects pulled onto the side of the road and the passenger got out shooting at law enforcement who returned fire and the shooter got shot in the head. The Deputy's body was brought to a hospital in my area for the autopsy. I have a good friend and classmate who I want all the way through with ( We had less than 30 of us in my class from 1st-6th grade including ones who stayed not even a full year with 12 of us going all those years together and 9 of us ended up at the same schools for grades 7-12) is a Deputy in my county. Every time something like this happens I think what if it was him. While we never were more than classmates and part of a group of friends who spent many hours hanging out together on our bikes riding around the countryside when there is such a small group of you who grow up together you tend to be close.

 

May 17

Africa!

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Welcome to the next "land" at Animal Kingdom! Africa!

You enter the quaint village of Harambe, somewhere in sub-equatorial Africa. It is a friendly place with restaurants, an amazing show and a two-week safari where you can see zebras, giraffes, and elephants amongst others.

While meat is a luxury and therefore not available to the same degree in Africa as it is for us, also our typical sources of carbohydrates are not that common in traditional African cuisine. Wheat, rice and potatoes are staples for us, but not in many African regions. They have sorghum, casavas, maize, millet, yams, lentils and beans to just name a few.

What is your preferred source of carbohydrates and do you think it is a good choice? Do you make a conscious choice or do you just eat what is easily available?

 

I try to think scientifically but fun mostly rules for me - but at the moment kind of fun to the point of not being all that healthy!

I wouldn't say its a favourite as such but going for a walk is probably the easiest activity to do. I really enjoyed paddling on my surf ski last year - but seem to have lost all motivation this year. I think one of my biggest problems is that I really struggle to ENJOY activity these days. I used to love dancing when I was younger but now I feel uncoordinated and way too much of me keeps moving haha.

This is such a dilemma that so many parents must be facing ... it is hard when most of the family tend to be naturally slimmer. One thing I will say is that my DD used to get a little pudgy around the middle right before she would have a growth spurt and then it would even out again. If the family eats healthy a lot (which is great) it could be that when she gets the opportunity for something a little sweeter as cake that she really wants to indulge - hence the hiding to eat it. At least she really wasn't hiding alone - I think you said it was her and another child found hiding and eating. Sometimes if we 'ban' 'avoid' certain foods it makes us crave them even more. If worried about her comparing herself to her siblings - it is important to focus on talents, strengths, achievements etc that are unrelated to appearance. Keep the talk about body image to healthy, strong, able to do whatever activities she wants etc. rather than thin/pretty (not so easy as we all know thanks to media representations). Ok just did a google to see what would come up - a couple of good things was to not have a 'big talk' about it as then it may draw too much focus and attention to it - but rather to chat in little snippets over time. Also to remember to check in and ask questions - maybe not when mum or DD is feeling stressed/worried right in the moment of catching her eating it but at other times - it can even be a family chat in the car while driving such as what's your favourite food and why? Lets say an answer was something like cake makes me feel better .... that would give a clue as to her motivation for eating it that needs more exploration or maybe she just thinks it tastes GREAT!

DD13 has a friend who we think started to develop some eating issues back in year 6 (so around 11 yrs old) she had been a little chubby but then dropped weight quite noticeably. Trouble was DD13 said her friend was only bringing a popper to school - no food for lunches! Should would get hungry inevitably though and then try and take food from her friends - which frustrates my DD13 no end (she enjoys her food and frankly we only pack enough to feed her not all her friends - so if they take her stuff she misses out and gets hungry). This continued into high school - but this apparently has improved and she is brining more food to school. However, another of DD13s friends who is a very tall girl - not overweight but not a thin girl - also has started in the last year or so not bringing much to school to eat. The reassuring thing is my DD13 talking about these girls to me - she seems to think they are 'silly' not eating and she knows she needs food to be healthy. We have talked about eating disorders and why these girls may be acting this way at the moment.

Ok - I rambled a little - I hope you find something useful in there.

Hmmm I like berries, watermelon, and dragon fruit (although I don't have that very often). Honestly - there is hardly any fruit in my daily meals - I need to get better at this.

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Wow ok caught up!

 

I totally forgot to answer my own bat question yesterday! I am not afraid of the fruit bats at AK, but there are instances where I would be careful with bats, especially since there are areas in the world where they carry rabies. In my hometown there is an old castle and some old fortifications and there is actually a sizeable bat population living in there. They are protected wildlife and they really are not an issue. They keep other critters away, so it is actually good to have them. My parents have a condo that has a roof top patio and it is quite close to the castle and you sometimes have bats flying over you when you are sitting out there in the evening. They are so fast that you nearly don't notice them and they do come close. They can sense where you are, so they won't touch you, but you can feel the air. I have to say that I understand why people get frightened as there is something ghost like about those black things that you don't hear nor see, but which you can feel. I am used to them, so it does not bother me.

