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Monday, December 21, 2009

Week 4 Weigh In

I can't believe it's been a week since blogging! I guess the closer we get to the holidays, the crazier things get here at home! To give a recap on last week's progress, I was able to workout 4 times last week. I skipped Wednesday's workout in order to fulfill a request to snuggle with my son. I felt guilty about it, but realize that I still need to live my life in the midst of wanting to lose weight. All in all it was a good week eating wise...sometimes I was so busy that my empty tummy would serve as a reminder that I needed to eat! This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see the scale report 181.8! That means I've lost 3.2lbs in three weeks! When I started this journey, I set a mini-goal of losing 5 lbs by Jan 1st...and I think I might just meet that goal! I have 11 more days until the 1st and I am losing an average of 1 lb each week, so it will be close. One thing is for sure...I should definately meet that 5 lb goal by Jan 11th! And honestly, if I don't meet it until then, who cares! I will have lose 5 lbs and be on my way to a thinner and healthier me!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Week 3 Weigh In

I just weighed in and I'm not happy with the results. 183.2lbs. Another .4lbs gone, but I was hoping for more than 1.8lbs lost in two full weeks. I was actually a bit nervouse before stepping on that scale this morning. My weekend was full of inactivity and eating foods that were anything but healthy. It is very frustrating to workout 5 days during the week and then screw it up with calorie intake over the weekend!

On Friday night, hubby and I had a date night where we went to a local Restaurant. Neither of us had been there before and really didn't know what to expect. Well...let's just say they serve mostly deep-fried foods. After hubby declined my offer to split a meal, I ordered a mushroom swiss burger with BBQ sauce, lettuce and tomato. The menu said that my sandwich would come with "a butt-load of fries". And boy were they right. The serving plates themselves are more like a serving platter that you would use to serve a whole chicken on during Sunday dinner! The sandwich was 1/2 lb of beef, which was big enough and the rest of the plate was full of fries. Granted, you did get your money's worth. But I noticed that I was falling into the consumer trap. I got a good deal on my meal and I didn't want to let it go to waste! I only ate half of my burger and maybe 1/3 of my fries and was stuffed. We also ordered some mushrooms (deep-fried of course!) as an appetizer and I ate maybe a third of the basket full. Needless to say, I consumed a lot of calories in that one meal.

One thing I did notice is that I need to make more thorough choices. I made a decision to get the burger because I knew the deep-fried fish sandwich would be too many calories, which was good, but I didn't explore any healthier options. After we ordered, a couple in the booth across from us received their SALADs! Then the light bulb in my head went on: YOU SHOULD HAVE ORDERED A SALAD! But, I don't remember seeing any salads on the menu...but I wasn't looking for them either. I automatically started searching from the sandwich menu and the rest is history.

I think this week I will try to workout 6 days a week instead of just 5. That extra workout will help if I do have a calorie filled weekend. I would also like to find a good weight loss story to read. I am so inspired by reading about people's weight loss journeys and I think it will help to keep me motivated. I am also going to try to be more serious about not eating flours and sugars and incorporating more fruits and veggies.

I have to admit, I REALLY do not want to get on that treadmill today! After two days off from working out, my motivation is gone. BUT...I will work out. My body has won this battle long enough and it's not going to continue to win!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Skinny On The Inside

Well, week 2 is almost up and I want to give up. Not because I no longer want to lose weight or be healthy. Just becuase it is WORK! It is work trying to fit in a workout each day, work trying to make that workout intense enough, work trying prepare meals that are healthy, work analyzing every single morsel that goes into my mouth. It is so much easier to just eat whatever I want and not have to worry about getting in a workout! Now, don't worry. I am NOT giving up. I'm just saying that I want to! And quite honestly, I'm thinking this is about the point when I normally do give up. This is where I feel as if I've been working my tail of but see no results. This is where I become impatient. I don't see results (besides my measly little 1.4 lbs on the scale) and the perfectionist in me wants to think, "I'll never see results, so why try?" My all -or-nothing approach to weight loss as been my demise. I have really had to change my mindset these past 12 days and become quite flexible. I may not always be able to work out when I want to each day, or eat want I want to, but my flexibility has helped me to be successful in reaching my goal of working out at least 5 days each week. I am wiping my Excuse Book clean and that is helping me to remain consistent!

