A Successful Day

I remember being a WW member years ago when our Coach (then called Leader) would occasionally ask the question….”What does a successful WW day look like to you?”

I remember my exact answer then and for me it hasn’t changed a bit. I never expect perfection from myself, a lesson I’ve learned in life and a lesson I hope that you have learned as well, but I do have expectations of myself and I’ve worked hard to find the balance of what that means for me. Not every day will be the ideal WW day, and that’s okay. I embrace the ones that are. A successful WW day for me includes tracking my food (it keeps me mindful of my choices), staying hydrated (drinking plenty of water not only keeps my hydrated, but it also keeps me full in between meals and snacks) and staying active. Staying active for me does not always mean a long walk or a fitness class of some type, but simply moving and not sitting. So many health benefits to keeping the body moving.

Yesterday was a successful WW day and it feels really good to climb into bed after a day like that.

“Wake up with determination. Go to bed with satisfaction.”

I remember the first time that I read that quote thinking, that works for pretty much all of the choices we are required to make each day. I’m much more likely to make good choices if I face the day determined to do so.

Yesterday was a full day of housework that included mopping and baseboard cleaning. Two of my absolute favorite things to do. Yeah, no, not at all.

Mike has been busy in the garage. Y’all, I think he’s gonna be out there for a while.

At some point during the late afternoon, he asked me if I had time to mow. I had thought earlier in the day that I should offer. This is gonna sound so weird, but I’ve been avoiding offering to mow.

For the first 17 years of our marriage, I was the mower. I mowed. I like mowing. I love every little detail of it. Pulling any weeds. Trimming the driveway and landscape edge. I love the tidy look of a freshly cut lawn. I love the stupid satisfaction I experience after mowing and trimming the yard.

The last time I mowed our yard was a few days before my double mastectomy. I remember thinking how strange it was that I was mowing, just like any other day, while I had cancer inside my body. It was one of those over thinking days, but it felt like my surgery date was scheduled so far out from my diagnosis date. Almost 6 weeks. I was worried while I was mowing, my cancer was inside me growing.

It wasn’t. But I still remember vividly thinking how odd it was that I was just mowing the yard like any other day, except I knew that I had cancer.

That was the summer of 2017. March of 2018 was my hysterectomy and recovery was 12 weeks of limited activity. Lawn mowing was not on the approved list of things to do. Just when I was feeling like I could, I tore my meniscus and had surgery in July. By the summer of 2019, mowing had moved from my list of chores to Mikes list of chores.

Yesterday, I mowed the lawn and it felt so damned good. I trimmed that yard like never before. I pulled every little weed and every grass blade that was in a spot that it didn’t belong and I trimmed any tree branch that got in my way while pushing that mower. Did I say it felt good? Like so damned good.

I’m the mower now. I mow. It’s back on the Julie chore list. Also, Mike’s going to be in the garage alllllll summer long.

I received a message from a friend watching the Oprah event on YouTube yesterday. I didn’t know you could do that. Look who popped up on Oprah’s Zoom View in the top right. Me and O like bff’s now. If you missed it (the Oprah event, not seeing me on the big screen) and wanna watch, go check it out! Great tips on taking care of yourself while living through all of this crazy.

After all that yard work, I needed food! I really need to grocery shop, but I was fairly confident I could come up with something.

I used the Burnt Broccoli recipe but subbed the Brussels Sprouts that needed to be eaten.

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Dang it, these were good.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash. Yum. Easy peasy.

Drizzle with Olive Oil, add Salt and Pepper. Roast cut side down at 425 for 40 minutes.

I bought these Chicken Meatballs last week at Costco. Heat and serve.

Costco peeps, go get yourself some!

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I made homemade Marinara using the SkinnyTaste recipe. I’m obsessed with her recipes right now. Dinner came together fairly quickly considering all of the ingredients. Promise.

Breakfast

Simple. Egg Whites for lots of protein. 10 g full fat cheddar for lots of flavor. Strawberries with 1 tsp Mixed Nut Butter from Trader Joe’s for something sweet.

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Lunch

Random stuff with 2 T Hummus.

Dinner

Spaghetti and Meatballs with Brussels Sprouts.

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Embrace the day.

‘Til tomorrow!

“love the life you live, live the life you love”