Part 2: How to Simply Lose Weight

I started dieting on February 2 at 173 pounds. On May 1, I weighed 160 pounds.  "Lose 13 pounds in 3 months!" is not a headline you ever see when scanning the magazine headlines while standing in line at the grocery store holding a box of Twinkies. 

I am always annoyed when I do see headlines such as "Lose Five pounds in Five Minutes Without Exercising! or "I Lost 100 pounds on the Pasta Plan!" Before you get too excited, there is no Pasta Plan. See, you were ready to google it. There really is no easy way to lose weight. It's simple (see previous post) but I never said it was easy. It takes self control and will power. They do not sell these things in a store. If they did, I would trample over old ladies and small children to be first in line with a blank check in hand. 

So, I lost 3.5 pounds in April which is a little less than a sack of sugar. Whenever I get discouraged and feel like saying, "I only lost 3.5 pounds", I go pick up that sack of sugar and carry it around for a while. Three and half pounds has some heft to it. 

Here's my problem. I'm stuck. I lost the 3.5 pounds the first two weeks of April and have lost nothing since. If you charted my weight loss, the resulting graph would look like I was having a heart attack and then flat lined. One day, I weighed 158.75 which was extremely exciting but then the next day, I jumped up to 161 despite behaving myself. It's frustrating.

During World War 2 when London was constantly being blitzed by random bomb attacks, the British had a propaganda poster plastered everywhere which said, "STAY CALM AND CARRY ON". I am trying to adopt this attitude in regard to diet bomb weigh-ins.  

One thing I did wrong in April was not to exercise. I dislike sweating. Plus, it was cold and rainy all month. It's hard to motivate yourself to sweat and be chilly and wet at the same time.

When I do exercise, it's not because I like to run but because I like to eat/drink. My thought process goes something like this:  Run three miles = glass of wine. Perhaps, I need AA more than WW.

This month, I have vowed to get back to the basics and start moving more. I have found an app for my phone which I really like. And since you know I am exceeding cheap, it is of course, free. The app is called "Run Keeper" and uses GPS technology to track your exercise route. The app will track your time, distance, calories burned, pace and elevation climb. You can email your results to yourself or others. It keeps a record of your walks/runs so you can see yourself improve. I find it very motivating. 

You do have to remember to hit "stop" at the end of your run/walk to have accurate statistics. I forgot last time and was highly disappointed. But then I calmed myself with a glass of Merlot. 

How to Regrow Celery

Being as frugal as I am, I am amazed I am just learning this trick...regrowing celery or as I like to call it "Perpetual Celery". I bought this celery at Aldi and I think I paid somewhere in the $1.19 range for it. 

Next cut off the end of the stalk about 2 inches above the base. I just read that the greener the stalks, the more nutrients they contain.

Pascal celery (pictured above) is in the same family as carrots, parsley, dill and cilantro. Celery is an antioxidant and acts as an anti-inflammatory. It also has quite a bit of vitamin K, folate, vitamin A and potassium. 

Then just place the stump in a dish of warm water in a sunny window. Within days you will start to see the celery regrow.  You can then plant the celery directly into your garden or a pot filled with soil. I am almost ready to "transplant" these little beauties to a jiffy pot for future transplant outdoors. Celery prefers cool temperatures and lots of moisture. I have read it is difficult to transplant and grow. I will let you know how this kitchen experiment plays out. It seems simple but as I seek simple, I find hardly anything actually is simple. Big sigh. 

I am having such success regrowing celery that I took the end of a lettuce stalk and stuck in some water a couple of days ago. My window sill is starting to look a little crowded. 

How to Use a Sock to Make an Easy, Cute Candle Cover

 

 

Do you have an old, boring candle sitting around the house?  Here's a neat way to dress up a boring candle or cover up an unattractive label. Personally, I hate candles with labels you can't easily remove.

 

The only materials you need are a jar candle, an old sock and a pair of scissors.

 

 

First, take an old sock, any sock will do. I used an old, brown trouser sock with a hole in the toe.  Cut off the foot portion of the sock. 



 

 

Now, slide the sock over the candle. The candle above is only half dressed. Try the sock on the candle, if too large, remove and trim off as much sock as needed to cover the candle fully.  

 

 

Voila! Instant designer candle!  Since I used an old trouser sock with a lace pattern, the candlelight shines through and looks quite lovely on my mantle.

 

 

Personally, I think these are cute enough to give as gifts. You do not have to use a trouser sock, use one of your husbands old dress socks or one of the kids cute patterned socks.  The thinner the sock material, the more light you will have to shine through the material but even an old wool sock would look cute.

 

I believe even the most craft-challenged among us can handle this project!