So, I stepped on the scale today... poor thing just about popped a spring. I've been eating better foods for over a month. Not a long time I know but the damage so far has been amazing! I have gained 15lbs! What the Hell is that about!
Since I am longer have being fed through a window (like a modern human example of feedlot beef.) I am eating more often. Well actually I am eating more....I feel much better, my joints do not hurt and I feel lighter but the scale disagrees about the feeling lighter. This causes my dilemma.... if eating better is leading to weight gain what do I need to do to reverse this?
The easiest answer is to eat less and exercise more..... True and very much a doable solution. That does not fully address the situation however. I refuse to give up foods that I enjoy and if eating better is going to require me to use restraint then I must. What I am finding "interesting" is that fast food is supposed to be so bad for us. It is I know but one of the by-products should of been weight loss when I stopped eating it right?
Just because one is eating right does not mean one is eating the right amounts....
Here's to my weight loss!
Best wishes,
Scott Cowan
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Fast Food Nation The Decline is Noticable
Attention shareholders of McDonalds! I have stopped eating at your restaurants. That decline in stock valuation is a direct result of my not eating at your (and any other fast food companies) restaurants for over one month! My statement of not eating food served through a window has been held on for for the entire month of January!
Ok so I am really not losing all that much weight. I am not feeling all that much better (more on that in another post) but I feel so much better about myself that I cannot place a value on this. I used to eat food through the window when I was stressed and unhappy. It was my secret defiant F Off to people in my life who I were allowing to take too much control of my life. Since that person (and she knows who she is) is no longer in my life (and has not been for over six months) I am feeling better and better all of the time. The time came to send Ronald and Company packing. The results have been outstanding.
Besides not eating all of that processed food (mostly processed corn) I am saving upwards of $150.00 a month! Enough money to make a big impact on my food budget. Buying and eating foods with less ingredients have been a enjoyable challenge for me. I am truly blessed to have such supportive friends who have helped me over the past few months begin the journey to a balanced healthy diet. Having the extra money allows me to purchase better quality foods. No longer do I shop with only an eye on the purchase price. I am now keeping an eye on the personal price I will pay for the items I put in my shopping basket. Getting the teenagers in my house on board with this has been interesting but we are making good progress.
This month I have decided that I need to reduce by 50% my coffee consumption. Not to worry Starbucks you will still sell 3 pounds of coffee to me a month. Not the 6 or 7 I was buying. Oh, and I am going to go back to decaf too! My goal is to replace the morning coffee with water and tea. I love coffee and I will not quit drinking it. I am just going to expand my beverage horizons.
Well that is all for tonight. Those of you with stock in McDonalds seriously sell, sell, sell! The purveyor of processed corn has lost another sucker.....
Best,
Scott Cowan
a foodie on a mission.....
Ok so I am really not losing all that much weight. I am not feeling all that much better (more on that in another post) but I feel so much better about myself that I cannot place a value on this. I used to eat food through the window when I was stressed and unhappy. It was my secret defiant F Off to people in my life who I were allowing to take too much control of my life. Since that person (and she knows who she is) is no longer in my life (and has not been for over six months) I am feeling better and better all of the time. The time came to send Ronald and Company packing. The results have been outstanding.
Besides not eating all of that processed food (mostly processed corn) I am saving upwards of $150.00 a month! Enough money to make a big impact on my food budget. Buying and eating foods with less ingredients have been a enjoyable challenge for me. I am truly blessed to have such supportive friends who have helped me over the past few months begin the journey to a balanced healthy diet. Having the extra money allows me to purchase better quality foods. No longer do I shop with only an eye on the purchase price. I am now keeping an eye on the personal price I will pay for the items I put in my shopping basket. Getting the teenagers in my house on board with this has been interesting but we are making good progress.
This month I have decided that I need to reduce by 50% my coffee consumption. Not to worry Starbucks you will still sell 3 pounds of coffee to me a month. Not the 6 or 7 I was buying. Oh, and I am going to go back to decaf too! My goal is to replace the morning coffee with water and tea. I love coffee and I will not quit drinking it. I am just going to expand my beverage horizons.
Well that is all for tonight. Those of you with stock in McDonalds seriously sell, sell, sell! The purveyor of processed corn has lost another sucker.....