Today I pulled out a few pairs of pants that I know are too small, but I wanted a tangible way to chart my progress. All three pants were tight. My plan is to get these pants out each month and try them on again to see if they are looser or fit better. One of these days I know I'll be able to wear them with pride! I am finding that I feel skinny on the inside. My mind thinks I'm skinnier than my body actually is. And that is where alot of my conflicting feelings about this weight loss journey starts. I need to have a realistic assessment of what my body looks like in order to chart my progress realistically. I can't keep constantly looking for clues that I'm losing weight only to be let down because it's too soon. I need to train myself to not look for progress for at least another 4 weeks. If I keep looking for progress and don't find it, then I'm more likely to lose hope and give up. So I will wait until January 11th to begin to look for progress! I will still weigh in weekly, but I will not look for changes in my body until the 11th!

I have to admit that I am a bit worried about the upcoming holiday season. I love sweets and Christmas time is when all those yummy sweets cross paths with me...and I indulge. I do not want these goodies to undo all of my hard work! I need to take my time when filling my plate at each of the holiday meals (with 2 sets of divorced parents, there are lots of meals during Christmas!). I need to assess what is available and then make intelligent decisions as to what I can eat that will line up with my goals of losing weight. But so many times, there is no thought process at meals. I fill up my plate with everything I want and I eat it. Then afterwards, I reflect on what I've eaten and I am appalled at my lack of self-deiscipline. I want to reverse that process for good!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

I LOVE the Biggest Loser!

I just can't tell you how much I love The Biggest Loser! I think it is safe to say that I am addicted to it. I think there are so many shows on tv that are just trash, but The BL is one that truly is interested in changing people's lives. I have watched all 8 seasons and with each one, I am more amazed at the results the contestant's have received by the Finale. I think this season has been the biggest shocker of all. Granted, these people are working their tails off 4-6 hrs a day and are on very strict diets, but it is amazing to watch these people turns their lives around. The tranformation doesn't just happen on the outside, but also the inside. They are learning to love themselves again and realize that they are worth the hard work. What better gift can you gift yourself than the gift of health? Aside from salvation (which is Jesus's gift to us), I don't believe there is anything better. I say that because I am at that point. I'm tired of feeling run down and defeated all the time. I want to be truly happy...not just wear a smile around all day letting people believe I'm happy. I want to live an exciting and active life with my hubby and kids. As a mom, it's so easy to give of yourself...both time and energy...to everyone else until there's nothing left to give. I got burned out. I would feel guilty if I locked myself in my room just so I could get a workout in because my kids needed me or the laundry needed done. Not any more! I realize that by taking that time for myself, even being selfish about it, everyone will benefit. Because I have given to myself, my energy will be increased to play more with my kids, my mood will improve because I feel better about myself, and because I will have increased self-confidence, I will be a better wife and mother. I'm tired of living as if I am never good enough and letting my lack of self-confidence influence every decision I make. But all of that is changing!

Since I've started exercing the past 9 days, something is changing inside of me. I am starting to see the potential that I possess that I never knew was there. The potential to believe in myself. The potential to achieve my goal of weight loss and not let anything stand in my way. And I have come to realize that my biggest obstacle is myself. I am so determined to see this goal through that I am constantly trying to overcome myself. I know it sounds weird, but it is so true. You know yourself better than anyone else knows you.

