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 ...

* * *

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! 

 SUNDAY'S MENU -- SPICY SAUSAGE & PEPPERS

It was in the low 40s when we woke up this morning, and I stayed in bed (snuggling and cozy under a mountain of covers and a collection of cats) and planned my meals for the day. Of course, I have to do the "fine tuning" and "final tweaking" as I am sitting at my computer so I can look things up and log them as I go. I remembered that we purchased some yummy-looking Trader Joe's sundried tomato Chicken sausage the other day, a 5-pack, and that I could have two plump sausages for 220 calories -- leaving the other three for my wonderful DH. And I knew I couldn't have sausages without onions and peppers, and decided to pair it up with spicy Sicilian pasta sauce and a package of Tofu-Shirataki spaghetti noodles! I will round off dinner with four servings of broccoli and two servings of green beans (less the few beans and florets that I manage to sneak onto my DH's plate "as a garnish" -- which he should then eat happily!)

Lunch today is a bit more basic ... turkey and cheese on an english muffin, plus four HUGE servings of spinach-mustard greens-collard greens-turnip greens (TJ's sells these all mixed together in a 100-calorie bag!) plus a crisp, juicy apple drizzled with Walden Farms zero-calorie caramel dip. Breakfast was also pretty simple ... 2 english muffins, toasted (of course), plus a Boca vegan burger ... I broke it into fourths and put a piece on each muffin half with a little garlic powder and oregano! Anyway, my menu is all planned ... so here it is for Sunday!

BREAKFAST

two toasted Thomas' light multigrain english muffins (200 calories)

one Boca vegan burger (100 calories)

 

LUNCH

one toasted Thomas' Light multigrain english muffin (100 calories)

four slices of oven-roasted turkey (100 calories)

four servings of spinach-collard greens - mustard greens - turnip greens (100 calories)

one slice of Kraft fat free sharp cheddar (30)

one medium apple, sliced and drizzled with zero-calorie caramel dip (72 calories)

DINNER

two sundried chicken sausages, grilled (220 calories)

1/2 large red bell pepper, grilled ( 21 calories)

1/2 cup grilled yellow onions (34 calories)

two servings of low fat spicy sicilian pasta sauce (44 calories)

two servings of Tofu Shirataki spaghetti noodles (40 calories)

four servings of steamed broccoli (100 calories)

two servings of garlic-dill fresh green beans (50 calories)

CALORIE TOTAL: 1211 (does not include after-dinner snacks)

FIBER TOTAL: 64 grams

VEGGIE TOTAL: 15 servings (incudes one fruit!)

NUTRITION REPORT: ( 15.8% fat / 31.2% protein / 53.0% carbs)

heh heh heh .... why does it feel like I've been posting to myself this weekend? Oh well .... I've been talking to myself for YEARS, so it's about time that I started writing tomyself, right?

Today we ran a few errands (bird seed, frame store, gas for the car, returned movies), filled bird feeders, raked leaves, had breakfast/lunch/dinner together, watched 1.5 rented movies (we watched 1/2 of one last night), and generally just recharged batteries since my wonderful DH has a long, busy work week ahead. We also played with our doggies and snuggled with our kitties.

I got a call yesterday that I'm getting an interview for a researcher position I applied for with the University of Michigan. (The job is local for me, they're doing a big research study in 42 U.S. cities.)  The interview will be sometime in the first 2 weeks of January (heaven knows WHAT I will wear for an interview!). If I get the position (it's part-time and temporary -- for the duration of the research project) ... there's a week of training in mid-February in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  I'm SUCH a California girl... so can only imagine (and shiver) at what Michigan weather is like in February. One of these days I will really need to dig out my coats and see if one fits, huh?

On Saturday, we went to the travel agency and plunked down deposit $$ for a 4-Day Alaska "Explorer Cruise" of the Hubbard Glacier (first week of May). I'm pretty excited, even though I get hopelessly seasick.  Right now, I am just curious to see what my weight will be for that cruise ... about 4.5 months from now.  Now we just have to hope and pray that my DH Ron won't be deployed to Iraq then! (EEEK! That would be dreadful!)

