August 1st, 2014 It's The Living

August 1st, 2014 It's The Living

Two different co-workers stopped me today, independent of one another, in order to comment on my changing appearance. The people that see us everyday are typically the last to notice because it's a gradual change--until they do a double take and realize, oh wow--some changes are happening here! They see the care I take in preparing my lunches and they see the food I keep in the employee kitchen. I often share some of what I'm preparing too, especially extra fruit. When I started making my food tweets a non-negotiable accountability tool, I also started getting some mild teasing from colleagues about snapping pictures of anything and everything I eat. My obvious success has pretty much shut those down.  Also, where I am emotionally, mentally and physically--is helping me be a better studio-mate. I'm taking more pride in a job well done. I'm going the extra mile. I'm being proactive on certain projects. Why? Because I feel so much better about ME.

I'm excited about the swim on Monday evening. I've received several messages from some wonderful people about their nearly identical struggle in this department. A couple have even gone as far as committing to doing it with me. Not here of course--but in their part of the world. That's exciting to me. Monday evening when I'm overcoming and accomplishing this personal swim challenge, so will others. I absolutely cannot wait to share the details with you here on Monday night. If you're doing it too--I hope you'll also share your experience here! I plan on shooting a short video and taking pictures too. This is a big deal to me. Am I a little nervous? Yes. I have a feeling my nervousness will be relieved upon entering the pool and will amp up again when it's time to climb out of the pool and head back to the locker room.

I plan on sleeping as long as I like in the morning, so I've taken advantage of some extra time tonight to catch up some on emails and blog reading. I've also made some changes to the left hand side bar of my blog and I've changed a few other things in the name of general blog maintenance.

I haven't accepted advertising on my blog for the longest time. I did try Google Ads once, a very long time ago--but immediately shut it off when I found advertisements making ridiculous weight loss claims. Uh, no. It was early in 2009--Day 165, five years ago, when I wrote the post "My Integrity Isn't For Sale." 

I've recently decided to accept specific advertisers--but only for things I use and believe in, naturally. I don't expect a rush of advertising--and that's not the goal, but soon you will see a logo on the left hand side of my blog for Pyure Brands Stevia. I've reached an agreement with Pyure Brands that is very simple. When I use their product in preparing something, I'll mention their brand. And the Pyure logo will adorn this blog. I'll likely contribute recipes to their growing list. That's how this started. I Tweeted my cinnamon and stevia baked pears and Pyure brands immediately requested permission to use the recipe, sending me product in exchange. That works for me!

My oldest daughter Amber and I attended a Readers Theater performance tonight of the Pulitzer Prize winning play "Fences." It was so incredibly powerful. Amber and I share an appreciation for acting and moving stories and this one was tops in both regards.

After the play, we picked up her boyfriend KL and headed for dinner out at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. I stuck with the tried and true, employing my strategies for successful restaurant calorie budget navigation! It was a great evening. Feels good, you know? To be so alive, aware and present each day. This whole process is about much more than a shrinking waist line and smaller number on the scale. That stuff is happening too, of course--but it's the living--the different perspective, changing attitude--the being more present and aware, the feeling of peace and clarity, these are the most powerful things along this road.

I'm extremely excited about where we're headed. At the same time, I've exercised the ability to bring it down to a nice calm focus on today and today only. Grant me the strength to make it through another day and I will. And those days add up quickly. I'm overjoyed.

I chose to make today my no workout day. I will be hitting the Y tomorrow and Sunday late morning/early afternoon for my next workouts. And of course, the swim on Monday!

My meal tweets:

Big steak & eggs brkfst. 2 whole eggs, 2 whites-prepared hard. Sirloin (2oz), big peach, watermelon (125g). 455 cal. pic.twitter.com/CduABEDvEI
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) August 1, 2014

Bean (.75 serv.), sirloin (2oz) & muenster on 50 cal. tostado shells with jalapeños & guac. Cantaloupe. 491 cal. pic.twitter.com/lv2TnrAegh
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) August 1, 2014

Roast beef, Laughing Cow Light creamy swiss wedges, 1/2 serving rice chips. 200 cal. #snacktime pic.twitter.com/3asQZ174Fl
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) August 1, 2014

Out for dinner with my daughter and her boyfriend. Appetizer: Chips (6 chips) and fresh salsa. 94 cal. pic.twitter.com/h7bquVHX4v
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) August 2, 2014

Three crunchy chicken fajita tacos. No cheese. With lettuce, sour cream, peppers and onions. 409 cal. Total: 503 pic.twitter.com/WpZMLgYRlm
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) August 2, 2014

Some strategies at the restaurant tonight: No beans, no rice, no guac. Limited chips to 6, no more...ordered water without ice=I drink more!
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) August 2, 2014

Instead of the traditional flour tortillas, I requested the corn shells. The calories are much less and I actually prefer the crunch.
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) August 2, 2014

Thank you for reading and for your wonderful support,
Strength,
Sean

July 5th, 2014 Now Easier To Read: The Blog Redesign

July 5th, 2014 Now Easier To Read: The Blog Redesign

It's been a couple of weeks or more since "anonymous" left a comment saying she had a hard time getting past the "ugly layout" of my blog. Honestly, I didn't care. I've never worried about having a "good looking" blog. My perspective has always centered squarely on content. If I were a little more computer savvy, I probably would have done something to change it along the way, but I'm not and it didn't seem to matter. The content was important to me, not the aesthetics. It's what's on the inside that really counts.

