Khuja gets back in her groove (hopefully)

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

Hubby was recently fully diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 (he's be prediabetic for a while now but the pills for his suvar don't seem to be helping). Amd he asked me to get him some meal replacement shakes for his breakfast instead of the conbini food or donuts he'd been getting. He also brought up swapping white bread for wheat, and, wonder of wonders, quitting caffeine!!!

I'm sure if he'd just walk or use my elliptical a little it'd help his numbers. He's already quit most of his junk foods, and cut down on the number of mountain dews, so that's progress. But that's happened over the past two years.

Hopefully he'll see how exercise has been making me feel and want to do it himself. I'm worried about my numbers, since I had gestational diabetes with my youngest. But everytime I check my sugar, it's ~85, so far nothing to worry about.
My eating has been back on track, as is exercise, studying, and water. Still no changes other than improved mood.

[Grumble]

1 hour ago, Khuja said:

Still no changes other than improved mood is my first change.

 

FTFY

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

 
FTFY

Lol, Thanks Grumble

[Grumble]

22 minutes ago, Khuja said:

27 minutes ago, Grumble said:

 
FTFY

Lol, Thanks Grumble

 

[CourtnieMarie]

sorry to hear about your husband - but also glad he is looking to make changes! it took my significant other (SO) probably a year to come around to the workout train. here's hoping he can find some movement he enjoys!

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

Hubby actually asked to use my gym tonight. I went and worked out with him, I did half of my Friday routine while he did what he felt like doing. He wants to start walking and using my gym daily and take Wednesday and Saturday off.

It made me happy that he suggested it. Today was my off day, spent the day running around like a headless chicken. I didn't get my bike ride in. But the half a workout helped. I love my lifting. (Even if I'm not good at it yet) I'll be even happier if he sticks to it, he usually doesn't.

But I'm not pressuring him or anything, just doing my own thing. I've kinda crashed this challenge, I will do another one for February and hole it goes even better.

Every little bit helps! Have to remember that....

[Grumble]

On 1/27/2018 at 8:26 PM, Khuja said:

Hubby actually asked to use my gym tonight. I went and worked out with him, I did half of my Friday routine while he did what he felt like doing. He wants to start walking and using my gym daily and take Wednesday and Saturday off.

 

Teach your ways oh mighty sorceress!

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

 
Teach your ways oh mighty sorceress!

Dunno what triggered him to actually want to use it, as I've been offering use of my gym since I put it together. Only thing I can think of, is the direness of the situation finally made it through his thick skull. Though, last night he was working on his 951, and didn't pay attention to the time, so it became too late for him to use it and still make it to bed on time. (He's the reason I get up at 0500.) WellWe'll see if he uses it tonight. I've decided to keep to my routine, and when he goes, go out there and use my heavy bag and elliptical, so he has full access to the weights.

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

TL;DR Halp!! I can't *won't* eat fruits and veggies.

 

Halp! I've been doing my plans, and keeping to my calorie goal, but I need to level up my eating habits.

 

I've cut caffeine, all sources, food and drink

I have a Sprite like once a week now, if that

I eat out once a week maximum, sometimes not that much

I've cut most processed foods out, for the whole family, I go find homemade recipe knockoffs for old from the box things

I've cut breads/rice down to a once a week thing (medium grain rice and shoyu is my soulfood...)

I have removed most sources of added sugar, I get sick to my stomach if I eat very sweet things, like cake and such.

 

It's a lot healthier than before(these changes have taken place over several years), but I can't figure out how to get to like veggies... I've got a bag of riced cauliflower in the freezer, but am too nervous to try it. Same for the sweet potato I bought and the red, yellow and orange bell peppers I bought for stir fry. I will eat potatoes, mushroom, black olives, some beans, ummm..meat! Meat's a veggie, right?? I'll take a boar roast and a mug of ale!! *Looks around nervously*

 

I cook for 6 people, one is diabetic(hubby), one has very little appetite (the 15yo), one takes after hubby in her eating habits(the older 9yo twin, if he likes it, she will), one is overweight for her age(the younger 9yo twin), and one has turned super picky (the 5yo).

 

I know my being picky doesn't help, but they will eat corn amd green beans, but aren't fond of beans. We have a rule, you are not allowed to say - nasty, eww, gross, make gagging noises, yuck, or any other descriptor for I don't like. They are allowed to say the don't care for whatever, but only after trying it once at least.

