Painting miniatures and planning ahead

Thursday CC#4:

I managed about 22 minutes of dance this morning, after breakfast today. Very sweaty. I admit I am a little surprised at just how much more energetic it is than Fantasia. I mean, I knew it was, but not how much. I suppose Fantasia is about as energetic as a brisk walk, but using arms instead of legs. Dancing uses the whole body as is probably twice as exhausting as a result. My heart-rate got up to 130. The other possibility is that reduced carbs (even high carbs days are pretty low carb compared to government guidelines) are reducing my energy levels. That is ok if true, I'll adapt.

The kids and I bought more paints for the Warhammer figurines yesterday and the owner/guy-who-works-there (who reminds me of Stuart the comic book owner from Big Bang Theory) offered a painting lesson so we went back today. I was never interested in Warhammer which is a table-top war game with little armies, but I did like paining the miniatures which we also used for Dungeons and Dragons. I did quite a lot before we had kids and I think I was quite good at it. But now there were four or five different kinds of paint instead of one! So I listened when Matt talked and took along a little horse to practice on. For example there is a runny ink-like paint to do shading, we used to just water down the normal paint for that. I have an elaborate figurine of a princess on a unicorn that I never got around to painting 12 years ago so I'm doing that at home. The kids are very excited about painting, and that became the afternoon activity at home after the lesson. Aiden has a fairly relaxed casual attitude to keeping paint on the designated areas, but Jasmine's are amazingly good for a first try. Or even not for a first try!

Last night I realised I was at 8,500 steps for the day. Within reach! I was watching my favourite TV show but I got up every ad. break and walked the loungeroom/kitchen loop over and over. At bedtime I finished the final 150 steps up and down the hall before I got into bed. So I am quite proud of that. Unfortunately today I'm still under 5,000. This morning it was lovely and sunny while we were in the shop painting, but by afternoon it was dark and raining again and we missed the window for a walk.

We have a trip to Sydney this weekend. Usually that means fast food on the way there, unhealthy afternoon tea, dinner with family, breakfast with family, fast food on the way home. Too much! Saturday is my treat day, which helps, but I'm not bingeing all weekend and undoing my good work when I am finally seeing some progress (1.5 kg in three days, goodbye water weight!)! So what do I need to change? Well, dinner and breakfast with brother-and-sister-in-law is fine. I don't know what they will cook but generally it is real food. Last time, frozen lasagne, was unusual. Often it will be a roast, or BBQ and salad. Easy to eat reasonably. I need to rein back snacking though, they often have chips and stuff out.

The main thing I need to change is fast food in both directions. It's not even as if I like McDonald's! Yuck! But there is so little choice on the long drive. It is basically McD or the worst KFC in Australia. We try it out of desperation once every two years or so, hoping they will have new fryers or new cooks or something, but no. Chicken so greasy the coating just slides off into the box and horrible floury chips. I generally love fried chicken, it is my fast food of choice, but not this inedible naked slimy stuff.

I have in the past sometimes prepared a picnic for the trip there. But we have had some bad weather lately, atrocious in Sydney, and there are more storms forecast. And cold through the mountains! I suppose we could sit in the car, but I don't know if cold picnic food in the car will go down with the family on a freezing stormy day. McDonald's will probably even look good to me, as long as it is warm! And we can't really time the trip to avoid lunch. Maybe my treat day will just have to include fast food. Bummer. Such a waste of calories. I was really looking forward to the cheesy nachos I was going to make! Oh well, next Saturday instead.

The way home I think we can manage to have lunch before we leave Sydney, either with family or at a proper restaurant. So Sunday should be ok if I am careful. I think I can manage the weekend without too big a dent in my plan. I just have to be mindful about it instead of throwing moderation to the winds.

I finished re-reading the Carb Cycling book. There are a few rules that I'd forgotten that I am not going to follow - like take digestive enzymes before meals and other vitamins (a good diet should have all important nutrients anyway), not put milk in my tea (because milk is both fat and carb and you're not supposed to have both at the same time, but honestly I just put in a splash and I don't care), and do his particular exercise routine. But I am following the diet pretty closely and feeling fine. No cravings or hunger.

Report card:
Diet: Good. Day four (low carb day) accomplished.
Exercise: Good. Less than half an hour, but it was reasonably intense. But too much sitting the rest of the day.
Water: Good.
Sleep: Good.
Mental health: Good.

Another solid day.