I'll give you an example. Yesterday was a busy day. I spent it running Kailyn to the doctor's office, then to StuffMart to pick up some groceries and her prescription, as well as a few other errands before returning home. I slept in yesterday morning, which didn't give me enough time to get in a workout before leaving for the doc's. And by the time I got home, it was 4pm and I was tired. And then there's the issue of dinner...that had been overlooked in the midst of the chaotic day. So as I'm trying to put away my groceries and start on dinner, a talked to a friend, who is also my accountibility partner in this weight loss journey. And what does she ask me? Yep, you guessed it. "Have your worked out today?" I explained my day to her and promised to workout before going to bed. As the evening progressed, my motivation to workout lessened. But I knew myself. I knew that if I skipped my workout yesterday, that would be the start of chronically skipped workouts and eventually me giving up. So I overcame myself and worked out. I planned to just do 30 mins on the treadmill, but then decided to do 15 mins more, but then decided to just do 60 mins instead. But as the 60 min mark drew nearer, I saw that I had walked/jogged just under 4 miles. So...I persevered 4 mins longer (most of which was jogging) in order to see my treadmill report that I had gone 4 miles! I was tired and sweaty, but felt so accomplished by what I had achieved! I don't think I've ever been on the treadmill for an hour in the 5 or so years I've had it! And 5 yrs ago I certainly could never have jogged (nor would I have wanted to) as much as I did last night! Even though I'm not seeing huge progress on the scales or in the way my clothes fit yet, I do see progress in my strength and endurance.

And here's the best part...I got on the scale today and it said 180.8lbs! That's 4.2lbs lost! Of course the loss will not be official until next Monday's weigh in, but still...I am getting results!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Week 2 Road block and it's only Tuesday!

Well...I've encountered my first road block this week. Kailyn came home from school with an earache that last through the night. So in the wee hours of the morning after administering yet more meds to her, I decided that today's original plan wasn't going to work. I also learned that when I'm stressed, I tend to consume lots of calories. The victim were three mini candybars in the middle of the night...GRRR!!!! Because of the lack of sleep last night and the fact that she would not need to catch the bus, I decided to sleep in. I called the doc and she has an appt for 11:30 today. So that means I will need to get my shower, my shopping list made (so I can do my grocery shopping today while I'm in town) and my workout with have to wait until I get home. I am trying not to feel a bit defeated. My fear is that I will skip today's workout and this will be the start of my loss of motivation. I can't let this happen! I've come to far to just give up again. So the plan will be to workout when I get home and maybe take a nice bubbly bath afterwards! Bubbly baths are like a treat to me and I HATE taking a shower in the morning and then getting all sweaty after working out and having to take another shower. But oh well...it will be done! No excuses here!

Since my cupboards are looking like Old Mother Hubbard's, I needed to get creative with breakfast. This morning I did a quick search for whole wheat waffles (we haven't stocked white flour for over a month now!) and found one that was simple and included ingredients that I have on hand. They actually turned out pretty yummy. I have to laugh as I type this because I just reminded myself that I am still making the waffles as we speak...and remembered that there was one still cooking from about 10 mins ago! Needless to say, that waffle is a total loss...although my hubby does like his crunchy...hehe. I found the recipe of a thrifty mom's blog and she included a few alterations by cutting down on the amount of milk and oil she uses by adding water and applesauce. I made them waffles using the alterations and they were quite yummy with some melted butter and warm syrup on them! I would like to pass the recipe onto you...enjoy!

Whole Wheat Waffles
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. milk (or can use 1/2 milk and 1/2 water)
1/2 c. oil or melted butter (can use 1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce)
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until blended. Pour into greased waffle iron until done.
Makes approx 6 waffles


Despite the circumstances that arise today, it WILL be a GREAT day! Outlook is everything and mine is not going to get me down!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Hello Week 2!

I've made it to Week 2 and I am pumped to see progress soon! The fact that I worked out 6 days last week (plus a double workout on Friday) is progress enough for me right now! I was so sore last week from working out that I was a bit miserable. I guess I need to find the balance of working out hard, yet not so hard that I am so sore the following day. Last week I did a mixture of c25k workouts and various Biggest Loser workouts..both cardio and strength training. I think I can already start to see my calves toning up...and rightfully so after all that walking and jogging I did last week! lol

This morning I weighed in at 183.6, which means I have lost 1.4lbs. Not great, but not terrible either! I want this weight loss to be slow and steady so I can keep it off long term. I have to admit that I was hoping for a bigger loss, but after reflecting on the past week, my exercise was great, but my eating wasn't too good. There was lots of birthday cake and pizza, and more pumpkin roll slices than I care to share about. I am finding that I get so hungry for something sweet..and those sweets add up calorie-wise! Today I plan to pick up a pineapple because I notice that I actually crave that over cookies and cakes when it comes to something sweet to eat. I need to find some more alternatives to quench my sweet tooth too.

