Targeted Ads Got Me
I got a targeted ad on Instagram for the Time Timer. It’s this cute little visual timer that uses a colored “ring” to count down/show elapsed time. It’s a great tool for young children who don’t really understand the concept of time (I use the digital version with my nanny preschooler sometimes). It’s also a great tool for people who have ADHD and can deal with time blindness and focus issues. Now, I’ve never been formally diagnosed, but I’m pretty sure I have ADHD. I was just a good student and tested well, so teachers were able to overlook my ADHD tendencies in elementary school. I didn’t start to struggle until school work started to become challenging and I actually needed to use executive functioning skills. (When I got my psych evaluation a few years ago, it was noted that more testing may need to be done to rule out ADHD, but it’s so difficult to get an appointment there that I haven’t pursued it.)
So, even without a formal diagnosis, I try out different strategies that I find to help increase my productivity- like visual timers. I bought the grey one back in May and it’s been fantastic- when I remember to use it.
So, I already have a timer. I don’t need another. I don’t know why I clicked on that ad. No, actually, I do. They have new colors, and apparently one of them is pink!
Can I justify it if I give the grey one to the preschooler I nanny? (I’m serious.)
“Treats” Look Different These Days (Sometimes)
Every week while in weight loss mode, I have a high calorie day where I allow myself a few hundred extra calories over what I eat the other six days. When I first did WW, these high calorie days were more extreme. I starved myself all week and then, after my evening weigh in, pigged out. I still lost weight, but with the amount of food I ate some weeks, I’m not entirely sure how.
So, in the past, my high calorie day was an untracked spree of eating that lasted up to six hours. I’d get a deep fried appetizer, an entree that I wouldn’t dream of getting on a regular day, and dessert. Some weeks, I’d end up at the grocery store and buy chips and snack cakes.
On Saturday, my big high calorie treat meal was a bowl from Cava. It’s a place that’s similar to Chipotle, but with Mediterranean food. I went with a bowl with half lentils, half greens, lamb, harissa honey chicken (which they skimped on), roasted vegetables, hummus, lemon tahini dressing, and all of the vegetables. I got cucumber, cabbage, tomato, onion, salt brined pickles, and kalamata olives.
For dessert, I had a single Little Debbie Fall Party Cake Snack Cake and a few pieces of candy corn and mellowcreme pumpkins. Nothing too crazy.
What’s crazy is that I didn’t want to treat myself with a high calorie meal of “junk.” I got exactly what I wanted. (I don’t know if I was more excited about the lentils or the lamb).
I think tomorrow’s dinner might be a lamb gyro platter from this Afghani restaurant that’s practically across the street from my house. Or maybe I’ll go for a sweet treat and get a Bundtlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes instead. It’s been a while since I’ve had one of those (and I’ve never tried the Pumpkin Spice flavor).
After Washing Dishes, Making the Bed is my LEAST Favorite Chore
Back in April, after spending a week sick in bed with the flu, I decided to treat myself to a new mattress and bedding. My mattress was over a decade old and it sank down uncomfortably in the middle. My bedding was a few years old as well, and it needed an upgrade.
So, I went to IKEA and bought myself a new mattress, a duvet, and a duvet cover. (I got sheets from Walmart because I fell in love with these floral sheets).
Here’s the thing. I love my bedding. I love the flower pillowcaes and the color of the duvet. However, I hate having a duvet. Even with clips, it bunches up. It’s also such a pain to put together that I often neglect to wash my bedding because I don’t want to deal with it.
Before switching to the duvet, I had a Beddy’s zippered bedding set. One bottom sheet and one combination top sheet and comforter that zipped together. It was easy to wash and making my bed took a fraction of the time. (I dread making my bed in the morning because it requires me to strip my bed of everything but the sheets).
I’ve been considering purchasing a new set of Beddy’s. It’s a bit of a financial investment, but if it makes my morning routine easier and it means I actually wash my bedding, maybe it’ll be worthwhile.
Now, the question is, do I want pink or blue?
Changes to my Diet Plan?
For the past seven months since my “intuitive eating” journey ended, I’ve been tracking my calories on the Healthi app. I’ve taken a pretty relaxed approach that I sometimes call “calorie counting like I’m on WW.” Back when I first joined Weight Watchers in 2009, I didn’t obsessively weigh and measure my food. I had no problem tracking an apple as a “large apple” or eyeballing a cup of spinach. For the most part, my rule is that I can be relaxed about any food that’s 0 points on the old WW PointsPlus or SmartPoints/Green plan (most fruit and non-starchy vegetables).