 

In my defense, I did try a small piece of raw cabbage this weekend, hubby claimed it didn't count since it was raw and not his boiled cabbage. I actually didn't mind it.

 

The thing with most fruit and veggies for me is the texture. I like chips, and battered meat, but I have a hard time getting used to the crunch that some fruits and veggies give. Smells - boiled cabbage and bananas.

 

 

 

 

 

[RedStone]

16 hours ago, Khuja said:

Dunno what triggered him to actually want to use it, as I've been offering use of my gym since I put it together. Only thing I can think of, is the direness of the situation finally made it through his thick skull. 

 

We recently went through something similar with Mr Red. He had some pretty serious medical issues finally come to a head last year, to a point where he couldn't ignore them anymore, and finally, FINALLY, started taking better care of himself after however many decades of pssht. It's frustrating that it required a 911 call to get him to that point, but I'm grateful that he's 7 or 8 months into better self care now and the difference is really showing. Best to you both.

 

4 hours ago, Khuja said:

TL;DR Halp!! I can't *won't* eat fruits and veggies.

 

4 hours ago, Khuja said:

The thing with most fruit and veggies for me is the texture. I like chips, and battered meat, but I have a hard time getting used to the crunch that some fruits and veggies give. Smells - boiled cabbage and bananas.

 

How do you feel about veggies hidden in delicious stuff like smoothies? I find that a good ninja type blender can make magical things happen... 

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

 
How do you feel about veggies hidden in delicious stuff like smoothies? I find that a good ninja type blender can make magical things happen... 

As long as it's not bananas. I tried that and the smell made me gag. Are the Ninjas worth it? Are they as good as they claim? And thoughts on the kids seeing me drink my veggies versus eating them?

[RedStone]

7 hours ago, Khuja said:

As long as it's not bananas. I tried that and the smell made me gag. Are the Ninjas worth it? Are they as good as they claim? And thoughts on the kids seeing me drink my veggies versus eating them?

 

Lol I hear ya, if you don't like a thing, why force it? I'll make smoothies with greek yogurt as a base, or just water and ice. I know lots of people use milk or non dairy versions. Protein powders for flavor etc, an then whatever freggies you're looking to get in. I like berries with everything cause the flavors mask stuff like spinach. I also like carrots and apples, celery does kind of a cool things too  There are tons of recipes online, and I think I've even seen some neat ways to hide veggies in things like using cauliflower in mac and cheese  Might be worth a google  

 

We have a nutribullet and I love it! (I dunno why I said ninja... I still say Circuit City when I mean Best Buy...) I use it for everything.

 

Kids... that seems like a pretty personal parenting preference, but imo being creative about doing the things you have to do, and finding a fun and tasty way to do it seems like a win to me 

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

1 hour ago, RedStone said:

 

Lol I hear ya, if you don't like a thing, why force it? I'll make smoothies with greek yogurt as a base, or just water and ice. I know lots of people use milk or non dairy versions. Protein powders for flavor etc, an then whatever freggies you're looking to get in. I like berries with everything cause the flavors mask stuff like spinach. I also like carrots and apples, celery does kind of a cool things too  There are tons of recipes online, and I think I've even seen some neat ways to hide veggies in things like using cauliflower in mac and cheese  Might be worth a google  

 

We have a nutribullet and I love it! (I dunno why I said ninja... I still say Circuit City when I mean Best Buy...) I use it for everything.

 

Kids... that seems like a pretty personal parenting preference, but imo being creative about doing the things you have to do, and finding a fun and tasty way to do it seems like a win to me 

When I was trying smoothies, I found baby spinach to be the most palatable, it tasted the least like how fresh cut grass smells. I gave it up cos it seemed too costly at the time, I still  have a ton of protein powder and powdered peanut butter I could use...  Might look into it again. What does celery do?

[Grumble]

15 hours ago, Khuja said:

and battered meat,

 

Thank goodness for @RedStone, cause I wasn't going to be any help after reading about battered meat. 

[CourtnieMarie]

the cauliflower rice is easy to cook up in a delicious way! i would sautee it in a pan with some fat/oil for 3-5 minutes, any longer and it gets mushy. you could sautee some of those peppers first with some scrambled egg and have a fried "rice" type dish. add lots of whatever seasoning you like with maybe some soy sauce (or substitute) or worcestershire sauce.

