MOLLY'S DIET RANTS! (ranting, raving, motivating & more)

RANTING BURNS CALORIES!

This is an open, ongoing, support-encourage-motivational-RANTING thread. Feel free to skip to the end, or spend days reading through all of this ...

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I have decided that "Diet" is a 4-letter word.

I find myself muttering and uttering the word around my house these days with loathing and vehemence previously reserved only for comments directed toward liberal politicians. In fact, I seem to be talking to myself a lot more these days .... sort of a running, sarcastic commentary on all the foods I can't eat, or on various other related topics. I wonder if there is a link between calorie-deprivation and Tourettes Syndrome? Grrrrrrrrr.....

I am now on Day 8 of the dreaded D-word. This is already the longest period of time that I have ever successfully remained on a diet. And I seem to be growing grouchier and feistier each day..... at least when I am alone and no one is around to hear my running rants. (My wonderful DH has heard some of my more memorable rants on the subject of broccolli and reports that I am hysterically funny when I am hungry!) I am counting carbs. I am counting calories. I am counting fat grams. Sheesh ... now my math anxiety is about to kick-in!

Mini Rant #1 .... what masochist decided that the serving size of cereal was anything less than 2 cups? Have you ever measured out 2/3 a cup of cereal? Or even a full cup? And placed it in a bowl? Those few little flakes and pieces just sit forlornly at the bottom of the bowl, shivering and lonely, even when we dribble on a few meager droplets of skim milk! Sheesh. Well, I can tell you that there is simply no way that my oversized body is going to be happy with that tiny amount of cereal ... so I have been eating TWO servings for breakfast. SIGH. And while the side of the box says that I can supplement the cereal with some fruit, they probably don't mean eat 45 cherries with your cereal -- much less 1/2 a watermelon, huh?

Mini Rant #2 .... Things NOT to say to someone who has told you that they have just started on a diet:

1.Good, you sure needed it.
2. It's about time.
3. Really? It doesn't look like it.
4. Again? Haven't we heard this before?
5. Gosh, how much weight do you need to lose?
6. What do you weigh? I've always wondered.
7. I never need to diet, I have a fast metabolism.
8. Really? I can eat all I want and never gain weight.
9. Is THAT why you are so grouchy?
10. I sure hope you plan to exercise a lot more.

AAAUGGH! All of these responses are just the thing to make me even grouchier .... so just smile and say something encouraging and supportive, ok? I will let you know how it is going.

_____

=^..^=  Molly 

WELCOME TO MOLLY'S MOTIVATIONAL RANT / CHAT THREAD ... FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR RANTS, TOO!  YOU CAN EITHER READ FROM THE BEGINNING OR JUST JUMP ON IN ON THE LAST PAGE ... JOIN US! 

Maybe all we really need is that malfunctioning car alarm thingy attached to our fridge? It could be hooked up to our food logs and, after we've had all the calories per day we are allowed, if we open the fridge the alarm starts screeching and doesn't shut off until we walk a certain number of calories off on the treadmill!

heh heh heh ... we may be on to something here.

Anyway, I am back from the dentist (2.5 hours .... shriek!) and am now dribbling Amy's organic butternut squash soup down my chin since my blood sugar is low and I needed to find some healthy carbs to eat while we wait for the plumber to arrive.  I can't taste much, so I added a LOT of chili-garlic powder to my soup ... ay yi yi yi yi! (sigh)  I may save the other 200 lunch calories (after I eat 200 calories of soup) for a snack later since I can't taste much right now.

When my DH came home from work last night and spied my orange cauliflower on the counter next to my tomatoes, he quipped, "Hey! An orange brain!" Ewwww.... men! Maybe I will play with my cauliflower tomorrow, tonight feels like scrambled eggs.

Surely dentist-related stressing burns calories, right?

=^..^= MOLLY

Oh Molly - I'm drooling in sympathy ... hate going to the dentist.  Hopefully this is the last appointment you need for the next 6 or so months.  I am actually such a scaredy-cat that I go every 6 months because I don't want any surprises.  Hate every moment thinking of going, driving there, being there too but dearly love paying and leaving!  Be kind to yourself and have a pampering moment (not food ... perhaps bubble bath). 

Re orange cauliflower, I like cauliflower and have tried broccoliflower (hope I spelled that correctly ... basically it's green cauliflower grown somehow with broccoli) and it tastes great.  Haven't seen orange yet  but look forward to your critique andhopefully recipe.