Today's QOTD:
I am trying to eat as much unrefined (i.e. complex) carbohydrates as I can. I try to only use whole grain products, I try to eat more rye bread than wheat bread. I do eat quite a bit of potatoes. I have tried brown rice, but am not a huge fan. I do love lentils and beans and try to eat more of them as they give you carbohydrates as well as protein. I have decided to not try to like quinoa since I recently read about how the Western world's quinoa craze has caused a quinoa shortage and that the subsistence South American farmers who used it as a cheap staple now are eating fries instead.

 

lol @Flossbolna just when I though I was caught up! we were posting at the same time

pasta, rice, bread, potatoes are regulars in my diet - and even within those it is typically the white version - the kids really resist when I try to use brown rice, multi-grain breads. So sometimes the extra effort is just too much for me to prepare 2 rices etc. so I just go with what the majority will eat. As for bread I am super fussy and only like to eat it fresh as in same day baked - so that makes buying a loaf for myself not worth it - even the smaller loaves sometimes - and no I DO NOT like bread from the freezer - so that isn't an option I have tried making homemade sweet potato fries (baked) recently and I have had mixed results but we just got a new oven so maybe I will have more success now.

 

Yes, I thought the same! Thanks for your thoughts about my friend's daughter. I liked the idea of not talking about the issue, but instead just have general conversations about food.

Have you tried whole weat pasta? I am not sure if you have Barilla in Australia, they seem to be all over Europe and are in the US as well. They have a whole grain line (called integrale) and I find that they don't have a lot of that scratchy feeling that a low of multi grain products can have. If you serve them with a lot of sauce they might not notice.

 

What is your favorite fruit? And what is the fruit you eat the most often? Is there a lot of fruit in your daily meals?
And a bonus question: Are you afraid of the bats?

Pineapple is my favorite fruit although I've recently developed a food allergy to it and strawberries so they are both out now. My second favorite is oranges followed by granny smith apples. I wouldn't say there is a lot of fruit in my diet but I do try to eat a little each day, of course it's easier when it is in season and doesn't cost so much.

I'm not afraid of bats but I'm not going to be their best friend lol they can do their thing and I can do mine. We have one that hangs out in the evenings under the street lamp outside my back door I will say he's startled me a few times when he dives down to get a bug but other than that he's good.


What is your preferred source of carbohydrates and do you think it is a good choice? Do you make a conscious choice or do you just eat what is easily available?
The struggle bus for me. I can cut out sweets easy it's the carbs I crave. Pasta is a big one. I don't mind the whole wheat pasta others in my family can't stand it or the multi grain so that change hasn't happened. We made the switch to brown rice a few years ago so that's one plus. Potatoes are a favorite as well but I don't cook them that often and I'm trying to cook more sweet potatoes when I do since they have a lot more good stuff in them.

 

I love carbs, and I find I am happier when my diet is minimum of 45%. and that's the minimum! I eat a lot of fruit, and from more dense carbs pasta is my favorite followed by potatoes, oats, rice.

If my meal is lacking carbs, I don't feel satisfied for long. I add slice of whole grain bread to my salads , bowl of fruit with my omelettes. It will be unfair to say I don't watch out for them, I don't have a full bowl of pasta with pesto anymore. I still stick to half of my plate or minimum of 350 grams of veggies with each meal, and I add lean protein too. By doing this I can get a fairly large bowl of spaghetti for reasonable amount of calories

However I know some people do better on low carb. Not me.

We eat mostly wholegrains but I like white pasta and I have it. Rice is 50/50 really, depending on the dish. Pasta 80% wholegrain, 20 white. white bread I only buy if it's fresh bread once in a month or so. My son finds sliced white break amusing as we never got it home, and he isn't used to seeing it. He isn't all that healthy eater but loves his brown bread sandwiches! I don't eat much bread, i really prefer pasta potatoes or rice

 

What is your preferred source of carbohydrates and do you think it is a good choice? Do you make a conscious choice or do you just eat what is easily available?

Carbs = refined sugar for me, plain and simple. I do like really nice artisan breads as well, even tho I struggle with gluten. When I'm eating right, I have rice as my primary starch/carbs as it is so "in-offensive", as in I have no sensitivities to it.

Monday my FitBit broke: while I was at lunch the button you push for screen display broke off and disappeared. It's living a new life now. Fortunately we sell FitBits so I popped in to the store and picked up an Alta before heading back to the office, and I'm really liking the newer slimmer design. It almost inspired me to get back up to my 10,000 steps yesterday... if I had done a couple laps in the office or gotten off the bus a few stops early I would have made it. I'll do both today to make sure I get them steps in.

