Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Good Things:
Morning walk with David
Showered and bible time before breakfast
Schooled them all
Walk to the library with most of the children
Great choices while eating out with David
Got in some wii tennis and boxing on our date night
Ended the day under on calories
The scale is still going down!

Not So Good Things:
Most everyone was crabby and irritable today, including me
This poison ivy is making me insane, it keeps getting worse and spreading more and more

I made another new recipe today, Sloppy Lentil Joe's. I tweaked this recipe a bit, omitting the sugar and adding in corn.  Everyone loved them!  Big hit and staying on the Keep List.  Every time I get a win like that, it gets me a little excited to try the next new thing.

It is so rainy and dreary here these days.  I guess it's good for getting inside stuff done, but I think we are all longing for some sunshine in our life again.

I'm down .4 pounds. Yay!  I didn't weigh in yesterday. I was just too tired. But tonight I'm still seeing the scale move down and that makes me very happy.  I had more grains than I intended to at dinner, but I avoided meat and had only the teeniest bit of butter and salad dressing. David had a coke for the first time in a long while and said he felt a huge buzz right off.

He's never complained about feeling strange after a soda.  I guess it was good to get it out of his system.  I had a cup of decaf coffee tonight after dinner as we worked through the chapter of the book we're reading.

 I feel like a complete traitor typing this, but...it didn't even taste very good. <gasp!>

Monday, July 1, 2013

Good Things:
Got out for a brisk walk first thing this morning with my husband
Started the day smiling, showered, and even fussed with my new haircut a bit. ;)
Enjoyed a lovely cup of lemon ginger tea this morning.
Did a ton of shopping with a couple teamers.  Got in all the groceries under budget. I was a little nervous. 
Went out for lunch with my husband, sat in on an important meeting with him.
Saw my dear, precious friend who is also The Best Midwife Ever today. :)
Ended the day under on calories and very tired.
Made some new recipes for dinner and everyone had great attitudes and even LOVED one of them.

Not So Good Things:
I have the poison ivy now and it's spreading. Blah.
Fumbled a bit with lunch and ended up eating some chicken that I hadn't planned to eat along with white flour flatbread at Subway. 
Lost all energy by dinner time. Probably the lunch hangover kicking in.
No Wii workout tonight. Too physically worn out.

The Simple Bean Burgers were a HUGE hit!! Everyone was asking for seconds.

The three oldest children and I worked together to make them. We served them on pitas with burger fixins and it was a huge success.  The Great Greens (steamed kale, chard, spinach with a vinegar dressing), not so much. Pretty sure that fail was on our end because they were just way too salty.  But, my Benjy boy really liked them and even had seconds when the rest of us didn't want to eat them. I'm impressed with that boy trying hard to like his mom's weird food. ;)

I was feeling discouraged that I didn't make a better choice for lunch.  It was a last-minute decision that I was even going with my husband to this meeting, so lunch had to be on the run.  I walked in the restaurant and just completely blanked out on what to order. It's like my brain isn't sure how to think about food just yet without the boundaries of the fast. I didn't want to choose an animal protein because I knew I was planning for that later in the week.  But, I couldn't think beyond that. What I did choose, I worked with wisely, I think.  No cheese, no sauce, add some cucumbers with the lettuce and spinach...it should hide okay in there...and it did.  The sandwich was delicious and I purposed to eat it with joy, giving thanks in all things. :)  Now that I've entered it in to mfp, I'm not feeling so bad. Even though it wasn't the most nutritious choice I could have made, I still made good choices overall and enjoyed a lovely lunch with my husband.

I do think I'm feeling the effects of it now, though. Worn out and lethargic a few hours later. I read that this happens after the fast when you start adding in foods. 

Overall, my first day off the fast went very well. I was busy and active all day.  I made wise choices, overall.  I got in all my water and some exercise.  I'm working my plan and doing it joyfully with the people I love.  The poison ivy that is overtaking me isn't so great. I could do without that.  But, I'll be thankful that I can better empathize with my husband and sons who are battling it as well.

