Phase 4 and Other Stuff

Well, Hello.  I realize it's been a while since my last posting.  I've also realized that I'm probably not really a blogger, since it's not my priority to sit down daily and post something.  Maybe I'm thinking too much about a posting.  Maybe short and sweet will work, too.

Anyway, today is day 31 of my self-proclaimed 100-Day Transformation (cue parting clouds and cherubs) or Phase 4.  Wait, what happened to phases 2 and 3?  Well, they came - and went.  Best intentions, and all, you know.  I did cut out a lot of processed foods and I don't remember that last fast food meal I've had.  But, Starbuck's before classes is all too easy.  I also added back meat and I've made my own chicken and beef stocks.  Really good, too.  Oh, and I made it to the gym twice - which is a big deal since I really do loathe the gym.

The tale of the scale is a bit depressing:  I've been up and down the past 30 days - nothing too dramatic - but this morning I'm pretty much back to where I was on day 1.  However - and here's the silver lining - by my body measurements** I've lost 4.5 inches in total, 2 of which are from my waist.  I actually pointed out to Mark over the weekend that my pants are looser.

For Phase 4, here are my goals:

• Gym OR vigorous physical activity (like bike riding) every day
• Be mindful of sugar, but don't replace with artificial sweeteners
• Continue removing processed and fast foods - which includes:
• No Starbuck's before class!!  If I need coffee, I can make it and bring it with me.

Oh - and here's a gratuitous cute shot of Cosmo out on the bike with me

One of the reasons for no blog activity has been school.  Currently, I'm in the Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting program at Suffolk University.  I'm taking four classes:  Graduate Accounting I, Cost Accounting, International Accounting I, and Federal Tax I.  I'm really enjoying being a full-time student again but the classes require a good bit of work outside of the classroom (I should be reading right now).  I got a 100 on my first writing assignment (TAX 801).

I'm planning four more classes in the spring semester.  I also think that I will transfer into the Master of Science in Accounting program.

School's all and good, you say, but what about a job?  I'm still, kinda, looking, but I'm decided to focus on school right now.  I keep an eye on HigherEdJobs.com and Indeed.com and network when I can.  If the right job came along - especially part-time - I'd jump at it.

I'm also still a candidate for a financial management officer with the U.S. Department of State in the foreign service.  I went through the foreign service officer candidate process last October through May (didn't quite get it) and when the FMO foreign service specialist recruitment announcement opened in June I signed right up.  I made it through one basic round and am waiting on the Qualifications Evaluation Panel to review my application and information and hopefully invite me to an oral assessment.  With the government shutdown now, though...Fingers crossed!

Finally, I've been trying to sneak in some sewing time.  Unfortunately, I don't have as much time for it because of school.  I love, love Craftsy.  Fun classes and good tips and tricks.  Right now I've switched from shirts to pants and am drafting and testing a few patterns.  Nothing to show at this stage, but soon.  Next weekend Mark and I will be in New York and I'm definitely going to stop by Mood.

Oh, speaking of New York:  we're going because we have tickets to see Mildred Fierce, a Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans production starring Varla Jean Merman.  It's only in New York through October, so if you're in the area I suggest you see it while you can.

**Neck, Chest, Waist, Hips, Seat, Biceps, Thighs.

100-Day Transformation: Day 8

Well, it's Day 8, which means it's been a week into my 100-Day Transformation.  Days 4 & 5 were pretty much the same as the previous days - two to three "smoothies" each day with much the same mix of ingredients.  Days 6 and 7 change, though.

On Thursday (Day 6) I came home from class (TAX 801, if you're interested) and said to myself (and Mark and Cosmo), I want a real meal.  So I did.  I had a Trader Joe's Shepherd's Pie and it was good. Friday night (Day 7) I made falafel sandwiches for Mark and I using Trader Joe's frozen falafel balls (which, are super yummy), flat bread, homemade tzatziki, and baby spinach.