 

for the sweet potato, i am a lazy cook and just scrub my potatoes then dice. skip the peeling step. no one's going to notice once its roasted or tossed into a stew. throw it in a meaty stew!

 

baby spinach is by far the easiest vegetable I've found to work with. base of a salad, wilted in scrambled eggs, sauteed with garlic, tossed into soups, chilis, stews, or used in smoothies. i add it to meaty tomato sauce often.

 

cabbage is very versatile as well and does not always need to be boiled and emit that boiled cabbage smell! I found this Meat Slop recipe a few years ago and really love it. It makes a tons and should definitely feed your fam. I also do a variation of this Chop Suey recipe with regular green cabbage and it's delicious!

 

I would start with one or two veggies per week that you maybe haven't tried in awhile and google recipes that have that veggie in it - not as a star of the show. you'd be surprised how much a vegetable doesn't taste like a vegetable when added to casseroles or stews or tomato sauce (i have added almost EVERY vegetable to meaty tomato sauces).

 

and one more final note to this long-winded veggie response! if you ever want to try veggies on their own, i recommend roasting them. properly roasted veggies are much more delicious than steamed or even sauteed!

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

the cauliflower rice is easy to cook up in a delicious way! i would sautee it in a pan with some fat/oil for 3-5 minutes, any longer and it gets mushy. you could sautee some of those peppers first with some scrambled egg and have a fried "rice" type dish. add lots of whatever seasoning you like with maybe some soy sauce (or substitute) or worcestershire sauce.
 
for the sweet potato, i am a lazy cook and just scrub my potatoes then dice. skip the peeling step. no one's going to notice once its roasted or tossed into a stew. throw it in a meaty stew!
 
baby spinach is by far the easiest vegetable I've found to work with. base of a salad, wilted in scrambled eggs, sauteed with garlic, tossed into soups, chilis, stews, or used in smoothies. i add it to meaty tomato sauce often.
 
cabbage is very versatile as well and does not always need to be boiled and emit that boiled cabbage smell! I found this Meat Slop recipe a few years ago and really love it. It makes a tons and should definitely feed your fam. I also do a variation of this Chop Suey recipe with regular green cabbage and it's delicious!
 
I would start with one or two veggies per week that you maybe haven't tried in awhile and google recipes that have that veggie in it - not as a star of the show. you'd be surprised how much a vegetable doesn't taste like a vegetable when added to casseroles or stews or tomato sauce (i have added almost EVERY vegetable to meaty tomato sauces).
 
and one more final note to this long-winded veggie response! if you ever want to try veggies on their own, i recommend roasting them. properly roasted veggies are much more delicious than steamed or even sauteed!

That is a ton of info, thanks CM! *Makes notes in her planner*

[Grumble]

1 hour ago, CourtnieMarie said:

if you ever want to try veggies on their own, i recommend roasting them. properly roasted veggies are much more delicious than steamed or even sauteed!

 

Except mushrooms. Mushrooms are like little veggie sponges and I dare you to not like them sauteed in duck fat. Unless you're not a meat eater, then do your thing. But sauteed mushrooms...

 

That's not drool, I spilled.

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

 
Except mushrooms. Mushrooms are like little veggie sponges and I dare you to not like them sauteed in duck fat. Unless you're not a meat eater, then do your thing. But sauteed mushrooms...
 
That's not drool, I spilled.

Yum, sauteed mushrooms... *Gets the mop out for the drool*

[Deckard Gainz]

On 1/31/2018 at 12:29 PM, CourtnieMarie said:

the cauliflower rice is easy to cook up in a delicious way! i would sautee it in a pan with some fat/oil for 3-5 minutes, any longer and it gets mushy. you could sautee some of those peppers first with some scrambled egg and have a fried "rice" type dish. add lots of whatever seasoning you like with maybe some soy sauce (or substitute) or worcestershire sauce.

 

for the sweet potato, i am a lazy cook and just scrub my potatoes then dice. skip the peeling step. no one's going to notice once its roasted or tossed into a stew. throw it in a meaty stew!