So happy you have been recognized, for your humour along with your knowledge and the way you deliver, as a Motivation Moderator ... very well deserved.  I look forward to seeing your posts every day.

 

 

 

I think I will tackle the orange cauliflower tomorrow or Thursday. (Hmmm... doesn't THAT make for an interesting mental picture, me chasing around a neon orange vegetable, and then making a flying tackle! THUD)  My plan is to steam it with some garlic and spices, then puree it with a little sauteed onion/garlic, chicken broth and cheese .... yum yum yum! I will post the recipe once I get it worked out!

Well, I survived my trip to the dentist... it was nearly three hours... EEEK! But, my mouth is now happily cavity-free. Hopefully I won't need to go back except for checkups and routine cleaning. (* Crosses fingers and gingerly rubs her sore jaw.)

The plumber came today to look at our TWO leaking sinks (kitchen and garage.)  Both faucets need to be replaced. Of course, our Home Warranty only pays for bottom-of-the-line brands (which is fine for the garage), but we opted to upgrade in the kitchen to a nifty Moen faucet with one of those cool pull-out nozzles.  Randy the Plumber will probably be returning on Thursday to do both of the installations ... I wonder if he would be willing to be my orange cauliflower cheesy puree guinea pig? (Probably not!) 

Isn't it frustrating how insurance rarely seems to cover what we want it to cover? It's sort of like a bathing suit in that respect.

heh heh heh

=^..^= MOLLY

 

 

The water leaks are everywhere! Last night my son was feeling ornery and decided to go to the basement and shut off the hot water to his stepbrother's shower.  The SB had just gone over 20 minutes in there and would most likely be another 20 by past experience. The prank --and the shower-- were called short because the shower stall was leaking a small rain storm into the basement!

I'm so glad that my son was feeling ornery or we wouldn't have known right away. Unchecked, the leak could have damaged the new Pergo floor we just put down in the room next to the bath. That would have called for a rant of such proportions that I don't even want to think about it!

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER PUREE

I finally decided what I wanted to do with my nifty orange (beta-carotene-laden) cauliflower ... and I made a delectable Cheesy Cauliflower puree this morning that will be the centerpiece of my healthy dinner this evening. Other than cleaning the blender afterward, it's a surprisingly simple -- but tasty and healthy -- way to enjoy fresh cauliflower in a new way!

INGREDIENTS (AND CALORIES)

one medium-sized head of cauliflower (144 calories)

one cup (raw) diced yellow onion (36 calories)

one-half a medium red pepper, diced (16 calories)

three cloves of fresh garlic, diced (13 calories)

one packet of low sodium chicken bouillon (10 calories)

two teaspoons of Nacho Cheese Popcorn Seasoning (16 calories)

four teaspoons of Kraft reduced fat Parmesan style topping (40 calories)

garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper (to taste)

TOTAL CALORIES: 275

PREPARATION: Clean and cut up the cauliflower into small florets, and steam. (I use the microwave). Cook the onions, garlic and pepper. Make one cup of low sodium chicken bouillon using the packet/cube. Measure and get your cheeses ready. Divide everything roughly into two halves, then mix together and puree in the blender in 2 batches. (Trust me on this one!) Add chili powder, garlic powder and black pepper to taste. Scoop it out and into a bowl for reheating/serving. Garnish with a few sprinkles of chopped sun-dried tomato or parsley. This easily makes 4 generous servings ... just divide the total calories listed above by your serving size.

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Cauliflower contains allicin, which can improve heart health and reduce the risk of strokes, and selenium, a chemical that works well with Vitamin C to strengthen the immune system. Cauliflower can also help to maintain a healthy cholesterol level. Folate is also found in cauliflower, which is a B vitamin that is needed for cell growth and replication. Of course, cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber, which helps to improve colon health and can even help prevent cancer. And, most recently, it has been discovered that cauliflower, as well as other cruciferous vegetables, such as brussel sprouts and cabbage, contain indole-3-carbinol, a substance that can affect the metabolism of estrogen in the body, and prevent breast and other female cancer.

EAT YOUR CAULIFLOWER!