Then I starting reading several very friendly comments saying similar things, "I enjoy your blog but it is sometimes hard to read." This got my attention! Perhaps a redesign was in order, not because "anonymous" called the blog ugly, but because it needed to be easier on the eyes.  I have great respect and admiration for fellow blogger Loretta. When Loretta offered to do a redesign, I jumped at the opportunity. She's a very talented artist too! Her idea for the redesign wasn't just a whim, she put some careful thought into what you're seeing now. Every element, from colors to design, has a carefully thought out reason for being. If you haven't visited Loretta (Or as the blogging community calls her, Retta), I highly recommend her honest and real account of her journey. Visit her blog at www.lorettasjourney.blogspot.com/ Retta has been a wonderful supporter of my blog and journey for several years and this gift she's given me is greatly appreciated!

Part of this process involved backing up everything. When Loretta suggested doing it before the application of the redesign, she mentioned how sick she would be if any or all of the blog was lost. The mere mention of it sent chills down my spine. This blog means the world to me. I love it dearly, because it is me. Inside the archives is my life story, including the stories, in part--of the people I love in my life. I didn't realize how much this blog meant to me until I opened it up to see this redesign today.

I immediately became emotional. It was perfect and I was so proud. Suddenly I realized how emotionally attached I am to these writings. All of the positive effects this blog has had on me came flooding into my mind as I strolled around, checking out the new design as tears rolled down my face. If one of the ultimate goals of an artist is to summon emotion from the viewer, Loretta my friend, you did, beautifully. Thank you.

-----------------------------------
I prepared some wonderful food today, had a great workout at the Y and spent some time tonight as a designated driver for a friend. It was a wonderful day. Tomorrow is poised to be even better. My grandson Noah turns 1 year old tomorrow and we're planning on a big party to celebrate. I'll be traveling to Stillwater to pick up mom and bring her back for this wonderful occasion. I'm bringing a few things to help out with the party supplies including: The ice cream. How wonderfully ironic! I'm not worried. I have my plan in place and I'll write about how I handled the party foods tomorrow night. I'm not sacrificing my abstinence from sugar for cake and ice cream, believe me. My focus will not be the party foods. My focus will be on family and for the most part, squarely on my little grandson. 

Becky asked a good question in the comments section of yesterday's post: "Do you have any thoughts about saving money on one's food budget? I notice that when you post a picture while grocery shopping, you typically have only a few items in your cart-- probably few enough that you can go through the express lane at checkout. And yet, your meals are always so delicious-lookiing, and varied. Do you tend to buy the same types of things, and if so, is it working well for you, tastewise and wallet-wise?"

Great question Becky! I prefer smaller, more frequent trips because if I buy too much at one time, I'm worried some of it might go to waste. This approach has likely saved me money along the way. I might be spending less on groceries than I once did on fast food and restaurant meals. I still eat out occasionally, but 90% of my meals come from cooking. This hasn't been easy. Before I started taking better care, I would regularly go three or four days without using my kitchen--except for breakfast, I've been in the breakfast cooking habit for a while. Seriously, there for a while almost every lunch and dinner was in a restaurant. In comparison, I'm saving money. When I was in full-on binge mode, it was nothing to hand over $20 to $30 dollars in a day through a drive through window.

I'm fortunate in that I'm buying for one. I spend approximately 40-70 dollars per week. I buy stuff on sale all the time too. I recently went through a sirloin steak phase (notice I haven't in several days) made affordable by a special meat sale I found at a small grocery store 20 minutes north of town. I buy most of my produce at our local Aldi store. They often have pineapples for 1.19 each and avocados for 49 cents. The one thing I splurge on is Tilapia loins from Schwan's home delivery service. I don't usually buy anything else from them because of the cost. I make an exception for the Tilapia because it's the best I've found and I've looked everywhere.

As far as the variety, I don't know. I try to get creative in my meal planning within the bounds of what I have. You can always count on cheese, Jospeh's Pitas, eggs, avocados and loads of fruit. The fruit has gotten expensive for me--but again, I look at Aldi first.  Measuring everything has helped too. I'm saving a bunch of food from the trash by only measuring what I'll be cooking at any one time. I think a key to this, for me, is making smaller, more frequent grocery shopping trips and making sure I use what I buy. Taste wise--oh my, yes!! I'm slowing down and taking great joy in the process of planning and preparing, then enjoying my food.

I hope I answered your questions, Becky!

Thank you for reading,
Strength,
Sean