We are on the cusp if spring breaking out in full glory... today it's dry but on the cool side, then things are going to get progressively more sunshiny and warm for an extended period - hip hip hurrah! I'm actually looking forward to working out in the yard in the evenings. We're so far north that days get really long this time of year, almost to the point where it's like getting a two-fer, but when it's overcast, grey and rainy and the sun never really comes out, it really doesn't matter what time the sun sets. Here we're only about a month away from the Summer Solstice, and I want my sunny evenings!

 

Preferred Carbs? All of them! I know I could do much better with them, but I would attribute some of my recent success to reining in my carb intake. I am fine with substituting the whole grain options though. Most of the time, I actually prefer them. But I know I could never restrict them too much. I was such a crabby person when I tried a "low carb" diet years ago. It was enough to show me I do need them, just not the copious I had been consuming. Now I stick to a bit of couscous, pasta (every 2 weeks or so), fruits, and wraps as my carb sources.

 

I sadly really like carbs. I don't tend to eat much pasta though. Bread is usually whole wheat and I do mostly brown rice. I really like sweet potatoes but I also eat regular potatoes too.

 

Bread though I would rather have Wheat Montana Whole Wheat White as it is made from a high protein flour that is GMO free and surprisingly is higher in fiber than their cracked wheat variety. I will also make my own though lately I have been a bit lazy about this and it has been the freezer dough so I should check my yeast to make sure it is still good and get a batch going someday soon though I also need to check how much of my Wheat Montana unbleached white flour I have on hand. ( The flour is available on Amazon at least for those in the US and is the blue package. They also have some whole wheat varieties which have a variation as to if it is winter wheat or a summer wheat and hard vs soft-Yes there is a difference). Most wheat flours you buy are a blend that the ratio can change depending on what is available at the mill at a given time which is part of the reason why I think a lot of people who do make their own bread either don't attempt to make anything other than white or find the learning curve of making wheat bread to be too much as there is are some adjustments depending on the exact blend of the flour used along with surprisingly the amount of humidity in the air.

Corn is another big one be it on the cob, cut, or even as cornmeal usually in cornbread

Potatoes which as long as we don't have the ones from a place not too far away are usually the white ones. When we have potatoes from the place in the next county that grows them we tend to end up with the red ones as that is what my father in law prefers and since the smallest they sell is a 50 pound bag and we will get half a bag that is what we end up with. Reds are a good frying potato but do not hold up for baking.

Pasta is eaten quite a bit though since 9 year old has a habit of just eating it uncooked out of the box we have cut way back as I have to keep it in a plastic foot locker which is locked in the basement and than either 12 year old, DH or myself have to go down and get it. I have made my own which didn't turn out that bad but were a thicker noodle. I want a pasta maker so I can make other varieties.

Rice though this tends to be more on the white variety instead of the wild or whole grain as the girls don't like the other plus it does take longer to cook even in the rice cooker. I have a basic one which will hold 4 cups of water and rice to the correct ratio after that overfill and make a mess. Plug in and pull button down to cook no timer set just cook and keep warm which tends to dry things out if left more than 40 minutes. It's not bad considering that we got it and out small flat screen tv with points from a safety thing DH's work was doing and if we paid anything it was less than 20 for the shipping and handling.

Sweet potatoes and Yams. I like these the rest of the family it is either won't touch or I don't mind them for Thanksgiving or Christmas but I don't have the it wouldn't be a particular holiday without them.

Plantains I have had both doing some cooking with them in high school foods 2 class where I was bored out of my mind as by that time I had been in 4H foods project for 9 years and while the teacher wanted to put me in the 3/4 class the administration told us both that technically I should have to take foods 1 due to my not having taken that one first. The teacher was a judge for a number of years and new me quite well from my 4H stuff and called me in after seeing the registration for the next term told me anyone who has been doing the breads and canning projects in foods doesn't belong in level 1 I am going to the administration and getting you moved. The last I had some was in 2010 at Epcot and they were just as good as I remember. They are hard to find around here though.

Lentils I have had but don't care for them.

Beans not as much though I will have from time to time.

The others on the list I have yet to find around here. I would say the majority of what I eat is what is readily available.

 

Pasta is a staple in my house also potatoes. Growing up we ate some sort of pasta dish 3 or 4 night s week. It was cheap to make and we didn't have much money. Now I don't eat it as much but at least once every other week. Potatoes are still a big staple.

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Yesterday was a great day. I got to spend it with my son at at the zoo. The was my Woo-Hoo for yesterday. Though I had a boy in the group that misbehaved quiet a bit it was still good.

Today at work has been crazy. I miss one day and it feels like I missed several. One one more day this week and 3 next week and then I am off for the long weekend. It will be one busy weekend too.

Have a great day! Off to get more work done.

 

No one reminded me that yesterday was Wohoo Wednesday!!

So, go ahead and make it a Wohoo Thursday today!