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Tag Archives: weight loss goals

Short Run, Sunday Post

I have not gone running for two weeks. At my age, that is far too long. This morning, despite the cold, I ran. So how about a Running Commentary Post in lieu of my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday? It won’t be a very long post, because it was not a very long run. What do you want from an overweight, middle-aged lady?

I had not planned on running. The roads are still covered with snow and ice, which is what deterred me all last week (it was my own laziness the week before). And it was frigid cold. Double digits, but barely. It was 11 degrees according to my thermostat, which often reads warmer than the actual outdoor temperature. I figured after two weeks it would be like starting all over anyways, so why not wait a few more days?

As the morning wore on, however, I damn well felt like it. I was, I realized, sick of not running. So I got into running clothes and went. In addition to leggings, long sleeves, a hat and gloves, I put a scarf around my neck and wore a zip-up sweatshirt.

Of course the scarf was not the miracle I was hoping for. My neck was warm, but I could not get it to properly cover my cheeks. Yes, it was face-hurting cold. Never mind, I told myself. Just go for 15 minutes. 15 minutes. Nobody could ask for more in this cold. Oh, well, I guess somebody could.

I started out running in the road but switched to the sidewalk on German Street, which usually has more traffic. The sidewalks were snow-covered rather than icy. This was excellent, I told myself. Look how much effort it takes to run in the snow. I would burn all kind of calories!

It did not take long for that to get old, and I switched back to the road when I turned down a side street. I went back and forth between sidewalk and road, snowy and bare, as the opportunity offered. Other than my face and my hands, I didn’t feel too bad. It was worse for my hands when I would take off my gloves to pull a tissue out of my pocket and blow my nose. Sometimes, I pulled my fingers into the palms of the gloves and made fists. That’s an old army trick to get warm.

I ended up running 16 minutes, 17 seconds, 1.22 miles, according to my Garmin. I tracked my cool down walk with the Garmin, too: 9 minutes, 46 seconds, .46 miles. I walked through more effort-inducing snow on the cool down. It felt pretty good, and my recovery beverage of chocolate mild tasted really good.

For the rest of tne day, I proceeded to eat like the huge honking hogger I am, thus negating the calorie-burning benefits of the run, but let us not dwell on such negativity. I ran. I wrote a blog post. It is a good Sunday.

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Hey, Paesano’s!

Does everybody get that headline?  It is from a Lou Monte song that starts, “Hey, Paesano, twist Italiano, whoa-oh-oh-oh!”  I used to drive by Paesano’s Pizzeria in Mohawk  on my way home from work.  When I had a job.  Today on Facebook, they offered 20 percent off to all the workers laid off from my place of employment.  How nice!  I decided if they were going to support me, I would support them.

I knew only a slight hesitation, because, you know, weight loss goals.  Additionally, I had made myself pizza for dinner twice in the last week (should have done a cooking post!).  Then I thought: antipasto salad!  Of course!  I ordered 10 garlic wings as well, because, yum.

Mohawk has an old fashioned looking Main Street.

I made my order by phone and tried to do a few chores while I waited the 25 minutes the guy said it would take.  Mohawk is a very short drive away.  I paused outside to take a picture and to pet a passing dog.

I repeat: Yum!

The salad came with some delicious garlic bread.  I greatly enjoyed my meal and have leftovers for tomorrow.  Or later tonight!

Paesano’s Pizzeria is located at 8 W. Main St., Mohawk, NY, phone number 315-866-0333.  They are open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

 

Weight Loss Goals? What Weight Loss Goals?

The day after making a yummy salad with locally grown produce, we sent out for pizza, wings AND cookies from Salvatore’s Pizzeria in Herkimer. On the brighter side, I can give another shout-out to a local business.  On the darker side, my weight loss goals become merely weight loss daydreams.

It was Steven’s idea.  No, it really was!  I did not try very hard to dissuade him.  In my defense, Steven’s appetite is so capricious these days, when he actually gets a yen to eat something, I feel I ought to encourage it.  Additionally, we like to support a local business.  Stop laughing at me for rationalizing!  As if YOU never eat pizza (you know who you are).

