7/8/13

Tomorrow starts another 28-day challenge on the E2X website.  I like the Captain's challenge because it's presented in a positive way to me, in terms of what to eat, which is simple:  vegetables, fruit, whole intact grains (intact means, not ground to a flour), beans and lentils, and no-salt spices.  They also allow polenta and whole-grain pasta in modest quantities.   Especially this time of year, this is quite a bounty to choose from.  I like the challenge mainly for the community of others who also want to eat this way; it makes me feel less likely to question myself.

The only drawback with these challenges is the day before.  I started their last one a week late and so my version ended yesterday, which meant today could be considered my day off.  uh-oh, a day off, AND one day before the next one starts.  I was fine until the dessert party (I'll tell you right now I did okay so you can cheer for me, ha).   I had planned to bring fruit salad and I knew a friend was going to bring these date-nut balls.  I thought, oh, that will be a nice treat before the challenge starts, so I planned to have some.  I did okay, and thank goodness, decent manners imposed a limit on how many I could eat (I ate 5 and they were small).  But the real temptation were my favorite vegan cookies from the co-op.  I thought, hey, it's your day off, the Challenge starts tomorrow.  geez!  I hate when that "I'll start tomorrow" syndrome rears it's ugly head.  Anyway, all is well and the temptation window closed when the party ended and I came home to a house with no real temptations.

Today I ate things I won't be able to eat on my trip starting tomorrow.    Breakfast was snow peas, some fresh figs, and I nibbled on delicious fruit while making the fruit salad for tonight's party.  Lunch was a big bunch of lettuce from the garden, and some grapes.   Dinner was a largish baked oriental yam and sugar snap peas.  Dessert at the party was fruit salad and 5 small date-nut balls.  oh, and then I had some rice and peas when I got home--I think you'd call that emotional eating, but the consequences in this case aren't too bothersome.

7/713

I got back yesterday from visiting my family, and I'm going out of town again on Tuesday!  I posted my food on my E2X blog and I included a little personal family stuff so didn't post here (I'm sure they would appreciate that).   It was a good trip, and it was good to get home yesterday.  Today was a fabulous day walking, being with loved ones, kayaking, and eating fantastic food (ha, nothing spectacular it's just that the fruit was so good).  I'm getting my fix of really good fruit in between trips:  strawberries, blueberries, grapes, cherries, and mulberries (from the trees!).   Tuesday starts another E2X 28-day challenge so I'll do that.  I have 5 lbs I'd like to lose, but more importantly, I just want to keep eating the right foods in the right amounts.  I start the last one a week late, but continued after it ended and today is day 28.  Wow, that was so easy,  I love the Captain plan.  I'll summarize it in another post, hopefully tomorrow.   I also will tell you what I'm planning foodwise for my trip.  

7/2/13

No time to write, getting ready for a trip, just cooked up 2 days worth of food.  BUT: I wanted to say what I had for breakfast.  I had baked quinoa and fruit.  I think this is my favorite so far!   Better than oatmeal, better than buckwheat.   It's crispy on top and not too mushy on the inside.  My fruit was strawberries and blueberries.   Lunch and Dinner were the usual.  Bought too much really good fruit tonight and ate all of it!  note to self:   don't buy too much delicious ripe fresh fruit at one time!   

7/1/13

Well, today the 28 day challenge ends on E2X.  I started a week late.  I will continue my own Captain's challenge until Aug. 17, when I go to Plant-Stock!   There I plan to enjoy slightly richer fair than is normal for the Captain.  I would like to lose the 6 lbs I've gained over the last year.  I'm feeling good about this.  I enjoy the positive attitudes on E2X and the great feedback.  I'm not sure if I should take time off from my food logs or not, until the next 28-day challenge.  On the one hand, it's pretty easy to log.  On the other, it might be nice to take a break, plus I'm going out of town a lot the next 2 weeks.  On the other hand, I can share how I plan to stay on plan while traveling.  I guess we'll just see.  Meanwhile, here's today's food.

B: Baked buckwheat groats and cherries.  I soaked the groats overnight and rinsed off the slime.  Even then, I don't enjoy them as much as oats or quinoa.  

L:  cooked up my usual veggies:  onion, kohlrabi, oriental yam, collards, asparagus, rice, and fresh herbs.   offered these to my guests who enjoyed them.  and ate some of their yummy fruit salad.

D:  repeat of lunch.  plus some cherries and lots of sugar snap peas.  oh and some strawberries and blueberries that I was prepping for the freezer.

E:  none, resting after yesterday's marathon (first time I can use that word literally, ha).

6/30/13

Well, I managed to walk a marathon today.   It was a beautiful day, a good walk (could have done without the last 6 miles but managed okay), and I had a few friends accompany me during part of it.  Foodwise, I had just a few strawberries at breakfast.  I was timing myself for bathrooms, and the first one was 6 miles away so I didn't want to eat much, heh heh  (this wasn't an official marathon, just a walk I planned for myself).  I brought 4 baked yams and a bunch of sugar snap peas.  And there were tons of mulberry trees to supply me with fresh berries--very good!  I ate the yams every 6 miles or so.  At mile 22.5 was the co-op, where I got some mission figs (fresh, not dried).   They were the perfect energy food (well, anything would have been perfect at that point).   When I got home I ate some brown rice and peas.  I love brown rice and peas.   I have simple tastes, ha.   Here are a few pictures:

I got good at picking the best berries.   The ones that fall into your hand when you touch them are best.  If you have to pull, they aren't ready.

milkweed.  smells really good!

our fair city.

Japanese lilacs.   Also smell really good!   And they are quite abundance in our city.

I took lots more but I won't bore you!   Saw sandhill cranes, lots of lovely big ole' trees, lakes.  It's a favorite 27 mile bike ride of mine and I decided to walk it.  Took nearly 12 hours!

6/29/13

B:  quinoa and "chin-dripping" peach.  Delicious!   Sadly, I'm out of peaches now.
  

L:  1/2 lb strawberries, 1/2 lb blueberries.  both were really fresh and delicious.  a smallish bowl of watermelon.  a whole bunch of fresh, local sugar snap peas.   (have I mentioned I love this time of year???!!!).

Snack and dinner:  small baked sweet potato, gigantic salad made from head of romaine, large fresh local seedless cucumber (really good), some balsamic vinegar.  This time I actually cut up the lettuce and made a real salad instead of just eating lettuce leaves, ha.   a large raw kohlrabi (too lazy to cook).  some more sugar snap peas.  cooked zucchini and mushrooms.

E:  no exercise except for helping someone haul boxes up some stairs.  I'm trying to rest up for my attempted walking marathon tomorrow (my own, not an official event).  I doubt I'll finish but if not, I'll just consider it a training run.  I cooked up four oriental yams for energy, and have some more sugar snap peas to take.  If I make it around to the co-op I'll feast on some more fantastic berries before I do the final 4 miles.  and if I don't make it to the co-op, I'll get a ride there and still plan to feast on berries. 

6/28/13

B:  quinoa and spinach seasoned with curry, cumin, onion and garlic powder.  

for lunch and dinner I cooked up same as yesterday without asparagus, and with kale instead of collards, oh and sweet potato instead of plantain.  

L:  "chin-dripping" peach plus a bunch of samples of other fruits at a favorite produce shop.  the veggies I cooked up.  some sugar snap peas

D:  "chin-dripping" nectarine and the cooked veggies.  and a head of romaine.  and 1/2 orange.

E:  forced rest day.  I have a hard time resting but I am going to attempt to walk a marathon on Sunday so am trying to rest today and tomorrow.   Meditated 30 minutes.