Meal for Friends

I tried a new soup, Sweet Corn Chowder, today.  It was wonderful!! I made extra to bring to friends and they enjoyed it as well.  That's a great feeling. 

David spent the day listening to the audio book of Eat to Live. Then we went over the 6 week plan laid out in there. He's decided to set aside the Reboot Juice fast and do the 6 week plan together with me.  I never did the full plan, so I'm excited to work on it together.  Reading it over, I realized that I've been overdoing it on nuts and underdoing it on grains.  It will be interesting to see what comes of making those changes.

So, tomorrow starts our 6 week plan. I'll work on typing up a week's worth of meals that we're eating to share on here. For now, I'm heading to bed. This week has been so full of blessings and hard work, I'm barely able to put my thoughts together right now.

Tuesday December 1, 2011

Today's Good Things:
Devotions
Followed menu plan well
Made progress on some schooling issues
Worked at and applied the verses I read this morning
Baby Flutters!!!
Great meeting with homeschool group tonight

Today's Not So Good Things:
No exercise
A lot of sitting at my desk to get schooling and notes prepared for meeting tonight
Choices for protein and grains are limited so I've gone back to eat some bread

I haven't been journaling here, but I have been doing pretty well following my menu plan.  Thanksgiving was hard and I did set aside the portions and even allowed myself dessert.  But, I was able to get back on track fairly well and I've been doing well so far.  I still don't have any test strips, so I'm not sure how my body is processing the sugars, but I'm building good habits, so I'm thankful.

I still need to work at getting in that exercise. I have to just push myself, otherwise I give in to the tiredness and the lagging nausea that threatens throughout the day still. The "fog" has lifted, though. So we made this past week a "work week" and have been busy getting the house and my paperwork in order.  It feels good to have some projects done and a plan developing for school next week. Now that I'm feeling a little better, I'm eager to get our schooling more organized and effective. Tomorrow I'll keep working on that as well as do some reorganizing to move a piece of furniture to our room in prep for baby's clothes and items. It's a little soon for that, but I want to do it now since we are setting aside time to get projects done.

David took his 3rd test this week, so life changes again for a bit.  Not even sure how so right now, but this whole year has felt like a constant state of unknown.  Thankfully, the Lord remains faithful and strong.  A security in the midst of the craziness of our days.

So, the goal for tomorrow is to get in my 15 minutes of moving after each meal.  Now that my sweetie isn't dealing with the pressure of the exam, I may just have a handsome escort on my walks. That's the best motivation right there. :)

The happy news is that I've been feeling baby flutters already. I haven't even heard a heartbeat yet, so this is really exciting. Still waiting on our decision of whether we will move forward with a homebirth or switch over to an OB and hospital birth this time around. That also means I haven't really had much by way of prenatal care right now. It's still early, and so far it appears that baby is doing well. I can't help but be excited that it's all becoming more real, that's for sure!

Saturday, Nov.12 2011

Today's Good Things:
Rested A LOT
Got some laundry put away
Winter clothes organized and sorted (but really, that was not my doing)
Online shopping (but not buying yet) for maternity clothes
Did well with my eating choices, though I didn't follow my plan exactly

Today's Not So Good Things:
Didn't follow my meal plan
Didn't eat enough
Didn't get any exercise
Didn't get enough sleep last night, so feeling awful
Winning the Crabby Mom award for the day (week?? sigh.)

I'm going to do this. I'm forcing myself to get back to daily journaling. Just knowing I have to report my day *should* motivate me to make it worth reporting.  I hope.

So, here comes the personal stuff you may not care to read in happy blog land.  I finally admitted today that I am not enjoying being pregnant right now.  I feel ill, tired, unmotivated, irritable, lazy, achey, and HUGE.  I'm battling a lot of negative feelings right now regarding how my body is changing.  Remember those skirts I joyfully outgrew and put away?  Yeah, they fit great now. :-/

Now, hear me out. I am THRILLED to have a new baby on the way.  I am super excited to learn all about how this little one is growing and changing.  I see newborns and get all giddy, knowing we'll have our own to snuggle when spring comes around.  It's not the baby, it's the pregnancy and the changes and stresses that go with it that are getting me down.

Pray for me.  That's what I truly need.

>I need to forget what is behind and strive for what lies ahead.  I worked HARD last year and saw some fruit.  I can work HARD this year and see fruit as well. Different fruit, but beautiful fruit all the same.

> I need to put my focus back on doing all of this that the Lord is lifted up, not that I can wear a certain size or not look like a tent in what I put on.  I got rid of my entire maternity wardrobe after our youngest was born, anticipating that I would never fit in those clothes again. Sigh.  So, I'm needing a full new wardrobe about now.  With funds tight, I do have yet another chance to see the Lord provide, and I'm grateful.  I just need a better attitude regarding how embarrassing and frustrating it is that I can't even fit in the maternity clothes at the stores.  Again, I need my eyes on the Lord, not my silhouette.