Did I break my own rule about having only "smoothies" for ten days?  Sure.  But, a few items.  First, I'm going to pay attention to my body and mind during this transformation.  Something inside me was saying to eat - chew - and perhaps needing something I wasn't getting from the raw greens, veggies, and fruits.  Was it a residual craving?  Perhaps.  Second, the goal of this process isn't about deprivation or starvation or even weight loss.  It's about transforming my body, my mind, and my habits.  While I'm trying to avoid using terms like better and worse, it is about transforming my "being-ness", the totality of me, into something healthy, happy, and aware.  Third, the first ten-day period is about giving my digestion some rest - which I think I've definitely accomplished.  Finally - did I mention this is MY transformation process - not someone else's?

 I've been re-reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, and I finished reading Death by Supermarket by Nancy Deville.  Additionally, I've been reading up on the Weston Price Foundation. All really good food for thought - or vice versa, actually.

So, for the next period, which may start early, I'm adding in raw milk/yogurt and pastured eggs and some nuts and seeds.  I found a fairly local dairy farm where I can get raw milk and the eggs:  Artichoke Dairy in West Newbury.  I went this morning and got fresh milk and eggs.  And I met a couple of the cows - here's one (I didn't get her name, though).

I also got a yogurt maker at Target.  I'll try making a batch with my raw milk tonight (it needs about 8 hours or so to become yogurt).

I'm going to try to keep one green smoothie per day, but then start cooking for other meals.  No meat, yet.  That will come in later periods.  I'll also prepare nuts according to Nourishing Traditions - soaking them first then lightly roasting in the oven.  I guess the soaking removes substances naturally present in most nuts that prevents full digestion and absorption (phytates, actually).  I'll see how it goes.

Dinner is a fritatta made with the fresh eggs from Artichoke Dairy, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, an onion, peppers, and a few mini-tomatoes.

Leftovers for Sunday's breakfast.

100-Day Transformation: Day 3

So far, so good.  Day three of my 100-day transformation is going along just fine.  Had a nice, hot espresso (ok, two) this morning.  I've got a Bialetti stove-top coffee/espresso maker.  Not only does it work great, but it makes good, really hot espresso or coffee.

I got in my 30 minutes of yoga and 10 minutes of meditation.  Then it was time for breakfast:

2 cups kale

1 cup melon balls

1 clementine (the whole thing)

5 blackberries

10 raspberries

4 strawberries

a half-handful of blueberries

1 mango spear

1 pineapple spear

1 cup red zinger iced tea (what's in the jug)

In the blender:

The result:

Very tasty and the clementine peel (or maybe pith) adds a very subtle bitterness that takes the edge off of the sweet and tart of the other fruit.  Oh, and apparently orange peel is associated with a reduced risk of skin cancer:  

"Our results show that peel consumption, the major source of dietary d-limonene, is not uncommon and may have a potential protective effect in relation to skin SCC [squamous cell carcinoma]."

Spent most of the day reading and doing coursework for International Accounting and Cost Accounting.  Before I knew it, it was nearly 5:00 pm and no lunch.  I did cheat(?) and had half a handful of cashews.  But, that's OK because I've heard that cashews are rich in L-Tryptophan, which can be metabolized into Serotonin in the body.

So, dinner is a hot blend (soup?) again:

1 cup of water

1 cup baby spinach

4 or 5 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley

4 mini bell peppers (btw, they aren't hot, they're sweet)

1/8 of that cabbage head

1/2 of the zucchini

the corn from the two ears - about 1 cup

1/2 tsp cumin (I like the roasted one from McCormick)

1/4 tsp Chili Powder

1/8 tsp Cayenne

Pinch of sea salt - did you know, technically a "pinch" is 1/16 or less of a teaspoon?

Result:

This one is a keeper - kind of Mexican-ish, but really fresh tasting from the corn.  The cabbage gives a nice depth, too.

LoseIt! tells me:

Breakfast = 346 calories

Lunch (the cashews) = 197 calories

Dinner = 216 calories

Dessert, should I partake [frozen banana, OJ, berries] = 289

Total = 1,049 (760 without dessert)

100-Day Transformation: Day 2

Day two and so far so good.  I did end up having "dessert" last night of a frozen banana, orange juice, raspberries and blackberries.

Got 30 minutes of yoga in this morning.  Followed up with 10 minutes of meditation.