Anyway, it's 8pm and my calories are on track for the day ... with plenty in reserve for snacks this evening.  Hope you're all doing well.

=^..^= MOLLY

Ann Arbor is just a hop, skip and a jump from me and a little bit more from another member.  We'll have to meet up if you get this position.

PS the weather is very, very chilly right now and it isn't gonna warm up for a bit.

Molly I think Navy suit is good for an interview.
When your in Michigan try to visit the Grand Hotel.
That is if your the one for the position.  Lord's will be done.

Original Post by danceswithforks:

When your in Michigan try to visit the Grand Hotel.

 

My husband and I are planning to go with my parents sometime next year.  My father has dreamed of visiting it for 27 years, since the release of the film. 

(The Grand Hotel is the setting for the 1980 film "Somewhere in Time", for anyone who was wondering.)

Well, Miss Molly, I am betting things will go well for you on this job hunt.  You are so smart and well-spoken, they would be foolish not to choose you for the position!  Good luck!

Original Post by danceswithforks:

Molly I think Navy suit is good for an interview.

 

Ahh, yes ... but my navy suit was 2.5 sizes ago and has long-since been donated to charity! My once abundant closet is now pretty sparse ... that'll teach me to drop 64 pounds in 17 weeks, huh?  My wonderful DH Ron assures me that he'll make sure I have something to wear for the interview, but doesn't want to shop for it toooo far out since we won't know what will fit in a month. I suppose this is a delightful fashion quandary to be in, huh?

Doesn't a Michigan meet-up with spoiled candy sound fun? (If things progress that far?) We could meet for dinner and ... ummmm... count calories! (ROFL!) hee hee hee.

OK, it's 6:37am here, I am heading out in the rain to the hot tub again, then I am going back to bed!

=^..^= MOLLY

Hey guys!  Long-time lurker, first time ranter.  But something happened this morning that made me really cranky. 

I belong to a great gym, but there are only two local branches.  Well the other location (the one I don't normally use) is closed for a week due to renovations, so my location has been far more crowded than usual, not to mention filled with unfamiliar faces.  Anyway, I get up at 4:45am M-Fr just to get to the gym before I have to go to the office.  I arrived today right on schedule and was using one of the cardio machines (the dreaded stairmill...ugh...but that's an entirely different rant...).  I had my headphones on and was doing my own thing without taking much note of what was going on around me.  I get off the stairmill, wipe my sweat off, remove my headphones, and I notice two women lurking in a nearby corner just watching me and whispering.  I started walking away, and I swear, they start talking about me to each other REALLY loudly--clearly so that I can overhear.  The conversation went something like this. 

Woman #1: Jesus Christ, it's about time she got her skinny little ass off that machine. 
Woman #2: Seriously.  Couldn't she tell people were waiting.  It's skinny little bitches like her that make me mad.
Woman #1: They clog up all the equipment and prevent people who actually need it from using it.
Woman #2: What a bitch.  She was just showing off for us.

I'm not kidding.  First, let me just mention that there were other stairmills free, they just didn't happen to be next to one another, and, apparently, these two women didn't want to work out unless they could talk to one another.  But seriously?  I work my butt off to maintain my body and who the heck did they think they were?  It made me so angry. 

I hope karma bites them in the butt for it.

Wow. Sometimes the overt rudeness of people can be pretty astonishing. I hope the rest of the day (heck, the rest of your WEEK!) is much more peaceful and pleasant.

=^..^= MOLLY

Thanks, Molly.  I've calmed down now, but it definitely made for a crappy morning.  On the bright side, the rest of the day HAS to be better, right?  :)

Original Post by runner_girl:

Thanks, Molly.  I've calmed down now, but it definitely made for a crappy morning.  On the bright side, the rest of the day HAS to be better, right?  :)

 

Yeppers. (And don't forget that ranting burns calories!)

