Protein powder, and other improvements.

At our WL support group meeting last night, someone asked how we take our protein, and how do we get our daily allowance of liquid.
I am a creature of habit, so I pretty much stick to the same thing over and over. This allows me to concentrate on other things, and I don't mind at all.
I do, however, keep my eyes open for new ideas.
When I first started this diet plan, I tried different types of protein to see which ones I liked. I tried this liquid that was contained in a tube because on the label it told me it had more protein than most other types of protein. It tasted terrible.
Last night, I found out I was using it wrong. If I had taken the time to mix it with water to dilute it, I might have liked it better. Oh well.
I started using powder because I really like milk shakes and this was the closest thing I could find. The problem was, I couldn't digest it very well. It stuck in my throat, and made me feel bloated.
So, about two weeks ago, I ran out of milk, so I mixed up my protein with water instead. Wow, what a difference. The stuff tasted good. It went down and stayed down just fine. It wasn't as thick or rich as a milkshake, but I can live with it.
I mixed the chocolate protein powder with strawberry the other day, and I like that. I also add a packet or two of Sweet and low since I still like sweet stuff.
My chili has evolved too. Much of the time I don't get the fresh veggies to add to it. I add frozen veggies. I alternate between three different kinds of meat. Ground (angus very lean), beef cubes (a bit more fat), and Bison (very lean and tasty).
I am looking for new recipes now so I can expand my skills as a cook. The problem is, I like my chili too much!
I bought some rice and prepared it in a separate container. It's the kind of rice that you have to cook for like 45 minutes, and it is sticky. I love the flavor and texture, and I add it into my chili as a small enhancement. I am afraid to eat too much at a time because the stuff can expand and stretch my pouch. But, I do love the full feeling that rice gives me. I don't feel comfortably full too often, and rice gives me that feeling.
Many of the pre and new post people there last night weren't sure how to get their full allowance of liquid. I didn't get the chance to tell them that I get mine through much of my food. My tomatoes in the chili have lots of liquid, as does some of the other food I eat. They are not soupy, but just moist enough to go down easy. Barry was right about the liquid when he spoke of it in his blog.

Raking leaves and other exercise

If you look at the neighbor's yard, you can see what would happen if I left the leaves there instead of raking every day.
I moved from cutting the lawn to raking the leaves.
I have a leaf blower, and my new Honda mower has two blades to chop up the leaves, but I needed to burn off some frustration, so I picked up my new rake.
It's a metal ended fan type rake, with a spring bar across it. It has a wood handle, but it also has a bit of plastic, but that's OK.
It is very similar to the old style rakes. Just the right size, not too big, or small. Just right.
I have a few mature trees in the vicinity of my yard.
First, I cut the lawn lower than the rest of the year. This allows the wind to blow any leaves without them getting stuck in my yard.
Then, I rake leaves. I rake them every day. I do this for exercise since I can just as easily use the leaf blower, or lawn mower, or a combination.
I actually have two rakes, and use them like a big claw to pick up the leaves and put them into the paper bags the Borough supplies.
The workout is both for me, and the yard. The rake cleans out debris, and loosens the soil below. A leaf blower and lawn mower don't do that.
My mower can also collect the leaves. It does a nice job, but to me, it's easier to rake them, instead of emptying the bag every few minutes. The bag will work well when I want to finish the job, and just pick up what's left over.
This year, I raked all the leaves into a pile around the Silver Maple tree. Other years, I have raked them into the bushes around the house as a mulch. And, I have collected them in the bags and put them out to the curb for pick up.
One year, I was lucky enough to have a mulching machine, and I put all of them in there. It reduced the pile down to almost nothing.
Anyway, the exercise is nice. I rake down the one side using a left to right movement. I do a right to left movement coming back. I also exaggerate my movements in order to exercise and stretch more. I can work up a good sweat because there is a lot to do. It can take me as much as an hour to get them all. I only do the back yard because the front doesn't have any trees.
Well, my neighbors think I'm crazy for working so hard, but I don't want to exercise inside when I can do it outside. And, it keeps me out of trouble.

Full circle

So, I ramble some more today, just to fill the lines:

• With all the positive stuff going on in my life, I have so many things trying to bring me down. Oh my, what a test.
• A great speaker is coming back to our WL support group meeting. She has spoken two other times, and is the only counselor I know in the area that has also gone through the surgery herself. She understands the problems and has common sense solutions.
  
• The weight loss has come to a halt for now. My wife's medical conditions have contributed. My son and his problems are helping. And, I am allowing these things to have an effect. I'm not perfect.
• I need to find a full time, great paying job. I don't want to overwork and burn myself out. I don't have a clue what to do next. I am in between two piles of really good hay. I could take the traditional route and work for a "real" company, and a "real" job. I hate that thought. I'm not a traditional guy.
• My garage is full of my son's junk. I want him to move into his new place and get his stuff out of my house. I told him he could store it for a week and a half. That is way too long. Oh well, I did it myself.
• My cars both need work. They are Honda so they will chug along until I can catch up.
• My medical bills are starting to pile up. I realized that over the years, I must have paid at least a half million dollars (I had to write that out) to them over and above my insurance. I will spend at least that in the next 12 months. And, they still send me late notices, and pile more bills on me. They are a great hospital, but they have their issues.
• 205, 204,203, 204, 205. Come on now. Time to hit 199! Damn, this is hard!