NOTE: Be sure and snugly fit the top of the blender when pureeing your cauliflower or you will get SPLATS of orange-colored goo all over your nice, clean kitchen cabinets (and one wayward kitten named McIntosh)

=^..^= MOLLY

Original Post by chris1208:

The water leaks are everywhere! Last night my son was feeling ornery and decided to go to the basement and shut off the hot water to his stepbrother's shower.  The SB had just gone over 20 minutes in there and would most likely be another 20 by past experience. The prank --and the shower-- were called short because the shower stall was leaking a small rain storm into the basement!

I'm so glad that my son was feeling ornery or we wouldn't have known right away. Unchecked, the leak could have damaged the new Pergo floor we just put down in the room next to the bath. That would have called for a rant of such proportions that I don't even want to think about it!

OK, everyone ... go check under all of your sinks RIGHT NOW! These things come in threes, so if I have leaks and Chris has leaks .... someone else out there MUST have a leak, too!

A leak-free house is a happy house!

=^..^= MOLLY

Original Post by mollymouser:

NOTE: Be sure and snugly fit the top of the blender when pureeing your cauliflower or you will get SPLATS of orange-colored goo all over your nice, clean kitchen cabinets (and one wayward kitten named McIntosh)

=^..^= MOLLY

I've had this problem when making herbed pea soup. Make sure, also, to not overfill the blender when pureeing your vegetables. It really does help, and you don't need to attack the kitchen with the clothes and cleaner.

I just came back from grocery shopping and we have a new fruit in our grocery store! GRAPPLES! its a cross between a grape and an apple...looks like an apple but smells and tastes kinda like a grape! the smell reminded me of grape juice. they are expensive (4 for 4.99) but different and worth it for a treat. Just thought I'd let you know Molly since you are out there trying different foods!

I can just see me now, "grappling" with the complex problem of logging a GRAPPLE! hee hee hee. It took me YEARS to figure out that a Pluot was a cross between a plum and an apricot.

My current favorite apples are Honey Crisps ... yum.

=^..^= MOLLY

i too have two leaks. one is in my tub leading to my basement so everytime i go down to wash laundry i step in a nice pile of water. the other one is in my kitchen sink so that if someone pours water in the wrong drain out splatters water all over my tuberware stored in a cupboard under the sink. ug. and my dh is a truck driver so he never finds time to fix these things and of course refuses to call the plumber. so i instead have a collection of buckets catching wayward water. no good.

hmm we don't have Pluots here...ill send you a grapple for a pluot? hehe

Talking about apples, DH, my mom, and I went up to Oak Glen this past weekend to do some apple picking and apple shopping.  Oak Glen is up towards the San Bernardino Mountains in the area of Yucaipa.  Anyway, I typically like Granny Smith apples.  I don't like my apples mealy/smooshy and Grannies are very crisp and tart ( I love sweet, tart things.  I decided to venture out, we were in apple country after all.  I now LOVE pink lady apples!  A little sweet and a little tart, but crispy and crunchy.  We picked Wine Sap apples, which I never had heard of.  Like the taste, a little sweeter than grannies or pinkies, but good.  Only problem is that we picked some that were mealy...(heebie jeebies).  But DH tests them before he gives them to me.  If they are smooshy, then he eats them!  I was excited to have more variety in my apple repertoire.  Now I want to try a Grapple! :)

Grapple...lol!!! My brain read "scrapple"...any Pennsylvani Dutch folks out there recognize that one?

My rant...apples that go rotten too quickly! I can't eat them that fast!

Ok, today's rant isn't diet related, or at least, this one isn't!  This one is about travelling...

I mentioned I'm off to Tunisia - anyone want to guess how much stuff I've had to buy???  Let's see, a sleeping bag (for one night's camping - I mean, you'd think they could provide them - that's precious luggage space that's being taken up), a torch (again, for the ONE night's camping, grr), a water bottle and (admittedly very cute) neoprene "coat" for it, a whole heap of "just in case" tablets that I wouldn't normally use, a serious medical kit that includes syringes and a blood transfusion kit (!) and that's just off the top of my head!  Oh, and I have to buy new luggage to put it all in!

Now obviously I'm really looking forward to the trip and am really excited to visit a new country but all I can say is, all this shopping had better be worth it!

Hmmm. You're going to Tunisia, I'm going to Kentucky.  Somehow (although Kentucky is lovely) I just can't work up a great big batch of sympathy for you! lol. Tunisia is just slightly more exotic!

