Vegetable Beef Soup - The Homemade Version

So this has been back to "being good" and avoiding gluten at all costs. Work can be hard. My boss on occasion buys lunch for everyone. The problem is it is usually lunch for everyone but me. It is hard to put that image of sticking out in the lunchroom in junior high away. I hate not being able to join in but have learned that the pizza and pasta she usually opts to buy the staff is definitely not worth the risk. It is days like this that my resolve weakens and I do things that I wouldn't normally that hurt in the long run. So this week, I decided knowing that she was going to buy Italian for the staff that I would make myself some vegetable beef soup. So I got some good lean beef, onions from our garden, carrots, heirloom golden potatoes  mushrooms and green peas. A little home made beef broad and tomato powder. I am looking forward to having it though I am not sure it will mitigate the smell of the Italian. At least I am trying.

So "I'm back" wasn't really there....

Ever feel like you have written the same cycle of blog entries 1,000 times?

We'll here it is again. I finally found someone I think can actually help with the chronic pain issues. I am going to have to be very strict with my diet. I am also going to do what I can to drop the weight and strengthen my back. If I don't then there isn't going to be much enjoyment in my world.

So what does that mean? Means I got a kick in my butt about the fact that it is me being lazy that is the reason I hurt and am heavy. So I am going to take a shot at couch to 10K. 13 weeks of training to run. I am going to work on several 5K and 10K runs this summer.

So I am currently finding a way to download audio books and putting together some playlists. I have a plan and put exercise on my schedule and the family calendar. No hiding from it now. I will pull out workout clothing tonight when I get home.

I am going to take a three-week hiatus from entertaining or going out. In order to eat clean I feel like I need to prepare food in my own home and do it right.

So again, here I am at the beginning.

The agony and power of saying no

So on my lunch hour I was floating around the inter-webs and came across a site that is one of my favorites. I have been down about my wardrobe and was just kind of searching. The deal was great 70% off already and an additional 25% off. I went through the site found stuff I loved and started putting it in my card. I wedged it down to a "reasonable" amount and was almost through the checkout process. That was when I asked the question I should have asked well before that point. Do I need this? The answer was no. Do I want this? The answer was yes. Then I started going through a list, do I want it more than the hot tub cover? The bathroom counters? A dinner out with friends?  The checkout process stopped, cart is deleted.

The question and thought process now is about the process I was using and what I am not thinking about in terms of decision making. We talk a lot about priorities in our lives but I am not sure that I am factoring those priorities into daily life. Something to think about.