RedPandaOne reporting for duty

[RedPandaOne]

After a 3 year hiatus I am back!! Hitting the restart button and beginning in the level ones again to get back into the swing of things. 

 

When I first joined I was about 170/175 pounds looking to slim down a bit and get into better shape. The challenges did help form some habits, but most have gone to the wayside (but, I still no longer snooze in the morning!). During my time off I have gained weight, now sitting at around 213 pounds (heaviest I got was 225). I'm still not convinced it was all diet and exercised based, I still think something medically caused a portion of it. But I'm not going to let that thinking hold me back.

 

I've got obstacles  to overcome. Mostly, no money for the gym, so all exercise needs to be home based, which is hard for me to do. Okay, and the fact that none of my workout clothes fit, so even if I could afford the gym, I can't dress for it. Also, a lot of what I like to do workout hurts now. Hula hooping hurts the right side of my abdomen (thinking it's the gallbladder, was diagnosed with gallbladder disease). Roller skating still hurts my ankle (just weak ankles I think). And then I've got the pinched nerve in my neck, that when I lift too much or do a repetitive motion with my right arm I start to lose the use of it. 

 

Oh yea, I'm in awesome shape here!

 

I know most of weight loss is done in the kitchen, so my goals are mostly diet involved. My kitchen is tiny and hot, so being in there isn't something I like to do, but mini goal to achieve! Here are my plans:

 

Goal 1: Cut back soda to one 12oz bottle a week

I've had this goal before. It's a hard one. But I did it once when I was on WW, and I only touched soda maybe once a month. I know I can do it. I believe it is the 12oz 6 packs that I buy. So, I'm thinking if I split one bottle between Saturday and Sunday that will help cut back. And then slowly adjust my goal to not even buying the soda at all! I'm addicted. Like, I'll see a friend drinking one and my mouth with start to water looking at it. At work I'm going to drink water with Mio in it to help with needing that flavor. 

 

Goal 2: Meal prep for work and include at least one fruit or vegetable 

One thing that helped me lose some weight was eating my largest meal at lunch time. My last job I was working 10 hour days until either 8:30 or 10pm, so I started bringing and eating my dinners at work. When I got home I usually had some sort of snack like cheese and crackers. This is something I want to keep up with my new job. So, on Sundays I want to meal prep for the week and make sure that I get a fruit or veggie in the meal. Since I moved out 2 1/2 or so years ago from my parents that has been sorely lacking. My go-to is chicken and broccoli. While I won't stop this, I need to come up with other options because it does get boring and that's when I start to stray and buy my lunch. 

 

Goal 3: Exercise 1-3x a week

I will start moving. I have a couple exercise videos that I want to try. With the new job I now have the time to work out at home too. I've got a range of 1-3 times a week because I need to see how my body (arm) reacts to it. I might need several days recovery time in the beginning. My weights are light at 3 pounds, so I *should* be okay. Fingers crossed. But moving at least once a week will be a huge improvement over what I do now! 

 

ENDGAME

Overall I want to be back in the 170 range for weight. However, I do know that you can lose several inches and not a single pound, so a goal of a 2-3 inch loss is also there. It's an either/or goal. My end goal is to be able to comfortably fit on the roller coasters at Universal and Disney come late October. I want to look at the pictures and not cringe. 

 

Current measurements

Weight - 213

Waist - 38.5

Hip - 52.5

[squeakyvalkyrie]

Welcome back!

[RedPandaOne]

Thank you!

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[Sylvaa]

So glad to see you back! Also, I can't believe you've really been away that long - it doesn't seem like it!

 

51 minutes ago, RedPandaOne said:

Goal 3: Exercise 1-3x a week

 

Totally reasonable with being realistic in what your body can currently do, but don't forget about just walking! It's not like super fun or exciting, but it will totally get your body used to moving again (and make the habit of setting aside that time for you). IIRC, you live in the city (is that still right?), so not sure if there are any parks around that you could use, but even on a treadmill or around your home would make a difference. 

[RedPandaOne]

but don't forget about just walking!

I totally forgot about walking. And my new place is about 3 blocks from a school with an open track! I'll have to figure out the hours and utilize that when I can. Thank you for that reminder.

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[Guzzi]

Following!!!!   

 

I might be able to offer some advice for the work dinners, our cooking facilities at work (back when I was working) consisted of just a microwave and a kettle!  What cooking implements do you have in your kitchen (job, oven, broiler, slow cooker etc) and do you have much space in your freezer?  

[JuiceeTarget]

Welcome back! I like your goals, they seem very doable. If you can get on track with the meal prep this challenge, maybe next challenge is to try a different recipe each week? Keep the chicken and the broccoli, but do something different with them each time. But, save that for when you've gotten into the rhythm of doing the meal prep.