(Admittedly, I’m also relaxed when it comes to measuring oil when cooking as long as I only add enough to do things like keep vegetables from drying out or food from sticking to the pan.. If I pre-roast vegetables, I’ll just count a teaspoon per plate- same way I used to track when I was on WW and needed to account for an unknown amount of cooking fat. I think part of this goes back to when I did a Whole30 a few years back. The meal template included a “plated fat” in addition to whatever cooking fat. The assumption being that some of the fat is left in the pan).
I also only focus on a calorie range (which includes the one higher calorie day) and a minimum protein goal.
For the most part, this has worked for me. I’ve had a couple rough weeks lately, but I think it can be attributed to a few small things: accidentally skipping lunch one Sunday and this Basil Seed Pudding that I made for breakfast. (For some reason, despite having a solid protein and fiber content, that pudding leaves me ravenous). However, lately, I’ve been thinking about changing things up a little.
Part of me does feel like I should be a little more accurate with my tracking, but I also like the way things are going. The weight loss is slow, but steady and sustainable. However, the recent struggle I’ve been having with my hunger has me reevaluating some of my goals slightly. Mainly, I’m looking at switching over to MyFitnessPal in the next month or two. My goals will largely remain the same; I don’t think I can do full-fledged macro-tracking. However, I’ll add in a minimum fiber and fat goal- just to make sure I’m not lacking. (Though, truthfully, I’m not worried about that).
I haven’t made any decisions yet. I’ve been using the Healthi app for so long that tracking is so quick and easy. With a “new” food tracking app, there’s an adjustment period while you add all of your favorite foods and recipes. Plus, I’m paying less than $20 per year for Healthi compared to the $80+ MyFitnessPal costs. That’s not an insignificant cost difference.
I’m going to wait for Black Friday to make any final decisions. Perhaps there will be a sale that will bring the cost of Premium down, even if just for a year. Though, it’s also important to note that what I’m doing is generally working, and as long as I’m not “eating like a jerk,” I don’t really need to worry about hitting a minimum fiber goal. It’s something I generally do without trying.
I’m also thinking about not going back into maintenance mode in January. I’ve been alternating between maintaining and losing every 13-weeks. I like this approach because it gives me a new goal every quarter and ensures I’m not in weight loss mode for too long.
However, I also like the idea of just going until I lose the weight. Sure, I’ll take breaks for holidays and special events (or if I need it), but at the rate I’m going, it’ll take another two and a half years to reach my goal weight (if I successfully maintain during my maintenance phases). I don’t think I’m patient enough to do that.
Lunchbag Search
I’m looking for a new lunchbag. Most days, I pack breakfast, lunch, and the occasional snack for work. I’ve been using this EttaVee lunchbag I got from Sam’s Club a while back. I love it, but today, I had a hard time fitting everything into the bag. It wasn’t that I had a lot of food, but it was in a number of containers. I had one with fresh strawberries, another with arugula, cucumber slices, and smoked salmon. Then, there were the containers of cream cheese and sugar snap peas, a Stasher bag of bread slices, my lunch, and a couple cheese sticks. Plus, the ice pack to keep my food fresh during the day (there’s usually no room in the refrigerator, but that’s fine).
Now, my current lunchbag still works most of the time, for now. However, there’s a very real possibility that in the new year, I’ll have to pack breakfast, lunch, and dinner at least once a week. If I end up joining a church small group in 2023, the chances are high that it’ll be on a work day. This means once a week, after work, I’ll take a quick 30-minute walk (in a store during the winter when it’s dark and cold; laps around Target or Walmart still count), and then settle at whichever Starbucks is closest to my small group to eat dinner before heading over. (Of course, I don’t know how things have changed since I was last in a small group. They may still serve dinner at some locations. I’ll still probably eat my own thing most of the time, but save a few calories for dessert).
So, now, I’m looking for a new lunchbag that will fit an entire day’s worth of food for days I might need the extra room. So far, I’m leaning towards the Bentgo Deluxe Lunchbag (Affiliate Link) in either Slate or Green.
This would’ve been a better problem to have over the summer when the back to school displays were up at Target.