Happy Holidays, all! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

I’ve talked with many of you who feel that gaining weight is inevitable this time of year. But I am here to encourage you to not buy into that lie. I have managed to not only keep holiday heft at bay but to even lose a pound or two the last two years. It is feasible and you can do it too. If you implement The Zaftig Life mantra of “Moderation. Balance. Health.,” I know that you, too, can maintain or even lose a few pounds this season.

The Zaftig Life is not about restriction. It is, however, about moderation. Instead of throwing in the towel from November to December and vowing to eat better in 2010, start today. Enjoy some holiday treats, but only in small amounts. You simply cannot indulge in cake, cookies, alcohol or turkey sandwiches every day (or even every other day) for a month and a half and not expect your pants to get tight. (Don’t even try to blame it on the dryer!) But you can make smart choices when it comes to food, beverages and exercise and still have delicious goodies while maintaining a healthy weight or even shedding extra pounds. And the good thing about the occasional treat is that you are less likely to go off on a fat and sugar bender when your cravings are out of control.

Yesterday I made a pecan pie with chocolate and bourbon. I know what you might be thinking… “That does NOT sound figure-friendly.” That’s because it’s not. It is well over 600 calories per serving. That is insane. But it’s also insanely delicious… I can (and I did) indulge yesterday. It’s full of butter, sugar, 90 proof bourbon, and has a ridiculous calorie count, but it’s a once a year treat. If you decide to indulge in this pie, I recommend you make it a once a year treat, too.

Photo by Nicci Morris

By Nicci Morris

Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie

1 store-bought pie shell (I use and highly recommend Marie Callender’s deep-dish pastry shells)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup salted butter

4 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup bourbon (I used Ezra Brooks 90 proof)

1 teaspoon good vanilla extract (never use imitation)

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup pecan halves

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

In a saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter or margarine melts and sugar is completely dissolved. Cool slightly (you don’t want to scramble the eggs in the filling).

In a large bowl combine eggs, bourbon, and vanilla and mix well. Pour cooled sugar mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in chocolate and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until set and crust is golden. If the crust starts to brown too much before the filling sets, fold pieces of foil over the crust while it finishes.

Enjoy…

Love,

Recipe inspired by this version of the recipe on AllRecipes.

The best Thanksgiving exercise: simply push your chair away from the table!

Don’t beat yourself up if you overindulge at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Tomorrow’s another day, and the great thing is, we can begin cutting calories again at any time.

What’s the best way to cut calories on Thanksgiving—or ANYTIME? Simply push your chair away from the table and exit, stage right (or left, whichever applies)! Yes, it seems too simple. Maybe it is. Sometimes the simple and obvious are the most difficult concepts to embrace. As Forrest Gump would say, “Simple is as simple does.”  

Speaking of simple, I’m abbreviating my blog on this day of family, friends and thankfulness. I highly recommend spending your time with those three rather than surfing the ‘net. They’re what REALLY counts.

Have a most wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I’ll see you here tomorrow. I may be late posting due to Black Friday sales, but hang in there. I won’t forget you.

Suite au commentaire de Charlotte, je me suis inscrite sur Ydyle pour tester ce nouveau site.

Ydyle, un site idyllique…peut-être.

Ce qui est certain, c’est que, pour une fois, on est dans le soft… Le site est agréable,  la navigation est facile et le graphisme est sympa. Et ici pas de mauvaise surprise, c’est entièrement gratuit  !

L’interface est personnalisable ce qui confère un aspect plus « personnel » aux profils d’autant plus qu’on peut vraiment détailler son propre profil. Je trouve le concept très sympa pour ce type de site. On voit tout de suite les goûts de chacun, du coup cela permet de faire une première sélection.

Autre point fort la mixité. En tant que nana j’ai accès à tous les profils, hommes et femmes peuvent donc ce rencontrer en toute amitié (c’était déjà le cas d’autres sites, mais en vue de relations échangistes).

Enfin un site qui promeut un réel échange entre ses membres. Il y a, dans Ydyle, une tendance communautaire, qui pousse à rencontrer pour échanger et non rencontrer pour f****r.

Sur Ydyle on se sent un peu chez soi et surtout on est tranquille. Pas d’attaque intempestive ou de vulgarité redondante (merci les modérateurs). Reste à voir si les rencontres qu’on peut y faire tiennent la route… Je promets de vous tenir au courant de la suite des évènements !

“. . . you are accountable to God for your time. Time is a talent given us by God; he hath set us our day; and it is not for nothing, our day was appointed for some work; therefore he will, at the day’s end, call us to an account. We must give account to him of the improvement of all our time.”

Jonathan Edwards, Sermon on Ephesians 5.16 (Works, 2.235); cited in T. M. Moore, Consider the Lilies: A Plea for Creational Theology (Phillipsburg: P&R, 2005), 168, n. 4.

I feel like I’m getting a better handle on this healthy lifestyle thing. I’ve started noticing bad foods more often. Well, I hate to call any food bad, because it’s ok to eat it in moderation. But I’ve started being able to say no to certain foods much more easily. I’ve always had a hard time with “dieting” and it’s been hard to think of the end result. But this time it’s easier to remember what I want, why I’m eating better, and forcing myself to exercise.

