Sixth Monthly Assessment - June 30th

Wow, I'm at the halfway point of my year of good health.  Must admit my attention has wandered from writing posts lately - I've been busy quilting, playing golf, planning vacations and just enjoying sitting around reading.  And along with not writing posts, I haven't been doing all the things I've been writing about either.  Too hot to walk, tired of making bone broth and almond-flour muffins, eating my "cheat day" grilled cheese sandwich after golf...  I've gained a pound, to 129, although I did see as low as 126 on the scale a week or two ago.  Waist still the same at 31 1/2.  Skinny capri pants by the way, that I've had for several years and not been able to wear  : )

January 31st

June 30th

January 31st

June 30th

What is going well?

• Still enjoying my daily salad, especially with green and red lettuce from the garden and tomatoes from the Aerogarden.  My new favorite salad is greens with chopped apple, celery, pecans, and tomatoes, with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
• I had quite a few wine-free days this month, and love how they are followed by a really good sleep.
• Ordered a pair of slacks in size 10 (LL Bean) and they fit!
• Took a very long walk (10+ miles) with a nice stop at Starbucks at the halfway point.  I went early so it felt cool and lovely as I walked south along Lake Washington.  (Hot and sweaty later on the north-bound leg along Coal Creek Parkway, but there was more shade than I expected.)
• My golf has improved!  Got 7 pars in 18 holes (very easy par 3 course).

So why did I gain weight?

• Oops - I seem to have replaced my cocktail-hour wine with those bottled Starbucks frappuccinos.  They are sooooo delicious and sooooo not good for me!
• I've gotten cocky about the weight loss and stopped planning ahead and making sure I have veggies, fish, etc. ready to eat when I'm hungry.
• I've been eating eggs and sausage for breakfast with Stan instead of making my own veggie-full breakfasts.
• I've been drinking two big thermal mugs of coffee with milk or cream every day.
• I've been less careful when eating out, ordering whatever sounds good and eating a piece of bread, too.
• I've been skipping most of my walks as it's already hot by the time I'm ready to go.

And what am I going to do about it?

• Plan and shop more.  Remember the tasty items I had early on, like paleo zucchini muffins, and make more.
• Drink more tea (which I take black), less coffee
• Make my own breakfasts - eggs with cabbage, sausage with apple and sauerkraut, yogurt with berries.
• Get out walking early
• Order more carefully when eating out.
• This is going to be hard - give up the frappuccinos without starting up on wine again!!
• Consciously enjoy how good it feels to put on clothes that look nice and aren't too tight.  Remember there are lots of delicious things to eat that are also good for me!

I took Stan to Canlis for his birthday.  It's supposed to be the best restaurant in Seattle, and it was wonderful!  There were a lot of waitstaff and they were busy and well organized.  When they brought something, two came at once so they put our plates or drinks down at exactly the same time.  They explained what each course was, and about the wines.  (Yes, wine, but I only had two glasses, including the one in the piano bar before dinner.)  We got there early because I thought it would take a very long time to get to that location through the evening rush hour.  (Upper Queen Anne, just before the Aurora Bridge.  We did miss it the first time and wind up going over the bridge, but fortunately it was pretty easy to turn around, and the trip was easier than I expected.)

We gave the whole experience 5 stars.  (Also 5 dollar signs, of course, but a lovely experience.)