Learning New Internet Stuff

Well, my Virgin hotspot device finally bit the dust. It's not like I wasn't expecting it, as it's been giving me problems for awhile.
So, my DH and I went in search of a new ISP. We started by checking to see if we could administer CPR to the Virgin devices. No can do. So, we headed over to Verizon, our only other option for wifi on board the boat. To make a long story short, and because I despise touch pads, we ended up with a tablet that will connect to my laptop with Verizon service. We'll see how it works out.
So, this is completely new, and forced, learning experience for me. When I use just the tablet, as I am doing now, it is somewhat slow for me to type because I am use to a full keyboard, not this "hunt and peck" thing.
Yesterday, I went grocery shopping. Naturally, I weighed myself. I am now at 228 lbs. That leaves 83 more pounds to my goal weight. Cool!

Portion Distortion

So, I was doing my occasional cruise through Pinterest and I came across an interesting Pin called "Portion Distortion". Hmmmm.
I clicked the link. It turned out to be an analysis of how Fast Food portions and calories have changed over the years. It was very interesting. 
Naturally, this lead to portion control and calorie control. So, here are a few items I downloaded concerning this topic. For more info, just Google "Portion Distortion" or "Portion Tools".

I know they give you an actual serving size here, but pay attention to the grams of fat included. Definitely don't want this in my Eat-Style plan.

Again, look at the Calories and the fat grams. I'll skip these places, thank you. Note: I know Subway advertises on some healthy subs. If you do go, just pay attention to what is being put on the sub (and the bread type, too)

I'd definitely shrink that Bread pie slice, separate the fruits and Vegies, and increase them.

Funny thing about this - the FF Restaurants charge more for
the larger, higher calorie/fat portions they serve now, and
the ingredients are totally crap.

I think you're best bet is to know your food - and stay away from
FF Restaurants.

Not really part of the topic of this post, but I found it a few
days ago and thought I'd post it.



Might have to search around Amazon for this one. It's called "Meal Measure I Portion Control Tool"

https://www.amazon.com/Meal-Measure-Portion-Control-Tool

Sleeping Away the Dog Days of Summer

Today, I finally made up 3 jars of summer porridge. It's the most energy I've had to do anything for about a week now.
Monday, I fell asleep between 1 and 2 pm and didn't wake up until almost 2 am the following morning. Then, I fell asleep about 4:30 am and didn't wake up until the afternoon. I, then, fell asleep before 5 pm and didn't wake up until 4:30 am the next morning. I did the same last night.
Not only are the hot days keeping me sleepy. They are also keeping my appetite down. I've been eating mostly watermelon chunks and, when I'm awake, I'll eat a serving of the tuna casserole. But only to have something in my stomach to take my vitamins. I'll have a glass of juice or low fat Chocolate milk during the day, and, sometimes a low cal pudding cup. That's it. 
I can't say it's healthy, but it is well within my calorie range.
Maybe the porridge will give me renewed strength.
I still have a lot of fat in my behind, thighs, and stomach, but I can see a difference from where I was 2 and a half months ago. My next grocery shopping trip will be either this weekend or the beginning of next week. I'll weigh myself when I go to the store.

The Heat is On

Well, the heat and humidity is still having its effect on me - now, I'm not hungry. I have to force myself to eat.
Yesterday, I broke down and had a tuna sandwich - that was it for the day. Today, I had 4 bites of just the tuna mixture, and a small helping of the tuna casserole that I made this evening. That is divided into the next three nights, so at least I won't have to cook for a few days. That's another thing this weather is doing, too. I have no desire to stand over a hot stove.
Oh, I have had some fruit - chunks of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. 
I had slacked off on the water for a bit, but I'm back on course now. I had been drinking just fruit juice and low-fat Choco milk. I only have one of the choco milks a day. 
I found a few more eat-style charts on Buzzfeed. I thought these were pretty good.

You can always click and download to zoom in on them for better viewing.

New Weight Numbers

So, yesterday I went grocery shopping. As I do every time I get to the market, I weighed myself on the pharmacy's little "sit-down" scale. I am now at 232. That's about 16 lbs less than when I first started this eat-style program. I am now only 87 lbs away from my goal weight. I am averaging about a pound and 1/2 weight loss a week. I am pleased with that, as I want to lose slowly, not quickly. 
Yesterday, I actually went out to eat for the first time in months. My daughter was visiting and treated my DH and I to lunch. I chose a restaurant that served Sushi, as I know my daughter likes Sushi. Little did I know that on their menu they had a shrimp patty on flatbread w/ low-cal sauce. It was a decent 175 calories. I had it with just ice water, which I would have had anyways because the day was so hot and humid.
Speaking of which, the heat and humidity is affecting my eating habits. It is so hot, that I just plain don't feel like eating (or cooking, for that matter). I've been a bad girl and skipping meals - not a good thing as it will cause me to lose weight too fast. So, I have been fighting that.
The heat is also having an effect on energy and depression. Although, the depression has lightened up a bit, it is now mingled with a bit of lethargy. I just kind of stare into neverland at the things I need to get done. I need to do mental exercises as well as physical exercises.
I am keeping to my goals in not eating sugar and processed foods ( with the exception of already shredded reduced fat cheese in some of the recipes), and NO soda, diet or otherwise.  The fruit, most of the time, satisfies my crave for something sweet. When it's an extreme crave, I have an 80 calorie pudding cup. I don't look at these as snacking. In fact, I don't consider "snacking" as part of my program. Snacking, to me, is pigging out on all kinds of chips, cookies, etc. I don't do that. I feel a need for something sweet, I have fruit or a pudding cup. As long as I am well within my daily max calories, I don't find it a problem.

