Sunday, July 7, 2013

Good Things:
Great choices while eating out after church
Snacked on the way home, but healthier choices than old habits
30 minutes on the wii, added hand weights to my advanced step
Scale is going down again

Not So Good Things:
Too much salt with my snack
Sugar today

I was so glad to be exercising again. The last two days have left me with no activity and I was feeling so sluggish.  I got in a good 30 minutes that left me sweating.  I was down 1.5 since my last weigh-in.  Whew!

David got some greek yogurt bars at the store today. I have such a hard time saying no to him when he gets me a treat. Thing is, I didn't WANT to eat it, it was high in sugar. And, even though I did, it didn't even taste good, so it felt like a waste of a treat. I need to figure out a kind way to decline or at least redirect his efforts. I did the same thing with Josh this week when he saved part of his sub sandwich for me.  

I know I shouldn't rejoice so much over the scale going down. But, well, I am.

Day 6 Vice-Busting

February 3, 2013
Day 6 Vice-Busting

Scripture Affirmation:
As I turn from sin towards God I experience wonderful times of refreshment.
"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you." Acts 3:19-20

I saw this happen today. Well, the potential for it to happen.  We were leaving church to have lunch with friends.  We had a bit of a drive to get there, and I was famished. I had just drunk my bottle of water and was out.  David stopped to get some gum at the store and I asked him to get a snack for me. He went for peanuts and came back with chips. I was totally bummed. I knew I wouldn't eat the chips, but I was upset because I wanted *something* to eat. He also brought bottled water. Well, after I fussed about not having something for *me* to eat, I decided I could at least drink water. I drank half the bottle and guess what....I wasn't hungry anymore!  Had I chosen to turn from my sin of pouting and fussing, I would have found sooner that the Lord had a wonderful time of refreshment for me in the gift my husband gave to me.

I confess, Lord, that I allowed my flesh to control my emotions and my actions. I sinned against my husband by voicing my anger and I was selfish to my own needs, not being grateful for his effort to please me. Please, strengthen me to turn from my anger and selfishness during those times when my body is stressed and trying to overtake me. Help me to turn to you, your presence, that I would experience not only the physical refreshments you offer, but the ultimate refreshment of living out the person of Jesus Christ in my life through my thoughts, words, and actions. Thank you for wiping my sins away and bringing your healing.

Action:
Continue building the habit of drinking water. Increase the commitment. Make it the choice of beverage 90% of your day. 

It's going to be a little tough to give water more love than my coffee, but I'm trying. :)

Today we enjoyed a delicious lunch with friends in their home. I ate more than I normally would and even indulged in a small, but sugar heavy ice cream sundae.  No guilt, as I was pleased to enjoy the hospitality offered by these dear people.  Even though I went for seconds, my choices were well balanced with a delicous salad and hearty bread to accompany the amazing pasta that we enjoyed.  Grateful for a sweet time of fellowship and the grace to know it was from the Lord. It will be interesting to see if I notice any effects from the sugar into tomorrow.

Saturday December, 15, 2012

Today's Good Things:
A bit of extra sleep
A few things on the list accomplished
Stacked wood with my boys
Rejoicing in the Lord's answer to prayer

Today's Not So Good Things:
Craving sugar in a big way - too much chocolate
Battling sickness

We're fighting head colds here. I am just moving so slow and feeling miserable. Baby is nursing well in spite of feeling poorly. More frequently, though, and our nights are still broken. I should have aimed for a nap today, but worked with the children on some choring and christmas gifts instead. I feel pretty good that I spent some time with them today. I'm looking forward to a restful night and day tomorrow. Praying my head feels better soon.

