All Gassed Up

Two challenges I have been working on in 2018 are 1) use as little gas as possible and 2) eat as little refined sugar as I can. So far I'm doing pretty good, especially where gas is concerned.

Since replacing my truck with a Honda Civic at the end of Sept. 2017 I have been lowering my monthly gas budget line - from a high of $200.00 (when I was driving Dougie the Dodge truck) to $60 now (driving the Honda).  A nifty savings of $140.00 per month! Yahoo!

AND... for the past 4 months I've only been filling the Honda once a month at a cost of $45.00 so I think it's time to reduce the budget line for gas even further - from $60.00 to $45.00 a month. Since buying the Honda the monthly amount I spend on gas has decreased by $155.00/month ($200 - $45). My car insurance and house insurance amount to $156.00 ($124 + $32)!! So by switching from a V8 truck to the Honda I am saving enough in gas to pay for car and house insurance!! That's amazing and has put a big smile on my face!! 

As most of you know I was thinking about going car-free so by driving something a lot more economical and lot more "green" than the truck goes a long ways to making me feel better about still driving.

Once it warms up a little (right now IT IS FREAKING SNOWING!!!) then I won't even be spending $45.00 per month on gas because I'll be biking most places within the city. I have met Goal #1 👍

GOAL #2 - the struggle continues...
I would estimate that I have decreased the amount of refined white sugar in my diet by about 75% (or more).  Which is great! I no longer spend time browsing the candy aisles at Dollarama (there are TWO Dollaramas within a block or two of my house though with me not shopping there as much as I used to I'm sure one of them will have to shut down due to poor returns!!) Since the beginning of January I have intentionally made purchases at Dollarama twice. Once was to buy a little somethin somethin for Valentine's Day which I shared with Kazi. And then one other time when I had a craving for chocolate covered almonds.

Zero Easter eggs consumed this year though I noticed a chocolate bunny on the kitchen counter :) and yes, I had a nibble. But the rest I'll take up to Kazi's room where I won't see it. I'm on the See Food diet, I'm sure you've heard of it - "if I see food, I eat it!"

It's not that I have stopped eating snacks - I have had a few bags of salt and vinegar chips and I have been baking oat scones on a regular basis. In addition, when I have a craving, I eat a few raw nuts which of course are high in fat and calories. BUT, the fat is good fat so they say. We've also turned to avocados (again good fat) and very satisfying. I tried (and failed) to eat one or two squares of dark chocolate a day as there are many health benefits but I couldn't stop at one or two so have had to give that up.

But I'm not giving up wine and beer - you have to draw the line somewhere! Besides...both have health benefits if they are consumed in reasonable amounts!

I've had to face the fact that I can't control myself around sweets. So I try to provide myself with sweet stuff that is somewhat healthier. My scone recipe spreads 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar throughout a yield of 12 scones. I use whole wheat flour instead of refined white flour, large oats, soy milk, butter, one egg and a half cup of currants. They are delicious and filling and use mostly healthy ingredients.

This isn't a diet about losing weight though I have lost 5 pounds over 3 months. It's more about trying to make healthier choices. It's hard though, I admit it. Menopause means I have to eat a lot less to maintain my weight as opposed to when I was a teenager and could eat as much as I wanted without gaining an ounce! NOT FAIR! 

I found a site that calculates your BMI but uses your age as well as gender, height and weight in their calculation. Yippee - on their site I am within the "normal range" - the loss of just 5 pounds and inputting my age (61) and gender has moved me from straddling the line between normal and borderline over-weight. I am going to save the results and look at them everyday for the rest of my life!!!

If you want to check your BMI go to https://www.smartbmicalculator.com/

Summit Energy, BMI

Do you get these people at your door trying to get you to sign an "energy contract" that will freeze your natural gas rate? I just turned away another one and then looked them up online. The word "scam" was repeatedly used. It's not just Summit Energy either; there's Direct Energy, Zia, Dubai(!) etc etc. The woman at my door wanted to look at my last gas bill but I told her I had "paperless" billing at which point she wanted me to go online to see my bill. I said "no, see ya!" I felt sorry for her - I mean how desperate do you have to be to have a job like that? But not sorry enough to sign up for their so-called discounts, frozen rates and rebates.

Well, I spent a whole bunch of money today as I paid for the rest of my upcoming trip to Ireland with Annie! There are still a few more expenses, such as train fares and spending money and other B&Bs along the way but the bulk is paid for! Woot woot! My brother Kim returns from Ireland tomorrow after a 3-4 week vacation. He and his partner go there every year as his partner's family has a house there. It's vacant most of the time so they go and do repairs, clean up the garden and travel all over the darn place.

The cats are staring at me. They want to go outside so badly. I'm waiting for the sun to reach the patio as it was only 10c when I got up this morning. I don't want to sit outside with a parka on. Sheesh...what is it with the weather lately. It's either blisteringly hot or numbingly cold!

Had my physical yesterday. My doctor told me.......drum roll please........that I have the pulse(60) and blood pressure(117/83) of an......are you ready for it.........an ATHLETE!!!!!

Even better.....!!!!!......with my BMI I am in the "normal" range (borderline overweight) but I'll take it. She said and I quote "your weight is fine"!!! FINE!!!! Personally, I like to believe that I'm gaining muscle through all of my exercise which as we all know is heavier than fat! Oh the things we tell ourselves!! Truth be told I only weigh 6lbs less than when I gave birth! EEK!! I now weigh 35 lbs more than when I was in highschool. I DO like to eat! Imagine what I'd weigh if I didn't exercise!!
On the bright side I have curves now; in high school I didn't. It's all a tradeoff.

I often consider trying to lose 20 lbs, even 10 or 15 would be good but I only last a day or two on a diet so what's the point? In my dreams I'm skinny :)

She's sending me for an X-ray of the coccyx area from my fall playing volleyball - still having a lot of pain. And, thank you Cindy, for pushing me to have a colonoscopy this year (that might help with the weight, right?)!! TMI!!

Today is a trail running day. And I'll get out for a bike ride. I'm cycling for cancer research this month and raised $510.  My cycling goal is 400km over the month of June and I've cycled 68% of that so far. I won't stop at 400 - I'll keep cycling and see how far I can go by June 30th. I'll probably have massive thigh muscles!!

Imagine what those babies weigh!!