This morning's blend ingredients:

1 cup Orange Juice
1 cup melon balls
half-handful pomegranate seeds
handful blueberries
2 cups baby spinach
5 raspberries
5 blackberries
3 strawberries
1 pineapple spear
1 mango spear
(didn't use the grapes)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/16 tsp cardamom

The result:

Purple goodness!  Delicious, and I think the spices really help.  It's probably a bit more fruit that I would like, but I wanted sweet this morning.  According to LoseIt!, 379 calories.

Speaking of spices, I have to relate my experience with cardamom.  I was in Hanoi, Vietnam in November 2011 with two very good friends, Jamie and Clinton.  We had had a long day of being out and about in Hanoi.  Mind you, Hanoi is huge and busy, and a bit smelly in places.  We were tired and dirty, Clinton was trying to push us onto an already over-crowded city bus, and we were hungry.  As we were walking along I kept getting a hint of a beautiful, perfumey aroma.  It was wafting all around and I couldn't tell where it was coming from.  Finally, I looked up and saw trees blooming, very fragile, delicate looking blooms.  And the smell was coming down from them.  Cardamom trees were blooming in the evening.  The scent was intoxicating and reinvigorating.  So now, I associate the scent of cardamom with Hanoi.

Lunch blend ingredients:

1/2 cup carrot juice
1/2 cup water
1 tomato
1 small apple
10 grapes
2 celery sticks
2 mini bell peppers
1/3 of the jalapeño
3 or 4 branches of flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp minced ginger (use this)
1/8 tsp Thai seasoning
(I didn't use the avocado because it wasn't quite ripe enough)

LoseIt! = 216 calories

The result:

This is tasty - slightly spicy and sweet with a SE Asian twist.  I let it whirl around longer, about 2 minutes, so that it warmed up a bit.  That's something I like about the Vita-Mix is that you can make warm or even hot soups in it, but without actually cooking the ingredients.  Here is someone (not me) making a Vita-Mix soup.

Reading and studying International Accounting this afternoon.  Had to look up Nestle's 2012 Annual Report.  Wow:  $98 Billion in total sales worldwide with $14.9 Billion in total operating profit.  Seriously?

I needed a pick-me-up around 2:30, so I whizzed up a frozen banana, leftover coffee from this morning, and about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.  That did the trick.  125 calories.

I thought about Thai carrot soup for dinner:

1/2 cup of carrot juice
1/2 cup of water
the rest of the bag of mini carrots - about 2 cups
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic (or one clove)
1 tsp lemon grass
the rest of that celery - about 4 stalks
the rest of the jalapeño - about 2/3
1/4 of that lime
1 tsp Thai seasoning

LosIt! says 231 calories

The result:

Good!  But, less jalapeño  next time!  I let it all blend up for about 6 minutes and it was steaming hot.  Yum!

So, LoseIt! summary is:

Breakfast = 379 calories
Lunch = 216
Snack = 125
Dinner = 231
Total = 950

100-Day Transformation: Day 1

I mentioned yesterday that today (Saturday, September 7, 2013) I'm starting a 100-day transformation.  Actually, I'm creating it as I go along because I thought, hey, there's not enough going on right now, so why not.  I've read a lot books and seen a lot of videos, so this is my attempt to synthesize what I've learned and seen.

I'm dividing up the 100 days in ten 10-day periods.  Each period something will be added, or a goal set, or something stopped.  While my focus is on nutrition, I'm also including physical activity and mental/spiritual/social changes as well.

I've taken my measurements (I'm not posting those, now, out of shame).  I'll weigh myself each morning and record it in a spreadsheet and take body measurements with each new 10-day period.  Eventually, I'll share those stats and graphs.

Period 1:  Days 1 through 10

My goals for this period are to give my digestion a rest and reset my nutrition.  While I think I generally eat better than many people, I still like junk.  So, this is like a 10-day detox.

Days 1 through 10 are all about raw greens, veggies, and fruits:  in the Vita-Mix.  I'm not juicing, but blending.  I got a Vita-Mix 5000 from ebay and I love it.  It's powerful, relatively quiet (compared to other blenders I've had), and easy to clean.  I know it's an investment - not a cheap kitchen gadget - but I think it's worth it.  It really does an excellent job.