It's funny, we're suppose to go out to dinner with DH's daughter, some of her old friends who know my DH from prior church, AND his ex-wife & boyfriend. I've been very cool about it but I suddenly have an overwelming urge to recolor my hair. Maybe I'm not quite as cool about it as I thought! I once saw a picture of her 9 months pregnant ...in a bikini. It's burned into my brain because she looked better than I ever have...pregnant or not. She's probably 40 pounds heavier now but I still see that picture in my head...

Caro, you have to carry your own meds kit???  Gasp!  I didn't think about that aspect of "exotic".  I've only ever traveled to England where I'm sure it's OK to eat the food and drink the water.  When my aunt went to Morocco she rode on a camel...are there camels in Tunisia?

Molly, I like to roast cauliflower and broccoli for a pretty side dish.  I was thinking how lovely a roast of all three colors of caulis would look...creamy white, green and orange.  I do agree with your DH...they look just like brains!

My rant...It has finally gotten cold here (low of 28 last night) and now all I want is starch!  I love baked potatoes at this time of the year.  Thankfully, last year I discovered they are just a tasty with fat-free yogurt as with sour cream.  I know...I know, one baked potato won't destroy the calorie count...the problem is that I want 3 or 4 baked potatoes.  I hate starch cravings! 

Happy Thursday All!

Jane 

Tunisia - I know, I'm not complaining, well not really....

Regarding the meds kit - obviously they have hospitals and such-like in Tunisia and everything should be ok, but as one friend pointed out, would you really want them to use a needle you weren't 100% sure about?  It's mental insurance more than anything - I'm quite sure I won't need anything in the scary medical kit and have a lesser "normal" one as well.  No-one can accuse me of not being prepared for this trip!  Mind you, I'll be packing in a panic on Saturday morning, as normal, I'm sure!  I simply don't understand people that start packing 2 weeks before a trip - what if you need that stuff in the meantime?!

Edit - yup, camels in Tunisia too.  I get to ride one in the desert (crosses fingers and breathes in...)

RANT: eating things that I KNOW will only lead to trouble

I did a very bad thing: I tried wine jelly. It was so terribly scrumcious that I had more. I didn't go crazy -- 2 teaspoons of jelly won't wreak my diet, I know. Thankfully I had to go back to work before I could jump in again. The trouble is... the jar...sitting in the fridge... waiting... waiting...

I can't just toss it, DH bought it from a little old lady at a church bazaar the other day and he loves it too. I'll just have to encourage him to eat it and hang on until it's gone. The good news is that it's a small jar and I've never seen it in a grocery store around here.

Take my advice, if you've never tried it - DON'T!

Tunisia!!! What fun!!! How very exciting!!! Be sure and take some Purell hand sanitizer, water chlorination tablets (the kind you use for camping), Immodium tablets, and some Neosporin with painkiller. (All of these suggestions came from my DH.... who reports that we have ALL of these items ALREADY in our emergency kit!) 

I've been to Canada, Mexico, Scotland, England, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uraguay, Falkland Islands, UK, Antarctica and Brazil ... but haven't been to Africa (yet!)  Of course, my DH has been EVERYWHERE! (All of the above, plus all over Europe, the middle east, Asia, etc.)

It's pretty here today .... and I'm making sizzling beef fajitas for my DH and our houseguest for lunch (one of DH's new co-workers) ...with yummy whole-wheat low-fat tortillas, fresh tomatoes, spicy guacamole, and lots of shredded cheese. (Of course, I'm not having any of that ... but I will grill up some onions and mushrooms for me, along with some scrambled eggs and salsa!)

(sigh) Dieting Week 12 ... and I think I am hitting a wall. Well, not a wall, but a speed bump, ya know?

=^..^= MOLLY

 

Original Post by chris1208:

RANT: eating things that I KNOW will only lead to trouble

I did a very bad thing: I tried wine jelly. It was so terribly scrumcious that I had more. I didn't go crazy -- 2 teaspoons of jelly won't wreak my diet, I know. Thankfully I had to go back to work before I could jump in again. The trouble is... the jar...sitting in the fridge... waiting... waiting...

I can't just toss it, DH bought it from a little old lady at a church bazaar the other day and he loves it too. I'll just have to encourage him to eat it and hang on until it's gone. The good news is that it's a small jar and I've never seen it in a grocery store around here.

Take my advice, if you've never tried it - DON'T!

Oooohhh.... I was thinking about a toasted Thomas' light multigrain english muffin (100 calories) with some butter and wine jam .... (happy sigh)

I'd do it. (OK, I'm not much help am I?)

=^..^= MOLLY