Monday, October 6, 2008 - Week 2 - Day 5

I had a teeny carb up last night, but since today is a carb down day, I should be okay. I'm really not supposed to do that until after week 3, but it's good to know exactly what to do after those times. Having a plan in place forestalls the mindless bingeing that goes along with an all or nothing frame of mind. I had a pack of M&M peanuts (interesting, there were 2 packs there - wonder where the other one went.) Before I ate them I planned exactly what was going to happen. I often wonder if normal people have to have conversations with themselves about what they are going to eat and what is going to be the result afterwards. Compulsive overeaters are a different breed. Their thought processes are different. My husband has no clue as to why I do what I do regarding food, but put me in the middle of an OA meeting and every single person in the room will get it. My husband eats to live - nothing else makes sense to him. So when I look for support in this regard I do not go to Harold - God love him.
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Kristi called me yesterday about the possibility of working 1 or 2 days a week at the school after I retire. That had been the initial plan, but I didn't think it would be fair to whomever would be taking my position when I leave. However, Kristi is thinking that we would wait until the next school year to hire someone and I could split the position with another sub until the end of this school year. I was surprised to find myself excited about that. I have really been looking forward to retirement - but one or two days a week? That could be the best of both worlds. I do like my job, but I am finding that the new technology is moving faster than I am. But I can do the day-to-day stuff like processing books and running the rest of the media center. Yes, I think that would be great.

Daily stats:
Type:Walk/jog with weights
Route: Deadend/back (Harold said no one is hunting on the deadend)
Time: 30
Average heart rate:: 118
Maximum heart rate: 131
Down 5.2 from last Monday (whoo hoo!)


Word of the day:
Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Lk 10:25-37
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied,
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
I often think of this passage when I worry about some of my favorite unbaptized people. These are people who behave as Christians, who treat other people well, who are better examples of Christian living than many Christians. I believe that these people are also claimed by Christ and he finds them and holds them in his care and uses them in this world to spread his message. If a Samaritan can be neighbor to a Jew, all things are possible with God.

God bless the troops!

Thursday, September 25, 2008 - Week 1 - Day 1

The sun is burning off the early morning fog and it looks like it is going to be a great day. I finished our stocking orders from Sunday. They still need to be steamed and packaged. Then have 2 more to do from an order yesterday, The Ebay ad has produced zip, zilch, nada, but then I usually see nothing from that until mid October. I won't bother to list there again until then.

I read some more of Wendy Chant's book. I think I am going try it. It looks like the only bad week I will have is the first one. I may not make it through the first week if my sugar tanks, but I will take it one meal at a time. Last night was grocery night so I am all set for the week. So, today is the first day of the first week. I have everything planned out for today. According to the thread on lowcarb friends, day 3 is murder. Day 3 will be Saturday. If I'm going to have a bad day, Saturday would be the best time for it - I don't see a lot of people on Saturday. We shall see.

I am testing some of our simmer scents - today's is Hot Apple Pie. It's very nice, but I think my favorite so far is Orange Clove. I can't seem to find the simmer crocks that used to be around - the little ones made by Rival. All I can find are the Little Dippers, and you have to buy a whole roaster to get that.

Gotta get moving, I'm late for my walk!

My stats for today:
Type: Outside
Route: Deadend and back
Time: 31 minutes
Average heart rate: 109
Maximum heart rate: 127
Up .8 from last Thursday:

The trees are beginning to turn. My route takes me between two farm fields. As I headed east, to my left was a small tree that has turned a brilliant orange.
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The first week on Wendy Chant's program is the Carb-Deplete cycle. Soooo, for breakfast I had a half cup of cottage cheese and a cup of coffee with cream and DaVinci sugar free syrup. I've packed my required cup of broccoli which I will top with a slice of cheese. I have also packed tuna and mayo. With that I am taking a package of sliced turkey just in case I need it. Tonight I will have Wendy's Egg Cheeseburger. The idea is to stay under 20 grams of carbs per day for the week in order to deplete the glycogen stores. This will convert the body from burning glucose to burning fat. None of this is new to me, but this isn't exactly like Atkins induction. Fats are limited a bit more. By day 3 the glycogen stores should be depleted and fat should be the source of energy. If one is using ketostix, it is at this point that they should start turning purple.

Word of the day:
Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Lk 9:7-9
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
It's ironic that though Jesus repeatedly cautioned people not to tell anyone of his works, the word spread mighty quickly. It's all the more amazing when you consider that the news media in Jesus' time was limited to word of mouth. It's also interesting that when people were trying to figure out who Jesus was, the thought that he might be the Messiah never entered their heads. I wonder what it would be like today with our present media - that sure would be something to see. In this day and age when people are seeing the face of Jesus in everything from a plate of spaghetti to graffitti on a bridge - I wonder if we would be any more likely to recognize him.


God bless the troops!