The Journal of Campanella page

[campanella]

So here starts my journal. It may abruptly end at any point. I want my strength and physical fitness to increase to a level where I'm comfortable moving around a lot in many different ways with a stronger body. I will record some things here and see as I go along whether it helps me.

Today so far, I had a breakfast of 6 oz sheep's yogurt, a hard boiled pastured egg, a tablespoon of scallion cream cheese with a cucumber. I went for a few short walks, and lunch was 3 stalks of celery, another cucumber, cheddar cheese and half an avocado. I also had a handful of blackberries and about 10 cherries.
I'm trying to keep fruit overeating under control by sticking to berries and cherries. So far it's been pretty successful and I have less of a craving for sweetness when I don't eat as many peaches, melons, etc.

Dinner is going to be organic sweet potatoes mashed with butter, and - this will have to fit into my 20% - some beef in a flour coating. Maybe I can scrape off some of the flour. It shouldn't be too much.

I recently discovered the mango. I am in love with it. I read online that it contains an enzyme which gives you a feeling of contentment after eating - I am intrigued by that feeling, and I always want more. I first bought mango, a few weeks ago, pre sliced from the store. It came in a 15 oz container and I ate the whole thing in one sitting I think I have tasted few things so delicious. And for hours afterwards, I just kept thinking - I had mango! I had mango! I couldn't get the satisfaction, warm feeling and excitement out of my mind about the damn mango xD
I realized afterwards that I ate over 60 grams sugars in one sitting. Well, that one time was worth it, but certainly not too often. I'm thinking maybe once a month will be my mango day. But no more than that, because when I buy a mango, nothing will stop me from eating the whole thing and sucking every last sugary drop from the core... I'm already planning my next mango day.
But for now, berries are in season and they will be my stronghold. Apples will be the next obstacle. Well, I have found that the less fruit I eat, the more taste I have for sour tastes and for fat.

For exercise today, I will take another 1.5 - 2 mile walk later, and I started with level 1 of the PB Fitness push ups - basically just pushups against a wall, 40 of them. I think it didn't push me enough, so I'll do another 40 later on today. I don't want to move up to the next level too quick because I want to solidify my form.

[campanella]

A few more things I'd like to log,

I started taking lukewarm showers and washing my face with cold water about 3 weeks ago. I'd always used semi-natural soap, but it still had a lot of sulfates etc. in it. This past week I didn't use any soap on my face. My face got excessively dry and flaky. Last night I used a natural soap on it (safflower, palm, and coconut oils, oatmeal, honey, some rosemary extract) and today it is much less dry and has a less flushed color.

As for shampoo, I'm using semi-natural stuff, it's 80% aloe and pretty much 20% nasty chemicals. It's a big bottle, but when I use it up I'm going to try Dr. Bronner's next.

[campanella]

I do all my work from home and I'm interested in trying a standing desk, but in the past, standing for more than an hour or so, even broken up, gives me bad charlie horses at night. Maybe just an exercise ball instead of a chair

[DCarr10760]

Hi and Welcome! I'm also interested in the whole exercise ball used as a chair too, since I have a desk job and have to remind myself to get up at least once an hour to help with circulation issues.

Thanks for the tip on the Dr. Bronners too! :-)

[campanella]

Thanks for your welcome, DCarr.

I'm heading out of town tomorrow until Sunday or Monday, which means some swimming, and a big farmer's market with fruits and vegetables, fresh pickles, fresh goat milk. I have a small garden with swiss chard and beets, so I will see how that is going along. I haven't had much time for weeding so I do not have high hopes, but even if I end up buying beets from the market I have plans for a big tray of roasted beets with sage and butter. Saturday night is the meteor shower so perhaps a picnic can be planned.

I need to find a day for sprinting this week. Last week I sprinted for the first time in a few months, in barefoot/minimal sneakers which I was accustomed to walking in but not running, and my legs felt for 5 days as if there were strings running through them which were jerked every time I made a movement... very painful. However, they are better now and I am hesitantly ready to sprint again. Hesitantly. Today was strength training - although not too taxing - so tomorrow is not a good sprint day, but maybe Friday.

[campanella]

Change of dinner plans. I ended up with ground beef, sauteed spinach and a salad of arugula, artichokes, mushrooms, a lot of pecorino cheese with olive oil.
I maybe should cut down on the dairy a little

I do indeed have a life. I am making all these posts because this is new and awesome.

[DCarr10760]

Yeah, I posted a lot at the beginning too! I still post at least once and sometimes more than once each day. It's great that you're enthusiastic! (me too!)

