Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 11

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 11

by | May 4, 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 11

I bought my first tankini. I went to one store and tried on the one piece swimsuits.  I was disappointed.  So I had to go outside of my comfort zone.  The people working there were helpful.  They told me that the best thing about a 2 piece was that if you had to go to the bathroom, it was a lot easier.  I thought about that and decided to try on a tankini.

The style I chose has a tank top and shorts.  Everything is still covered.  Just like a normal bathing suit.  The shorts are comfortable.  The top was a challenge.  I need support, but didn’t find the right kind in the first few tops I tried on.  Support in a swimsuit = constrictive.  It felt too tight.  So I kept trying on different tops until I found one that fit right in that area.

Then it was the wrong style.  Of course.  So the search continued.  I settled on a striped one that looks just like a tank top.  Then I went swimming.  The top floats!  I didn’t want one that did that, and I was assured that they don’t do that now.  That was my main reason for wanting a one piece.  I was a little paranoid at first.  There is a built-in bikini support in the top.  So I just fussed with it a lot but had a good time swimming.  It will be OK for Aquacise, I think.  It will take some getting used to but I think it will work better than my old swimsuits.  It actually fits and was a size smaller than the other ones I tried.  Yay me!

While travelling this past weekend, I let the plan slide a little.  I didn’t overeat.  I ate healthy choices when I could.  I ate, and I didn’t worry too much about it.  Sometimes life takes priority.  You do what you can, and let it slide a little.  Then you have to get back on track.  For me, prep cooking helps me to stay on track.  I have to do the work so that when I want to take the easy way out, the easy way IS to stay on plan.  I have learned this while on THM, and I am the only person that can make those choices for me, so ultimately, it is up to me.

A friend introduced me to spaghetti squash.  I was reluctant to try it.  I do like squash as a side dish, but I had never tried spaghetti squash before.

It sat in my kitchen for a week before I bit the bullet and tried it.

I was pleasantly surprised!  I now eat spaghetti squash a couple of times a month.  It is good with spaghetti sauce.  It is good in spaghetti pie.  It is good in casseroles.  The verdict is that I like it.

When we have spaghetti, I have spaghetti squash instead of the pasta.  I load the sauce on it, and the parmesan cheese and eat until I am full.  Without the tired feeling that I get when I eat pasta.  I call it SPAGHETTI SALAD! What a wonderful gift my friend gave me when she told me to take that spaghetti squash home to try it.  If you haven’t tried spaghetti squash, try it with an open mind.  It really is worth it for me, and if you like it, you can thank me for the tip after you try it.

If you don’t know how to cook it, I didn’t either.  Here is a link for cooking it in the microwave or the oven:

How to cook a spaghetti squash in the microwave or the oven

I found this link and the one below in my own internet searches, all credit goes to the authors of the instructional pages.  The other method I can recommend is the slow cooker.  You can find the instructions for that here:

How to cook spaghetti squash in a slow cooker aka crock pot.

So my tip for you this week is to try spaghetti squash if you have never tried it before.  If you already love it, maybe try it in a new recipe, or try another healthy recipe that you have been hesitant to cook for whatever reason.  Just go for it!  And comment below if you did.  Let me know how it turns out!

Do you have a favourite way to cook spaghetti squash or a favourite recipe for making spaghetti squash?

Weekend Warrior #2

Weekend Warrior #2

by | Mar 5, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

 

It is Sunday.  I am gearing up to do all the things I haven’t done yet this weekend that are on my weekly list.  That is not to say that I have been lying around on my couch until now, either.  I have been out and about this weekend, spending time with friends.  That is important, too.

Friday night I was invited to celebrate a friend’s birthday, hosted by a mutual friend.  I need to make sure that I eat, and that I keep it healthy.  I made deviled eggs, Big Mac Salad, with regular meat and soy meat options, and I made dessert.  We played board games and just dance.

This was my second time making deviled eggs.  They were a hit both times, so I think it may become a potluck staple for me to bring.  They are on plan.  People like them. Win win!

The salad is a version of a THM recipe.  It can be found easily online.  The soy meat was for the vegetarian of the group, and he got the leftovers since it was his birthday celebration. The THM plan is not big on Soy products, but I wanted my friend to have the full Big Mac Salad experience.  So I improvised, and everyone seemed to like the salad too.

Dessert was an adventure.  I made Rainbow cake in mason jars.

I made Unicorn Rainbow Dip for a cake topping, and of course, added rainbow sprinkles.  I probably won’t be making this cake in mason jars when I make it again.  The dip was amazing, and not too sweet like icing would have been.  I think it would be wonderful for cake pops.  I made it the night before, and let it set in the fridge overnight.  This was a quick assembly after work on Friday.  It took longer to make the deviled eggs.  My friends added dips and loaded potato skins and bruschetta and deep fried pickles to the table.  It was a lot of food for a party of 4.

Yesterday I wanted to spend time with another couple that my husband and I are friends with.  We went out for supper, and back to their place to watch some movies on Netflix.  I had not seen the John Wick movie, and they all rewatched while I saw it for the first time.  Now I can be ready for the newly released sequel, that we want to see as a group if we can plan it that way.

I was busy, and now I am scrambling to play catch up before Monday rolls around again.  I am still working from lists.  Some things get done, and other things carry forward to the next weekend.  It is time to crank the tunes and get some chores done.  I have a few hours to spend on that, and then it’s time to get ready for another week at the day job.  Until next weekend, when I become the Weekend Warrior again.  Although I was more of a warrior of the social scene this weekend, there is still some time to make progress on the chores, if I hurry!  Time to Bounce the House once again!