Beauty

[just bee]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

WTF?

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@just bee 

WTF:  "Where's The Food?"  

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@geezerette 

BH liked this one, too.  Classic.

[just bee]

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@geezerette wrote:

My decluttering for January was minimal, basically just odds and ends.  A few old and expired supplements, old shampoo and dog conditioner that I admitted I was never going to use up, a houseplant that's been on death's door for quite a few months and I just got tired of looking at it.  Etc.

I'm also going to toss the pants I'm wearing today when I take them off tonight.  They got a hole when I was trimming bushes.  It's a small hole, but I have so many pants just waiting to replace any of my around-the-house clothes that I'm tossing these.

I'm getting to see the usefulness of not stockpiling.  I bought a bottle of CeraVe recently and within a week was pulling it out to use because the bottle I was using was gone.  What a refreshing feeling.  What a novel idea--not buying something until you actually need it.  😄

Also, I used about half the box of Twinnings tea pods I have and was contemplating buying another box.  Nope, not gonna do it.  No more stockpiling those kinds of things.  I'm so happy I didn't.  My Keurig has been acting up lately and I never know when it's going to work and when it's not.  It's less than two years old and I have decided I have no intention of replacing it with anything.  I don't want to go back to fixing coffee (don't want to keep drinking it), and the tea pods, while tasting good, are expensive.  I can get tea bags for a fraction that taste just fine.  And it's just as easy to make as the pods.  The only reason I got the Keurig to begin with was for my friend, but she has gotten so busy she rarely has time to visit anymore anyway.  And I don't get any other company.  If I ever do, they can bring their own! 😉

I just hope it can hold out until I finish those tea pods!🤞😄

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@geezerette 

I left closets full of clothes behind after the fire.  A lot of the things I was hanging onto were pretty well-worn, downgraded to dogwalking or sleeping clothes.  But why did I hang onto those tattered old rags when I had newer things to wear?

Doesn't make sense.

And not stockpiling.  The stuff will still be available in the stores when you need it.  Until then, they can dust it.

[rnmom]

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@just bee wrote:

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@rnmom wrote:

@aprilskies -I feel like I'm doing pretty darn good with HEP actually. Thanks for asking. The girls at work had a taco bar yesterday with cupcakes for dessert and I stuck with my leftover goulash and orange and didn't have any treats.

I tried a bunch of times last year to just "cut back" and I didn't drop an ounce. I need to count calories and figure out exactly how much I am eating in order to actually drop any weight. I think if I don't I'm really just not aware of how much I'm consuming. It adds up quicker than I was realizing.

I've dropped about 7 pounds and think I can actually start to tell the tiniest bit of a difference in my clothes. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but it gives me motivation to keep going.

I have noticed that my knee hasn't been hurting as much as it used to either. It usually hurts all the time, some weeks worse than others. It hardly is bothering me at all right now. I can't help but wonder if it is related to all the junk and sugar I had been eating. Probably not, but it does seem like a coincidence.

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@rnmom 

That's HUGE!

A couple daily decisions can make all the difference.  There's always plenty of junk at work and people use it to relieve stress.  The funny thing is, it doesn't!

It's amazing that you're already feeling the difference.  Let us know when you start feeling like you have more energy all of a sudden.

You are definitely an inspiration.  You have so much responsibility in your life but once you put your mind to something, you commit and make progress.  I'm so glad you're part of the ComPact.

@just bee -AWWWWWWWWWWW, that is so sweet! I don't know if it's all true, but it's sweet! Thank you so much! I am so glad to be here too!

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[rnmom]

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@just bee wrote:

BH was online the other night reading about people's love of a well-known frozen pizza.  Strangely, BH had never heard of it before.  Similarly, he noticed one of the candies in the bag that I take to work to keep the community candy jar full.  He was intrigued and tasted it.  I heard him gagging and stopped what I was doing to investigate.

Turned out it was a piece of salt water taffy.  He'd never had it and had never even heard of it.  Let's just say he doesn't care for it.

Just when I thought my suspicions had been confirmed (BH is from another planet), I saw a coworker staring at the candy jar.  He hadn't ever tried salt water taffy, either.  Asked me what it was, then tried a piece.  A much different reaction: He loved it.

Well, now to my point.  Here's the list of ingredients of the popular frozen pizza.

Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Water, Tomato Puree (water, tomato paste), Imitation Mozzarella Cheese (water, palm oil, rennet casein, modified potato starch, vegetable oil, potato starch, sodium aluminum phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, citric acid, potassium sorbate [preservative], sodium phosphate, sodium citrate, titanium dioxide [artificial color], maltodextrin, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, riboflavin, Vitamin A palmitate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12), Cooked Chicken Pizza Topping Pork Added (sausage made with chicken pork added [mechanically separated chicken, pork, salt, spices, corn maltodextrin, caramelized sugar, dextrose, natural flavors], water, soy protein concentrate, textured vegetable protein [soy flour, caramel color], sodium phosphates), Vegetable Oil, Cooked Cured Pork Pizza Topping (Canadian style bacon water added [pork sirloin hips cured with water, sugar, salt, potassium chloride, sodium phosphate, natural smoke flavor, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite], ground pork, water, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), Pepperoni Seasoned Pork, Chicken and Beef Pizza Topping (pork, mechanically separated chicken, water, soy protein isolate, beef, salt, Contains 2% or less of: pepperoni [pork, mechanically separated chicken, beef, salty Contains 2% or less of: spices, dextrose, pork stock, lactic acid starter culture, oleoresin of paprika, flavoring, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, BHA, BHT, citric acid], spices, dextrose, oleoresin of paprika, sodium ascorbate, garlic powder, natural flavor, maltodextrin, sodium nitrite, lactic acid starter culture, BHA, BHT, citric acid). Contains less than 2% of: Rehydrated Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese (water, skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, citric acid, Vitamin A palmitate, Vitamin B6), Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Dry Yeast, Defatted Soy Flour, Spice, Dextrose, Monocalcium Phosphate, Baking Soda, Beet Powder, Rehydrated Enzyme Modified Cheese (water, milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Sorbitan Monostearate, Natural Flavor, TBHQ (preservative), Ascorbic Acid.

WTF?

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@just bee Holy cow, that list of ingredients is crazy! I know it's been a really long time  since I've actually read an ingredient label, but that looks terrible! No wonder we feel terrible when we're putting all of those chemicals into our bodies! 

I really need to start reading ingredient labels again. I had opened a can of peas the other day and looked at the can. It should have said peas, water. But it also said sugar. Seriously? Why did they need to add sugar to a can of peas? I had no idea. I will never be a person who just eats "clean" food, but any real food that I can eat and any preservatives that I can avoid can only be a step in the right direction.

Yesterday afternoon and evening my family and I went to a hockey game. First one we've been to. We were gone about 8 hours Hubby and I didn't want concession stand food so we waited and stopped and got hot and ready pizza on the way home. It smelled SO good in the car on the way home I could hardly stand it. 

It was late, I was tired and  hungry and I just wanted to dive into that pizza. I remembered what we have been talking about, how tastes change, how something that used to taste so delicious tastes too sweet, too salty, waxy, etc. when you haven't had it for a while. I was actually hoping to be disappointed when I bit into that pizza. 

Nope, it was delicious. Hot, ooey gooey cheese, pepperoni, just like it smelled. Just delicious. I knew I was going right to bed so I limited myself to just one slice, but I could have easily eaten 3 more. I guess my tastes haven't changed yet. Bummer.

[rnmom]

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@just bee wrote:

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@aprilskies wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

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@aprilskies 

Is it Anginetti?

I only have access to three varieties -- well, now just two since I can't eat the Margherites anymore: Breakfast Treats and Lady Stella assortment.

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@just bee, Just looked them up, they are called Angelica. 

Uh, the Cape Cod Potato chips are coming up for sale at costco’s. I do like those.  I am going to do my best to leave them at the store.  That is a big bag and I can do the damage in no time at all. 

But yes, chips are starting to feel just as you mentioned, too salty or greasy. But I think everything is getting too expensive. 

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@aprilskies 

OMG.  I just looked them up, too, and I see that they are similar to the Margherites, but taste like vanilla and orange.  Wow.  That sounds like it would be right up my alley.

I like Italian cookies because they're like a cross between two of my favorites: Traditional cookies and dog biscuits.

Watch out for Costco.  Those big bags of Kettle chips are dangerous, too.  Discipline is a tricky thing.  Remember my addiction to white cheddar popcorn?  People have been bringing popcorn to work -- all varieties and the white cheddar.

I haven't touched it.  It's crack.  If I just try a little I'll be buying the big bags again.  And I'll be scraping that waxy white cheddar stuff off my fingers.