Where was I?  Ah yes, feeling full and happy.  We got a small garlic pizza with sausage and black olives, chicken wings Siciliano, and two large chocolate chip cookies.  I had one slice of pizza and three wings, and, yes, I ate a cookie.  I make no promises regarding the leftovers.

We got delivery, which is always prompt and friendly.  Many of us have been sending out for food more often since the pandemic.  You can get that little frisson of virtue from supporting the local economy.  We are not sending out as often as we did in previous months, so I felt happy to do so today.

I am planning an extra long run tomorrow.  Additionally,  I still have a salad and other vegetables in my refrigerator.  I will get back on the path to my weight loss goals!  In the meantime,  I confess to having enjoyed this evening’s little detour.

Salvatore’s Pizzeria and Restaurant is located at 650 1/2 W. German St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-2600.  You can Like them on Facebook.  I certainly did!

 

Produce-tive Sunday

I have been wanting to up my salad intake to help meet my weight loss goals.  Naturally I wanted to boost a local business as well.  With that in mind, I headed to Jiuliano Farms on Rt. 5 in Schuyler, NY.

I wasn’t sure this would be a good picture, but I guess it turned out OK.

I got some peppers, blueberries, grape tomatoes, milk and cheese.

Loves me some blueberries.

They have tables to sit down at, to enjoy some coffee and a danish.  Yes, I got a couple of turnovers for good measure.

Yum!

I also left my Tablet and notebook at the cash register and had to hurry back in to get it.  They had nicely set it aside for me.  I am such a ninny!

A few more goodies I had to pick from.

I also drove to Little Falls to AW Greenhouse Garden.  I purchased some Johnny Jump-ups from them earlier in the year.  Now they are selling produce, along with the cheeses, sauces and dips they also offer.

 

I did not need onions, but those were some nice looking red ones!

I got some Roma tomatoes, banana peppers, and pickling cucumbers.  Full disclosure:  I plan to eat the cucumbers un-pickled.

I was also tempted by the great big tomatoes.

At the last minute I grabbed some cheese curds, of which I ate a few on my way home.  I am really looking forward to the salads I plan to make!

Juliano Farms is located at  2357 State Rte. 5 in Schuyler, NY.   AW Greenhouse Garden is at 463 W. Main St. in Little Falls.  You can Like them both on Facebook.

 

No Sweat: It’s Lame Post Friday!

And yet, I am gaining weight. Go figure.

I will try not to spend this entire post whining about the heat and humidity, but no promises.  Sharing the above picture reminded me of a high school friend who used to quote Shakespeare referring to her midsection: “Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself to dew.”  Is there a problem with spending an entire post lamenting my weight gain worries?

The beauty part is that today is Lame Post Friday,  so I am going to call whatever I come up with OK, as long as it runs to 200 words.  Maybe another picture would pep things up.

I think they are pretty.

I have been watering my Johnny Jump-ups and my container garden almost every day.  The forecast keeps promising rain and even thunder storms, but they seem to bypass me.  I keep thinking I should take an updated picture but have not done it yet.  And no, I can’t run out and do it now, because it is dark out.

Speaking of dark, I will be glad when we start to get a little more of it.  I’m sure that is an unpopular opinion, but I usually am out of step with the rest of the world (you may have noticed).  Mostly I am looking forward to a later sunrise.  That way, when I go running in the morning, I can begin my run in the dark and end it in the light.  I love that.

Ooh, look, I am over 250 words.  I think I will just close with a picture.  Happy Friday, everyone!

A shot of my neighborhood being rained on, because I hear it starting to rain as I type this.

 

Shall We Blame My Attitude?

I have long maintained that it was useless to try to get anything done on a Sunday.  Once again, I have proven myself right.

Oh, I know all about self-fulfilling prophecies.  And please do not say, “Well, you never will with that attitude.”  For heaven’s sake, by that reasoning everybody can do anything they want if they only want it bad enough.  But let me not digress into these philosophical arguments with imaginary opponents.

I went for a long run this morning up a fairly challenging hill.  My first intent was to go for a slow, leisurely run, maybe even not very long, but I changed my mind as I went.  I told myself I could just run up the hill very slowly. Not that I ever at any time run very fast.

