Weekend Warrior # 42

Weekend Warrior # 42

by | Dec 11, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

I am feeling a little stressed about getting my list of things done this weekend. I had Wednesday off, this past week, and I worked yesterday to make up the missed time. I usually have 2 days for a fun-filled weekend, and this week I was only able to work with one.  Let’s review Friday and today, then.

Friday there was a potluck at work. I was up into the wee hours early Friday morning preparing for both the potluck at work and the TGIO (Thank Goodness It’s Over) NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month – November – An annual challenge.)  So I made it through work, had a successful potluck, and rushed home to cut the cheese! I planned cheese and crackers for the party.

I was really surprised that one of my guests brought along a bottle of Writers Tears Irish Whiskey to try. I loved it. I will be buying some to put in my flask that friends brought me as a gift from Scotland. It is in a pink and purple and blue tartan holder. It is adorable, and a really good effort at matching the MacWebber Tartan I designed. 😉

The party was small, with only 2 guests. The other guest brought art supplies, and we all sampled the whiskey, listened to music (I introduced them to the Screaming Goats Christmas Album before going to my mixed tape list) and we got crafty.

I decided to make the characters of my book, the main 5 cats, for the sticky sticks. The end result of my artwork looks like this:
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

From left to right we have Dude, Lucy, Rascal, Missy, and Simba. These cats are the main characters in my book, From Where I Am Sitting A Collection of Cat Stories by Tish MacWebber. I am still writing it and will update when it is ready for publishing.

Yesterday I worked for 8 hours. Then I came home and worked on my #Momentum18 Challenge. I am getting things done, and other things are brewing in my mind. I had to creep the Facebook walls of my ideal customers, to find out what they are interested in, and to share it. Thankfully, most of them enjoy humour, sarcasm, and wit. I can keep working with that in mind, and know that they will laugh with me. 😀

Today I have spent at least another 8 hour day working on the social media platform. We ran out to the store for an hour, and have settled in for the night. I made a new Facebook Live video for my contest, and plan to film every evening this week. I have other projects on the go, but I am quite tired after a very busy and way too short weekend. What did you do this weekend?

#WeekendWarrior

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 41

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 41

by | Dec 8, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Homepage for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 41

I have so much going on in the next 48 hours I was almost not sure what to write about. I figured it out, just now. I am both attending a potluck and hosting a 2 hour long party tomorrow. So I thought about it, and this week I am going to write about how to handle those situations.

I love a good potluck. I love food. Especially food that is not good for me, because that is what makes it so good, right? As a person that loves to eat, a potluck can be really dangerous.

How do I handle it? 

First of all, I am going to only fill my plate once, unless there is so much that I need to visits to try all of the things. Inevitably I will get full. The goal is to be sensible, and comfortably full.

How am I going to manage that?

One trick is to not be ravenous when you show up at a potluck (or at a party.) You can prep for this at home, if you are home before going to the event. It will be a little harder at work because I can not whip up something healthy and filling like a smoothie an hour before I go.

The second tip is to make something that you know is a healthy choice for you. I am bringing BigMac Salad. I know I love it so there will be something for me to eat. People at work are always looking to see what I am eating for lunch if it is not an ordinary looking meal. The salad is a meal that has had a lot of curious people asking about it, so I am bringing it for them to try tomorrow.

The third thing is to use common sense. You don’t have to eat ABSOLUTELY everything that is there. Be picky about what you put on your plate. If you have to try the brownie (I hope there are brownies) then just have a small one. If there are other salads, start there, and fill your plate with the healthy food first. My rule of try one of every colour of candy in the bag and walk away is not exactly the best rule for the potluck, but it does help me in other situations, to have a sample, not the whole bag.

I chose 7-9 pm with my Municipal Liason for NaNoWriMo for several reasons. I will need down time after work. I will need scramble time for final party preparations. I will need time to eat something for supper (I made that tonight, I will have leftovers tomorrow for supper, right after work). I also picked that time and made a plan as to what we will have for the party refreshments.

I took control of the party so that it is not a free for all with junk food and meals. Timing means snacks. I will provide some of them, and those will be decently healthy choices. I bought a box of clementines, and some cheese and crackers. Nothing extravagant, but a little better than ordinary. I got fancy cheese. It was on sale, and I will cut the cheese (LOL!) tomorrow when I get home from work.