Don’t congratulate me yet on the exercise though. I haven’t done much yet. I joined LA Fitness on Monday. There goes a lot of money. I just hope I will use the gym since I spent so much money on it. That’s always good motivation. I get a free personal training session this evening. I’m excited, and a little scared that I will get my ass kicked.

I’m happy that I’m finally starting to get the hang of this. Not completely, but it’s a great start. I watched Biggest Loser last night with my aunt, and was eating some kettlecorn. It was tasty, but then I thought, “I really want those new CDs…” In yesterday’s blog, I decided to give myself rewards for certain amounts of weight loss. I definitely want some new CDs, but first I have to lose 2.6 more pounds. I’d better get to work on that so I can get the new CDs!

Thanksgiving won’t be too tough this year either. I will be at my aunt’s house and she is cooking healthier food than usual because she’s also trying to lose weight. After our meal, my boyfriend and I will be visiting his friend in Houston. I won’t eat much because I won’t be at home and because his friend is vegan. When I’m around people who eat healthy, I just eat healthier. Maybe I will actually lose weight this week, but I will still be happy if I just don’t gain any. After all, this is Thanksgiving weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s almost Thanksgiving.  Since we tried deep-frying a turkey about 3 or 4 years ago, nobody wants it any other way.  It is very tasty.  It’s moist and no, it is not greasy.  Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing (depends on who makes it) and rolls.  I like carbohydrates.  I will even have dessert.  It isn’t the one day of overindulgence that gets us in trouble is it?  No, it’s the day before and the two days after that get us into trouble.  Moderation in everything is a great idea and how many of us will take that approach?  Very few.  We are having fun, talking, eating and drinking (water, of course) and being together.  For some folks,  holidays are a very stressful time and they use food and/or alcohol as comfort or an escape.  It’s okay if your willpower is a little out of whack for a short time.  Just get back to your normal schedule and go forward.  Just be regular with your exercise program and don’t skip meals.

Eating too much and too fast?   GERD will probably flare-up

Eating too much fat?  Arthritis may flare-up

Be aware of what your triggers are if you have: Migraines, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Acid Reflux, Crohn’s Disease

Have a great Turkey Day.

p.s.  Don’t forget to talk to and play with the kids that are seated at the “children’s” table.

I am so sorry that I’ve been MIA!  My cousins flew in this last weekend so we have company in town.  On top of an already busy schedule AND getting ready for Thanksgiving, it’s made for a crazy week!  I’m here, I’m hanging-in, I’m maintaining.  I’m NOT, however, working out like I want to be.  I’m giving myself a little grace this week but I do have a gym bag in my car so I can take advantage of any unexpected down time to get to the gym.  And next week I’ll breathe a sigh of relief over getting back to a somewhat more predictable schedule.

Saying No

I was thinking this morning about my sister, who is pregnant with her fourth child (3rd birth; her oldest is adopted).  LS (“little sis”) struggled with being overweight in high school and early in college; she lost about 40 pounds and has more or less kept it off since then.  We were talking yesterday when I was over at her place (with said company) and I commented, as so many others have, that other than baggy shirts hiding her bump, she doesn’t really look very pregnant!

LS is very self-conscious about her body and weight; she has never seemed to get over feeling like the chubby girl, even though she hasn’t been for years.  So, by extension, everyone’s fixation on her body while pregnant makes her VERY uncomfortable.  People wanting to touch her belly drives her CRAZY!  So I try not to talk about it too much, but we’re sisters and I don’t really censor myself around her, so sometimes I just say things that, if I were trying to be tactful, I wouldn’t say.

So anyways, LS replied in an offhand way, saying something like, “Well, I’m being a lot more careful about it this time; I don’t want to gain any more weight than I have to since it’s so hard for me to take off.”  And I realized, this morning, that maintaining her weight in a healthy range is not easy for LS…in fact, it’s hard work – just as hard as losing weight.

I kept thinking and realized that she probably says “no” to herself a lot.  She and I have different vices; give me chocolate ice cream, but give her pepper fried steak with sauteed mushrooms on top.  But we’re both foodies, we both love to eat, and we both grew up in a family that celebrates with food.  And yet here I am nearly 100 pounds overweight; and there LS is, at a healthy weight for most of her adult life.  What’s the difference between us?  There are a few: she never got to be as overweight as I did, she doesn’t have such a hard time with sweets, etc.

But really, the main difference between LS and me is this: she has learned to say no to herself.

When I was in therapy I talked a lot with my counselor about the petulant teenager inside me who wants what she wants when she wants it.  Period.  And how much I fight that girl on a daily basis.  I think part of that is why I have such a hard time saying no to myself. (In case you care about the history, in case it matters, I grew up in a home that was very healthy and strict about having sweets, so when I was growing up, the first thing I’d do when I got a dollar was go buy two candy bars, eat them, and dispose of the wrappers somewhere other than home, so I couldn’t be found out.  And thus a closet-eater was born.)

This morning when I stopped at Starbucks for my morning latte, I had this whole conversation with myself (internally, of course!) about wanting something sweet.   Do I want a cookie?  No, that’s 450 calories.  But so is the gingerbread – actually, it’s 500 calories!  Well, maybe I’ll get something (pumpkin bread?) and eat only half.  That wouldn’t be unreasonable, but didn’t I just last night, as I was falling asleep, think that a day free of sugar would be a good idea?  Well, that doesn’t have to be today, though, does it?  But I really want something, so I should be able to have it!  Why should I have to deprive myself?  But I don’t even love any of these sweet things; if I’m going to splurge, shouldn’t it be on something I really love?  Unless something is better than nothing.