Now that I have been focusing on losing this weight and becoming healthier, I feel as if my eyes are being opened to what people are consuming and why obesity is such a problem in this country. Over the weekend, Kailyn and I went shopping and she requested that we eat at McDonald's for dinner. As we waited amongst the numerous other people to order and recieve our food, I listened to what people were ordering and it saddened me. I watched as a mom and her daughter ordered their meal. They both were what I would call overweight. The daughter, who looked to be maybe 12 or 13, ordered a Double Quarter Pounder meal! Granted, she only ordered the medium meal, but what McDonald's calls medium is actually extra large in my book. At such a young age, she has already started battling with obesity...what is her life going to be like as an adult? It's sad to me that the $1 menu entices us to eat foods that are nutritionally void, high calorie and high fat and we think it's a good deal. We can get a double cheeseburger for $1, and it's such a great deal...but we're still hungry and we've put nothing nutritious into our bodies in the process. When my daughter asked to eat there, I sort of cringed because I knew that mass calories were in my future. I didn't do too badly though. I ordered a Ranch Snack Wrap and a Fruit and Walnut salad and a water. I was full and I think the entire meal was around 400 calories. The only improvement I could have made would have been to order grilled chicken breast instead of the crispy. But I definately will do that next time I'm forced to eat there!

Today I really did not want to work out. I got up early, but used every excuse not to exercise. I ended up spending my exercise time in prayer and devotions, which isn't a bad thing. But I notice as the day goes on, I lose my motivation more and more to work out. But today I overcame myself and did it! I did my first c25k Week 2 workout and as always I feel great! It was a hard workout while I was doing it, but you just cannot replace the feeling of accomplishment and self-denial you get after a great workout! Tomorrow I plan to do a double workout since I will be traveling to Columbus on Wednesday to take my daughter to the dentist. We usually have to leave early and we are so rushed that I probably will not take the time to stop and exercise. But I'm planning ahead for it and will do double tomorrow so I will not experience the normal guilt after missing a workout.

I'm on my way and it feels great!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Day 4 and going strong!

Thought it might be time to update you all on my progress! I have worked out hard for 30 mins the past three days! I have worked out in the past, but the intensity wasn't too high...I was just walking 30 mins on the treadmill to say that I worked out. But I'm realizing now that if I want to see results, then it's time to bump it up a notch (or three) on the intensity scale. I have decided that I am going to do the C25K workouts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week and supplement with some other form of workout on Tuesday and Thursdays...and even the weekends if I choose to work out then. I tend to get bored easily with the same workout routines and give up, so I'd like to vary the workouts enough so that doesn't happen. I have a quite a few different workout dvds that I can use as well as some that I plan to reserve from the library to mix things up a bit!

I know some people believe it only weighing in once a week to chart progress, but I like to weigh in every few days just to assess how I'm doing. If I'm showing a gain, then I know to cut back on my eating more or to workout more. If I'm showing a loss, I know that what I'm doing is working and to keep it up! When I weighed in on Monday, I weighed 185lbs. This was a bit of shock to me, because just about 2 weeks ago, I was 179lbs. But Thanksgiving came along and with it, lots of food and being lazy! And those extra calories and lack of burning them really adds up quick! This morning I weighed in and the scale said 182.5lbs! Of course I don't put a ton of trust in the mid-week number on the scale, but it helps to know that my hard work is starting to pay off...and it's great motivation to keep at it!

My goal weight is around 135-140lbs, but I'm going to decide my ideal weight when I get there. If that ends up being 150lbs and I like the way I feel and how my body looks at that point, then I'll stop dieting and enjoy the new me! I do like to set mini-goals for the months to help keep me on track, so I'm setting a mini-goal of 5lbs to lose each month. If I lose more than that each month, GREAT! So as of Jan 1st, I would like to weigh 180lbs. If I continue to meet each month's mini-goal, that puts me achieving my goal weight of 135lbs by October 1st 2010. Sure, I would LOVE to lose it sooner than that, but I want this to be a lifestyle change and not a quick fix.