 

[RedPandaOne]

Thank you for your offer Guzzi! Simple recipes are best. I dont have the skill or space for anything complicated. At work I have access to a microwave and a toaster oven. At home I have stove/oven, micowave, crockpot, and blender. So you know my limitations, here is a picture of my picture. In the far back you can see the one counter space I have

If you can get on track with the meal prep this challenge, maybe next challenge is to try a different recipe each week? Keep the chicken and the broccoli, but do something different with them each time.
 

I really like this idea! I need to write this down.

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[Guzzi]

Well, you have more worktop space that I had in my caravan so you should be good, lol!  

 

One of my staples for lunch at work was simply a steam-baggy of mixed veg with some cherry tomatoes, a source of protein (usually chicken or fish) and a dressing of some description.  This is an easy option than you can change up day to day depending on which veg or dressing you use.  I used to batch cook meat (using different marinades) them freeze them in individual portions so that I just had to grab a portion from the freezer whenever I needed a quick easy lunch at work. 

 

Another good option is on is to make pulled pork in the slow cooker (crockpot). Pork shoulder can be very cheap (way cheaper than chicken!) and it’s so easy to make!  I’ve tried dozens of different recipes for making pulled pork but tbh the best method I’ve found is just to use a couple of bottles of good quality BBQ sauce.  I use one bottle to cook the pork in, then, once the pork is cooked I drain off the liquid and add the second bottle of sauce.  You might get away with just one bottle if you’re cooking a smaller piece of pork.  I find pulled pork to be very versatile, it goes with a salad, makes awesome wraps or pittas (especially with salad and chilli mayo), you can serve it with rice etc. 

 

One pot meals like chilli, stews/casseroles, or bolognese that can be portioned out are awesome too.  You can also add a TON of veg into them.  If you have the freezer space then I highly recommend opting for frozen sliced veg (onions, peppers, mushrooms etc) because they save you time and money. I can share some recipes with you if you want?

[Hazard]

Welcome back, Panda.  You have a nice looking challenge. 

 

If you would please, go into your Tapatalk settings and turn your Tapatalk signature off.  Thanks!

 

On 5/21/2019 at 1:36 PM, RedPandaOne said:

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On 5/21/2019 at 2:23 PM, RedPandaOne said:

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

6 hours ago, RedPandaOne said:

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

 

[RedPandaOne]

 

17 hours ago, Hazard said:

If you would please, go into your Tapatalk settings and turn your Tapatalk signature off.  Thanks!

 

Sorry about that! I think I have it turned off now.
@Guzzi so many options! I will welcome any recipes you may think I may like. I love pulled pork, just have never made it myself. And that's because i dont know what to look for when in the grocery store.

 

[RedPandaOne]

I don't know if it's my eating or if it's giving up the ghost on it's own, but my gallbladder (or whatever is wrong) has been acting up on and off for the last several weeks. It started shortly after I started my new job so it could be stress related. I don't feel stressed, more bored actually, but mentally and physically I guess I could be processing it differently.

I *know* I should go to the hospital/doctor, but its proven useless in the past. By the time I get there the pain is gone and they dont know what's wrong with me. Last doctor thinks its gallbladder disease, but I dont think he was 100% positive.

As of this moment its uncomfortable, but I can guarantee in 2 hours when I leave work I'll be fine.

It's not consistent. I had a caesar salad and mozzarella sticks two weeks ago split over two days. Day 1 I was fine. Next day when I had the leftovers I was in pain.

I think I know a goal for next challenge. Keep a food diary and mark everytime I eat something with time of day to track to see if there is a pattern. Maybe I'll add it to this challenge...

[Sylvaa]

My husband had his gallbladder out last year due to stones. It's really a pain. 

 

Anything digestive related, I am a huge fan of food diaries. It's such a great way to be able to look for patterns. So yes, do it! Start it now! 

[Guzzi]

 

On 5/24/2019 at 1:53 PM, RedPandaOne said:

@Guzzi so many options! I will welcome any recipes you may think I may like. I love pulled pork, just have never made it myself. And that's because i dont know what to look for when in the grocery store.

 

 

Buy a shoulder of pork and just trim the thick layer of fat and skin off the top, then slap it in the slow cooker (crockpot) on med/high and leave it all day (6-8hrs).  It is much easier to just leave the fat and skin on whilst it’s cooking and trim it off before you “pull” the pork, but some of the fat will render out and make the dish fattier.  It’s totally your choice. 

 

I will look out some decent recipes and share them. 

[RedPandaOne]

Thank you! I'm going to the store tomorrow so I'll see if I can pick out the right thing, lol. I know most people do slow cookers in the winter, but I'm thinking I'm going to use mine over the summer to cut down on how hot my kitchen gets. I should go buy a cookbook of just crockpot recipes.