And therein lies the struggle: in my head, it’s either something right now, damnit, or nothing.  It’s all or nothing.  It’s “good” or “bad”, black and white, balls to the wall or sitting on the couch eating Ben & Jerry’s all evening long.  This moderation thing?  I haven’t got it half figured out yet.

After all that thinking and talking, you’d think I’d have an epiphany; a magical realization for how to get “better” at all of this.  I don’t.  All I know is, I have a lot to learn.  Some of it has to do with saying “no” to myself.  Some of it has to do with letting the grown-up SRG (SeattleRunnerGirl) be in charge, and with figuring out how to get the teenage SRG to go along with that without kicking and screaming.  But part of it, too, is figuring out how to satisfy the need that teenager has without using food.  Still another part is retraining myself to realize that life doesn’t work in black & white, all-or-nothing terms.  That sometimes it really is good enough to be good enough, and not perfect.

Better get to work, hadn’t I?

With five brothers and three sisters, I learned to act quickly when good food was available. We always had enough to eat, but the first time I saw leftovers on meat was when I visited my husband’s family at age 22.

My mother advised my ever-hungry brothers, “Have some bread and gravy, a peanut butter sandwich or a can of soup if you’re still hungry.”

They taught me to have a good offense when snacks and desserts were served. Luckily, I followed my brothers and sisters outside to play in the yard, so the grab-and-stuff eating habits didn’t make me obese.

Back then, parents encouraged their children to walk to school and play outside, so I worked off the second desserts and potato chips. High fructose corn syrup wasn’t yet on the food pyramid.

With childhood obesity predicted to skyrocket to one-in-five obese children by 2010, parents must take preventative action.

Mindful eating is the practice of eating slowly, paying attention to the scent, sensation and taste of what you are chewing and swallowing.

Mindful eating means remembering the people who grew, harvested, transported, sold and prepared the food. When we remember the effort behind food, it’s harder to waste it.

Try this exercise to eat more mindfully with your family, borrowed from the Unitarian Universalist Winter 2009 magazine.

This photo is from a fellow blogger, www.sarahdbelle.wordpress.com. Sarah writes about food and her struggle with anorexia.

1. choose two fruits or vegetables that everyone in the family can eat, for example, strawberries and carrots. Have enough for everyone to eat one of each.

2. Wash the produce, slice and arrange them artfully on two serving plates, one for strawberries, one for carrots.

3. Pass the strawberries. Invite each person to take one and slowly, quietly chew it. “Take your time. Chew throughly and deliberately, to fully experience the texture and flavor. Imagine the earth, the sun, the water and the air that nurtured the strawberry. Taste the sunlight in the strawberry.”

4. Next, pass the tray of carrots and say the same thing for the carrots.

5. Share a moment of silence.

6. Talk about what it was like to each simple foods together, silently. What did you learn about eating? About strawberries? About carrots?

7. What would it be like to eat a whole meal in mindful silence? Could you do it? Why or why not?

Enjoy a happy and mindful Thanksgiving Day dinner with your family.

Sunday: Day of rest from worldly goals and tasks

I’m writing this Saturday night and am thankful for WordPress’s “publish later” feature, which allows me to set the date and time I want my post to appear.

Sunday is my day for spiritual growth, and rest from temporal pursuits. We all need that change-of-scenery day to rejuvenate in whatever way we determine for ourselves. For me, it’s church and service (and a nap!). For you it might be something different. Whatever it is, enjoy it. I’ll see you back here, ready to roll into a new week, on Monday morning (gulp—weigh-in day!). 

The death penalty makes me squirm. The idea that a set of fallible humans functioning under flawed justice systems are capable of arriving at an infallible conclusion that could lead to the state sanctioned execution of another human is just too fantastic to comprehend.

Criminal cases in even the most scientifically and technologically advanced nations with legal systems based on due process, have repeatedly found post-conviction evidence that has often cast a shadow of reasonable doubt around inmates on death row, if not exonerating them completely. The situation in nations with lesser judicial capabilities is even worse. This is especially so in countries that deem themselves “Islamic,” but unfortunately have not even the remotest implementation and idealism of justice that a system based on Islamic thought is supposed to embody.

Several Muslim societies in this 21st century live with the notion that taking another human life is “permissible” for many reasons - murder, apostasy, bidah (deviation from the mainstream), kufr (disbelief), blasphemy, and so on. The truth is that each and every one of these supposedly permissible reasons is based on historical events that shaped the actions of the early Muslims but are out of context when applied in the current era. Unfortunately the codification of many of these events in to the Hadith literature has lent them an unjustified religiosity that is misplaced, and almost always counter-productive to a more contemporary understanding of faith and justice.

It is no surprise that almost all sections of the Sunni community affirming adherence to the Hadith literature have ignored, if not opposed, any attempts at re-reading the Quran and re-igniting the liberating influence of ijtihad (rational thinking). Among those trying is Dr. Muqtedar Khan. Read his blog on Ijtihad and especially an article on reform through ijtihad. In the meantime, traditionalists from Nigeria to Saudi to Pakistan to Indonesia continue labeling people in ways that make their condemnation by death possible and to execute them.

