Ho-hum day

Yes, I am still excited about the weight loss and it is encouraging me to keep going especially after my frustrating start.  I am still learning about how the foods work on the point system especially with my food-snobbery.  I admit it.  I am a food snob.  Boxed macaroni and cheese is not food.  It is a "food product."  (It is high points as well.)  Kashi cereals are also high points and actual food.  Nutri-grain bars are a food product and are only 2 points.  Raw milk is 4 points and an actual food.  Skim milk is 2 points and is basically garbage.  Interestingly enough, the Amish here give it to the pigs to help fatten them up.  Why?  Because skim milk quenches the thirst much like water does, but does not fill them up.  And skim milk still has calories.  So the pigs get a small calorie burst while quenching their thirst.  And at 91 calories per 8 ounces, that's quite a bit.  ( http://tiny.cc/b2yzX )

Anyway, one thing that the WW leader did tell me was that I am not getting enough dairy.  I saved my breath, but I will let it out here.  We do not need dairy past weaning age.  Honest.  We need calcium.  We do not need milk.  Yes, milk is an excellent source of calcium, but that it not the only way to get it.  There are tons and tons of ways to get the needed calcium in our diet.  The first is to stop drinking soda.  It leaches the calcium from our system.  Other ways?

A quick google of "Non-dairy calcium" and here is what I found:

They range in calcium from highest to lowest 1043mg to 73mg.

Fortified ready-to-eat cereals
Soy beverage calcium fortified
Orange Juice Calcium Fortified 
Sardines Atlantic in oil drained
Tofu firm prepared with nigarib
Pink salmon canned with bone
Collards cooked from frozen
Molasses blackstrap 1 Tbsp
Spinach cooked from frozen
Soybeans green cooked
Turnip greens cooked from frozen
Ocean perch Atlantic cooked
Oatmeal plain and flavored instant fortified 1 packet prepared
Cowpeas cooked
White beans canned
Kale cooked from frozen
Okra cooked from frozen
Soybeans mature cooked
Blue crab canned
Beet greens cooked from fresh
Pak-choi Chinese cabbage cooked from fresh
Clams canned
Dandelion greens cooked from fresh
Rainbow trout farmed cooked

As you can see from one quick google search, calcium can be found in many places.  All we have to do is eat real food.  (I am not counting "fortified" anything as real food even though it is listed.)

Anyway, that is my milk rant.  Milk is not needed, but it is nice and does have its place in a healthy diet, but it does not require its own food group or daily servings.  It also makes for nice pancakes, great for making cheese, ice-cream, and yogurt, and it's good to put on cereal.  But don't try to tell me I need it in my diet.

I went to Big Lots today to pick up some snacks.  I have discovered that I am a night time snacker and so I went looking for snacks that would have a low point value.  I came home, fired up the computer and started putting the numbers into the WW calculator and separated out the snacks into 2 point packages.

While driving to Big Lots, the check engine light came on and I have no idea why.  I'll take a look at the van tomorrow.  It could be because I am driving around on thread for tires.  It could be low on oil (I don't remember the last time it was checked.)  It could be because I filled the tank recently and it still being near full decides to conspire against me.  Who knows.

We finally finished all the laundry from Hannah being sick.  She is better, but gassy as all get out and pooping up a storm.  I am just glad the laundry is finally caught up.  

I went out to check on the animals this afternoon since we have storms coming tonight.  The stupid pigs knocked the float off their water and somehow disconnected the hose from the float.

I am going to call Spendal's tomorrow about taking Peanut in.  He did his job and now is the time to bring him in before he gets Star pregnant.  Kristi gave the suggestion of "Elena" for the as yet unnamed female goat and I am accepting it.  

Our baby goats are:
Ruby (Mother, Flora)
Zorro (Mother, Robin)
Elena (Mother, Robin)

We are just waiting on Gi-gi now.