=^..^= MOLLY

Maybe they will show up for one of your spin classes.  Won't they be embarrassed that they talked that way about you when you are heading up one of the classes at the gym!  People can be so rude. 

I am new to this, I just read, never comment!  But I love love love to read the rants every day! Molly, you are adorable!

 

It took me 3 days of reading (at the office-don't tell the boss!) to get through this entire thread and it was worth EVERY second.

My semi rant for the day...

I've been working out with a personal trainer for just over a month.  She's usually okay but the other day she had my group doing an exercise that I just could NOT do, so I told her so.  She got all insulted and huffy and when we moved on to the next circuit, she came up to me and had a heart to heart with me while I was huffing away doing push-ups!  UM, I'm sorry, I don't want to have a heart to heart with you because I can't perform your moves, especially not when I can barely breath, let a lone TALK because I'm doing push ups!  I want you to push me to improve, not get all emotional because I can't do the move that you so effortlessly can!!! 

Hmmm... I wonder if your personal trainer has watched one too many episodes of the Biggest Loser and is taking her cues from Kim? (The blonde, often snarky personal trainer for the red team this season.)

Personally, I've found that my cats are excellent personal trainers. I flopped on the floor this morning fully intent upon doing sit-ups. Ok, ONE sit-up. Anyway, as soon as I flopped myself on the floor, a happy kitten named McIntosh hopped right up and started purring. (Hey! Mommy is warm!) Anyway, next thing I know, I am waking up, with THREE cats laying on me (Mac, Meg the other kitten, and MollyMouse, my kitty namesake.)  They all looked so cute that I didn't have the heart to dislodge them, so I just let them lay there and get in some quality petting-from-mom time.  Heh heh heh.

And, no, I never did accomplish that one sit-up ... I figured I burned enough calories THUDDING semi-gracefully to the floor, and then I burned even MORE calories attempting to stand up gracefully. Heck, attempting to stand up without injury, LOL!  I did, however, walk on the treadmill for a while... surely that counts for something, right?

Speaking of which, I still need to burn 75 more calories on the treadmill, because I had 2 unauthorized slices of organic, sprouted flax seed bread this morning. (Gasp! Unlogged food! Unlogged food! Unplanned for carbs! Unplanned for carbs!) AAAA----OOOOOO----GAHHH! AAAA----OOOOO GAHHH! Dive! Dive! Dive!

(My blood sugar was low -- I am a diabetic who takes insulin -- and sometimes I just have to eat carbs, planned for or not, to get my sugar up. Since this happened this morning, my plan is to just see if I can burn off those calories on the treadmill so I don't have to "replan" my day's calories!)

=^..^= MOLLY

 

Original Post by mollymouser:

Hmmm... I wonder if your personal trainer has watched one too many episodes of the Biggest Loser and is taking her cues from Kim? (The blonde, often snarky personal trainer for the red team this season.)

I think she has!!!  It's rather annoying because I've always had this thought in my head that a trainer would (should) be kind of a hardass!  And she's so passive.  Granted, I'm still getting my butt kicked, but I don't really need the emotional stuff and annoying banter when I'm sweating!

Just had a delicious "Molly dinner" with DH --

Slices of lean flank steak, slices of grilled chicken breast (both leftovers),

1/2 c brown rice

3/4 c. roasted baby brussels sprouts and carrots,

several stalks steamed asparagus

The plate was covered in mostly veggies - Molly, I thought of you because of all the veg!

 

hee hee hee ... a "Molly dinner!"

=^..^= MOLLY

runner_girl - I was just thinking a few days ago about "hogging" the machines.  Since I've gotten "serious" about fitness, the 30-minute time limit seems a little narrow-minded.  Our little tiny 4-station apartment gym is usually empty.  I use the treadmill a couple of times a week once it's cold, and sometimes I will stay on for over an hour to get my miles in.  There are 2 treadmills.