The Shia, who are supposed to place a great emphasis on adl (justice) and the irfan (spirituality) of their faith, are doing no better. Iran, as a religio-political entity is well known for convictions and executions through legal processes that routinely fail muster with many of their own marja (religious experts). Imagine the extent of fallibility when even the most learned class among the faithful does not agree on the form or content of justice.

The real irony here is that Muslims routinely proclaim that only God knows best, but don’t have any hesitation in taking upon themselves the divine right to determine the fate of another human life.

Death as a penalty is too final. It provides no space for humans to recover from any possible miscarriage of justice due to their inherent fallibility.

We must strive to abolish the death penalty everywhere!

Is this your normal sandwich?

Try halving it, and adding a salad (watch that dressing: see Day 2!)

No, I didn’t spell Wait wrong in the title. I really do mean a lapse of time. Let me explain.

Healthy eating isn’t about deprivation—it’s about moderation. Take the photos above. The whole sandwich on the left: two slices of whole wheat bread, 2 teaspoons of butter, two slices of deli ham and a slice of muenster cheese. Calorie count: 598.

According to Sparkpeople.com, to attain my weight goal by April 15, I need to eat 1,200–1,550 calories per day. [Cruelly, most men can eat twice that and never gain an ounce! No, life isn't always fair. But then, when a man wants to feed his baby, he has to get up and warm a bottle!      ]

Today I tried something new. I only ate half the sandwich, reducing my lunch calories to 299. And honestly, the half-sandwich was enough. Shut up, you say?? Here’s what I did: I drank a glass of water and waited 10 minutes. I told myself that if I was still hungry, I could eat the other half-sandwich. But I found that the water helped fill me up, and the extra 10 minutes gave my brain (the hypothalamus, to be specific) enough time to realize I was satisfied.

My day’s calories came to 1,474, within my goal range. YAY! And that included a bowl of rainbow sherbet after dinner. So we really can eat everything we want. We just need to eat less of it.

Enough of this calorie counting stuff. Tomorrow we’ll talk about how to find time to exercise. Come ready to share your secrets, or be inspired by someone else’s!

And just FYI, weigh-in number one will take place Monday for me. (You determine your own schedule.)

Will today be your Day One? Congratulations if it is, or if yesterday was (or the day before). Keep confident and resolute! We can do this!

There I was, last night musing—isn’t musing cool? So much more elegant and sophisticated than merely thinking and I often find, a good deal less painful.

“Mmmm…” she mused intelligently, nibbling the leg of her glasses, a sardonic frown playing thoughtfully about her attractive, lightly furrowed eyebrows, “will I have another marshmallow?”

Anyway, there I was musing last night over the state of my expanding waistline. “Why? Why? Why?”  I pondered—pondering is fun too but a little too casual for my purposes last night, so I went back to musing.  I finished my chips and chocolate bar in a state of confusion. “What’s going wrong with my glands?” Alarmed and desperately seeking focus, I rushed off to the kitchen to graze on some of last nights leftovers.

Then it occurred to me!

Of course! That’s it!

I need to drink more water and watch telly sitting on a pilates ball!!!

Well my darlings the sorry truth of the matter is that little ole’ Arty shrew is an addict!

“Hello, My name is Arty Shrew and I’m a MORE addict!”

Yes! I really am! I am completely addicted to MORE.  More food, more drink, more fun, more shoes, more exercise (when I do it!) more telly, yes even…more work, more earings, more air, more bubble wrap, more tea (LOTS more)!  MORE, MORE give me MORE!

You name it I want more!

Moderation in all things…hmmmm! Isn’t moderation something strict to do with exams?

Moderation-schmoderation – I’m with Olvier Twist “Please Sir can I have some MORE”!  Mind you the poor boy DID have an excuse, unlike some others, not a million miles away…ahem!

Mama Shrew amazes me. She will have 2 squares of a chocolate bar, neatly fold it up and say “Lets put it away for tomorrow.”

“Noooooo don’t put it away..” I cry silently, dying of disappointment. Sometimes I go to visit her weeks later and the same bar is still sitting there in the cupboard – WHAT the…?? She assures me it’s another one but I think she’s only saying that to make me feel less of a pig – dear soul, she’s like that.

Phrases you will never hear Me say…

Let’s put it away for tomorrow

No really – half that much

Just give me 1 small potato

No pudding thanks – I’m full

I’ll just have the green salad

I’m saving mine for later

Small fries – actually no fries thanks

Phrases I say often..

Ok just another

Let’s finish the packet

Anyone for seconds?

Up-size mine please

My I see the pudding menu?

I’ll take 10 of those

Aren’t you going to eat that? Pass it ‘ere!

Well I’m off to eat my chocolate cereal and cream, buttered toast and marmalade whilst sitting on my pilates ball.

No seriously, I’m having a small bowl of cereal and fruit – I  SOOO AM!!!!

Confessions from my snack drawer

You’ve heard of closet alcoholics? I’m a drawer snacker. What you see above is typical of the contents of my not-so-secret stash. It’s the first place my kids go when they visit if they’re looking to satisfy their sweet tooths. They know they’ll always find something good—and chocolate—there.

