Gratitude works for me. Counting my blessings helps me to balance out things that happen, things outside my sphere of influence. Counting my blessings brings order to chaos. Thus, I find joy in contemplating the word DYENU or DAYENU (transliteration can be a bear!). ...

Zer

Typically a slow starter, I refused to use protein powder shakes as a supplement until quite recently. The idea of drinking something cold and nutritious first thing in the morning is one of the least appealing things I can imagine doing. Right up there with cold showers.

So it is with some surprise that I am reporting my reaction to a hot slurp of WPP (whey protein powder) that ALGittleman's books convinced me to try as a way of getting protein fuel to my cells first thing in the morning.

Food is fuel. That's a message that means a LOT to me. That mantra empowers...

Zer

Why am I having such a hassle to eat enough?

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/wha...roteinfood.htm offers me a quick guide for finding my way to a goal of 135g of protein daily to fuel the cells that function - miraculously, may I add - in my body. I am in awe of my body's functioning.

How hard can it BE to fuel up?
Why is it such a hurdle for me?
That's a puzzle to me.

At least I now have a formula for a 400# body.

I'm boosting my morning hot slurp to 40g protein - 2scoops vanilla WPP+espresso+cocoa - stirring...

Zer

Year's end calls for some summation, just as day's end is often a time for adding up a score for how successful a day has been. Calories, carbs, cash - all tallies that I keep a running score on.

I am learning that it is more profitable for me to focus on strong points than on weak points. I've got a lot of weak points. It's harder for me to dig out the strong points as I am summing up a day.

Some days I wish I could give myself gold stars for the carbs I've dodged - or cut short without a full-out dive into some crinkly bag of empty carbs left lying about for me...

Zer

http://www.themaninblue.com/experiment/SSCrabble/ is my latest way of having fun without food. Both hands on the keyboard, brain fully engaged. Just scored a 700 that involved building EROTIC and NORTHERLY and a slew of other words that I don't even know the meaning of and would not have attempted in a real game with a partner who might ask me to use a weird word in a sentence or to define it. I feel as if I'm carving new pathways in my brain. And I'm having fun without food!

What are some of your favorite ways to have fun without food?

Zer