>The GD stuff is SO scary, stressful and overwhelming.  First, the strips are costly and this is not a good season for us to have costly expenses. Second, following the meal plan is costly. (see number one). Thirdly, it's so very stressful to eat just right at just the right times, exercise at the right times and not feel like it's consuming your whole brain.  The perfectionist in me fears "failing" those tests, so just having to take them creates a world of stress that is really hard to work through.

So, today is a very emotional day.  Writing it out helps, right?  Maybe. We'll see.  But, for now, at least I'm acknowledging my fears, doubts and disappointments.  If I confess these sins of selfishness and self-pity, I'm closer to the freedom the Lord has for me, right? Pray for me to find that freedom and walk boldly in it.

That's About the Size of It

Found out a couple weeks ago we had a little Poppy Seed growing.  The following week it grew to the size of an Apple Seed. This week we are enjoying our little Sweet Pea even though he or she brought an abundance of fatigue, moodiness, and nausea along. 

So, the plan changes for the coming year. I'm grateful I can rest in the confidence that these are God's plans.  Over the past several months, the Lord has been working on this heart of mine teaching me new lessons in contentment.  Gone are the fears and anxiety that I was carrying regarding the prospect of a new pregnancy.  The Lord has moved me over to peace, surrender, gratitude, and joy.  We don't know how long this little one will be with us, but we are all being careful to enjoy each day.  The children are over the moon with excitement.  They've been taking extra special care of their dear ol' Momma with a fervor. What a blessing. 

Next step is to work on my new menu plan. My goal is to combine the GD plan I used with my last pregnancy with Dr. Brewer's pregnancy diet, hoping my hard work in these areas will keep away the GD issues that plagued us with our last baby.  Please pray I can be diligent with exercise, discplined in my eating choices, and persevere in prayer regarding my health and Baby's.  Above all, I continue to desire the Lord to be glorified in all of my life.  I may not be decreasing physically in size in the coming months, but I pray the Lord's purposes, presence, and power will continue to increase in every way.

Monday July 18, 2011

Today's Good Things:
Morning and evening walk (at least 3 miles total)
Good choices for meals, lovely salad from the garden for dinner!
Ditching the soda
Oh, and some good time in the pool yesterday! (just throwing that in because I'm so glad I did it. ;-) )

Today's Not So Good Things:
Caved in to my sweet craving at snack time :(

I met with my friends for our coffee night tonight. It was lovely, as we ended the evening with a great paced walk that lasted about an hour.  I also skipped the coffee and had a bottle of water. I haven't been drinking enough, so that was a good choice. (Especially since I had already had plenty-o-decaf already today.)

Cycle started today and I feel so much better. The last few days have been yucky and a little up in the air wondering just what to think about a 38 day cycle. ;-)  All the tests were bfn's, but, I admit, I was starting to wonder. So, I have another month (or longer!) to keep working at getting stronger, wiser, and more faithful in my choices to honor the Lord with my body.

Would you believe I forgot all about my weigh-in this morning? I was so occupied with starting my day that I completely forgot. I have no idea what to expect, as I saw a huge drop after my cycle ended last month. But, when am I not afraid to step on that blasted scale, right? I guess I'll give her a go tomorrow and see how bad it is. I definitely feel bloated and like I've gained a good 10lbs in the last few weeks. Sigh.

Either way, I'm going to keep up my momentum for the week. I'm going to work on logging tomorrow as well as keeping up with my early morning walk. I'd love to get in a swim tomorrow too, since the day promises to be a hot one. (though I don't get in all that much swimming with so many little ones to watch ;-) )  I've been fighting some insomnia the last few nights, so I hope that doesn't leave me to worn out to get up and going in the early morning.

Everything but the Elephant

This story comes from the book I'm reading. I've been keeping a page with quotes that challenge me from that book, but I wanted to type out this story here. It's been a wonderful analogy for me in this area of weight-loss and health as well as applying it to every other area of my walk with the Lord. In fact, we've been asking ourselves frequently around here, "Is that part of the elephant?"

It seems there was an artist who, one day, found that a large piece of granite had risen unexpectedly from the yard outside his home. Now, I don't know about you, but if that had happened to me I'd be upset. Just one more annoying thing I'd need to take care of before I could mow the lawn. Reportedly, it did annoy the artist, and he knew he'd eventually have to do something about it. He debated about borrowing a jackhammer from a friend until he remembered that, of course, he had no friends with jackhammers. Then he thought about getting some dynamite and blasting the granite into smaller stones that he could then carry away. But that didn't seem right either so he sat and thought about what to do. As he sat and thought and looked at that stone, he began to look past his problem. He forgot about his goal of getting rid of the stone. He actually started to see the stone. He noticed the lines and the shape. He decided to be grateful for the stone. Then one day he got out his chisel and hammer, and within a short time, he created an unbelievable reproduction of an elephant. Neighbors and passersby alike were amazed when they saw what appeared to be a real elephant grazing in his yard.

A friend asked the amateur sculptor how he'd managed to do such a good job in reproducing a realistic form of an elephant without even a model or picture to go by. The artist replied confidently, "It was really pretty easy, actually. I just chipped away everything that didn't look like an elephant."