Here are the ingredients for this morning's blend:

1 cup melon balls
6 little carrots
2 cups (not packed) kale
about one cup orange juice
one whole lemon (the Vita-Mix can handle the whole thing, but I quarter it)
a handful of blueberries
a handful of red grapes

And the results...

Yeah, kinda gross looking, but actually quite good.

In addition to greens, veggies, and fruits, I'm including teas - black, green, and herbal, water, fruit and/or veggie juices - but mostly to use in blending and only 100% juice, and black coffee or espresso, with no additions.  If you want a great cold drink to have ready in the fridge, to a one gallon seal-able pitcher add

• 8 Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea bags
• 4 Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags
• one gallon cold water

Let this brew in the fridge for a few hours, then remove the tea bags after it's the strength you like.  Also, changing up the Lemon Zinger with other zinger flavors is fun.  I love this and even use it in fruit smoothies sometimes.

After breakfast Mark rigged up the bicycle trailer and we took Cosmo - our rescued Cairn terrier - out for a spin along the shore.  He did really well for his first time (Cosmo, not Mark).

Lunch blend ingredients:

10 Romaine Leaves
10 little carrots
one mini cucumber
6 little tomatoes
10 red grapes
3 baby bell peppers
half-handful of pomegranate seeds
1 small apple
1 cup of water
1 tiny pinch of sea salt

The result:

That one looks even grosser, but really it is quite tasty.  The cucumber gives it a lightness and the apple and grapes add just enough sweetness, but not too much.

Other goals for this 10-day period are to get back into yoga.  I want to do either 15 or 30 minutes, preferably in the morning.  I have the Ashtanga Yoga Practice Manual by David Swenson and he has 15, 30, and 45 minute short form practices.  I also want to be aware to walk more, especially stairs.  I have a FitBit One, so I'll use it to help me remember to take more stairs and track my walking.

FitBit has an on-line activity tracking system, so I can use that to monitor my progress.  I also want to log and track all my meals.  I've used LoseIt! before and like it, so I'll get back to using it.  It also syncs with FitBit, so both can stay coordinated.

I will also get back into meditation.  I think carving out 5 to 10 minutes twice a day (morning and afternoon) is certainly achievable.

Here are the ingredients for the dinner blend:

One lime (quartered)
One ear of corn with the kernels cut off the cob
half a cup of water
half a cup of carrot juice
1/8 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne
2 cups (not packed) baby spinach
3 celery stalks
3 mini bell peppers
3 or 4 stalks of flat-leaf parsley
small bundle of wheat grass
(I decided not to add any carrots since I'm using carrot juice)

Here's the result:

Very green, thanks to the spinach.  This one is not sweet, even with the fresh corn.  It's tart and spicy, with a kick to the back of the throat.  Not unpleasant, but definitely different.

If I need sweet, later, I may blend up a frozen banana with some orange juice and some berries.

So here's a chart for days 1 - 10:

Days

What to Eat

1 – 10

·         Raw Green Leafy Veggies ·         Raw Fruits ·         Raw Veggies ·         Fruit and Veggie Juices ·         Tea:  black, green, or herbal ·         Coffee:  black, no additions    Days 1 – 10 are Vita-Mix only days.  Blend raw greens, raw fruits, raw veggies, water, fruit and/or veggie juices.  Drink as much as you want every day.  Black coffee (nothing added), teas, and water allowed.  Don’t drink fruit juice alone – use to blend with greens, fruits and veggies.

Days	What to Do
1 – 10	Yoga: 15 – 30 minutes every day Walking and Stairs Meditation:  5 - 10 minutes, twice a day Track physical activity and meals

PS:  I logged my food into LoseIt! and got:

• Breakfast = 376 calories
• Lunch = 227 calories
• Dinner = 157 calories
• Dessert (which I haven't had yet, but just in case) = 248
• Total = 1,006 calories

Busy Couple of Weeks

Well, it's been busy couple of weeks since the last post.  I've got two shirts almost done.  The blue-green shirt needs button holes, buttons, and a hem:

And I have a red and white multi-striped one that needs buttons and a hem (this is my first button-down collar):

But, I guess the bigger news is that I was accepted into a graduate accounting program:  Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting at Suffolk University in downtown Boston.  Classes started this week and I'm taking four (12 hours):  Intermediate Accounting I, Cost Accounting, Issues in Taxation I, and International Accounting.  It's exciting to be a full-time student again - it's been a while.  These aren't easy-A courses, so it will be a challenge, too, especially since I'm still job hunting and interviewing.  The good news is that Suffolk gears it's graduate business programs to working students, so no classes before 4:30 pm.  Also, if I want to transfer into the Master of Accounting program, I can do so next semester.