My main problem that I've noticed so far is with food. Granted, my son's birthday was Monday, so there have been lots of cake and junk foods available to me. Last night I did experience a small victory. We went to my MIL's house for a bday party for Evan. We had coccia house pizza, chips and dip, and then cupcakes and ice cream...complete with homemade hot fudge sauce! I had made up my mind early on yesterday that I would only eat 1 piece of pizza...and that's what I did! I decided I would rather have my calories in the form of a cupcake instead of pizza...and I made the right choice because that cupcake was divine! I also opted for a smaller portion of ice cream than the one handed to me by my MIL. It was a nice feeling to be in control of what I was consuming! I'm so used to just mindlessly eating whatever is presented to me. I think we will have one more bday party this weekend, but I'm planning to skip the cake and ice cream altogether! I really need to start cutting out the sugar in my diet. I have started using Splenda in some things, but it's just not the same as good ole' sugar! I also want to cut down on the breads I've been eating. I don't want to take an all or nothing approach to what I eat because that is just setting myself up for failure. I want to make small lifestyle changes that will add up big in the end. For me, self-control is the big issue for me. But I know I can overcome that too!

Now that I've gotten all of that off my chest, I need to go workout! Day 4, here I come! :)

Monday, November 30, 2009

Day 1 So Far...

Well, in my 3 hrs that I've been awake, I am already realizing how many things will try to steal my time and motivation to workout and eat healthy! Today is Evan's birthday and I let him pick his meals for the day. For breakfast he chose cinnamon rolls and egg nog. For lunch he wants ham loaf and shrimp cocktail, and for dinner, pizza. Now, let me just tell you that I have been looking forward to consuming those cinnamon rolls for about a week! But as I was putting them in the pan, and later was pouring the icing on top, I realized that they weren't worth the calories that were in them. And after looking at the label on the eggnog, it wasn't an option either. So...I set out to make a healthy breakfast. I made homemade oatmeal with chopped raisins and some splenda. Not terrible, but definately not very appetizing either. So I didn't eat very much of it. But also realized later on that I wasn't feeling deprived nor was I feeling hungry at all.

I also have done my workout for the day too! I downloaded the Podrunners c25k workouts onto my mp3 player and did the Week 1 workout. The podcasts train you to run a 5K through sessions of walking and jogging. I did the 30 mins workout and was sweating pretty good! I haven't sweat like that since I went to spinning classes a couple of years ago! Afterwards I did some ab exercises since my tummy needs some MAJOR toning! While I was working out, Allie (my 2 yr old) was destrying my bedroom! But, I kept working out. I am determined not to let anything stop me from this! It's the one thing I feel like I am allowed to be selfish about! And everyone will eventually benefit from my selfishness! LOL

I am realizing that it is going to take a lot of planning...especially with meals. I need to look ahead in my day and decide early on what I am going to eat...and not to eat. I know for lunch I will be having ham loaf, baked potato, and green beans, but I'll skip the sugary applesauce and have a SMALL piece of pineapple upside down cake (only because it's my son's bday!) And for dinner, we'll be having pizza...where I will have only 1-2 pieces. By planning ahead I will not have to make a decision on the spot because once I've seen the food, I'll want to eat it! Planning ahead makes me feel empowered! So far so good on Day 1!

My NEW 90 DAY Challenge

Ok...this is it...it is time to change for good. I am tired of carrying around this extra 50 lbs on my body...it has to go. When I turned 30 earlier this year, I reflected back on the previous decade of my life. I realized that I had missed out on so many great things because I didn't feel good about myself...and it all stems from this excess weight. It's unreal how many aspects of my life is affected by not liking myself. My marriage, my parenting, my friends...some part is affected. The day after I turned 30, I got serious. I started eating better and working out and I didn it for 2 weeks straight. I had my Aha! moment and I was on a roll. But then I got a stomach bug that stopped me from exercising one week, then a bad cold that stopped me the following week. And I've never had the momemtum like since then.

