51.4 pounds gone (16.2 since starting Ozempic)
I finally broke my plateau this morning! I had been stuck for three weeks battling the same two pounds, but I finally broke free today. I made a beautiful salad last night with orzo, peas, feta, cucumber, tomatoes and mint and it was just simply delicious. It was from my favourite cookbook Every Salad Ever by Greta Podleski. So many good recipes in there.
So has anyone else heard of Bumble For Friends? It’s similar to the dating app but instead you are looking for local friends in your area. You make a profile and then swipe left or right on other people’s profiles until you match and can connect. I’ve already found three friends so far! It’s really really cool. One friend I met, we’ve gone on two walks and even went out for breakfast and to a local Christmas market. It was honestly such a fun day. We have such similar interests and have so much in common.
I just realized that I felt lonely and needed more social interaction so I downloaded the app and had success right away! Today I’m meeting someone who I’ve been texting all week. She just moved here from England and is a nurse also. I find we also have a lot in common! We talked for 4 hours last night. My fingers were hurting from texting so much! I love that.
John is away right now for work so I am all alone so it’s been nice talking to these other women to help me pass the time. My one new friend who I went to the market with is coming over tonight to watch trash tv with me. We are going to The Table Bistro for dinner too which is ALWAYS a hit. It’s sooo good. And then it’s the Golden Bachelor finale and I didn’t want to watch it alone. John is going to have to watch it in his Air BNB.
I’m really proud of myself because I have been taking Jiny all the way around Mill Lake for her regular hour long walk all by myself while John is away. She is reactive so it is a challenge to walk her, and sometimes I’m unmotivated to do the big walk by myself. But I did it twice in a row this week! So happy! It’s been such beautiful fall weather so I’ve been enjoying my walks.
And today I’m trying something new for Jiny by taking her to a local “Sniff Spot”. It’s through this app where you can rent a private fenced dog park for your reactive dog to be able to enjoy off leash time. Jiny never gets to be off leash because of how mean she is, so we are responsible and don’t risk it. But my good friend who also has a reactive dog told me about Sniff Spot and these private dog parks and I had to check it out. So there’s one at LAPS in Aldergrove that we are going to today. We don’t even have to check in, we just show up and let her off and away we go! I think she is going to love it. I’m curious what she will be like off leash because it’s been so long. I heard they have toys and stuff there too so we can play fetch. It’s cheap too.
I thought I’d share a pic of what John does with Jiny everyday. She is obsessed with him. John is definitely Jiny’s number one. She loves her momma too but if we were on opposites sides of a room, she would definitely run to him. I think it’s sweet.
As for my mental health, I have stabilized after a little hiccup of hypomania. I am back up to high doses of my meds to try and level me out. I didn’t want to feel unstable at all while John was away so thankfully I feel grounded at present. I am entering zombie land again but that’s alright because I am travelling to see my family soon and the gods know I need my wits for that trip. It’ll be the first time my whole family has been together in a very long time and I am expecting chaos. There are 6 children under the age of 10 and 4 dogs all in the same house. As a woman who only has a stepson who visits on weekends (who is also generally very quiet) I am not used to a loud household.
As for the recipe today, I’d like to share a chicken marinade that I created. It’s delicious!
Chicken Marinade
Ingredients (for about 2 lbs / 1 kg chicken)
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 3 tbsp soy sauce
– 2 tbsp lemon juice (or lime juice)
– 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional, for tang)
– 1 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
– 1/2 tsp black pepper
– 1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional, for heat)
Instructions
1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Place chicken (breasts, thighs, or drumsticks) in a resealable bag or shallow dish.
3. Pour marinade over chicken, ensuring it’s well coated.
4. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (best: 2–8 hours, max 24).
5. Cook as desired — grill, bake at 400°F (200°C) until internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C), or
pan-sear.
This was me and Jiny on our wedding day. I love this photo because I do this to her all the time! So cute!
Until next time.