Like many of you currently, I suspect, I have good days, and I have bad days. The good days, like today, are generally when I start off with lots of time outdoors spent either hiking, walking, or kayaking, plus avoid all news other than from my two preferred sources (LA Times and NY Times). The bad days are when I do the reverse - stay indoors all day, and read/hear too much news.
Where is this Covid-19 thing going, and how will our world be affected in the aftermath? I have no idea, and since I can't control it, I'm far better off focusing on those things I can control.
Such as . . .
Family- I've spent a lot of time talking to my dad by phone in Texas this week, gently pushing him a bit more each day, until it was clear that he understood how critical it was that he stay at home as much as possible, and work to avoid being around others when he did go out. He finally agreed to cancel all of his pending social plans, and to alert his neighbor that he could no longer accept her kind dinner offerings. And I've talked with one or both of my daughters every day, sometimes by phone, but usual by virtue of the video conferencing tool, Zoom, which is turning out to be the best thing since sliced bread.
Friends- I'm using FaceTime to make virtual coffee dates with girlfriends, and my husband and I are using Zoom to set up video dates with couple friends, primarily on Friday and Saturday nights, saving Sundays for family. And we have been able to retain our long-running book club during this time as well by using Zoom. It's working out great, and a real point of pleasure during this incredibly difficult time.
Physical Health - I'm continuing to do intermittent fasting between dinner and lunch, about 16 hours in all, and in addition to not feeling remotely hungry between meals, the weight is continuing to come off. Eating until I'm good and full once a day, lunchtime in my case, seems to carry me until lunch the next day, excepting a very light dinner (generally 1/2 of whatever I'm serving my husband). Since moving to intermittent fasting (which we initiated on our cruise, simply to manage the overload of food they serve) I've lost 12 pounds, and my energy level has been consistently good. I'm so thankful to feel like my pre-menopause self again!
We are walking and hiking many miles weekly as well, and I'm also lifting small weights in our garage since our gym is closed. We have 5#, 10# and 15# weights, so I'm able to do a decent number of upper body exercises, plus walking and in-place squats with weights for my leg muscles.
Mental Health- My best days are those spent outdoors. It's a tad bit tricky to get outside and have enough space to practice proper social distancing, but we've learned that it's best if we head out prior to 8AM, and stick to remote areas only on the weekends. We found a way to walk to one of our favorite trails from the house this week, and we also found the hidden entrance to a quiet pocket park on top of one of the trail's many hills, leading us to this little slice of serenity, where we sat for quite some time before heading back:
Intellect- Our Lifelong Learning programs have gone online, as has my art class. I listened to a fabulous lecture about the artist Cezanne, studied Spanish, and learned a bit more about the Spanish Flu of 1918 and how it correlates to Covid-19. These online lectures are continuing to roll out as our various organizations get up to speed on video conferencing, and I am here for it!
Creativity- I'm continuing to practice piano, working on some very basic compositions of popular songs. I will never, ever be ready for primetime(!), but it gives me immense personal satisfaction all the same. I've also started working on some needlepoint Christmas ornaments for my family, something I really enjoy. And lastly, in going through my freezer to remove items that were simply taking up much needed space, I defrosted some leftover ricotta cheese, and used it to make this truly outstanding Ricotta Orange Pound Cake. And don't even think of leaving out the amaretto - it really makes a difference in the overall taste.
Fun - A bit lacking at the moment, though our outdoor time, and out video time with family and friends probably qualifies. Fun isn't really where my head is at at the moment. I'm fine with simply being content for now. Fun has a place, but likely not until this virus has made it's way through.
I see you're blogging again (thanks to Juhli's A Boomer Girl's Guide blog). I've been focusing on these Daily Quarantine Questions:
ReplyDelete1. What am I grateful for today?
2. Who am I checking in on or connecting with today?
3. What expectations of normal am I letting go of today?
4. How am I getting outside today?
5. How am I moving my body today?
6. What beauty am I creating, cultivating or inviting in today?
Yesterday I had an epiphany - concentrate on what's still normal? This came to me as I cleaned the bathrooms and changed bedding. Some things haven't changed!
Your loaf looks delicious. Shows us all that you can lose weight and still have a piece of ricotta orange loaf. I presume you've eaten it?
That is a really lovely list, Mona, thank you so much for sharing it. Re: treats and losing weight - yes, I did have some when it first came out of the oven, but I believe we had walked almost seven miles that day, so it was an offset. I sliced and froze the pound cake for my husband to enjoy, primarily. I think it's important to note that I feel 100 times better when I avoid sweets, not the reverse, so this is actually a form of self-care, not self-deprivation. Self-deprivation in my life is NOT going for a walk, NOT avoiding sweets and simple carbs, NOT going outside into the sunshine. And so on. Life is too short to feel like cr#p after ingesting sweets . . . my reality, but very possibly not your's, so disregard or replace as appropriate.
DeleteTamara, Wise focus and congrats on making great progress on your weight goal! You may have read Scott Kelly's tips on isolation? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/scott-kelly-coronavirus-isolation.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab I keep my daily routine as close to what I did before the pandemic as possible, just move the location from gym to my living room or use online options. All non-essential businesses are closed where I live so it's quiet. I enjoy walking to the lake and have the open space with no one around. I tried the sugar-free banana muffin recipe from Suzanne's blog and the muffins turned out very good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the article suggestion, Natalie! I just read it, and realized I'm already doing most everything on his list, particularly the getting outside part. We are currently walking, hiking, or biking between 2-3 hours each day, now that our spring rains appear to be behind us, and it has been glorious. It gives me a lift that lasts through most of the remaining day. Re: creative cooking- I'm going to try my hand at making sundried tomatoes this week! 😊
DeleteYou have lots of good changes and suggestions here. I used Zoom for the first time last night, it was a good experience, and our group laughed a lot as we set up this first online gathering. I wrote 17 cards and mailed them last week, to people who want them. That made me happy. Your ricotta orange loaf sounds delicious and good for you for your creative way to lose weight.
ReplyDeleteTerra, thank you for visiting and commenting! Zoom is amazing, isn't it? We had six people on our Book Club call, and the way Zoom identifies who is speaking, and enlarges their video screen as they do so, made it almost better than when we meet in person. In person, we tend to talk over each other a bit, but you can't do that so much with Zoom. Next up, we are going to set up some streaming movie dates with friends, followed by discussions. My mind is swirling with ideas!
DeleteHow lovely to send physical cards to people! Getting a handwritten note in the mail really is something special these days.