Best,
Scott Cowan
a foodie on a mission.....
Sunday, January 25, 2009
End of The Week Recap
It's been one of those weeks this week. Not a bad week at all but it just seems like there was not enough time to get all of the little things I wanted to get done completed. I've been busy showing houses to multiple clients but that is not what this blog is for. I've been busy trying to keep adjusting what I am eating so that I am eating better foods and in more appropriate quantities. One of the things that have become very clear to me is just how much money I was spending on prepared foods before. Since I have not eaten “food through a window” this month my food budget is almost within a couple of dollars of what I have budgeted. I have splurged and purchased some great cheeses and some wine this month. I am still within my budget. Not bad for the first month of the new food budget!
I have had some excellent conversations with my friends about food and simple living. One theme rings clear through all of the conversations. None of us are really lacking by living within our means and by doing without a lot of the filler things we were so accustomed to. Retail therapy for me is now evolving to finding great bargains on good foods at the local markets. I was so happy last weekend to pick up bananas from Safeway for 20 cents a pound! Six months ago I would have laughed at you if you suggested I would be excited about bananas much less blogging about it.
One thing I am concerned about is scheduling my tasks. Since many of the cooking choices are new to me, and it has been many years since I really have stepped in a kitchen for something other than to use the microwave. I am much slower preparing the meals for myself and the kids. I know that I will get faster but being faster is not really not the answer either. I need to continue to remove the unnecessary clutter from my life that requires my time and efforts. Then, I can really enjoy the tasks that I have to do. It is really been challenging for me to say no to things that I don’t want to do. Like all of us I have a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up before I can really begin to have the lifestyle that I aspire to. I do realize that I will never have the lifestyle I want as I will always be required to do things that I am not crazy about. I can however enjoy the journey and realize that every little step is a step in the right direction.
With that I will sign off tonight. I need to do some reading before calling it a week.
Best wishes,
Scott
Friday, January 16, 2009
It's Too Early to Be Posting
Then why am I posting on my blog?
I am up early today to pick up a client at SeaTac and take them to their interview with a large local company. In many ways I am just helping keep our local economy going. Both by actually working and by helping a local business with their interview process. Even if I am only the driver. With all the gloomy news in the local and national media we need to remember that even in this sluggish economy people are still being hired. People are still getting up to go to work. People are still living their lives. Just because the media says things are terrible does not make it 100% so.
I am up early doing my part to help keep the economy on track.
Best wishes,
Scott
I am up early today to pick up a client at SeaTac and take them to their interview with a large local company. In many ways I am just helping keep our local economy going. Both by actually working and by helping a local business with their interview process. Even if I am only the driver. With all the gloomy news in the local and national media we need to remember that even in this sluggish economy people are still being hired. People are still getting up to go to work. People are still living their lives. Just because the media says things are terrible does not make it 100% so.
I am up early doing my part to help keep the economy on track.
Best wishes,
Scott
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
2009 A Year Dedicated to Living Within My Means
Sorry Jim... stealing your blogline for a title here.
2009 Dedicated to living within my means financially, emotionally, and socially. Wow, quite a goal!
Looking at my life I realized when I have been the happiest I have truly lived within myself and not been chasing some bright shiny objects. This year I am living within my financial means. I am dedicated to paying off my financial obligation entirely. No need to have the consumer credit obligations I have. Why should I pay interest on objects or experiences that I have already forgotten or no longer use? My divorce will be finalized this month it is now time for me to move along and accept my personal life for what it is. Happy and contented. Nothing wrong with being happy with who I am and where I am at this moment. Living within my means socially now that is an area for improvement. More in later posts.
2009 a year under development just like me.....
Best wishes,
Scott
2009 Dedicated to living within my means financially, emotionally, and socially. Wow, quite a goal!
Looking at my life I realized when I have been the happiest I have truly lived within myself and not been chasing some bright shiny objects. This year I am living within my financial means. I am dedicated to paying off my financial obligation entirely. No need to have the consumer credit obligations I have. Why should I pay interest on objects or experiences that I have already forgotten or no longer use? My divorce will be finalized this month it is now time for me to move along and accept my personal life for what it is. Happy and contented. Nothing wrong with being happy with who I am and where I am at this moment. Living within my means socially now that is an area for improvement. More in later posts.