Taking It a Day at a Time

Seems that with heat and humidity, it almost always is accompanied by negative - irritation, sleeplessness, stuff breaking or breaking down, etc.
That's what it's been like the past couple of days. 
I've been awake all night and have been sleeping during the day when we can turn on the generator for the a/c without disturbing our neighbors. The gen can be a little loud. Still trying to figure out our fresh water problems, too. We put water in the starboard tank this time as we always put it in the port tank. So far, it seems to be working fine, so whatever the problem, it has to do with the port tank. 
We've also had a couple of other electronic things break down, too. And I've been fighting with my internet connection more than using it lately.
Irritation.
It's enough to drive a person straight to comfort food.
But I didn't. I had my hissie fits, but I didn't resort to my favorite fattening foods or soda's.
When I decided on changing my eat-style habits, I had just bought a 2 liter bottle of orange soda. As I said before, I was never without a cup of soda with ice. It has now been two months, and it is still sitting on the boat. I finally handed it to my DH and told him to take it to shore and give it to someone. It's not that its tempting. Actually, I haven't been tempted at all. I just hate to see money go to waste, and I would prefer not to throw it away. 
But irritation, bad mood, not feeling quite right is a powerful position for temptation to just say 'screw it all. I'm going to eat what I want". 
I don't cater to it. My resolve is stronger. At least, right now it is. I can see, and feel, the weight loss already. 

We finished up the Baja lasagna, so I just simply made skinless, boneless chicken breasts rubbed with packaged Italian seasoning, low fat cottage cheese with watermelon pieces. Tonight, I'll add some seasoned corn. The final night, I'll do up some Spanish rice to go with it. 
I got about 30 new free Kindle cookbooks from Amazon a few days ago. I'll be looking through those for appropriate recipes. All are low fat, weight loss, or low carb cookbooks. I'm sure I'll find something.
I made all choco peanut butter porridge last round, so I think I'll switch to Apple Cinnamon next round. Variety, you know.
I've got a challenge coming this week, too, as my daughter is visiting the Keys and we will be getting together for lunch at some point during the week. I'm actually looking forward to seeing how I do with this challenge. I rarely get out and about, so it will be interesting. Since we are both on our own dieting program, and we support one another, it will be great that we can be together and keep each other on track for an afternoon.

Depression and Weight Loss - Not the Way You Think

http://www.depressionhealth.net/how-to-lose-weight-when-youre-depressed/

I read this article today. It's a good article, too. It gives one path on the correlation between depression and losing weight.
It does address the connection of depression with gaining weight, and it addresses the connection of depression with losing weight.
I want to address the connection of losing weight and depression. What's the difference, you say?
Well, the weight loss or weight gain in the first two are the result of experiencing depression. In the third, it is the weight loss that creates the depression.
What? Now I have to deal with depression while dieting?
Well, yes. It's actually one of the things that makes it so difficult to lose weight. Let me 'splain.
Anytime a person changes something about them, such as dieting, that changes the internal body, there will be some depression involved. The changes in the physiology of the body triggers changes in the mental processes of the mind. As the body adjusts to not being fed all of the unhealthy food, and takes in all the good nutrients that it requires but was lacking before the eat-style change, the mental mind is also reacting to this adjustment. We call it cravings.
Depression sets in when the mind responds to these cravings by either giving in or not giving in to them. If one gives in to the cravings, a depression sets in with feelings of failure or weakness in their resolve to changing their eat-style habits. If one does not give in to the cravings, it becomes a resentment of limitations that was never there before due, basically, to eating whatever they desire. It's a Catch-22, really.
But there are ways to deal with it. Since, I have been going through this type of depression the past week, I have not given in to the cravings. But I have been resentful while watching my DH plow down the cookies, chips, popcorn, candy, etc. every evening before dinner. Lord, he does it EVERY night. I am also resentful that he does this and still stays thin. I swear, he doesn't gain an ounce.
Okay, so he doesn't gain 20 lbs a month by eating all of this junk. Fine. But, what about his health? What is it doing to his blood sugar levels? What is it doing to his muscles, internal organs, stomach lining, liver, etc? He is experiencing depression more often, waking up with cramps in his legs, has cataracts that require surgery (don't get me wrong, I don't know if there is a connection between cataracts and a poor eat-style regime, but I can't see where it would help), becomes fatigued more often. Some would say that all of these things were due to his age. My DH is in his seventies, but I think age is irrelevant concerning health matters. He comes from a long genetic line of ancestors living into their nineties and beyond. But when you eat unhealthy, all bets are off.
I realized I was getting resentful over someone damaging their health by what they were eating. Am I nuts? Why would I want to go down such a destructive road, too ? 
I'm on a pathway to good health and weighing less. The depression may be there, but it is temporary. The end results will be much more beneficial and rewarding than the end results to giving in to these cravings. And even though others may not physically see it now, when they do it will produce warm fuzzies of encouragement and pride on such success. And, more importantly, I will be in the best physical shape than I've ever been in my life.
When the depression hits, remember it is temporary. Give yourself a break, and pat yourself on the back for your daily accomplishments. The end of the path has a dazzling and beautiful reward at the end of it.

I did my daily morning regime of porridge, vitamins and water. Lunch is still a problem. But it is due to the weather. This has been causing sleepless nights, too, and feeling tired during the day. I actually ended up sleeping all afternoon. But before I did, I cleaned up the nav station desk (which was a disaster). 
We had the servings of the Skinny Cheeseburger Casserole. Before heating it up, I sprinkled some no salt Mrs. Dash, added chopped onions I had found in the icebox, and sprinkled a little more low fat shredded cheddar cheese on top to make it less bland and tastier. It did accomplish that. I served it with low fat cottage cheese (2 tablespoons for me) and watermelon chunks. I also had 4 oz of juice, too.