Monday January 30, 2012

Today's Good Things:
Up on time - 5:30
Morning pilates/stretch (10min)
Bible/reading
Dh's lunch and dinner packed
Morning 15 (17 actually ;) ) by way of EA Sports Active
Stayed on track with menu
Afternoon 15 by way of getting out for my mile walk
Evening 15 by way of wii fit (20min actually)

Today's Not So Good Things:
Major attitudes to deal with from my boys today. I'm looking into putting them on a sugar fast for the week. Something's gotta give regarding their demeanor and concentration.
Numbers better, but fasting still bad

Today's Food Choices and Blood Sugars:
Fasting: 104
Breakfast: 2oz turkey ham, 2 oz cheddar cheese, half rye krisp cracker, decaf
After: 104
Snack: cheese stick, 1 slice hm banana bread w/ butter
Lunch: 1 chicken thigh, 2/3 cup(ish) ranch beans with shredded cheddar and turkey, half grapefruit
After: 102
Snack: Apple with peanut butter, handfull of cheeze-its
Dinner: 4oz (or so) of chicken breast, garlic pasta (about 1/2 cup pasta tossed with butter, seasonings, mixed vegies and diced chicken making about 1 cup total portion), 3/4 cup greek plain ff yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen fruit
After: 124
Snack: Still deciding
Water throughout the day

I've been reading some and have decided to work on eliminating grains as much as possible from my day. I'm still getting in carbs by way of beans, vegies and fruit, but it appears that the grains are giving me trouble. I couldn't find enough vegies to fill my plate tonight at dinner so I went with a small portion of pasta, which was clearly a mistake.  It's interesting to me to see how my body does when the carbs are completely gone in a meal. I'm going to keep playing with that. Still thinking about what I'm going to have for my snack tonight. I really wish I could find a good way to get that fasting number down.

I'm feeling swollen, though.  I think all the cheese and meats I've been eating for protein are overload on my salt. My rings are tight and my hands feel puffy. Not liking that feeling.

I'm super excited that I got in all my 15's today!  Especially that I got my backside out the door for my afternoon mile. It was very refreshing to get the fresh air although I had to be super careful with so much ice out there.  Good start today. Good start. :)

Monday January 16, 2012

Today's Good Things:
Got my grading done
Out for coffee with friends
Spent some fun time looking at names for Baby Dear

Today's Not So Good Things:
Lazy start and unmotivated today
No exercise


So, my big appointment with the OB last Friday was great. I was delighted with how well she received us and how easily I could talk with her.  We discussed my results from the 1 hour glucose test and the week of testing I did back in December.  She agreed with me that it makes sense to skip the 3 hour and just go directly to the GD counseling and self-monitoring. However, there's a team of 8 to be reckoned with, so she offered to advocate for me with them.  I was to hear from her today with their decision to either stick with the 3 hour at the earliest point this week or forgo it and get in touch with the GD counselor at the hospital.  I didn't hear back yet, though, so hopefully tomorrow I'll get word.

She did tell me to lift the GD diet for the weekend until I get in the test.  She said a true "carb load" wasn't necessary, but to just ease up on counting the carbs and relax a bit and enjoy. So, I have been.

This weekend I enjoyed a lovely dinner with friends and even had a cupcake for dessert. :)  Our family had a super exciting time with a Baby Reveal to learn the gender of our little Baby dear and I thoroughly enjoyed eating our PINK cake with the fam. :)

However, I can tell when too much is too much. This Sunday I had 2 pancakes with maybe 2 tsp of maple syrup and a thick slice of turkey ham. By the time the service was starting at church, my head was killing me and I felt weak and nauseous. That's been a little normal for me, but it was worse that day.  Honestly, the sugar, in whatever form, bread, syrup, even fruit, at the wrong time really does me in.  Oh, how I wish I had brought along a cheese stick to counter that gross feeling. It will be interesting to see if insulin makes a big difference for me or not.  I'm most confident I'm heading that way.

With all the excitement of our Baby Reveal, I haven't had time to read the other blogs.  I hope you ladies had a lovely weekend and are off to a strong start this week.  I'm praying my tomorrow goes better than my today. ;)

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. :)