This story comes with the challenge to focus on the person you most wish to become. As I read this story, I am struck with how it illustrates the fact that God's spirit is at work within me to chip away at everything that doesn't look like Christ. Because of His finished work on the cross, the victory of His resurrection, His application of righteousness to my life, and the gift of His Holy Spirit, I am now becoming the person God created me to be. In His word, I see that He is at work to reveal and remove those habits, weaknesses, and desires that keep me from loving my Lord fully.  I am seeing this in new ways as I work to face the addictions and desires that hold me in the area of what I eat and how I use my body.  When I read through this blog, I see the excuses and habits that have defeated me in the past months. Magnify that by the number of years I've been alive and I see a life that needs some chipping. 

The author give the challenge, "If you are serious about continuing your walk on this spiritual path to weight loss, you will work hard to chip away everything that does not look like the person you most wish to become." 

I give myself the challenge, Just chip away everything that doesn't look like Jesus.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  Romans 8:29

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 1 Peter 1:14-15

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;  for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again ; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all ; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness ; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:5-13

Monday April 4, 2011 - Spring is in the Air!

Today's Good Things:
Met my lowish-carb goal
Great day school wise
Great day with chores
Kept up with meals well
House is semi-tidy
Kept Laundry rollin'
Got a good start on this week's project
After dinner mile with dh

Today's Not So Good Things:
Munched on chocolate chips that should have all been given away
Missed my Morning 15
Rainy/snowy so missed my Afternoon 15
Struggling with a tmi issue that also prevented me from too much activity

I had a surprisingly great Monday! That rarely happens here and I'm delighted.

Food wise I did really well, even with my afternoon snack with dh and a yummy dessert of fat free pudding that my dd made for us to share. I ended the day with 155 grams of carbs. I'm pleased, since my goal is to get as close to 150 as possible each day. Had I skipped those treats, I'd have been under my goal. Cool seeing that it's doable.

Also got in a 1 mile quick walk with dh before he headed out for an evening meeting. That does us so much good. I love having a little escape like that. Good for body, soul, and heart.

I made some good headway on the File Pile today. Dd planted her seedlings and the girlies started some flower seeds. The smell of that dirt was invigorating! Oh, I love that spring is in the air. Even though it snowed all morning, it melted by afternoon and I can still see the GRASS! Just the smell of the rain, mud, and warmth makes me want to MOVE and smile.

Don't Call Me Sugar! Part 1 - Intro

Our family has been making changes over the years to move to a whole foods diet. As we learned the benefits of eating whole grains and unprocessed foods, we thought we were doing pretty well. However, a serious health issue brought us to our knees and searching for more details on how the foods choices were were making may be harming us.

Our oldest daughter has been diagnosed with childhood epilepsy. That is scary in and of itself, but due to her condition and a week of returning night seizures several years ago, we took the advice of some experienced friends and decided to work hard at eliminating all sugar from our diet as much as we possibly could.

After reading a book, Get the Sugar Out by Anne Louise Gittleman, it was all I could do to keep myself from thinking that every food held poison that would destroy us!! Once I got over the initial extremism that comes when I learn new things, I was able to begin making wise and better choices for our family.

Sugar is an addictive food, that is certain. Sugar is harmful, there is no argument. Sugar is also confusing and difficult to track since it can be hidden, transformed, and deceptively labeled. In a culture such as ours, it is vital that we understand the effects this substance has on our bodies, emotions, and habits.  Sugar is not evil, in and of itself, just as money is not evil, in and of itself. However, just as we are warned that money is not to be our master, we would be wise to have the same awareness and cautions with the beloved sweeteners that make this world go 'round.

I know that our society has overwhelmed us with sugar and sugar products to an insane excess, but I'm confident that our flesh has battled this indulgence from early times. The Lord created sweetness for us to enjoy, "My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste" Prov. 24:13.  He even uses our delight of His natural creation to draw us closer to His own commands, "How sweet are Your words to my taste ! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103.  As is our (sinful) nature, we have found a way to distort the good gifts the Lord has given us to indulge our flesh.  So much so that the Lord has to caution us as he gives us his gifts, "Have you found honey ? Eat only what you need, That you not have it in excess and vomit it. " Prov. 25:16; "It is not good to eat much honey, Nor is it glory to search out one's own glory." Prov. 25:27

In this series of journal entries, I plan to share the resources that I've learned from as I've been making changes for myself and my family. I will post some neat lists and videos that bring to life the reality of how our bodies are affected by our daily choices.  I'll share the simple and not-so-simple ways I've been working to eliminate sugar from our diet and our desires. I hope to record the great ways our health has improved due to the nutritional changes we are making.

I'd like to devote a great amount of time to this, but in all practicality, I'm not able to put this in the Top Ten of Things I Must Do In A Day.  So, bear with me as I work to record my own journey and encourage any others who may be following along.

Until then, here is a fantastic video from a new blog that I've just started reading. It's a far better series on sugar than I could ever hope to produce. Give it a read and feel free to leave some comments here for discussion as you do. I haven't read it thoroughly, so I'm linking to it for source purposes right now. Though, it does look promising as far as helpful information goes. :)