 

baby spinach is by far the easiest vegetable I've found to work with. base of a salad, wilted in scrambled eggs, sauteed with garlic, tossed into soups, chilis, stews, or used in smoothies. i add it to meaty tomato sauce often.

 

cabbage is very versatile as well and does not always need to be boiled and emit that boiled cabbage smell! I found this Meat Slop recipe a few years ago and really love it. It makes a tons and should definitely feed your fam. I also do a variation of this Chop Suey recipe with regular green cabbage and it's delicious!

 

I would start with one or two veggies per week that you maybe haven't tried in awhile and google recipes that have that veggie in it - not as a star of the show. you'd be surprised how much a vegetable doesn't taste like a vegetable when added to casseroles or stews or tomato sauce (i have added almost EVERY vegetable to meaty tomato sauces).

 

and one more final note to this long-winded veggie response! if you ever want to try veggies on their own, i recommend roasting them. properly roasted veggies are much more delicious than steamed or even sauteed!

 

Quoting this whole post because it's awesome.

 

Cauliflower is the best. Seriously, you can do so much with it. You can blend it into a mashed potato substitute. For what it's worth, I like mashed cauliflower much better than mashed potatoes. Riced cauliflower is great. Sometimes we fry it in coconut oil and it gives it a unique kinda sweet flavor that's a little different. We've also done a baked cauliflower casserole with bacon that kinda resembles a cheesy potato casserole.

 

If you have a sweet tooth or want to try a somewhat healthier dessert option with the sweet potato, you could try this sort of thing: Brown sugar-glazed sweet potatoes with marshmellows. Or just cut them up in a bunch of pieces and bake them and eat them. Sweet potatoes are basically Health Candy.

 

Oh and for cabbage, what about cole slaw? There are a bunch of great recipes for asian slaw out there. They've usually got ramen and nuts in there and all sorts of stuff to make it delicious.

[Scaly Freak]

I'm going to echo roasting your veggies here as well. It makes them sweeter.

 

I've been doing roasted carrots a lot lately. After roasting, I toss them a little bit of syrupy agave and add salt and fresh ground pepper. Satisfies the sweet tooth, and the demand for veggies with dinner.

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

How exactly do you roast veggies?

[Scaly Freak]

1 hour ago, Khuja said:

How exactly do you roast veggies?

 

Put the oven at 400 F/200 Celsius, and cut your veggies into inch-sized pieces. (In the metric system, that's about 2-3 cm per piece).

 

Scatter the veggies over the oven sheet/pan (link below). Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and then sprinkle salt and fresh ground black pepper over them, and stir things up so the veggie are coated in the oil and seasonings. Put into the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on veggie pieces size.

 

My veggie roasting sheets: https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Natural-Aluminum-Commercial/dp/B0049C2S32

 

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

 
Put the oven at 400 F/200 Celsius, and cut your veggies into inch-sized pieces. (In the metric system, that's about 2-3 cm per piece).
 
Scatter the veggies over the oven sheet/pan (link below). Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and then sprinkle salt and fresh ground black pepper over them, and stir things up so the veggie are coated in the oil and seasonings. Put into the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on veggie pieces size.
 
My veggie roasting sheets: https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Natural-Aluminum-Commercial/dp/B0049C2S32
 

I'll have to try that out, thanks Scalyfreak.

[CourtnieMarie]

 

8 hours ago, Khuja said:

15 hours ago, scalyfreak said:

 
Put the oven at 400 F/200 Celsius, and cut your veggies into inch-sized pieces. (In the metric system, that's about 2-3 cm per piece).
 
Scatter the veggies over the oven sheet/pan (link below). Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and then sprinkle salt and fresh ground black pepper over them, and stir things up so the veggie are coated in the oil and seasonings. Put into the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on veggie pieces size.
 
My veggie roasting sheets: https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Natural-Aluminum-Commercial/dp/B0049C2S32
 

I'll have to try that out, thanks Scalyfreak.

 

yup! that's exactly how i do it! ...and i have the same baking sheet! i do put foil down (easy clean up) and spray the foil before putting veggies on them.

[Khuja, Dwarf Tank]

 
 
yup! that's exactly how i do it! ...and i have the same baking sheet! i do put foil down (easy clean up) and spray the foil before putting veggies on them.

I'm a firm believer in parchment paper... Works wonders on things in the oven.