2009 a year under development just like me.....
Best wishes,
Scott
Monday, January 12, 2009
No More Food Through A Window
Ok,
One of the things that annoys me (and others for that matter) Is my love of any food that can be served through a window to me while I am driving my car. NOTHING that is served that way is good for you!!! I know this but like any other addiction I am great at rationalizing it away.
No More! I have not had food served to me through a window this year! That's right this year! ok, ok it's only January 12th... but still... for me 12 days is a long, long time to go.
I have found that when I am bored, tired, and/or stressed is when I am most likely to stop in and grab something this way. Also at night... just when I don't need the fat and calories....I am combating this by drinking water more, and bringing snacks with me when I drive. Healthy snacks not Cheetos and Mt. Dew.
I will keep you posted on my progress towards kicking Ronald, Jack and the King to the curb.
Best wishes,
Scott
One of the things that annoys me (and others for that matter) Is my love of any food that can be served through a window to me while I am driving my car. NOTHING that is served that way is good for you!!! I know this but like any other addiction I am great at rationalizing it away.
No More! I have not had food served to me through a window this year! That's right this year! ok, ok it's only January 12th... but still... for me 12 days is a long, long time to go.
I have found that when I am bored, tired, and/or stressed is when I am most likely to stop in and grab something this way. Also at night... just when I don't need the fat and calories....I am combating this by drinking water more, and bringing snacks with me when I drive. Healthy snacks not Cheetos and Mt. Dew.
I will keep you posted on my progress towards kicking Ronald, Jack and the King to the curb.
Best wishes,
Scott
Friday, January 09, 2009
Using Social Media to Reconnect
It seems funny to me that in this day and age where everything is designed to make it easier for us to communicate with one another we still lose track of people in our lives. Makes me wonder exactly what it takes to stay in touch with people.
I'm on Facebook, LinkedIn and Active Rain. I am not on MySpace nor do I plan to be on MySpace. That is my personal preference and I will not bore you with why I make that choice. Facebook is where I have been spending the most of my time recently and I have found several high school friends there. Now I have not seen or heard from these people in over twenty five years.... with just a few clicks of the mouse and keyboard I am now connected to them...or am I?
What does social media really offer in the way of reconnecting? I offer that it is simply a vehicle that allows us to make the effort to reach out and say "Hello, how are you?" From there it really is up to the individuals to make an effort to stay in touch. So on that level it does succeed. Where it does not is that many of us simply post our profiles and then think the work is done. The platforms simply want eyeballs to sell advertising to make money. The more profiles completed the more potential advertising revenues. The media sites are not the answer to staying connected. They are simply a tool in the social persons toolbox.
Staying connected means having an interest in the person or persons you are trying to connect with. Without common interests one will simply drift away from the same people you so easily found online. The people I have started reconnecting with online were once friends and some of them were very good friends. Do we have anything in common anymore? I honestly do not know. Only time and effort will tell. I do know that I am happy to be using online social media as a tool in my toolbox. It is not going to do the work for me it will require me to pick up the phone and get in touch. It will require me to make myself available to meet up and say hello face to face. Without my efforts social media will simply fail.
On a professional level social media sites are great to help stay in front of people who might use or are currently using your services. My profiles on these sites are visited several times a day and I have fielded many inquires about my real estate services from people who have found me online. Moving forward I intend to keep my profiles online up to date and full of as much information as necessary to encourage potential clients to contact me for assistance in buying or selling their next home or investment property.
More thoughts later... time to hang out with the kids....
Best,
Scott
I'm on Facebook, LinkedIn and Active Rain. I am not on MySpace nor do I plan to be on MySpace. That is my personal preference and I will not bore you with why I make that choice. Facebook is where I have been spending the most of my time recently and I have found several high school friends there. Now I have not seen or heard from these people in over twenty five years.... with just a few clicks of the mouse and keyboard I am now connected to them...or am I?
What does social media really offer in the way of reconnecting? I offer that it is simply a vehicle that allows us to make the effort to reach out and say "Hello, how are you?" From there it really is up to the individuals to make an effort to stay in touch. So on that level it does succeed. Where it does not is that many of us simply post our profiles and then think the work is done. The platforms simply want eyeballs to sell advertising to make money. The more profiles completed the more potential advertising revenues. The media sites are not the answer to staying connected. They are simply a tool in the social persons toolbox.