That’s my dilemma for the day: to purge or not to purge. I could throw it all out and feel GREAT. For about an hour. Then I’d feel deprived. And I’d be tempted to hit McDonald’s for a chocolate shake. Probably a large one.

So what to do? I think it comes down to mind self-control. There will always be sweets in the world. What we have to do, as sweetaholics, is to learn to be ok with indulging—moderately. I repeat: MODERATELY.

The contents of my drawer have changed a bit lately. The candy bars are now bite-sized. Cakes and puddings are individually wrapped.  I can now have a sweet that’s not 500 calories a pop. I do still have to limit myself to just one. But when I remind myself of my goal (50 in 150), that’s not as hard as it used to be.

It doesn’t hurt that I now have all your eyes watching me. As Thanksgiving approaches, what I’m thankful for is your influence, and hope I can be the same motivator for you.

Have a great Tuesday. Will today be your Day One?

Ah, the soul. For once someo0ne with clear ideas set down on paper that doesn’t involve a lot of guess work, and reading for secret Freudian imagery. I suspect that Joyce is trying to toss something over my head that I simply will not notice because I was too busy being happy with Molly’s directness.

Comparing what she has to say about Catholicism to what Lotus-Eaters was hinting at with the power structure of Joyce’s Ireland, I’m glad to say that Molly seems to be pretty consistent. Molly’s belief in God is absolute, but she clearly does not have much use for the institution of the church. At the very beginning of the chapter, she discredits the masses said for the soul after death, in her dismissal of Mrs. Riordan (608.5-11). The scene is interesting as the rejection of masses as selfishly spending money on yourself rather than giving to those who have been good to you on earth is a highly Protestant idea. However, Mrs. Riordan, the “greatest miser ever was actually afraid to lay out 4d for her methylated spirit,” becomes a Catholic’s caricature of Protestantism, the miser too busy saving money to be concerned for the safety of their soul (608.6-7).

Again, there is the reinforcement that religion is a thing for women and the elderly, as Molly’s recollections of Church are almost never personal recollections of Mass, or feast day, but associations with the older women in her life. The Spanish servant (?) Mrs. Rubio turns Catholicism into a mechanism of superiority and judgment, a tool of oppression in her hands. However, “with all her religion domineering,” Mrs. Rubio is actually disarmed by Britain, acting in this instance as an unusual savior for Molly (624.753-754). Mrs. Rubio, after all “could not get over the Atlantic fleet coming in half the ships of the world and the Union Jack flying with all her carabineros because 4 drunken English sailors took all the rock from them” (624.754-625.756). Molly, half Irish, half Jewish, half Spanish, fully Catholic, is associated with the conquering Protestant English by the domineering Rubio. On a literal level because her father was with the British Army, but also because Molly is not willing to bend under the full Catholic sanctity. Mrs. Rubio becomes the institution, angry, flaunted at the way the English have taken Ireland from her, but ultimately she is useless. Baleful to those who flirt with British norms, like Molly, but incapable of getting them to “run to mass in Santa Maria to please her” (625.757).

Of course, Molly will not run to the mass because she does not believe that there is a real need to constantly be cloistered within the ritual and ceremony of the Church. Indeed, Molly is exasperated by the need for some of the most important rituals, echoing Gerty as she dis approves of priestly interference between herself and the divine: “what did he want to know for, when I had already confessed it to God?” (610.114). Molly’s statement is more clear than the girlish Gerty’s mis-interpretation of major sin and confession (300). This is a fully experienced person’s opinion of the Church institutions, and again there is a strange Protestant-Catholic dichotomy to her thoughts. Molly’s objection to Father Corrigan could be a Protestant refusal of the intercessor, or it could be skeptical Catholicism taking a look at corruption within the church. Molly, still retaining her interest in Father Corrigan, at least as a sexual partner (610.119-120), gives the corruption argument more weight, as she wishes to indulge that corruption, rather than turning away in prim disgust. She notices that the Father will not look at her, so possibly he does not know who she is out of the hundreds he hears confessions from, which allows him the sanctity of his office (610. 116). Molly’s opions about “bullneck[s] in horse collars” are her own invention superimposed on the image of the priest (610.116). Even then, her imagination does not give him an active role. Father Corrigan she suspects of being impure, but she does not fantasize that he will act on that impurity.

Molly is a good Catholic. She believes in the soul and God, just not the institution. Admittedly it could be argued that Catholicism is nothing without the Mother Church and respect for Papal decisions, yet Molly affirms Catholicism with her thoughts, and keeps her respect even when paired with skepticism. Her balanced religion is a pure relief after Stephen’s circular thoughts, and Bloom’s cloudy confusion. Molly becomes the perfect example of the moderate religion, that influences, but does not drive or define one’s actions.

Unanswered things:

- The Virgin Mary’s place in the Trinity (not Catholic doctrine, obviously, but I feel that it should be connected somehow, from all the crazy connections that we’ve had throughout the book).

- Irish Nationalism and the Catholic Church (the scene with Mrs. Rubio was useful, but did not really add anything to previous knowledge. There hasn’t been much of this since Cyclops, and I was hoping for more of a revelation than the fact that Joyce does not think that a religious identity should be super imposed upon the racial identity if there even is such a thing).