[campanella]

DCarr, this is my newest method of procrastination from work At least it has a purpose!

Some updates,
Breakfast was fine, 6 oz tasty grass fed yogurt, a pastured egg, and a wedge of melon... I had no berries/cherries left so there went my plan In the past I have craved the sweetness of melon, and with a choice between melon and peach, I decided to treat myself to a little melon. I didn't have trouble limiting it like I expected, in fact, I enjoyed the juiciness in this heat however the sweetness did not appeal to me. In retrospect I should have skipped the fruit all together, I believe the melon sugar did something to me which has made me not stop eating fruit all day since then - a problem which seems to fade when I only eat small, less sugary fruits.

I headed to the store, picked up zucchini for dinner tonight, beautiful dark colored zucchini, stocked up on cherries. I was faced with rows and rows of pears, 5 or 6 different varieties, all beautiful and perfectly ripe. I picked out two pears, telling myself I would just sample them, and I really did expect to have this capability.
I got home, washed the pears, eager to sample, and ate just a little more of this one, a little more of that one - ended up having about a whole pear.

Come lunch time, I had half an avocado and a slice a little too big of white cheddar cheese - the good, sharp kind. Also two crispy, refreshing Persian cucumbers which I enjoyed immensely, and two stalks of celery which I coaxed the same enjoyment out of with a spoonful of scallion cream cheese. I planned on just a handful of cherries for a treat, but I went through about 3/4 of the bag, I simply could not stop eating them. It is strange, the thought kept pressuring me that cherries are not what gives you a weight problem, cherries are fruit, fruit is healthy... and yes, this is all true to a degree, but I should lose a good 5 lbs, and I'm trying to get fit, and I've figured out that fruit in such great portions is not good for me! I think the fructose wreaks havoc on the liver and kidneys in large doses, and today's fruit is highly sugary and mildly addictive, and I simply do not need the excess calories and carbs. Perhaps worst of all, once I jump on the fruit wagon, there is simply no getting off I think of fruit incessantly once I have a taste of it.
To clarify, I am finding that I can eat a pint of berries - although not more than a handful of strawberries - a day without triggering the overeating. Or I can eat 15 cherries or so and be fine. Both have mechanisms to prevent too much consumption - berries are filling and I have difficulty eating too many, and cherries are time consuming, and there is a little work necessary to eat around the pits, so not an easy stuff-in-you-mouth

I have to stop goofing around. The fruit like this is unnecessary. Healthy fruit may work for other people, but at least for now, I have to get serious about meat and vegetables, because fruit and dairy are not staples.
I think I would have been able to stop at a handful of cherries fine on another day, but melon has become a huge trigger for me.
Back in the day, I would have something sugary every single day, lots of white bread too. I lost that craving quickly when I dropped grains and sugar altogether, and at the same time fruit became a staple for me, simply because it was always readily available. It is only recently when I've tried to clear up my diet to mostly meat and vegetables that I realize the problems sugary fruit is giving me with overeating.

So, tonight for dinner, I have those beautiful sweet potatoes from yesterday that I didn't eat, and I will try to just limit portion size due to my carby afternoon. Mashed with butter, accompanied by the zucchini sauteed in butter and pan fried beef.

From now on I'll try to keep my "iffy" meal in the morning and clear up the rest of the day. Yogurt and cherries for tomorrow's breakfast. I'll save the egg for lunch.
I hope to stop by the farm stand tomorrow and pick up fresh vegetables, as well as more berries to tide me over.

I need to start heading to bed a little earlier. I naturally wake up very early regardless of what time I go to bed, so I don't always get enough sleep.

Not much exercise today due to humidity. It will be a semi-rest day. Yesterday I started with some bodyweight things but I also ended up walking upwards of 3 miles. Today, perhaps a 1.5 mile walk.

[DCarr10760]

I had the same issues with fruit, I craved it and plowed through bags of cherries and pints of blueberries. But then my weight loss stalled and now I allow myself one serving of fruit a day and that's about it. I don't even buy cherries because I can't trust myself with them around. Once I stopped with the fruit, I started losing again (albeit verrrry sloooowly).

I would like to think that when I am done with the weight loss (whenever that happy day might be) I could up the fruit intake a bit, because I really do like it, but for the moment I stay away.

[campanella]

That is good to hear. I sometimes just need to remind myself that there is a strong reason to do this.

I got my walk in, about 2 miles, but I'm discontent because I've felt tired and sluggish and constantly insatiated. I'm going to try to up my fat intake and lower the carbs, I've had zero focus and no energy.