May Health Challenge (2019)

[shyvas]

My mother was a good cook and I learned to cook at an early age. However, I really got out of the habit of cooking meals when Jeremy took over that job in 2008 when we went vegan. Now I don't really like cooking anymore! I have hundreds of recipes so I am trying to learn to cook again! I have been making soups and have 3 containers of different soups in the freezer because the recipes make so much! It is really hard cooking for one person!

I don't agree. I find that it's no different then cooking for four. I really like to batch cook and use leftovers as it's quite creative. I also do make just one portion of food because I either only have a few ingredients or just fancy a particular dish. The other day, I made ww spaghetti with roast aubergine in passata. It only took 30 mins to make and I didn't have any leftovers !!
However, many people don't like to cook. As you do need to eat, it certainly must be a chore to have to cook.

My cousin in the US, doesn't like to eat huge meals and loathes cooking. I asked her what she would do if she had to make a meal for one. She replied that she would have a sandwich (which she already does) for lunch and either a Cup of Soup or a scrambled egg for dinner.

 

[Chryssie]

I don't mind leftovers at all! Sometimes I will cut a recipe in half if I think it will be too much. One thing that makes cooking a pain for me is that I figure out the calories of every recipe I make which can be quite a task if there are a lot of ingredients.

 

[shyvas]

I don't mind leftovers at all! Sometimes I will cut a recipe in half if I think it will be too much. One thing that makes cooking a pain for me is that I figure out the calories of every recipe I make which can be quite a task if there are a lot of ingredients.

That's something, that I never worry about.

 

[Chryssie]

That's something, that I never worry about.

Lucky you!

 

[shyvas]

Lucky you!

Not at all. I'm a chunky girl.However, I dislike counting calories or points.

I usually cut down on portions and carbs and make sure that I don't eat sugar.

 

[silva]

My grandmother was a DIY great cook, my mother made microwave lean cuisines! I definitely took after my grandmother, can't follow a recipe for anything, but will put together a meal from whatever I have or can think of! I hate that I can't reproduce my own recipes. When I try and write them down I change what I did. I don't why I keep doing this, but I do .
Now I'm soaking buckwheat for another attempt at flatbread. I did it before, kind of, from this recipe. I liked the flatbread one better, but this time will try a little differently

Whole-Grain Buckwheat & Chia Bread
It's gluten free

 

[KLS52]

My grandmother was a DIY great cook, my mother made microwave lean cuisines! I definitely took after my grandmother, can't follow a recipe for anything, but will put together a meal from whatever I have or can think of! I hate that I can't reproduce my own recipes. When I try and write them down I change what I did. I don't why I keep doing this, but I do .

OMG I do that too and I get so mad at myself!

 

[Poppy]

My experiment with "Dry May" is going surprisingly well (meaning it's been a bit easier than I had expected - so yay!). Of course, it is only May 5th so I have a ways to go yet! And I'm averaging about 14 k steps a day (I am trying hard at the moment!!!).

 

[shyvas]

I usually have a 2 day break during the week from alcohol. During the cooler months, I usually have a glass
of red wine before dinner. During the Summer months, I usually opt for either a gin or tequila based cocktail.

When I'm on holiday in the UK at my cousin's we often splash out and have 2 glasses every evening; either a Pimm's or a pink gin cocktail. When I'm in the US, I always have a glass of chardonnay at lunchtime and a margherita before dinner.

All the elderly members of my family all enjoy 2 glasses of alcohol in the evening. The one exception is my cousin who is 93 and she will sip around 3 - 4 glass of wine during the day. Moreover, they are all in good health.

I do think that alcohol tolerance does have a lot to do with genes and your lifestyle.

 

[Poppy]

I got in the very bad habit of using bourbon as a sleep aid and would have 2 shots before bed every night (in addition to a glass of Sauvignon blanc or Malbec with dinner most nights). So I’m trying to retrain myself to fall asleep without help, in addition to losing those last, stubborn pounds. Going 30 days seems like a good way to reset my habits. But I’m pleasantly surprised at what a good mood I’ve been in, and how easy it is to get up in the morning. I think it’s going to be an interesting month.