About 75 days ago I started a 90 Day Challenge where I was going to exercise and keep it up until I could see some results. I experimented with cutting out sugars and most flours and lost 4 lbs in a week. Then gained it back the following week when I strayed from the plan. A while later I worked out for a week and lost a few more pounds, but then gained it back. For some reason I just can't seem to stick with it to see lasting results and I'm not sure why. Am I afraid of losing my weight and being skinny? NO...I long for the day that I can wear a size that only consists of 1 number and not having a roll of flab that hangs over my pants! I think I look at how far I have to go and just give up. Yet, I'm sabotaging myself by giving up because I'm not giving myself the change to prove that I can do it! It's time to start believing that I can!

So I'm declaring today, Nov 30th, the first day of my NEW 90-day challenge. Not that I plan to only do this for 90 days and then stop. First of all, I like the way the name sounds...lol. Secondly, it is a long enough time period where I know I WILL see results if I stick with eating right and exercising. And once I start seeing results, I know I won't want to give up...I'll want to see it through until all the weight is gone!

I should clarify something...I am not doing this to be skinny like the models in magazines or on tv. Honestly, I just want to be HEALTHY and TONED. I believe that God make all of our bodies shaped differently...I just want mine to be the best that it can be. I want to feel good about myself. I want to prove to myself that I can do it. And I want to be an inspiration to others who haven't started their journey to be healthy yet. So when I say I'm carrying and extra 50 lbs, I'm not really saying that I want to lose 50 lbs. This is a journey where I intend to assess my weight loss and decide when I'm satisfied with the way I look and feel. I haven't been really thin and fit since my sophomore year in high school...and I was 135. Since then I've had 3 kids, so I'm assuming that my body will never be that thin again. I guess only time will tell. But to me, this exess weight feels like 100 lbs that I just can't shed and that I'm dragging around with me as I go through life. No more!

To start me off this week, I am going to focus on getting at least 30 mins of exercise 5 days a week. (perferably 45 mins each day) I would love to workout 7 days a week, however I don't want to set myself up for failure on day 1. If I miss a day or take the weekends off, I can keep going and not feel guilty. I also want to cut out sugars once again...or at least cut out most of them. The white flour is gone too. I have already switched to whole oat and whole grain flour, but still would like to limit them in my diet. Dr Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet makes a lot of sense to me and opened my eyes to how many calories sugar and flour has...and virtually no nutritional content. It's worth a try...especially during the upcoming holiday season and the mass quantities of sugary and floury goodies. This will be a good lesson in self-control, but I'm up to the challenge!

So during this 90 Day Challenge, I would appreciate your support and prayers. Feel free to ask me if I've worked out today, or how my eating it going...or if I've lost any weight! I NEED accountibility! I put this off so long because I've used the excuse that I don't have anyone to workout with. Well...from now on, there are no excuses! I WILL do this...whether I'm alone or have a buddy by my side! And I will keep you posted along the way. I'm usually not good on keeping up with blogging, but maybe this will give me the reason to just keep blogging, just keep blogging....(sorry...I've watched Nemo way too many times!)

Yes, I'm scared. Yes, I'm dreading the work that I will need to do in order to shed this weight, but I need to keep my eye on the prize...a healthier me! Phillippians 4:13 tells me that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." And I know I'm gonna need His strength to get me through this!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Here are a few of my least favorite things...(the titled must be sung, btw)