After a shower and breakfast, I made a tossed salad for the week.  I realized once again that my weight loss goals are more like daydreams, so once again I will renew my efforts at healthy eating.  Then I went to T & J’s Fruits and Vegetables for more tomatoes to make a macaroni salad,  which eventually I did.  More calories than the tossed salad, but so yummy and seasonal!

In the afternoon, I went with my friend Kim to the End Zone Pub and Grub.  We drank wine and I ordered the hamburger I had been craving for days.  I had French fries too, especially since Kim wanted to share those.  What was I saying about weight loss daydreams?  Oh well, as they say, tomorrow is another day.

Speaking of daydreams, you may have noticed that at no time did I mention writing.  I tried but failed.  I wrote a few paragraphs in the TV Journal and that was it.  But I mean to persevere.  At least I have managed a 300 word blog post.  An entertaining blog post?  Let’s not ask for miracles, not with my attitude.

 

Party Socks and Donuts!

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I wore my party socks.  I had no plans to actually, you know, party, but they matched my ensemble (pronounced “ahn-sahm”).  I always say, I have to take my happiness where I can find it.

I wore different sneakers when I went out.

Steven fancied some donuts, so I drove to the Friendly Bake Shop in Frankfort, NY.  I admit to feeling a little excited to drive as far as Frankfort.  I tried not to feel too melancholy thinking about other Frankfort destinations such as Heelpath Brewing, Fratello’s Pizzeria,  and Frankfort Free Library.

The little table wasn’t there today.

I made sure I had my mask on and obeyed their dictum of no more than two customers in the shop at a time.  I got a dozen donuts and a loaf of Italian bread.

YES, I ate a donut after I got home.  I KNOW it is not helpful for meeting my weight loss goals, but what do you want from me in these uncertain times?  Anyways, isn’t it mentally healthier to love ourselves as we are?  I can’t get into these philosophical questions on a Tuesday.

In any case, here is my shout out to Friendly Bake Shop,  122 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, 13340.  Phone number 315-894-8861.  They have more than just donuts and bread!

 

Great Run on a Gloomy Day

Here is the Running Commentary post I should have made yesterday!   I knew I had to run; I had not run for two days, and the Reindeer Run 5K is a week and a half away.  Additionally, I LIKE to run!  And I like best to run when I am in good shape to do so.  That means running on a regular basis even when I do not feel particularly inclined to do so.

As I left work, however, I did feel inclined to run.  For one reason, it was a grey, gloomy day, whereas yesterday had been bright and sunny.  I love a grey gloomy day.  Steven says I am part Addams (Morticia, not Ansel, of course).  It was not overly cold, either.  The roads and sidewalks were just as much of a mess, but one must deal with these things.

I wore my road-guard vest (that’s a reflective vest, for you civilians), because I knew I would be running in the road where the sidewalks were not plowed, blown or shoveled.  I made sure I was on the left side, facing traffic.  I like to give myself every advantage.  As I started, I remembered the good thing about running on snowy roads and sidewalks:  it takes more effort.  That mean it burns more calories!  Of course I mostly run for entertainment and general health reasons, but a little help towards my weight-loss goals is always welcome.

The run was great.  I was able to spend most of my time on the sidewalk, but I kept mostly to the lesser traveled streets just in case.  I had told myself that 20 minutes would be an acceptable run, then caught a second wind and decided to go for 25.  Then I got confused and ended up running for 26 minutes.

Hmm… this is not the most entertaining blog post I could have written. On the other hand, it isn’t overly long.  I think I’ll chalk it up to Wuss-out Wednesday and drive on.  I hope you are all have a swell mid week!

 

I’m Running Again!

Saturday Running Commentary is back!  I am running again!  I know, I know, some people never stop, even if they are in a play.  Well, I can’t live up to every standard, even the ones I set for myself.  As it happens, I was not going to start running again today; I was going to content myself with a walk.  However, after a cup of coffee and some solitaire (with an actual deck of cards, OF COURSE), I thought I would give it a try.