I've noticed that some people will come, peek in, and leave; sometimes 2-3 times before they give up - I guess hoping I'll stop and leave.  I usually feel guilty ... sorry, but I can't get all my cardio in in 15 minutes!  But then ... when some of these people do come in, they'll get on the elliptical, bike or bench for 5 minutes, then leave! So I've decided not to feel guilty any more.  If they want to work out, they'll find a way; otherwise, they'll find an excuse.

Original Post by zarelha:

runner_girl - I was just thinking a few days ago about "hogging" the machines.  Since I've gotten "serious" about fitness, the 30-minute time limit seems a little narrow-minded.  Our little tiny 4-station apartment gym is usually empty.  I use the treadmill a couple of times a week once it's cold, and sometimes I will stay on for over an hour to get my miles in.  There are 2 treadmills.

I've noticed that some people will come, peek in, and leave; sometimes 2-3 times before they give up - I guess hoping I'll stop and leave.  I usually feel guilty ... sorry, but I can't get all my cardio in in 15 minutes!  But then ... when some of these people do come in, they'll get on the elliptical, bike or bench for 5 minutes, then leave! So I've decided not to feel guilty any more.  If they want to work out, they'll find a way; otherwise, they'll find an excuse.

At some point, I would think they could just ask you if you had an estimate when you'd be finished, so they could come back. (That just seems easier to me!)  It seems to me if there is a 30 minute limit, and the end of 30 minutes, if someone is WAITING, the machine could be shared. If not, the machine can then be used for a second 30-minute shift.

Then again, the only person I have to share my treadmill with is my wonderful DH ... and whichever one of our cats who's laying on it. 

:: giggle ::

=^..^= MOLLY

Mini rant ... why are cucumbers 99 cents each? It's not like they are some sort of unusual, exotic, specialty item. They're CUCUMBERS! As you might have guessed, we went grocery shopping this evening and -- once again -- I looked like a zealous vegetarian in pursuit of her next veggie fix! Cabbage, red peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, artichokes, radishes, cucumbers, apples, oranges .... but I didn't get any brussell sprouts (I am taking a break), green beans (they didn't look great, and I have some organic frozen ones), squash (still have acorn and butternut squash), asparagus (4.99/lb!) or onions (because I thought I already had some... and I don't!)

Of course, buying veggies at Vons merely girded my loins for our followup trip to Whole Foods for Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (we're now buying it 3 at a time!), tofu shirataki noodles (4 bags), organic oven-roasted garlic-parmesan potatoes (to die for!) ... all for $25.07!!! Sheesh.... it's a good thing we really like that hummus and those frozen potatoes and those squiggly noodley things (and that they aren't sold anywhere else in town!)  We also buy our ostrich there, but we still have some in the freezer.

Looks like I definitely need to eat some spinach tomorrow to make more room in the fridge! (DH just opened the fridge door and a bag of spinach LEAPED out and attacked him!)

=^..^= MOLLY

Oh boy can I rant! I'm back from another wonderful 4 day weekend (don't know what I'll do in January when I actually have normal workweeks!) I seem to be retaining water like a sponge. I've definitely been consuming toooo much salty food but I've never have effects like this before. My feet and lower legs just ache almost constantly --especially the foot/ankle I hurt last week. It's still swollen and I think the excess fluid just isn't leaving like it should. This keeps me from even walking much let alone going to the gym for a real workout. Even my face is puffy. Just to make me feel REALLY good, I weigh 5 pounds more than I did last week!!! I'm not recording it because although I've certainly indulged in too many cookies, not to the extent that my weight would increase by 4% in a week, for crying out loud!

I'm avoiding salt and drinking water like crazy in an attempt to deflate. I have soooo much to do and my feet just hurt too much to keep at it for long. At least I finally got my tree up and decorated. As of this moment, I have two presents for 6 kids and perspiration forming on my brow!