I slept in this morning despite my feeble attempt to get up at 6. I got up at 7 instead. I hate sleeping in. It just makes my whole day messed up as well as putting me in an irritated state. Because I got up late (and I was already irritated), I decided that I would not be working out this morning. Since I was not working out this morning, I decided that I should eat less calories today to make up for the lack of calorie burn. I decided that yogurt with granola and strawberries would be a nice breakfast. Until I pulled the unopened carton of yogurt out of the fridge...and saw that I had bought PLAIN, NON-FAT yogurt. I remember the day at Stuff Mart when I purchased it...I was feeling crummy that day and decided that it was time to start eating healthier. So I opted for PLAIN, NON-FAT yogurt instead of the yummy, cream, vanilla yogurt. And today was the day of reckoning with my PLAIN, NON-FAT yogurt, I guess. I shook off my cringe and opened the carton, poured it into the bowl and topped it with granola and berries. PLAIN, NON-FAT yogurt is very deceiving...maybe even a bit evil. It looks like vanilla yogurt...but once you taste it you instantly realize that it's PLAIN, NON-FAT yogurt. It is wretched stuff...and I'm not exaggerating. As I tried to keep from gagging while I ate it, I explained to my husband why I bought it...mainly because the flavored yogurts have lots of sugar in them. Sugar that I don't need to consume. Another bite. I can't take it anymore. My mind starts racing, trying to figure out what I could do to make this PLAIN, NON-FAT yogurt more palatable. Then it comes to me...SUGAR! It's still not that great, but it sure did help...and it was so worth the extra calories!

And since this blog is about a FEW of my least favorite things, I should probably mention more than just one. And quite honestly, I know you are dying to know what they are! I have two more that come to mind right now...

Fruit Flies. I think they evil and should burn in hell. Even more so than the PLAIN NON-FAT yogurt. I do not understand how you can have no fruit flies in your house, but the minute you bring in any kind of fruit and decoratively display it on your kitchen counter, suddenly you have an infestation. It is virtually impossible to get rid of them. I have found a solution that works...sort of a trap, if you will. Combine some apple cider vinegar with a bit of dish soap in a jar. Then cover the opening of the jar with saran wrap and secure it with a rubber band. Then take a fork and make small holes in the saran wrap. Voila! You have a fruit fly trap and in a day or so, you will relish in the sight of all those dead little flies floating the apple cider poison!

Next up is Poison Ivy. I am a poison ivy magnet. If I look at it, I break out in a rash within 24 hrs. I have had poison ivy all summer. On my arms, ankles, and the backs of my knees. Everywhere. So I spent the summer scratching...and scratching. I'm sure people think I have bugs or something. LOL And it just seems as if there is nothing to relieve me of its symptoms...even the pink stuff doesn't work anymore. I've even tried killing the plants and they resist. Poison Ivy is nasty stuff.

So what do I do with this list of Least Favorite Things? I can just live with them. Or I could get creative. I could find a way to make them work together for the greater good. I could expose a fruit fly to poison ivy and then force feed it PLAIN, NON-FAT yogurt. Yes, I know, I'm being silly. But somehow the thought makes me a bit less irritated..and even makes me giggle a little on the inside.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Time to start blogging again...

I was on the phone with a friend today and she was telling me about the blogs of one of her friends. Then she asks for my blog address...and reluctantly told her I've slacked off on my blogging. Ok..I've totally turned my back on it...as in, this will be my 3rd post on my blog in almost a year. Pathetic, I know. So what better time to turn over my blogging leaf than today? At first I thought that maybe I wouldn't have anything entertaing to write about, but as I thought over the past year of my life, there's a lot that has happened...much of which would most definately put a smile on your face...or maybe even make you giggle a little.