 

[Katrina]

I did really bad with my diet this weekend, eating tons of candy and drinking a lot during the girls night in. But I think at this point that laughing is probably better for my health than anything else. So that's how I justify that.

Also, I have to bike into work most of this week. I haven't done 5 days in a row yet, so that should be interesting. Today wasn't too bad. I just need to remember to re-pump my tires for tomorrow. I'm hoping this exercise will help burn off whatever calories I accumulated over the weekend.

 

[Chryssie]

I totally blew my calorie count today! For some reason I was really hungry all day and ate too much! Oh well, I will do better tomorrow.
As for alcohol consumption, I try to only have my beer on weekends and Thursday when we go to Central 28 for Sweets-n-Eats and bingo but that is going to be cut down to once a month I think. And I only drink one beer at a time so I don't think it is that much. The problem is I prefer the higher alcohol content brews which of course raises the calories!

 

[KLS52]

I feel like death lol

 

[Chryssie]

Wow! Way to go KLS! I made my 10,000 by walking around my apartment about 10 times because I was short a few hundred steps after my treadmill walk.
I ache now. Working 5 hours on my feet, bending, lifting, stooping then my walking, I am beat!

 

[Moll Flanders]

I drink far too much alcohol, let's leave it at that.

I worked out 4 times last week. I think I am going to do it 3-4 times instead of 5 times a week as I really can't be bothered to do it that much. To be perfectly honest. I'm only doing half hour walks outside now as I don't need to worry as much about vitamin D now the clocks have gone forward.

I have been getting relatively early nights as well, I've been in bed by 10 or 11 most nights of the week.

I've lost track of weight loss. I think I was about 7 pounds heavier about a month ago. I write down my measurements instead and keep track that way. I also look at how my clothes fit. I've noticed that the exercise is changing my shape more than any weight loss, especially the lower half of my body. I've had to get rid of quite a few skirts and leggings lately.

 

[KLS52]

Sounds like you are on the right track, Moll.

 

[Amy SF]

I feel like death lol
View attachment 16685

Geez that’s good. I could have reached 10,000 steps yesterday, but I ran out of time and was too tired.

And wow your Fitbit model tracks stairs taken! Mine doesn’t. It would have been nice to have that option on mine, but my sister picked out the Fitbit for me. I didn’t even know she was going to give me a Fitbit.

 

[KLS52]

I can’t take credit for yesterday’s turn out. I was up at 4 am, in the attic at 6 and pretty much didn’t stop until 9 pm last night. Up and down from the basement to the attic and everything in between. We had the realtor coming to take pictures for the listing. I’m beyond stressed. I wouldn’t recommend it for health purposes lol. The stress level is probably negating any benefit!

 

[Poppy]

@KLS52 - HOW DO YOU GET YOUR CALORIES IN THE GREEN??? For the life of me, no matter how many steps I get, I cannot get my calories in the green! Yesterday I had an excellent day too (best day in a long time) - 15,220 steps, 33 floors (hill during walk) 6.07 miles, 104 minutes of exercise, but only 1990 (blue) calorie burn.

I want an all green day too!

But seriously, congratulations!!!

 

[Amy SF]

@KLS52 - HOW DO YOU GET YOUR CALORIES IN THE GREEN??? For the life of me, no matter how many steps I get, I cannot get my calories in the green! Yesterday I had an excellent day too (best day in a long time) - 15,220 steps, 33 floors (hill during walk) 6.07 miles, 104 minutes of exercise, but only 1990 (blue) calorie burn.

I want an all green day too!

But seriously, congratulations!!!

It’s a mystery to me, too. My daily calorie goal is set at 1100, but I’ve been so focused on meeting and surpassing my other goals that I easily exceed my calorie goal as well.