Believe it or not, I’ve lost ten pounds since the present healthcare nightmare started (as of May 23) and four pounds since officially beginning The Diet & Exercise Regime. I’ve consumed so many veggies and so many fruits that any day now I’m going to turn into a flowering plant. But what’s really making the difference is the exercise. Jogged 1.4 miles this morning; swam 20 laps of the backyard swimming pool this afternoon; will probably jog another .66 mile this evening if it gets cool enough for Cassie the Corgi to trot that far by around 9 p.m.
She couldn’t take it this morning because it was already bloody hot by 6 a.m., so I had to bring her back and go on my way alone — she’s so furry, the heat really does her in. My “jog” is her “slow lope,” but interestingly, she’s VERY hot to trot…now that she knows I can stumble along behind her, she’s become demanding. Very demanding.
It was a crisp 102 degrees here today. Not bad, for this time of year: June is summertime in the Valley of We-Do-Mean Sun. But the Cassowary is built for a climate zone where 80 degrees is a heat wave. This is, after all, a beast bred to chase sheep in Wales. To keep her safe in the heat, I have to drench her head with cool water before and after taking her out. Dogs are more susceptible to heat stroke than humans because they’re built for short sprints — not, like apes of the homo genus, for long steady runs across the veldt — and in a place like Arizona they succumb quickly to the effects of a 100-degree day.
Presumably the fast weight loss is the combined result of the blood pressure pills, which include a diuretic, and of getting off my butt for longer than it takes to limp from the computer to the refrigerator. No doubt within a few days this will slow down to a saner rate (I’ve lost four pounds just in the past three days). In the meantime, I’ve been having some great kitchen adventures cooking up edible diet-friendly dishes.
Here’s one to try, even if you’re not dieting.
Mango salad
Place some nice, tender salad greens on a plate. Peel a delicious ripe mango. Slice up the meat and arrange the slices appealingly over the greens.
Now add a handful of walnuts or pecans and a handful of lovely fresh blueberries. Chop a little green onion and sprinkle that over the top. Squeeze a little fresh lemon or lime over the top, and dribble some olive oil over that.
You say you’re not on a diet? Well, hell…run amok! Brown those nuts in some butter and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over the top. But y’know, really: it’s not necessary.
😉
Yay for the health kick! A salad like that is waiting to be my dinner tonight – greens, mango, strawberries, and pomegranate vinaigrette! Toss on a little feta or blue cheese and some walnuts and I’m in heaven.
LOL! I’m told I’m not allowed to eat cheese of any kind: too much sodium. Infuriating, because cheese is a staple for me, and I’ve always put Parmesan, blue, or feta on salads.
oh no! Well hopefully you’ll experience the positive side effect of sweating which is needing to add more sodium to your body and get to enjoy more cheese again.
Ah!! Good excuse to add a little blue cheese to this morning’s pile of rabbit food! BP is down to 96/62 and I’m about to faint, so maybe some actual human food would fix that.
Corgi’s are the best dogs! Gentleman in our neighborhood has one and he is a character. The Owner claims he thinks he’s a big dog! The pooch just has a great disposition and stops and sees me often….. it seems just to say hi….
Well done! I started running recently and my lungs are burning, every muscle is aching but it feels great somehow. I am doing couch to 5k and it is great in starting you slow without burning you out.
Nice. Good job for losing weight. It feels so nice when you workout or jog right> It’s making a huge difference to your body. Healthy life style and healthy diet.. two thumbs up.