Tomorrow I'm starting a 10-day veggie and fruit cleanse, using my Vita-Mix (which I LOVE).  I thought that a time of big changes is a good time to make big changes, right?  It's part of a larger 100-day transformation I'm working on (creating) - more on that in later posts.

Latest Project - Blue Green Cotton Lawn Shirt

My latest sewing project is a long-sleeve shirt out of a blue-green floral cotton lawn shirting fabric that I got from Fabric Mart a while ago.  It's a really nice fabric that was on sale (naturally); it has a very smooth feel and is very light.  I'm using version 5.0 of a shirt pattern I created in Pattern Master Tailor Made, and I think this is the right one.

I've got all the pieces cut - except the cuffs which I always cut after the sleeves are set and finished.  I've sewn together the back, yokes, and fronts. No left-front placket nor pockets.

I decided to add some contrast on the front facings and the inner yoke.  It's a striped cotton broadcloth, which also adds stability in those areas (no interfacing in the facings needed).

I'm also going to use the stripe in the under collar, inner collar band, inside cuffs, and inner sleeve plackets.  On the bias.

Company's coming this weekend, so I may not get back to this until early next week.  My goal is to have it finished (and, possibly one more shirt) before Labor Day weekend.

One thing that still amazes me about tailoring/sewing, is how big the pieces look before they're all sewn together.  Mind you, I'm no size XS, but, still...

What a gorgeous day!

What a lovely day here north of Boston.  Perfect temps, low humidity, breezy, and sunny.  Today is what makes summer in New England worth it (winter, that is).

Took Cosmo for a walk around town and noticed this sign in the window of a downtown empty building:

This is good.  Downtown Lynn needs more businesses.  They used to be on Boston Street, but I think they closed about a year ago.  According to their facebook page they are looking to open late September.  So, a new restaurant and bakery on Tremont and this.  Dare I say things are looking up for dear old Lynn?

Put my new back wheel on my bike and went for a bike ride around Nahant to enjoy this lovely day.  I really do like Nahant - it's so pretty and peaceful - but I don't think I could live there.  I can imagine it's dreadfully boring.  I'll stick with being close enough to ride to and around it.  Although there are beautiful homes there.  Here's a shot of 40 Steps beach from today:

I'm going to work on assembling version 4.0 of my shirt pattern.  I'm using Wild Ginger Software's Pattern Master, Tailor Made version.  I think I'm very close.  I've increased arm hole depth and added a bit more ease overall from version 3.0.  I'm feeling confident enough to use "real" fabric this time, and not $2 Salvation Army sheets.  First, though, to put the pattern together:

I'm thinking mexican for dinner.  I have some Trader Joe's veggie taquitos; along with some black beans and rice and chips and my homemade stone fruit salsa that all sounds delish!

Oh, and this year is the 20th anniversary of Hocus Pocus.  Enjoy the following - and I'm thinking of a costume for this year...

Welcome Back!

It's the ides of August - if that has any meaning - so I thought, why not get the blog going again.  Why not.  I can't promise anything profound, probably more like an online journal, stream-of-consciousness kind of thing.  It's most likely just narcissistic tendencies coming out:  LISTEN TO ME!

whatever


So, I just got and started reading Dark Buddhism about integrating Buddhist (Zen, specifically) and Objectivist philosophies.

I know, right!

But, I've thought that somehow these two philosophies complement each other - once you take out some of the nonsense of both.  I'm very interested to see how the author does this.

what else...

Still looking for a job right fit working position.  It's going OK, I guess.

I'm trying to perfect a basic shirt pattern for myself.  I'm on version 3.0 today.

Thinking about possible travel options for January - it will be my 45th, but Mark's 50th.

Oh, and Cosmo got sprayed by a skunk around 4:30 this morning.  Not pleasant.  At all.