With these few tips, I may go a little off track tomorrow, but I take comfort in the fact that I am planning ahead to make sensible choices. I will not need weeks to recover from going way off course, it will be nothing but a minor detour that I can easily find my way back from.

How do you handle the temptation to indulge too much when you are at a party or a potluck? Do you have any other tips or tricks that can be shared? If so, please feel free to comment below.

#TrustYourGut

Weekend Warrior # 42

Weekend Warrior #41

by | Dec 4, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

Friday after work I got the car. I do that sometimes. I get my co-worker to drive me to where it is parked, and I call it “Grand Theft Auto” even though it is my car and I have the keys, and my husband knows I am going to use it. I have to go and get him at the end of his shift at his work, so I don’t usually get the car on other days unless there is a reason I need it.

I found food and then went to Shoppers Drug Mart. Again. This makeup thing is starting to get a little serious. I got a fourth mascara and a blending sponge. I had found out that I was sold the wrong type of facial toner, so I bought the correct one and I got a double glow facial mask, that I tried Sunday. I am only supposed to use it two times a week. I will let you all know how I do with it. The skin care is Vichy, I like their products. I got another eye makeup remover, too. I do not like the ones I have. The products that I bought that are wrong for me will be offered to a friend that might be able to use them. I am thinking about a new Blog category. It is not going to be weekly, it will likely be monthly. I am thinking Makeup Monday (coming soon!) will be what I call it. I will then review different products, and maybe I will be able to do that in an official capacity when I launch the website.

I have had so many thoughts relating to the website this weekend, my head is spinning. I am going to work on it this week, with the million other projects I have on the go.

On the way home, I stopped in to see friends. They had told me not to buy a photo box for taking pictures of my Treasures aka Bling for the website. They had a DIY version, and they wanted to show me how to make it. I am sure I can make it, but I am still not sure how it will work. Once I have the box, then I will have to work on optimizing the pics from the camera I have; or find a new camera. I am watching the cell phones to see what one has the best cameras. I will be aiming for a new phone in 2018.

I stayed for a visit with my friends. We had a lovely evening, just chatting about makeup, cats, NaNoWriMo, and my book writing. My friend has gone a little further than I have into the land of makeup, and I appreciate learning all that I can.

Saturday was a slow start to the day. I got to sleep in, which was nice. I did a little work on the social media and got ready for a party.  I am a Member of the Fredericton Science Fiction Society (FSFS). It mainly consists of a core group of friends that used to have official business meetings, and now just plan potlucks and events.  I brought the ingredients to make your own big mac salad with me. People liked it. There were other treats and pop to drink.  The Christmas FSFS party has a Ferengi Swap, for gifts. We also had a trivia contest, and a Sci-Fi themed ‘Pictionary’ game. It was a lot of fun, even though somebody I am married to didn’t want to do anything. LOL! Majority ruled!

I sometimes go swimming at these parties, as they are held at a hotel. This year I would have had to go alone, so I chose to stay with the group.  We had a fun time, and there was a door prize that was not actually a door.

Sunday I continued with my challenge, and then participated in an online chat with the Happy Writing Group, both on twitter and facebook. I have been learning how to use twitter with this chat, and I think I am getting the hang of it.

That wraps another weekend up nicely in a bow. What did you do this weekend?

#WeekendWarrior

 

 

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 41

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 40

by | Dec 1, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Homepage for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 40

This week has been hard on me. I am writing a book, and I participated in NaNoWriMo to try to write 50,000 words in the month of November, with several hundred thousand people all around the world. I am currently waiting for the final validation as I write this.  I am really anxious about it. I want to beat 25,000 words. Time will tell.

I have not finished the book, just like I have not finished my journey to become a healthier version of myself.  It is going to take more work. I will have to spend time on the writing, editing and then work on publishing and sales.

In my journey to be a healthier version of myself, I have to work on my diet, my exercise, my self esteem, and being able to stop listening to the little voice in my head that talks me into doing destructive things, and to eat things that are not going to be the best option for my goals.

I know all of this. I know what to do. But being human means that sometimes I make the wrong choices. It is inevitable. So instead of focusing on what I did wrong this week, I am going to share what I did right.

