Back to the Grind

Well - I am home. Actually, I was home yesterday - but I didn't count it as being home home until I weighed myself this morning. Ugh. Apparently eating three large meals a day and spending most of my time in a folding chair with a banjo in my hands is NOT condusive to weight loss. I was up to 230 this morning. I am HOPING that the bulk of that was from two days of long drives (Saturday Brasstown to Blacksburg, Sunday Blacksburg to Reisterstown). I always gain weight when I drive because a) I eat snack foods instead of meals b) I don't drink enough water (or anything in fact) and c) I try not to stop to go to the bathroom. Bad habit.

Anyway - I hope my weight will drop for weigh in tomorrow. I have to get myself back into the habit of paying attention to what I eat - EATING enough - and (new thing!) switching to healthier snacks. Actually - all in all my snacks tend to be healthy, but I had a bunch of those 100 calories packs of stuff for my trip and so have been eating them. Also - I discovered a box of Samoas left in my pantry (I think the tooth fairy must have left them, because that is NOT the type of thing I overlook!!!) and so I ate them a few days before I left for my trip. Prior to THAT I was still working on Christmas cookies. So - healthier snacks are called for. Since I know that fruits and vegetables do NOT cut it as far as snacking goes (seriously, in most cases I would rather eat nothing!). I already eat pistachio nuts, and made some really GOOD trail mix that I also took on my trip (walnuts, pecans, raisins, and a premixed trail mix that included dried fruits and chocolate chips) but I think I need some other ideas. I was thinking of making custard. That can't be too bad - I mean, eggs and milk... Maybe I will reduce the amount of sugar and increase the flavoring. Anyone else have ideas? Maybe bran muffins - or some kind of fruit muffins?

Getting to the gym is the other challenge for me. I have only been maybe twice in January. I did some minimal working out at home - but otherwise it was all a bunch of nothing! I was noticing it on the hills at Banjo camp. I kept getting out of breath. Horrible! I was thinking of making exercise my lenten resolution. Kind of like the 12 days of Christmas thing that we did. I was thinking of the 40 days of Lent. I don't know if I can sustain for 40 days. Maybe I will do it for the 40 week days of lent - I get off on Saturday and Sunday. I can probably do that.

Katie and I are going meatless again for Lent - fish allowed. I am not going to make it a lenten resolution - but I think I need to start going gluten free again. I really noticed a difference down at the Folk School, where most of the foods were made with white flour rather than the whole grain I have become accustomed to. My stomach is definitely happier with less gluten!

But - tomorrow is Mardi Gras! Pancakes for dinner - and bacon of course!! After that I will focus on being VERY VERY good. 8-)