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@just bee -I used to love those crunchy Italian cookies, Biscotti! I used to date a guy whose mom bought them all the time.. I haven't had one in years!

[rnmom]

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@geezerette wrote:

I'm somewhat echoing @AuntG.    

Fiscal (and Physical) February.

I did well on curtailing my discretionary spending in January.  When I figured out my monthly outgo yesterday I was rather surprised it was as high as it was--until I realized it was one of those months that my largest credit card ended up getting paid twice in the same month.  So I had some December charges included when I did buy a few unnecessary extras.  That made me feel better.  All the credit cards are paid, meaning no outstanding charges for any orders not yet in their systems.  No orders in the pipeline to be delivered.  So I want to see if I can make the whole month of February with no charges--well, except for normal expenses like gas or automatic payments.

Several of you are concentrating on HEP.  I am too.  I did slip up last month a couple of times with the sweets, but I forced myself to get back on track within the next days instead of crying defeat like I usually do and just continue eating junk.  

For me, probably the biggest problem is refined sugar.  And yes, too much of it can cause joint pains.  A lot of joint pain is from inflammation, which can be caused by refined sugar.  (Not trying to diagnose anyone here.)   My body is riddled with inflammation and arthritis, which is why I have so many pains.  So I've literally been making myself sick for years.  

My best route on eating is making it myself.  All those artificial ingredients and additives make me ill.  I still eat fried foods, but I use olive oil at a low heat.  I'm replacing at least some of the chips with real potatoes.  

As much as I hate to admit it, but much of what my mother used to say about eating a "balanced" meal was correct, at least for me.  I need a little meat/egg, veggies and some carbs.  Not necessarily at every meal, but every day.  I can't let myself get too hungry or I end up eating way too much and then feel sick.  I don't necessarily do the "three meals a day" thing, but I found an eating routine that seems to work for me.  Even then, like @aprilskies said, I have to watch how much I eat, portion my meals and only eat when I'm truly hungry or I just keep eating to excess, even the healthy stuff.

As for the physical part, I have to get off my tookus.  I won't be training for any marathons, but I've tried taking it easy the last few months and my body still hurts.  So, I have to get back to doing my stretching exercises regularly at the very minimum.  And I have to get back to using my rebounder regularly.  That helps keep the pounds off too.  Although I'm also not getting on the scale every day either.  Another thing I finally admitted to myself is that I'm not going to get back to the weight I want (and was years ago).  I can get within five pounds of that, though, if I watch what I'm eating and keep active.  Like the dog, I have a weight goal that I need to keep as I age.

Whatever type of February you're aiming for, I hope it will be Fulfilling for you!  👍🙂

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@geezerette - I just commented on @just bee 's thread about that horrible list of ingredients and preservatives on the frozen pizza. I'd love to be one of those people that just eats "real food" and has the time and the energy to make all of my own food, I'm sure it would be so much better for me.

But, I know that it's never going to happen, especiallly while I'm working and raising a family, but I'm trying to make small changes where I can. Eating a bit more fresh fruits and veggies, meat and eggs, rice or potatoes. Trying to cut back on at least some of the processed junk. Trying to get the kiddos to do the same but that's impossible. 

I just need to be overall more aware of everything that we are putting into our mouths.

[rnmom]

@geezerette -We have a Keurig at work so I buy coffee pods for at work. I just wanted a regular coffee pot, but everyone else wanted a Keurig so they could make tea, hot coocoa, etc. I buy the pods for at work but you are right, they are really expensive. We just have a regular coffee pot at home for me and hubby. Having a Keurig here would be way too cost prohibitive and time consuming. We both drink lots of coffee. 

[rnmom]

@just bee -Isn't that amazing about your friend with MS? I've seen several stories where people have had cancer, or some other incurable disease, and they are able to reverse it or eliiminate it just by eating the right food and eliminating eating junk and processed food. I definitely think there is something to be said for "food is medicine". It's just putting it into practice that is so difficult. 

[just bee]

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@rnmom wrote:

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@just bee -AWWWWWWWWWWW, that is so sweet! I don't know if it's all true, but it's sweet! Thank you so much! I am so glad to be here too!

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@rnmom 

All true -- every word!

I'm glad to be here, too.  We have such a good group.  Maybe we should start a business.

[rnmom]

@just bee -We do have a really good group. How fun would it be if we could all meet up somewhere!