Happy Summer Solstice!

Is there anything better than the longest day of the year?  Sun still shining at 9 pm and people out and about shopping, dining, etc.  In the middle of winter, I'm already getting ready for bed at 9 pm.

Tomorrow is the Solstice Parade in Fremont. 

My best friend recently moved back to the Seattle area after retiring in Palm Springs for several years.  She moved into an apartment in Fremont with a beautiful view that also looks down on the street where the parade takes place.  So my hub is going to take care of the pups and I'm going to spend the day and overnight with her and her daughter.  I've never been, so it should be so fun! 

I'll post some photos of the parade and festivities next week.

Have a great Summer!

 

I ate a healthy donut!

If I'm gonna eat a donut, it's got to be this kind

This week was stellar in terms of diet and exercise.

I worked out every day and ate healthy.  Even the donut I ate last night on the way home was healthy.

WHAT?  YOU ATE A DONUT?  That can't possibly be okay.  But it was.  In fact it was more than just okay. 

I have a history of eating disorders and donuts have always been one of my "struggle" foods.  So it's even more surprising that I can honestly describe that donut as "healthy." 

Yesterday, we did leg day at the gym and I almost died (but in a good way).  Then I ate well during the day, so early in the afternoon, I was feeling great.

But it was hot and muggy (in the 90's) and our office does not have air conditioning, and it started to get pretty uncomfortable around 3:30 pm.  I had a lot of work to get done, so I wasn't paying attention to water intake and I don't think I kept as hydrated I should have.  By the end of the work day around 6 pm, I was soooo tired and I had developed a slight headache.  (And I never get headaches.) Even though I downed some water, the headache persisted.

On the way home, I had to stop at the grocery store to get something for a recipe my husband was making for dinner.  As I entered the parking lot, I said to myself, "I have a headache and I think a donut will make it better."   Yes, I actually said that to myself.

I was listening to my body, and it told me I needed a donut.  There was no emotional component.  I didn't argue with myself over whether I would get fat if I ate the donut, or whether I deserved the donut because I had worked out hard that day.  I wasn't wanting a donut because I was sad or frustrated or angry. So I bought one old fashioned donut out of the bakery case.  (If they hadn't had that kind, I don't know what I would have bought instead.)

I ate that donut in my car on the way home and it really did help my headache.  Then at home, I ate a normal dinner, went to bed early, and this morning I felt great.

So that donut was healthy.  The amazing thing is I finally feel as if I am somewhat normalizing my relationship with food.  The bottom line for me is that it's OKAY to have a donut once in a while.

I hope that some day eating a donut will be so normal for me that I won't even have to write a blog post about it.   

Out with the Old

Update on my last post:  The bad news is I didn't stick to my IF schedule, because I would just get too hungry in the afternoon.  The good news is I haven't had any Scottie dogs in the afternoon, or any candy for that matter. When I got hungry, I'd eat some beef jerky, some apple slices, some pumpkin seeds, or something like that to tide me over until dinner.  So I guess that's a win.  

Earlier this week, I started thinking about all the clothes I have in a closet in the basement.  Clothes I haven’t worn for years, taking up space.  Suits and slacks and blazers, because when I wasn’t wearing my uniform, I used to have to dress up for work.  Now that I work in an offsite building and have different duties, for the most part no one sees me except coworkers.   I absolutely hate waistbands now, so I mostly wear leggings and tunics.
 

I asked my husband what he thought I should do with all those old clothes.  He said, get rid of it all!  So I spent the weekend looking through everything I haven’t worn in ages.  I ended up taking 3 huge boxes to Goodwill this morning.

The suits and slacks were from 10-15 years ago.  The pants were all wide legged and out of style!  Before I put them in the boxes, though, I did try on two pairs of the suit pants, size 10, and they fit.  So my waist size hasn’t really changed that much.  On the other hand, the blazers and jackets were too tight in the arms and across the back.  I also looked at a bunch of my fancy evening clothes, dresses and such. Again, some of the fitted tops and dresses just didn't fit right. It appears I'm more broad shouldered than I was just a few years ago, no doubt from lifting weights.

It felt good to get rid of all those old things that weren't right for me anymore, and I hope someone else will get some use from them.  It's really nice to have room in my closets to see what I have and to know that what's there is something I might actually wear.  Plus now there's room for new stuff (lol)!  
    

Yes, my waist is approximately the same size as 15 years ago.  But...as I’ve aged and I'm now 66, I definitely don’t have the "defined" waist line I used to have.    It's weird.  How can I still wear the same size pants but have (what appears to be) a thicker waist? 

The fact is, I have a layer of fat around my middle and it sticks out in front, and I hate it.  It's not really soft, it's kind of sturdy feeling, but it's definitely fat.  So I'm thicker around my middle.  I think it’s called visceral fat, and I have a lot more than I used to.  Thanks, Mother Nature!   My understanding is that as women age, hormonal changes cause belly fat to increase.  As much as I work out and eat right, it’s frustrating and in fact, visceral fat is a more dangerous type of fat.    I’m pretty good at disguising it, but I know it’s there even if no one else does. I would never have liposuction, so I guess I’m stuck with it.  

I know you can't "spot reduce," but has anyone had any luck with reducing their belly fat?  I need to be careful about getting too restrictive with myself, because that has its own dangers.  So I'm not sure that eating less or more exercise are the answers for me.  

But I'd be happy to add something more to my routine.  Any vitamins or supplements that might help?  Maybe less weight lifting and more cardio?  Any ideas?

No, this is not me. It is Marilyn Monroe, who was so beautiful and had a belly! I'd love to look like her.