Reflections

Posted on March 10, 2012 by flamidwyfe

This post was written on Saturday and apparently didn’t publish… So here goes!

Went with the marketing team to Yiwu today. This town is a hub of manufacturing of clothes here in China and was a 2 hour bus trip southwest of Hangzhou. Lots of Arabs here and that means one awesome thing… ARAB FOOD!!!! I had mixed grill for lunch with a teeny bit of hummus… Mmmmmm Mmmmmm Good!

Time for reflecting… I would LOVE it if you would respond to the question with a comment. I think it’s possible to comment anonymously if you’d prefer 🙂

This is from the site Thoughtquestions.com The picture is mine from visit home Christmas 2010.

MY ANSWER: TRANSFORMING

My son-in-law Chris was out talking to the neighbor. Nick’s ex Ashlee is marrying a different man, and I’m bursting with happiness for her. Jennifer continues her journey of recovery, Tiffany is going to be a surrogate mother and I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up… But my body is sure transforming!

Tell me about YOUR family… One word is just fine, but if you’d like… elaborate 🙂

Ciao!

Dukan – The numbers look good!!

Posted on March 8, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Just a quick teaser as I’m walking out the door for work… the scale was VERY good to me this morning, I’ve hit a goal and I’ll walk to work with a smile on my face..

Updated blog when I get home from work!!! Sleep well my U.S. friends and family xoxoxo

And good morning to the rest of you!

Ciao!

Dukan Tuna Patty

Posted on March 7, 2012 by flamidwyfe

I’m always on the look out for EASY meals to make. I’m off work today and decided to do a little experimentation with a can of tuna for lunch… Yum!

This recipe is good for Pure Protein days, as well as PV days, consolidation and stabilization.

Dukan Tuna Patties

1 can of tuna in water
2 Tbs FF greek yogurt or quark or fromage frais
A dollop of dijon mustard
2 Tbs chopped onion
1 Tbs Oat bran meal
Salt & Pepper to taste

*Turn on stove to Medium
*Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray
*Drain can of tuna and place in bowl
*Add yogurt, mustard, chopped onion, oat bran and salt & pepper
and mix well. Mixture should be moist, but not too moist.
*Form into 2 patties

Cook on medium 3 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Dukan Tuna Patties

Dukan – Day 198 – Back in Hangzhou

Posted on March 5, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Monday was a PV day.

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.20 kg
Total weight loss: 74 lb/33.61 kg

I have no idea how I lost weight while out of town in Taizhou. Having eaten pork intestines, pickled octopus and various and assorted other things… I was careful not to eat anything in gravy, and I even had half a piece of fruit that was like an apple and pear together… but the scale was kind to me… thank you scale!

Whirlwind couple of days on a trip that was a surprise… holding on to the fact that I caught 2 babies keep my spirits up. Coming back yesterday was challenging, I’m not sure which event launched me into a “Michael Douglas in Falling Down” mode, but I felt like a volcano ready to erupt… was it the guy hocking loogies in the restaurant? (everyone here hocks up loogies openly… loud and proud, and spits them on the floor, wherever they might be… men, women, children) or was it the fact that my employer forgot to pick me up at the train station and I had to get in a 1+ hour que to get a taxi… Or was it the lady in said taxi que that did the Haitian nose blow onto my FRIGGIN hiking boot… my reaction parted the crowd like the Red Sea and we moved right up to the front of the line 😀 Or, it could have been the fact that I couldn’t get a taxi to go to a friends house because they do shift change at 5 p.m. and it was GOD FORBID 4 p.m…. her flat is a 15 min. taxi ride… SO I WALKED THE 3.5 MILES… or it could have been witnessing, for the 1000th time, a kid who’s grandmother is hovering her over the sidewalk while she craps, then wipes her and leaves the tissue on the sidewalk… Yeah… FALLING DOWN… argh!
I also walked the 3.5 miles back to my flat… so I think I got my exercise in for the day!

So the sun is TRYING to peak through the pollution, and it’s time to walk to work and confront them about the fact that they sent me on a 2 night trip, with no extra clothes or panties AND forgot to pick me up at the train station… should be a fun mornin’ 😀

Ciao!

Dukan – Day 196 – To Shanghai For Boxes

Posted on March 3, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Friday was a PP Day.

Daily weight loss: 0.2 lb/0.10 kg
Total weight loss: 73.5 lb/33.41 kg

So I’m sitting on a train writing this. Taking an impromptu (at least I wasn’t aware) trip to Taizhou to be the guest speaker, presenter and media darling for the opening of their water birth room. This is what Kitty is doing…

Dukan – Day 195 – Cruisin’ Along

Posted on March 2, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Today was a PV day.

Daily Weight Loss: 0.4 lb/0.20 kg
Total Weight Loss: 73.3 lbs/33.31 kgs

Just cruising along here. Little tiny bits at a time. When I’m out running I imagine it all flying off of me and getting fitter and healthier.

It’s been a rough week, but I’ve hung in there. Usually when I hit a rough patch I eat things that aren’t good for me. That was the old Sandi… the pre-August 20th Sandi… I am so proud that I haven’t back slid into the bottomless pit of feeding my rough patches. To be honest, it feels good not to do it!