[RedPandaOne]

Happy day 1 of the challenge! 

 

Proud to say I’ve had no soda today, and I currently have Italian chicken cooking for the rest of the week. No exercise today, it was too hot. 

 

I also went went to a psychic yesterday and she said something interesting. Apparently my spirit guides want me to check my sugar levels. They were first telling her about my vertigo and sinus problems but then she paused and started waving her hand in front of her stomach. I was thinking it was going to be about my gallbladder, but she was like “they want you to check your sugar levels. They are not where they should be. You’re not pre-diabetic yet. Thirty minutes after eating, check your levels.” So now I’m trying to figure out how I do this on my own without a doctor. If I can get ahead of pre-diabetes, I want to. And yes, I know she’s not a doctor so not to base everything on her, but this woman is legit and has hit the nail on the head for some of my friends and their health. 

[Guzzi]

On 5/25/2019 at 9:59 PM, RedPandaOne said:

Thank you! I'm going to the store tomorrow so I'll see if I can pick out the right thing, lol. I know most people do slow cookers in the winter, but I'm thinking I'm going to use mine over the summer to cut down on how hot my kitchen gets. I should go buy a cookbook of just crockpot recipes.

 

I used to use mine all the time in summer, working until 7pm doesn’t leave much time for cooking, and it was brilliant.  Did you know you can roast a chicken using it?  You simply scrunch up some tinfoil into balls (about golfball sized) and sit the chicken on top of them.  The skin is pretty pale but you can sit it under the grill (broiler) to crisp up if you want crispy skin. 

 

I love this recipe for honey mustard chicken  and adapt it for the slow cooker.  Basically I place the chicken in the slow cooker (I use thighs because they’re cheap!) then heat up the sauce (minus the milk & cream) and just pour it over.  If you want to speed things up you can brown the chicken before putting it in the pot.  I don’t usually bother with the bacon, I didn’t find it really added anything, and sometimes don’t even bother adding the milk/cream.  If I want it creamy then I transfer it into a pan then add the milk, cream and cornflour.  I don’t think the temperature is high enough to thicken the cornflour in the slow cooker (although maybe it is, I’m not sure if this comes from experience or if it’s something I’ve just made up in my head).  

 

One thing I would say though is to reheat the creamy version slowly as I suspect it could curdle if you heat it up too quickly.  

 

I will I’ll look up some more recipes but I might take a while....  I’ve just discovered that I missed an assessment and my tutor has given me a week to get it in.  My nose will be well and truly to the grindstone this week.  

[aramis]

Congrats on no-soda day! You go gurl!

 

As of super easy recipies, just get some chicken breast, cut it in half inch cubes and fry with salt and garlic (fresh garlic tends to get bitter while fried, so I use garlic powder).

With this as a base just mix almost any frozen veggies you can buy, season to taste and voila!, super easy, tasty and healthy meal. I do this for my batch cooked lunch to work and it works for almost two months now  

Just portion it in separate tupperware and you have good grab-to-go meal you can toss in microwave. 

And by saying "any frozen veggies" I mean, there is spring mix, china mix, vegetable soup mix, whatever-you-call-it mix etc. Using different veggies gives you feeling of diversity in your meals, it won't get boring too soon. 

 

Other super easy thing (this time for single meal) is omelette - just scramble 2 eggs with spoon of flour of your choice, throw some tomatoes on the pan, when they get soggy, pour in eggs, sprinkle with shreeedded mozarella and some green herbs (parsley, dill, pearl onion etc) and you are good to go. Just use non-stick pan or bit of lard/butter/olive as soon as bottom starts to congeal.

 

On other, more demanding ideas is to get "balcony smoker" (you have a balcony?). IDK if it is a thing in your part of the world, but if it is like my place, it is funny little box of wonders. With it you can have your own smoked fish, smoked quark or smoked veggies. TBH, you can smoke meat with it, but it is... bit tricky. And the best part - you don't need to be an expert to use it. For example, smoked trout needs only some time soaking in brine (12-24h is enough for me), then some time to dry a bit (2-4h) and little herbs inside (my fav is parsley). No fancy marinade if you want to make it easy. After an hour of smoking you can eat it.

 

Keep the good work, cheers

[harborcoat]

hi! seconding the eggs recommendation (if you eat eggs, some people are grossed out by them). i boil up a dozen or more at the beginning of the week and add them to nearly everything i eat. or have one for a snack that doesn't make me want more snacks. 
 

being plagued by invisible illnesses is the worst. i have had some sort of mystery issue for 7 years and doctors still haven't got a clue. big time daps for that struggle. sounds like your plan is solid though! you'll do great.  