This weekend I indulged in many tasty treats that I want to share with you…

Who doesn’t love a scone right? Provided it’s NOT all dry and crumbly…has to be somewhat moist and fluffy, dense yet light in your mouth and deliciously flavored. I found that in a cinnamon scone from here. These were sensational! There appeared to be tiny bits of brown sugar and cinnamon embedded throughout the scone, and the top had a cinnamon crust. These scones, paired with my new favorite coffee was like I died and went to heaven. I love nothing more than a good cup of coffee…ok well, and maybe this scone. It’s THAT good. Really.

Another sinfully rich meal involved pasta from Olivieri’s. Of course. Asiago and roasted garlic stuffed ravioli…need I say more? Topped with alfredo sauce and a lovely wine on the side…

Life is to be embraced and enjoyed. Never deny yourself the pleasures that are out there…just do so carefully.

Love Chere Michelle

Whether you want to lose weight or you’re at the point in your Zaftig journey where you are maintaining your curves, the fact is you have to eat and you have to move to get the results you desire.  Getting to and staying at a healthy weight does not require deprivation and you don’t have to give up snacking. On the contrary, grazing throughout the day while remaining mindful of your nutritional and caloric intake can actually rev up your body’s metabolism. That means you’ll have better results, more energy, and you’ll feel and look better than if you were restricting calories too much. Bottom line: Eating and weight loss/maintenance go hand-in-hand.

Hence, this is the first installment of “Zaftig-approved” goodies. If a goodie is “Zaftig-approved,” you can count on a few things:

1. You’ll probably like the way it tastes and it will be satisfying. No sense in eating something that’s full of empty calories, devoid of nutrition AND you’re still hungry 30 minutes later! Zaftigs don’t do the calorie wasting thing… We know better. While we’re never going to all agree on what’s delicious and what’s not, I know you’ll love most of the picks. (No, I won’t give you your money back if you buy something I recommend and you hate it. Keep your receipt, love!)
2. I’ll tell you all about how and where to find the goodies. I hate when someone tells me how great something is and then I have to hunt down the brand to find the nearest retailer. Part of why I’m here is to share deliciousness with you, and I plan to do just that.
3. Finally, because we know good health is all about balance and moderation in everything we do, Zaftig-approved goodies won’t always be food. A goodie is anything my fellow Zaftigs would find appealing (a great beverage, fabulous workout gear, dreamy shapewear, great walking/running shoes, a great deal at a gym, can’t-miss exercise videos or equipment, lotions, makeup, a book you can’t put down, etc…)

If you want to send me suggestions for items, please feel free to do so! And I definitely look forward to you guys weighing in with your own opinions of all the Zaftig-approved goodies to come!

Love,

I’m all about moderation. I didn’t use to be—used to be an All or Nothing Gal. That’s not me anymore. It’s still a struggle sometimes to be about moderation.

This week has tested me…mostly mentally. I had no problems going out to dinner on Tuesday night for Kenny’s birthday. I was excited, and ready for my favorite enchiladas. Enjoyed some carrot cake too. Then I thought I’d make some nice food choices the rest of the week and be good to go.

Well, another dinner came up. Sean’s friend wanted to go to dinner so we could meet his new little lady. I thought awesome, I really wanted to meet her….I’ll just make some good food choices. He chose a place called Humble Pie Pizzeria. Kind of hard to eat “healthy” at a pizzeria. So, I let go and succombed to the yumminess of pizza. Willingly, not b/c I just couldn’t handle myself. We ordered two pizzas—one Deep Dish Chicago Style Hawaiin pizza, and a New York Style Margherita pizza! IT WAS SO GOOD. I had 3 pieces..more than I had anticipated, but luckily I didn’t feel like I overate or overly full. After dinner, I came home drank some tea and read a new book.

Sookie Stackhouse Series...True Blood is based off these books

I read about a chapter and was asleep by 10 pm! Felt SOOOO good to get some quality sleep.

I did the Couch to 5K with Eddie this morning—gettin his endurance up. I added about 5-10 minutes joggingn at the end. I may do a full body workout tonight if I’m not too worn out. I have to work late, so we shall see.

Needless to say, I can see the two meals out on my tum tum. B/c of these big meals, I wasn’t too hungry this morning so I had a PB & J Roll up (idea came from Julie—PB Fingers! )

It was tasty—1/2 a Lavash wrap, some Naturally More Peanut Butter, and some mashed up Frozen Blueberries.

I'm already in the Christmas Spirit with my Christmas plate

I feel pretty bloated and kind of bleh today—does anyone have any “debloating tips” that they use? Already got my water goin

       Always think of God with rejoicing. Abstain from the things that are harmful, and use moderately those which are good. Be an example to others in all the aspects of your persona, remembering that God is coming soon, and that you will have to give Him an account for all you do in the flesh.
       Don’t worry about the minor details of life, but ask God, believing that He is able to do “abundantly above all that we ask or think,” to grant you the requests of your heart. As you lay your requests before the altar of the Almighty, God will cause your soul to rest in the assurance that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to those that are called according to His purpose.” Eph 3:20, Rom 8:28

I still remember my first moderator gig with some clarity, and how much I enjoyed taking on the responsibility. That was about 7 years ago, on an Unreal Tournament mod forum with about 200 active members.

