Lack of sleep leads to stuffing of mouth

So, I haven't slept well for about a week.  Maybe 4 hours a night.  I had injured my back helping a student relative move into her first apartment.  Jeez, I'm 46.  What was I thinking?  When we don't sleep, we eat anything to get some energy....a quick pick-me-up. And that's the stuff that I don't bother to take photos of. That would include the 2 pieces of KFC, after which I felt horrible! Soooooo, I picked myself up, dusted off and got myself over to the osteopath to straighten out the back issue, and then went out for salmon and rice last night.  Tonight, I made a nice beef stew with beef tenderloin, carrots & celery and the side dish is rice.  Dessert will be grilled bananas with cardamon and cinnamon.  If I can figure out how to post photos (help please!), I'll start posting pictures of the food on this site.

I would love to hear about any favourite cures for insomnia and would sure appreciate ideas!!!  Sleeping pills are not great for me and the herbal sleeping pills sort of made my tummy ill.  Any ideas?  Thanks so much!

Links for tasty steaks!

Here is that link regarding the wonderful steak:
 http://www.berettaranch.ca/ranch/

And here is the link regarding the Keg Steak Seasoning. Yum!
http://www.kegsteakhouse.com/en/products/seasonings/

Half!

Had brunch today instead of lunch and realized that I had run out of grapefruit and mango which are my feel good breakfast/brunch items.  In the fridge was a beautiful huge steak from Beretta Ranch.  If you have access to a Whole Foods, or if you live in Ontario, you've GOT to try their beef.  Here's the description from their website:

Traditionally Raised without the use of Antibiotics, Hormones or Steriods.

Vegetable Grain Fed without the use of Animal By Products.

Now this meat is not inexpensive, but since I pay a little more, I'm more careful about the portion size.  And since I knew that I had to take a photo of this meal, I cut the steak into 2 before I cooked it and I put on lots of Keg spice.  (Again, if you live in Ontario, you need to try Keg Spice from the Keg Restaurant....you can also get it at Metro and other supermarkets.  It is fabulous!!!)

Added in an egg and sat down to eat.  I ate HALF!!!  Only half.  Candice, that lovely big old golden retriever who rules our house ate the other half.  This has been one of my big goals; to cut down on portion size. Now, I did make 2 dozen cookies to take to my son at university and had to smell that amazing baking aroma, but only ate 2 pieces, so I'm calling that a wash for that meal.  

Am heading on a road trip later today (down to deliver the aforementioned cookies and all of the other items that the kid asked for), and in order to skip road trip snacks, I'm going to pop into Whole Foods and pick up that sliced mango that I was craving for breakfast.  Maybe a walk tonight with the aforementioned girl's best friend, and I hope I can count the day as a success.

By the way, I'm already down 4 pounds, but since I have just finished antibiotics due to a nasty tummy/gut bacteria which didn't allow me to digest food properly for 3-1/2 weeks, I don't think I can be bragging about the loss and I don't think it will truly stay off unless I continue on this plan.

Looking forward to reading everyone else's one year plan over the weekend to get motivated and find some new ideas!!!

One Year huh....and why flying fish?

Well, 15-1/2 years ago, I met my husband on a blind date.  I've consistently put on a pound for each year of our relationship and I am now huffing and puffing if I have to climb 4 flights of steps.  I'm keeping the mate but planning on losing the pounds. This is my first week with an empty nest as we've launched the last of the kids from our combined family off to college and university, so now....NO MORE EXCUSES.  I'm fat.  The dog is fat.  It's time that one of us took the lead here to get the pounds off!

Now, what's up with the flying fish title?  Both my parents were born in Barbados and that island has a very high rate of people who live past 100.  My cousin's wife did a study of this for the University of the West Indies and she found that not only was the amazing Bajan diet (lots of fish, fruit and root vegetables) a big reason for the longevity, but also key was the ability of the people to handle the stresses of life (usually through being able to hand some of life's problems to a higher power).  As a stress eater and a lapsed Catholic (I prefer a more one-on-one relationship with God, but can get behind anyone whose religion is about love, not hate), I'm thinking that yoga and exercise will be the way to go....along with a lot fish, veggies and laughter.  So, here's the plan:

1. Replace meat with fish at least 2x a week
2. Reduce portion size (at least to smaller than the dog's food dish)
3. Walk further than to the computer (usually to see if Rosie has updated)
4. Walk this poor lovely old golden retriever who just wants to be loved and cherished for her final years
5. Learn how to cook healthy food
6. Make better food choices by taking photos of most of the food that I put in my mouth so that I will really look at what I'm ingesting.  If it ain't pretty, it's not going in!
7. Use all tools possible (slow cooker, tangine, etc) in order to have lovely healthy food on hand
8.  Figure out lots of ways to cook fish, especially flying fish and dolphin (not flipper seriously...flipper was a porpoise.  Mahi Mahi)
9. Elliptical 3 times a week, and not just using it to hang wet clothes on
10. Yoga and Pilates
11. Choose what to take in mentally and emotionally.  DO NOT Click on Huffington Post every 5 minutes. 
12.  Watch a good comedy or 2 each week to take the edge off (rather than endlessly watching All The President's Men and other fantastic but intense movies)
12.  Support all of the other bloggers who are making this journey together.

16 pounds and 3 inches around my waist will be lost.  Here we go....