Staying connected means having an interest in the person or persons you are trying to connect with. Without common interests one will simply drift away from the same people you so easily found online. The people I have started reconnecting with online were once friends and some of them were very good friends. Do we have anything in common anymore? I honestly do not know. Only time and effort will tell. I do know that I am happy to be using online social media as a tool in my toolbox. It is not going to do the work for me it will require me to pick up the phone and get in touch. It will require me to make myself available to meet up and say hello face to face. Without my efforts social media will simply fail.
On a professional level social media sites are great to help stay in front of people who might use or are currently using your services. My profiles on these sites are visited several times a day and I have fielded many inquires about my real estate services from people who have found me online. Moving forward I intend to keep my profiles online up to date and full of as much information as necessary to encourage potential clients to contact me for assistance in buying or selling their next home or investment property.
More thoughts later... time to hang out with the kids....
Best,
Scott
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Two years later.....
It's been two years since I last posted anything on this blog. Tonight I have decided to begin again my blogging on topics in my personal life. My professional life is well documented on my websites and blogs located elsewhere... Look me up if you want to know what is going on in my professional life. Click here for starters.
In the past two years many things have changed. I am still selling real estate and I am thrilled to be working as a real estate advisor. It's a challenging market but I am still doing enough business to keep the lights on and the kids fed.
Speaking of kids......MacKenzie is now living with me. She decided this past summer that she wanted to move back to Washington and go to high school here. She is currently a freshman at Stadium High School. Nick is a senior at Stadium and will be graduating this year.
I am no longer married. Regretfully some decisions in life do not work out the way you hope. My marriage is one of those decisions. I will not waste your time with the details....
I have been reconnecting with many of my old friends and co-workers. It is amazing how many people you lose contact with through the years. I have been using Facebook for a couple of months now. I have reconnected with several of my high school friends. I am looking forward to actually getting together with some of them. It's been way too long. Many of my past co-workers in corporate America and I have been spending more time together. I am grateful that I am no longer a wage slave. Trading a steady paycheck and health benefits for my time no longer has any attraction to me. Sure it's tough to make a go of it on a 100% commission business but the upside is that I control my time and I control my income. If I want to make more I can. That to me is simply vital. Many of my former co-workers are coming to this realization as well. 2009 looks to be the year that many of us realize that our lives are our own and we need to run them as we see fit. There is no one path for all of us. I just hope that more of us will look to find the path that is right for us.
I will close to tonight with simple request for anyone that might read this. I wish you all the best and I hope that you will enjoy your life to the fullest.
Best wishes,
Scott
In the past two years many things have changed. I am still selling real estate and I am thrilled to be working as a real estate advisor. It's a challenging market but I am still doing enough business to keep the lights on and the kids fed.
Speaking of kids......MacKenzie is now living with me. She decided this past summer that she wanted to move back to Washington and go to high school here. She is currently a freshman at Stadium High School. Nick is a senior at Stadium and will be graduating this year.
I am no longer married. Regretfully some decisions in life do not work out the way you hope. My marriage is one of those decisions. I will not waste your time with the details....
I have been reconnecting with many of my old friends and co-workers. It is amazing how many people you lose contact with through the years. I have been using Facebook for a couple of months now. I have reconnected with several of my high school friends. I am looking forward to actually getting together with some of them. It's been way too long. Many of my past co-workers in corporate America and I have been spending more time together. I am grateful that I am no longer a wage slave. Trading a steady paycheck and health benefits for my time no longer has any attraction to me. Sure it's tough to make a go of it on a 100% commission business but the upside is that I control my time and I control my income. If I want to make more I can. That to me is simply vital. Many of my former co-workers are coming to this realization as well. 2009 looks to be the year that many of us realize that our lives are our own and we need to run them as we see fit. There is no one path for all of us. I just hope that more of us will look to find the path that is right for us.
I will close to tonight with simple request for anyone that might read this. I wish you all the best and I hope that you will enjoy your life to the fullest.
Best wishes,
Scott
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