These days I’m part of a team that runs a network of fansites. The two that I am directly involved in have about 500 people browsing at any one time. The older of the two records that the highest concurrent user count was 6,830, which seems impressive, though it’s a relatively small percentage of the total membership: 202,375.

Things have changed a lot over those 7 years. People began to realize that there are two attractive reasons to run a gaming website: It’s a lot easier to make a profit using adverts than it used to be, and it’s a great addition to your resume if you have aspirations to end up working in the games industry.

Take Guild Wars 2 as an interesting case study: Well over a year off release, and I’ve already found 13 other fansites competing with my own Guild Wars 2 Guru. Most are in various stages of “under construction” and may never make it any further than that, others have a lot of potential: There’s at least one that is run by a professional web-designer, and one run by a programmer with web development skills.

The old-schooler in me feels like that’s just unfair competition, not at all in the ‘indie’ spirit of fansites. The rest of me enjoys being pushed to step up my game. Guild Wars Guru was the number one Guild Wars fansite by a pretty large margin, and thats not an edge I plan to lose.

It’s not easy though; Gone are the days where you just make a basic front page for news, slap on a phpBB forum and open up to the masses. It’s not just about providing a pleasant environment and letting the members do the rest. You are competing on every level with other sites, who all want a piece of the community pie. They might have more resources, more experience, or even more money behind them.

Here’s a quick list of the things a top tier fansite will provide:

• Guides, maps, and other resources.
• Articles and columns.
• Screenshot and video gallery.
• Podcasts.
• Blogs.
• Forum. (But not just any forum – It has to be tooled up with all the latest bells and whistles: Dev trackers, anti-spam measures, picture resizing plug-ins…)

Not to mention it needs to be stable, responsive, and look professional and aethetically pleasing. Oh, and you will need people to maintain it, add future features, and of course, moderate the forum.

That’s what you are up against, in what is very much a case of “if you can’t handle the heat…”.

So how do you possibly compete in this shark-infested cut-throat world of skulduggery and intrigue?

Getting into the fansite business is like marketing a product. You get an idea, you work out your target demographic, you develop it, and you market it.

Here’s the four steps you should be thinking about:

1. Who will you target? Specialization is an easy way to separate you from the pack. What role can you fill that others won’t? Will it be a PvP oriented fansite? A design/suggestion oriented fansite? Perhaps you want to market specifically to mature fans? Take it in the no-nonsense e-sports direction, or aim for a more friendly role-playing community? Maybe you’re ambitious enough to feel like you can tackle multiple sectors with a larger and more general site, even though that will pit you against tougher competition.
2. What are you going to offer? So you figured out where you want to take the website, and know your demographic. Who is the competition? Why do people come to your site instead of theirs? Are you going to offer tools for guild recruitment? Are you going to offer commentated match videos? Are you going to integrate some social networking functions? Blogs for community members, staff?
3. How are you going to develop it? What resources do you have? What resources can you find? What are the capabilities of your current staff, and in what areas do you need to build on that? You may need to find writers, people skilled in graphic design, web developers, or someone with experience of running a community.
4. How are you going to market it? Websites don’t advertise themselves, how are you going to get the word out? Are you going to develop branded signature images and encourage members to use them in forum profiles elsewhere? Are you going to advertise in-game?

If you don’t have the drive and resourcefulness to know you can get through all of the above then you might as well bow out now. The whole process is a hell of a time investment from you and whoever you enlist, so don’t be nonchalant about the commitment.

Too many fansites sink because people didn’t quite understand how much was involved, or because their morale hit the deck when the doors finally opened and nothing but tumbleweed rolled in.

I’m not a moderate person. I could list thousands of examples, but I’ll shorten the list to my most recent failures:

Last week, I decided to pre-hab my ankle, which has been a tad sore ever since the Marine Corps Marathon. Which wouldn’t be a big deal, except that I sprained that ankle last December, and ended up needing a couple cortisone shots to finally knock down the inflammation. As I dutifully performed my towel pulls and toe taps last week, I thought: The great thing is, it’s impossible to overdo it with this kind of exercise! Impossible … unless you’re me. My feet were in excruciating post-workout pain all weekend. It takes a special kind of idiot to overdo it with foot-strengthening exercises, but it can be done.

On Monday, I took a lovely afternoon swim break at a county pool that happened to be close to my late-afternoon interview. It was great, except for the soundtrack of self-doubt running through my head. The internal debate focused on whether I can really afford the $250 registration fee for the 4.4-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge Swim when the 1-mile version of the race costs $60, and on whether, if I skipped the 4.4-miler, the 1-miler would just be a waste of time — go big or go home, right?

I know: wrong. I’m aware that I’m not the only amateur, middle-of-the-pack athlete to suffer from this affliction. I’m also aware that there’s nothing healthy about it. While my Type-A personality certainly helps when I’ve got a goal to achieve, it’s not so great on the flexibility front, which is a key piece of training.

So last night, when I woke up from an unplanned late-afternoon nap that could only mean an impending virus of some sort (I was the only kid who couldn’t sleep during siesta when I studied abroad in Italy), I decided to get better at moderation by practicing it. I’d really been looking forward to my group run with Pacers Silver Spring, especially considering it was a tough, hilly route — exactly the kind I’m trying to focus on to get ready for the National Marathon in March. I also thought about how I’d already taken a day off last Friday, and how a day off the following Tuesday could only mean … two days off in one week (gasp!). But for once, I listened to my body rather than the soundtrack of guilt and stayed home.

