Still Here, Rule #4, and Some Arts

No, I've not given up. I have hit a major slow down, however, and it took a week to drop another pound, then a half creeped back on, then off, on, and off again--grrfff! It is enough to make you want to give up, but I am resolved to stick to the plan, man, and not give in. Twelve pounds and several inches down, thirty-eight to go...(cue "Eye of the Tiger"...)

But I am feeling rather blah this morning: stuffy, headachey. Rowing was cancelled due to ice and high winds (dur) and, rather than climb on the treadmill, I'm taking a day off to chill and feel better. Hopefully we'll get back out on the water Wednesday, God willing. So here I sit in my jammies with a mud mask on my face, the whole day ahead of me, and thought it might be a good time to catch up on posting the Rules.

Rule #4 (and I double checked so I wouldn't get another one out of order...) is to slash your intake of refined flours and grains--which means: no white flour (no Christmas cookies, cakes, treats, or other num-nummies), no white rice, no white pasta, and no white potatoes. None. Not even on a splurge day. Well, maybe a cookie on a splurge day. Just one.

So this is not a hard rule for me--aside from the taters, I've been off white flour and rice for years. I do love me some mashed potatoes 'n gravy though....*sigh*...I can easily skip  the white bread and dinner rolls. I fell head over heels for brown rice years ago and never looked back at white rice. Pasta...I'm not crazy about whole wheat pasta but brown rice pasta, if not overcooked, is actually really good! I did buy a bag each of faro and barley, though I've yet to use them. I pulled out a recipe for mushroom barley soup that I plan to make later this week, and have another tuna salad recipe that uses the faro, so dippin' in. I'll letcha know how that goes.

I did get my hair cut on Friday for my ten pounds down reward--it's short and super curly, so it's taking a little getting used to. I colored it myself and somehow missed both my temples (another dur...) Maybe that'll be another reward later to just have it colored at the salon.

So, onward! Today is Meatless Monday. Having greens 'n beans for lunch, then black bean soup for dinner. Love me some black bean soup!! And today is a perfect soup kinda day--cold and only getting colder outside=blankets, squishy socks, and soup by the fire watching Christmas movies and doodling the day away--yes!!

And, speaking of doodling, I'm still delving into the Sketchbook Challenge and doodling my little heart out. I took a few pics to share:

A Christmas colored border doodle became a postcard for a mail swap partner

More border doodles and playing with color

The first theme of the book is circles, so doodled some circle flowers and painted up another postcard

Just simple circle fun that I want to play with more using pattern fills and color

 

Tada! And that's all I have to share today. My mask is starting to crack so time to go rinse, change out the laundry, and get this day under way. Hope everyone is keeping warm and cozy and thinking happy Christmas thoughts! See you soon!