I went to Zumba twice. Excellent. I didn’t overeat the wrong things when I chose to eat them. I didn’t panic today when my sugars were close to a low at lunchtime. I ate my lunch, and then I had 1 sucker just to make sure I would be OK.  I avoided the panic of wanting to get chocolate, just in case.

I did alright, all things considered. My official word count is 25,223. I broke 25,000. That is a lot of writing. I am learning about my style, and how to get things going again. The same must be said for my struggles with my health. I went to Zumba twice this week, and my body responded better than previously to insulin. That is why I almost had a low. It shows that hard work pays off and that I can do it.

I have finished NaNoWriMo for this year. I do not know if I will do it again. I do know that I learned a lot about how I like to approach writing a book.

I have happily worn some of my new clothes this week. The new jeans fit like a glove. I don’t have to be losing weight to appreciate something that fits me well. I am going to need some more jeans soon, but these are a good fit for now. I haven’t worn all of the new clothes, yet, but I am liking what I bought so far.

I have 4 spaghetti squash to cook this weekend. I am supposed to share it, as my friend gives me some to turn onto something edible to share. Maybe now that I am done with NaNoWriMo, I can shift my focus to my healthy journey again. I am trying, and that is what I will keep working on until I am doing it again. It will happen. I just have to keep working on it.

#TrustYourGut

 

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 41

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 36

by | Nov 3, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Homepage for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 36

Well, I have good news, and bad news this week.  I went to the Doctor. Not because I was sick, but rather because it was time for a checkup.  I met my new doctor. Finally.  If first impressions are worth anything, I knew in the first minute I found myself a good one.  She seemed meticulous and genuinely wanted to get an idea of my plans in relation to my overall health before my checkup.  I needed to find a doctor that I could trust, again. My last doctor was good, but I think this one is going to be great.

The bad news is that I got weighed.  I am not at the all-time high from before, but I certainly am not in as good a shape as I have been in the past.  I am not following the plan, and I am visibly showing that to the world.

What is wrong with me? Why do I eat things that are bad for me? Why can’t I just lose weight and eat whatever I want to eat, like skinny people do?

I have health issues.  I have reasons, and I know that realistically, it didn’t add up overnight, so it will not be removed overnight, either.  I know in my mind that junk food is bad for me, and healthy food can taste good. But sometimes I pick the lazy way. Other times I self-sabotage. There are times when I just create excuses and choose to believe them, even though I know they are lies.  Chocolate and the monster have been prominent in the last few months.

I don’t know how long I am going to be in this slump. I do know that the number on the scale made me take notice.  It is a real number, one I can’t pretend isn’t an issue anymore by refusing to weigh myself. Avoidance is not a valid option when it comes to Diabetes.  I know that. I am having difficulties in other parts of my life, and something is holding me back from being the best version of myself.

Sometimes, you have to hit rock bottom before you can climb out of a slump and rise up to your next level.  Whatever I am going through in my personal life, I can’t eat it away.  I have to face it and deal with it. Head on.

That is not an easy thing to do. It is not an easy thing to think about, let alone to write about, to share with people. But it is going to help me break free and move forward.

Change is hard. I have been pushing my limits with my writing and my blog while keeping a day job and running on coffee.  I have been out of the multivitamins for a few months, now, and I plan to buy some again asap. They do help.

I got the doctor to change one of my prescriptions.  One of the side effects of the other medication was drowsiness, and I was having a hard time with it.  I know that I am a night owl, but I used to be OK with keeping up with my current schedule. I am starting to not do as well as before.

Maybe that was me tapping into the mystical energy people talk about having when they lose weight.  I have gone in the wrong direction on the scale, again, and that is definitely a factor. Being heavier means it is harder to do everything because you weigh more. It doesn’t mean I am going to stop and give up.

I need to do some soul searching, and find a reason to get things back on track.  I know I felt better, had more energy, and was happier.  But if things are not Ok on the inside, and I am spending some of the precious energy I do have in keeping up the appearance of being happy for the world to see, then I need to get to the root of the problem, so I can find a solution.

It isn’t easy, but it is necessary to propel me into my next level. The fear of wondering how bad my weight has become is not holding anything over my head anymore. I know what it is, and I know how it happened.  Now I have to find out why, so I can take the next step to working on my goals.  I have to keep telling myself that I am worth the effort, that I matter, and that it is important to make my health a priority.  It won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.  Time to deep dive into my issues and make some changes.

#TrustYourGut