The story that comes to mind was The Stabbing. Yes, a real stabbing. Last fall, my son sold some popcorn as a fundraiser for his Cub Scout troop. And you know how those fundraisers work..you sell some stuff and you get a prize (if you're lucky). Well, my son was lucky...at least I thought he was until his prize (which ended up being a knife) got the best of him one night. I was watching 2 of my friend's kids that night and hubby was at a friend's house. Those of you who don't know Evan, he loves to show off in front of people. So of course I hear him being the funny guy that he is. Then I hear him sort of whimpering and such while he's heading towards me holding his inner thigh. I thought he was joking (he also tends to fake me out in front of company). He starts sort of freaking out so I decide to take him seriously and we proceed to the bathroom to check his "wound" (that I just knew would be a little scratch). On the way to the bathroom I see blood stains on his pants...so that's approximately when I started to freak out. I don't do well with blood, so the thought crossed my mind to just not check the wound and just tell him to apply pressure while I call his dad and tell him to get his bum home so he could play doc that night. Proving myself stronger than I expected, he removes his pants to reveal a nice little football shaped gash on his inner thigh. That is when he started to officially go into shock...I know this because at this point he was sitting on the floor with his hand on his wound rocking back and forth crying and saying "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!" This did not help my previously mentioned freaking out situation. I had no clue what to do. I knew that when a wound gapes open, that's a pretty good sign to rush to the ER for stitches. However I had 5 children at my house and no spouse. So I called Mr. Spouse and I hysterically tell him what has happened...all in secret code language so that Evan doesn't realize that it is in fact as bad as he things it is (all except te dying part, that is). Spouse proceeds to tell me I'm overreacting and to put a bandaid on it...and is a little perturbed at me for calling him I suppose. He tells me he will be home and that in the meantime this could be a lesson for Evan not to misuse knives. What a lesson! We take another look at it to see if it needs cleaned out and I'm seeing white stuff in it...which my son tells me is fat. I'm pretty sure that is when I started seeing spots. Despite all the chaos, hubby comes home and announces that it does not need stitches, but just a BIG bandaid, which we do not have. So I had to call my friend (whose kids were at my house) and give her a list of all the first items that you should have in your house in case of emergencies that we did not have. Once Evan was bandaged up, he explains just how this incident occured...he was mimicking the movie The Cat In The Hat, where cat has a knife and cuts his on tail. He had the knife in his hand while mimicking, but forgot to stop mimicking at the proper time...hence the stabbing.

Hmm...what else has been going on this past year? I plan to be very transparent in this blog in hopes that it will encourage and enlighten some of you who may be experiencing some of the same situations. With that said, hubby and I have been experiencing the 9-year blahs in our marriage, which in turn landed us in counseling. Then our counseler experienced some health problems and we weren't able to continue counseling with him. At that point, we were doing "fine" and thought we could make it without the counsel. Well, that only lasted a couple of weeks and before we knew it we were at each other's throats again. Things got better again, then worse again...and the cycle continued. I was at the end of my rope and I was tired of begging God for a miracle. We decided to take a trip to celebrate our upcoming 10th anniversary. We went to Key West and had a great time together just like old times when we were dating or even first married. Then we came home. To 3 kids. To a business that is never ending. To LIFE. And the fighting started again. The week after we came home, we decided we needed a plan to try and salvage what we had when we were on our getaway. It was as if LIFE shoved its way between us and kept us just out of arm's reach. It's taken a couple of more talks since then, but I think we are finally on the true path of restoration. We are starting to fall in love again...and it's great! We are realizing that we both have been selfish in our marriage, fighting for what we each "deserve"...and forgetting that in marriage there are no "I's", only "We's" and "Us's". We also are realizing that although our spouse may not be the perfect prince or princess we thought they were when we married them, but that's ok. We are starting to overlook our flaws instead of constantly pointing them out to one another. We are starting to truly LOVE again. And I just think it's amazing.

I am also on a journey to find out just who JEN is. In the midst of parenting and meeting the demands of everyday life as a 24/7 caretaker of 3 children, I've sort of lost who I am. I have put my life into nurturing my children and Jen has taken a backseat. It's sort of like a dream (or nightmare)...like one day I woke up and was shocked at what I saw....a frustrated, overweight mom in dysfunctional marriage who was going through the motions of everyday without any joy. I am trying to see life in a new light. It's not always easy, and I'm not always successful, but I'm making progress and that is all that matters to me. I have 40 lbs to lose, so I've started working out regularly. I've even started jogging, which I NEVER thought I'd ever do....let along ENJOY it! I feel empowered after each workout and I'm noticing how it really affects the outcome of my day. I have more energy and a better outlook on life. I haven't noticed any changes in my body, but I know that will come if I will just keep up this routine. I'm ready for a lifestyle change. We only have one body...why wouldn't we take care of it? We take care of our houses, cars, and every other material possession, but we let our bodies fall by the wayside. It's sad. I'm hoping this blog will also help to keep me accountible to you during this weight loss/restoration journey. Look out world, here I come! LOL

WOW...what a LONG blog! I think I have made up for a year's worth of non-blogging, what do you think?