Jewish Musings, Sunday 11/27

[louise]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:

Angelika
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

[louise]

I’m back from Rochester with my mom – almost 8 hours on the road. I had something of a miracle food wise this Thanksgiving. I ate plenty, but I didn’t overeat (this is probably a matter of opinion) and I didn’t eat as I cleaned up or keep making little trips back to the kitchen for another little somethin’ somethin’. I didn’t feel sick to my stomach Thursday night, was full and satisfied but not stuffed. And didn’t want anymore. And Friday was the same – the Friday after Thanksgiving is usually even worse for me – whatever control I might have exercised goes right out the window – like it’s my last chance to get some more. And it usually takes me several days to recover (i.e. to get back on track). I have struggled with food for years and sometimes I win, sometimes the food wins – when the food wins I fall in and there’s no stopping. I have heard most of you at one time or another talk about falling into the food, but generally you know how much you had – that’s some kind of control right there. It’s when you’re beyond that, that the food wins (in my thinking). I’m thrilled and grateful. And I noticed that my pants got a little long on me (heavens to Betsy!)

Bottom line is that this year went well for me, but I have had it go the other way many times – how about you? Were you satisfied with your Thanksgiving meal? Did you have a sense of “enough”? Or maybe you think of Thanksgiving Day as no holds barred and then jump back on the wagon the next day. So how did it go for you and what’s your next step going to be food wise?

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. I'm fine, and hope you all are too. H and DS went to the store to pick up ingredients to make shepherd's pie, as we have a lot of mashed potatoes to use up for the topping. H likes to make his own tomato-vegetable sauce, as jarred sauces don't agree with him. I think we will probably have the shepherd's pie for lunch. I am also doing several loads of laundry today.

Re Thanksgiving and eating: I had as much of everything as I wanted and did not stuff myself. I enjoyed dinner very much. My next step is to work on being more mindful of what I am eating, which helps me with how much.

I'll be back later. Have a peaceful day, Lee

[savtele]

Boker Tov All! This year did go well for me - we went to DS's house, DGS was home from University & brought a friend - and while I (and we all) enjoyed every single thing we ate, I think the board games afterward were even more enjoyable than the food! That's a HUGE win for me, when I remember the board games more than I do the pumpkin cheesecake! (ok, the pc apparently made a big impression on me!)

I'm doing laundry today - Lee & I apparently have the same "to do" list.

Coming home from the antique mall the other night, it was dark & raining, I hit a deer. That is, he hit me (they really are the stupidest animals!) I was already going slow, slowed down even more when I saw him heading my way, but before I could stop entirely, he ran right into my still-moving vehicle. Door was dented - I'm ok, the car is still drive-able, but now we need to get the door fixed when the shop opens tomorrow. (yes, ladies, once again I got to crawl over the seat, & out the passenger side - this time in the pouring rain.) Good thing I now know how to do this!

Heading into my laundry room to wash sheets. (I love the feel/smell of fresh sheets on the bed!)

Have a good day ladies!

[peachymom1]

Good morning everyone! I did better than I expected to on Thanksgiving. Even though I had planned what I would have in advance, I had a niggling thought that I might be too tempted to have an extra portion or more pie. I actually did go back for more pie, but only ate a bite or two of it. It was just too much, and I pushed it away.

Friday was just fine, because we hosted Shabbat dinner, so we planned on lots of fruits and vegetables, and we made lemon pepper chicken in the crock pot. We were supposed to be 11, but some things came up, and we were only 8, so we've been eating leftovers, but that's OK. We did our laundry and food shopping on Friday, including the butcher, so today all we have to do is pick up a few things from the store that we need for lunches this week, and we probably need milk too. So there will be time to loaf and also time to work out.

I did have leftover birthday cake yesterday, though I had planned to only have some on Friday night, but I do have the points for it, so it's not a disaster. My sons' birthday is next Saturday, so we'll have birthday cake again, but I'll plan for that too.

I feel positive about my eating right now. Hoping that feeling continues!

[gazelle18]

My T-giving eating was not too bad. I have a hard time with the stuff that's out on the coffee table all day while waiting for the actual meal. (Nuts, dips, chips, etc.) The good thing for me was that I didn't do the cooking (we were at relatives') so no leftovers to deal with. Also, I prefer my own recipes, so I was able to have only reasonable helpings of the sides.

Tonight we are going out to dinner with friends. They specifically said they were still over-served from T-giving, and wanted to eat reasonably tonight .we have selected an ethnic restaurant that has s lot of good salads and veggie dishes.

Re: the food winning. I have had a long history of food battles, and unfortunately the food has "won" too often. I look forward to a time when food can be on my team, not the other team. Sometimes it seems like I will never even make the playoffs!!

[happysavta]

The leftovers ate me all up.

[hollygail]

I am so loving reading these posts! I'm not sure that food ever exactly "won" but for sure I understand what you all are saying. Once in my 20s (and again once in my 30s), I ate almost an entire package (the kind with two rows of cookies) of Oreo's. The first time, I got really sick the next day. I went through most of a roll of toilet paper (just so you know what I'm talking about, and at the same time, I'm trying not to be too graphic here). The second time, I clearly remember thinking that I was going to be sick the next day, and asking myself if it was worth it to have the next cookie, and deciding, yes, it was, and eating that next one (and probably several more). Those are the only two times I remember binging on food... (I can also count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I got drunk. And still have fingers left over.)

There were numerous desserts Thursday and Friday. One was a sweet potato pie (my niece made it), one was a pumpkin dessert (similar to pie, but made from a Bobby Flay recipe and he didn't call it pie) which came with a particular whipped cream topping and smashed up cookie-sort-of-thingies. (The whipped cream had some bourbon in it, but only 1/3 of what the recipe called for, since my niece's friend, who made the dessert, didn't care for bourbon). So I had a sliver of each with the whipped cream (but not the cookie-thingy) PLUS a small helping of chocolate mousse (made by the same friend, or possibly by her husband) also with some whipped cream. OMG! I had more of the mousse/whipped cream. (On Friday, that's the only dessert I had.)

But yesterday I was back on plan. Today so far I'm back on plan. Still at my sister's beach house (DBIL still isn't up for company). We'll have dinner out tonight, then leave ridiculously early (my son's flight is 6am) Monday.