It was 46 degrees out, above the temperature I usually go with shorts and short sleeves, but having not been running for at least a couple of weeks (I did not torture myself by figuring out the exact amount), I went with leggings and long sleeves.  I put on a wide headband to cover my ears.  I figured my ears were likely to get cold.

Right away things did not feel so good.  I was prepared for that and hunkered down for a slow, easy run.  Which way should I go?  I saw a woman walking across the road from me on German Street so turned in the opposite direction.  I did not need to see a walker outpacing me.  About a block ahead of me was a man walking two dogs.  I wanted to pet those dogs!  I doubted I would catch up with them.  Then, too, I did not recognize the dogs as any I had petted previously.  You can’t pet just any dog.  I always ask permission first.

As it happened, they crossed Caroline Street before I caught up with them, and I turned down Caroline.  That was OK.  The way my body felt, it I stopped to pet a dog, there was no guarantee I would start up again. But I persevered.  Eventually my legs stopped complaining.  My breathing was not too bad at any point.  That meant I was setting the right pace, I think.  Or maybe it was too slow of a pace, but I prefer not to second guess myself about these things.  Yesterday I got quite out of breath walking up the stairs at work carrying my bag with my lunch, notebook, etc.  I think it is a good idea I started running again.

It occurred to me that one reason the run was not completely horrible was that I have been successful at taking off a few pounds.  Not as many pounds as I want to take off, of course, but I have been doing better lately than I have in previous months.  Let’s hear it for salad! Let’s do a little better in laying off the treats!

I ended up running 24 minutes and walking 11 for my cool-down.  I really like my cool-down walk.  For one reason, it feels AWESOME to walk after running, and I drink water, which tastes SO good.  Additionally, I feel it enhances my progress toward my weight-loss goals.  I figure after running, my metabolism is all kicked up, so that walk burns more calories than it otherwise would.  If you are an expert at these things (or think you are, because you read a Facebook meme), and feel this is not the case, kindly do not disillusion me.

So I have made a blog post Saturday morning.  If I make another one before the end of the day, I will be back to one blog post behind.  Hey, that could happen.  After a good run, I feel I can do a lot of things!

 

Well, That Didn’t Work Out

I had such a good plan for after work today.  I was going to come home and put in a load of laundry, so I would be certain to have a good pair of socks to wear to work tomorrow.  While the laundry ran, I would make guacamole for tomorrow’s lunch (I love a guacamole sammich).  Since I did not intend to use a recipe, I could then make a Tasty Tuesday blog post.  I had plenty of time before my 6:30 rehearsal (for Morning’s at Seven at Ilion Little Theatre).  IT!  COULD! WORK!

That last bit was a quote from Young Frankenstein, by the way, a very excellent and quotable movie.  But I digress.  I also wasted about ten minutes looking for a picture of Young Frankenstein I thought I had in my Media Library.  I am losing it,

As you may have guessed from the above paragraph, IT! DID! NOT! WORK!  Well, I got the laundry in the washer. I got the guacamole made (I don’t know that it was really guacamole, but it involved avocados, so I’ll call it that).  Then the dithering began.  I checked my email.  I messaged a couple of people on Facebook.  I made myself a sandwich for supper (it wasn’t good enough to rate the term “sammich”).  I looked at the newspaper while I ate it.  I was still hungry.

Regular readers know I am trying to lose weight, and I am experiencing some minor success.  It has not even been all that painful.  Therefore, I am completely flabbergasted that I found myself sitting on my couch, mowing down ginger snaps dipped in whipped topping. Oh, was I shoveling those suckers into the old pie-hole.  Once again, I have to say, What the Hell, me?

I put the laundry in the drier and went upstairs to take my shower, utterly disgusted with myself.  To add insult to injury, when I was getting dressed for rehearsal, I found a pair of socks perfectly suitable to wear to work tomorrow.  I could have skipped the damn laundry!

So here’s my stupid blog post.  As I read what I typed, it does not seem the afternoon was as disastrous as it felt (full disclosure:  still feels).  Never mind. I am going to call this a Bad Attituesday, hit Publish, and drive on, because I have to get ready for rehearsal.  Is it really only Tuesday?