Overheard, by me, while running last night… “You’ve got this girl”… “Woo Hoo, that’s 5 minutes!”… “You WILL be fit and healthy”… “Yes, Yes, Yes… I think this is the last patch of run for the night”… “oh wait, nope… this one is… ugh”… “Put on your big girl panties and get on with it”… and finally, “Yes… I DID IT!” When the C25K lady tells me “1 minute to go” I rejoice and last night shed a few tears, during the cool down… last night I was pounding it out in the pouring rain in my waterproof jacket and a crocheted hat that Sandy O’Connor Huntley made me and loved that I was soaking wet. Running in the rain is cathartic… as I passed the gym in my complex for the 3rd time and the people were in the heated room on treadmills I thought, “girl, they ain’t got nothin’ on you”… LOL A bit cheeky I am these days.
So awesome workout… I preceded my run last night with a 20 minute yoga routine on the wii and 20 minutes of balance exercise, then a kick ass game of wii bowling… I scored a 172 🙂

Breakfast: 2 Tea Eggs (what else would I have??)
Lunch: 3 ham slices and a tea egg
Dinner: Pollo Saltado… damn was THAT good… I’ll do a recipe blog while on the train tomorrow night… don’t ask… part of my rough week b.s.
Snack: Didn’t get my yogurt in… it was too late when I realized it and I wasn’t hungry
Water: 2.6 liters… woot!

Ciao!

Quote of the day: “Put on your big girl panties” ~ First heard by me years ago by my midwife friend Deb Wage of Nashville.

The Purpose of Life

Posted on March 1, 2012 by flamidwyfe

The purpose of life is to be happy ~ Dalai Lama

I have had to remind myself of this quite a few times the last few days 🙂 That and the serenity prayer. Funny that I have this quote on my computer desktop at work in a country that really, really dislike him.. ha ha

What makes me happy… these two and how happy they are:

Sydnie & Sadie

For those of you that don’t know… these are my 2nd and 3rd born grandkids. Cousins born into my hands 22 hours and 35 minutes apart… both at home. Sydnie born May 10 at 304 a.m. and Sadie born in the water on May 11 at 139 a.m.. Two of the best days of my life.

Ciao!

Posted on March 1, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Simply, the Truth!

Dukan – Day 194 – Well, now, that’s better!

Posted on February 29, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Wednesday was a PV day.

Daily weight loss: 0.9 lb/0.44 kg
Total weight loss: 72.8 lb/33.11 kg

Well, that has me feeling a little bit better! I was beginning to think that I was going to be in a plateau for a week or two. Phew!

For those following the visa saga… it looks like I’ve been granted a 30 day extension. I will get final word next Wednesday, and that’s good enough to get my 2 ladies to their due dates. Everyone is very relieved and a little less stressed 🙂

Breakfast: 2 tea eggs, coffee, lots of water
Lunch: 3 slices of ham and a tea egg, lots more water
Dinner: Stir fry steak chunks with zucchini and onion
Snack: FF (Fat Free) Greek yogurt with flax seed meal and splenda

I did 30 minutes of yoga and 25 minutes of bowling, both on the wii. It was pouring down rain last night and I didn’t want to get soaked while running… hopefully it’ll be drier tonight!

Dinner recipe:
Sauteed 1/2 a red onion and 1/2 a zucchini in 1 tsp sesame oil (ran out of olive oil 3 days ago, none to be found in the little shops, will get some on my trip to Shanghai tomorrow). I added Italian seasoning, ground garlic and cumin. I sauteed for 2 minutes.

Sautee onions and zucchini for 2 mins. in 1 tsp of oil

I then placed those to the side and stir fried steak chunks for 5 minutes, about 2 1/2 minutes each side. I didn’t add any more oil, I did shake on a little Italian seasoning.

I then tossed the veggies back in, simmered together for 2 minutes and done!

Fast, simple, tasty and Dukan Friendly!

Total time to prepare: less than 15 minutes!

I hope you all are having a good Leap Day!

Ciao!

Quote of the day: Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement ~ Brian Tracy

Final word: RIP Davy Jones… you were the silly Monkee 😀

Dukan – Day 193 – Peace On Earth, Begins With Birth

Posted on February 29, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Tuesday was a PP Day.

Daily Weight Loss: 0
Total Weight Loss: 72 lb/32.71 kg

This is Day 3 of my weight being the same 😦 I didn’t have the chance to write a Dukan Blog on Monday morning, but it was the same that morning, as well. Funny thing, it is happening to a fellow blogger, Mel. We are both eating what we’re suppose to, and frankly, my carb consumption is below even Dukan standards… so what gives?

Breakfast: 2 Tea Eggs
Lunch: 1 Tea Egg and 3 ham slices
Dinner: Pork chunks and onion cooked in dark soy sauce with soy and wasabi to dip in… yum!
I did C25K for 30 minutes, plus added 10 extra minutes of walking at the end
Snack: FF Greek yogurt with bran and splenda

Here’s dinner:

The dark soy sauce smells so yummy!

The wasabi and soy dipping sauce - divine!

Now for the part about birth 😀 Earlier today (and your night time in the States) I was chatting with my friend Miri who is also a midwife. I was telling her about a PowerPoint I was given 3 hours to develop today (I banged it out and it’s top quality, btw) and she shared a 7 minute birth video with me. Watching her midwife this woman, completely hands off and listening to her voice, it was like watching myself. My comment to her, after this gorgeous water birth was, “isn’t it sad for the momma’s and babies that don’t get to experience gentle birth like that”… It left me a bit melancholy.
Peace on Earth, Begins With Birth… being “with woman”, the meaning of midwife, during her pregnancy and labor and birth, is an honor. Honoring a birth with peacefulness can transform a woman into a powerful mother who knows that she alone birthed her baby… with HER strength, HER perseverance, HER power. Midwifing a woman with peace allows the baby to be born into quiet sacredness… to open and breathe in a peaceful setting, where there isn’t fear at the first moment of life… that is the kind of births we should be empowering women to have. Thank you, Miri, for being that kind of midwife.

Peace on Earth, does indeed, Begin With Birth.

My beautiful daughter Tiffany, her amazing husband Joey, and their children Sydnie and Shane at the birth of Sofia… May 17, 2008… born on her great-grandma’s birthday.

Ciao!