This morning, I woke up after having slept 16 hours — again, for an insomniac, this can only be a sign that something’s wrong. I also woke up with a twinge in my throat. I’m choosing to spend the day on the couch, working as I can, sleeping when I need to. Because my still-sore feet remind me that you don’t get extra brownie points for pushing yourself too hard.

In the “just what the doctor ordered” department: This morning, a freelancer-friend made me aware of the chance to win a trip to a spa-learning/networking opportunity for bloggers, freelancers and other entrepreneurs Feb. 1-3 at a fabulous resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Just thinking about relaxing at a spa and yapping with other freelancers makes my impending cold feel better, and makes me feel all moderate and stuff. Find out more, or enter yourself, here.

Does moderation come naturally for you? If not, how do you make sure you stay balanced and healthy?

Wow,  a weekend!

It just so happened that this weekend I had two dinners to attend.  I usually try to make sure that big dinners like this are more spread out, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way.  Good for the foodie in me; bad for the weight loss planner in me.

Saturday night we had our annual progressive dinner.  My cousin, parents, and I have been doing this for the last 7 years or so.  We begin at one house for appetizers, move to another house for the dinner, and then finish at the last house for the dessert.  Because I’m the youngest and the least experienced cook, they always let me do the appetizers, and then my mom and my cousin trade off between the dinner and the dessert.  Both my cousin and my mom are incredible cooks, and they take great pride in composing amazing meals.  It’s almost like they try to out do the other, and my dad and I get to reap the benefits. It’s nice that we all live within 5-10 minutes of each other.

This year I didn’t host the apps at my house because of the neighbors (not quite fit for a fancy party), so my cousin agreed to let me bring the appetizers to his house, and since he and I live literally 3 minutes (by car) apart, it worked out perfectly.  The meal was really phenomenal, and I just have to share it with you:

Appetizers (me): WW mini cheese balls. Even though these are a WW magazine recipe, they taste really decadent.  They’re a real crowd pleaser, and I’d recommend them for any upcoming holiday parties you may have.  My mom asked me to make them again for Christmas Eve, and I think next time I’m going to use the same recipe but make one cheese log, and use a combo of nuts and parsley on the outside.

Dinner (cousin): my cousin is a true gourmet cook.  He came up with this meal after having one similar to it on a recent cruise that he went on.  He has hopes of retiring from his corporate job as a finance guy and opening his own catering business.  I think he’d make a fortune!

1st course: soup – a chicken-based broth with ginger, garlic, bamboo shoots, chantarelle mushrooms, and savoy cabbage – amazing
2nd course: salad with mixed greens, shaved fennel, oranges, and hazelnuts with a light vinaigrette
main course: grouper (first time I’d ever had this) with a salsa of mangoes and pineapple, saffron-infused jasmine rice, and swiss chard

Dessert (Mom): Paula Deen’s pumpkin gingerbread trifle – decadent, delicious, and very fattening.

The dinner “cost” me 28.5 points, and it was one to remember.  I was so full afterward that I really didn’t feel good, but it was a delightful evening.

Sunday brought another dinner – this one to celebrate my niece T’s birthday.  My mom asked T what she wanted for dinner and T immediately replied, “ravioli!!!” Even though this was “just a family dinner,” my mom went all out (as she always does) with setting the table.  I really wish I would’ve taken a photo of the table, because it was absolutely gorgeous!  We started with ham and cheese pinwheels that my sister made and for dinner we had ravioli, bread, Italian sausage, and salad with fennel and blue cheese.  I was so stuffed and uncomfortable after this 23-point dinner than I ended up leaving before we had dessert.

The main thing I realized this weekend was that I can’t eat like I used to.  It was unpleasant to be as full as I felt at both dinners, especially the one on Sunday night.  And I didn’t even eat the same portions as I usually would have!  I think it’s just a matter of my stomach being much smaller than it used to be.  Plus the fact that I try to eat lighter at dinner and have more of my points throughout the day.

It’s weird that I felt so full both nights.  I’ve had many special meals in the last year, yet I really cannot remember feeling so full.  Not sure exactly what it means, but I know I don’t want to feel that way again. I guess I can look at it as an NSV of sorts; I really can’t eat like I used to, and that’s a good thing!

These two dinners were a good prelude to the holiday season that is quickly approaching!  I did a good job of saving my points on both days, and while I did use many of my WPAs, I didn’t go over my weekly allotment of 35.  My main goal for the holiday meals is to stop eating before I get to the point of feeling so overstuffed that I feel sick.

This Wednesday’s weigh in should be interesting.  I’ve all of my points, sent Scale Warfare my food journal each evening, “closed the kitchen” and avoided nighttime noshing — all good things.  What I wasn’t able to do because of my cold is workout.  I did do the Wii Fit Plus on Sunday for 1 hour (the longest I’ve ever “played” it – I earned 4 Activity Points!) and 30 minutes again on Monday night.  I’m planning on doing it again for at least 30 minutes on Tuesday, as well.  I don’t feel up to doing more than a low-intensity workout, and I’m just hoping it’s enough to keep the scale from shocking me again this week.  Wish me luck!

What are your biggest challenges when you have special/holiday dinners?

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