[RedPandaOne]

Okay, let's try this again since I got interrupted writing my response yesterday and never got back to it. And now it's all gone

 

On 5/28/2019 at 2:30 AM, Guzzi said:

I will I’ll look up some more recipes but I might take a while....  I’ve just discovered that I missed an assessment and my tutor has given me a week to get it in.  My nose will be well and truly to the grindstone this week.  

 

Thank you! And I will not take your absence personally. Good luck with the assessment!

 

On 5/28/2019 at 7:04 AM, aramis said:

 

And by saying "any frozen veggies" I mean, there is spring mix, china mix, vegetable soup mix, whatever-you-call-it mix etc. Using different veggies gives you feeling of diversity in your meals, it won't get boring too soon. 

 

 

How did I not know these existed. I think this will make eating my veggies more doable! I'm going to need to pay more attention at the store.

 

On 5/28/2019 at 7:04 AM, aramis said:

Other super easy thing (this time for single meal) is omelette - just scramble 2 eggs with spoon of flour of your choice, throw some tomatoes on the pan, when they get soggy, pour in eggs, sprinkle with shreeedded mozarella and some green herbs (parsley, dill, pearl onion etc) and you are good to go. Just use non-stick pan or bit of lard/butter/olive as soon as bottom starts to congeal.

 

 

On 5/28/2019 at 9:01 AM, harborcoat said:

hi! seconding the eggs recommendation (if you eat eggs, some people are grossed out by them). i boil up a dozen or more at the beginning of the week and add them to nearly everything i eat. or have one for a snack that doesn't make me want more snacks. 

 

 

I love eggs! I go through phases where I eat them all the time, but then go months without. I'm in a without phase. I don't think I've bought them in a year. But I have had them at my parents when visiting. Maybe I'll hard boil a few and bring them for snacks. I have been getting hungry before I leave for work. Or make them part of my evening snack/dinner thing I eat. Good suggestion! 

 

On 5/28/2019 at 7:04 AM, aramis said:

On other, more demanding ideas is to get "balcony smoker" (you have a balcony?). IDK if it is a thing in your part of the world, but if it is like my place, it is funny little box of wonders. With it you can have your own smoked fish, smoked quark or smoked veggies. TBH, you can smoke meat with it, but it is... bit tricky. And the best part - you don't need to be an expert to use it. For example, smoked trout needs only some time soaking in brine (12-24h is enough for me), then some time to dry a bit (2-4h) and little herbs inside (my fav is parsley). No fancy marinade if you want to make it easy. After an hour of smoking you can eat it.

 

 

No balcony from my apartment, but I do have the side deck we use to access the building. My roommate and I are really the only ones who use it. The other person on our side of the house uses her side door. We also have a nice little side yard. I might need to look into this...

 

Update on my goals:

 

Soda: Went out to dinner and had a soda and a half  but I guess that's better than drinking the entire second refill like I normally would have

 

Food: Ate the chicken I prepped on Monday and had a cup of watermelon to go with it

 

Exercise: still nothing... this is going to be a hard one. I just need to set that alarm earlier and get my ass moving somehow

[aramis]

 

 

About frozen veggie mix

1 hour ago, RedPandaOne said:

How did I not know these existed

they are common here in Poland. Maybe at your place not so... but I doubt it. Just check freezers at your grocery store.

[RedPandaOne]

Quick recap of yesterday:

Soda: None!! It helps that I ran out at home and haven't bought anymore

Fruit/veggies: I made broccoli to go with my prepped chicken. I can tell I haven't had broccoli in awhile. I had gas for the rest of the day. Ugh.

Exercise: still none

Today will be interesting. I have a dentist appointment at noon so I didnt bring lunch. I have no idea when I can eat. I dont want to get drive thru, but I have a sinking feeling I will. It is also going to depend on who cleans my teeth. One of my last appointments was brutal. She cleaned so hard my mouth was sore for 3 days. I dont have the best teeth, but they aren't that bad!! Talking with my mom (whole family goes there) she had the same experience, just not as long for soreness.

[aramis]

Have you tried fasting? 

[harborcoat]

heckin yeah, great job not drinking soda!

 

15 minutes ago, RedPandaOne said:

It helps that I ran out at home and haven't bought anymore

hey, whatever works!

i've had a loooooot of dental work done (multpile rounds of braces, surgeries, you name it) and i usually get pho or some other soup to eat with my ibuprofen if it's a rough time in the chair. i also find fizzy water to help because it's cold and like, idk, feels like it's massaging my sore gums? haha it's hard to describe, but it helps, i swear. good luck at the dentist!  

[RedPandaOne]

Have you tried fasting? 

I haven't, not intentionally. I get lightheaded and cant think if I go too long.