My verse for the day:

Psalm 34:1    I will bless the LORD at all times ; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Praying that my mouth will be so filled with His praise that none of the ugly words or foods fit! :D

Sicko

That's me.  It's finally made it's rounds and I'm joining the hacking crew.  I hate this chesty congestion. But, it could be so much worse, so I guess I'll take it.

Met with the GD counselor today. Talked over meters and decided I can stick with the 10 units and hope to see my numbers stay nice and low. My fastings are good now, but not so low that it would lead us to believe I don't need the insulin at all. Especially as I am moving further into the third trimester.

Yikes.  I feel like I've been pregnant SO long this time. Yet, when I think I'm in the third trimester, it somehow seems like it's going fast now.  I'm definitely feeling like a third trimester lady.  I'm not sleeping well. Can't breathe well.  Moving slow and waddling more and more. 

I'm hoping to end the week with more rest and some more catching up on housework. At least when we get back to regular schooling next week I'll feel good about the house. 

I'd love to get into my outside walks again. With the stress we have around here, I know I need it.  I just need to DO it.  I mean, really, how bad can it get if I'm only gone for 15-20 minutes?  Gulp.

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 9, 2012

Today's Good Things:
Followed diet well except for afternoon snack
My husband whisked me away after a very difficult day with the children and schooling
Chose a salad and no dessert for dinner (not always easy to do when we eat out)
20 minutes of pilates this evening

Today's Not So Good Things:
Overslept and missed my bible time
Didn't drink enough water
slice of cold pizza for snack time
Missed my daytime exercise. I just couldn't leave the children at all today. :-/


Today was so extremely stressful and emotional.  The aftermath of me taking Friday to be sick and tired was that no one had finished their work well and we had to bury out way out. That was depressing enough, but add in the bad attitudes to go with it and it was not a good day. I was grateful for a break this evening with the littles who were well behaved. But, now I'm fighting a headache and feel quite exhausted even though I barely moved from my seat all day.

I'm pleased that I got out my pilates video this evening, though. Each workout is 10 minutes, so it's very easy to talk myself into it. I chose two workouts tonight and they are so gentle, that it's hard to believe you are actually working out for 20 minutes. I was remembering, as I was moving, how *good* these exercises make you feel. It is especially helpful when my sciatica and lower back pains start in. It feels new again, so I'd like to try to get in 20 minutes in the morning and 20 in the evenings. I remember now how much better I sleep when I'm using this video.  If I can do that and get in my after lunch walk, I will be doing *amazing* in comparison to the first half of this pregnancy. :)

So, tomorrow I stay on task with my menu.  I don't stress eat, but chose what is best for myself and baby. I see what I can do about that afternoon walk. We have sewing lessons tomorrow, so our day already has a major interruption. However, if we can get over the negative attitudes, I know our day can be smooth enough to get in that walk.  I need to make a plan to wake up at my early time so I can exercise AND get in my bible time. I realized today that I get very grumpy without that alone time in the morning. *blush*

Tuesday November 15, 2011

Today's Good Things:
Up and dressed before the children
Woke them with a smile
Bible & journal
Morning walk with the fam
Followed meal plan fairly well until dinner (enter date night)
Worked out some strategy to deal with tough home issues

Today's Not So Good Things:
Children were not so enthusiastic about my fresh start to the day
Tough issues with one dear child
Date night dinner was too hard to resist

Today I started well.  I am very glad for that.  I'm sad because I can see the transition to get us back on our regular routine is going to be a rough one.  Today was hard, dealing with a lot of those emotions and working on behavior that has been let go for too long.  Emotionally, I'm drained. 

We had a wonderful date night tonight, though.  I'm grateful the Lord always gives hope even when we don't even know where to look for it. 

Tomorrow I hope to start as strong.  I also hope to get in an afternoon walk instead of sitting in my own emotional pity-party.  I should have at least walked off those blues. 

I also have my first mw appointment tomorrow. I wasn't expecting to go this soon, but I am excited to meet with her and hear more on her thoughts for keeping my blood sugars balanced. 

Oh, and starting to think about the Thanksgiving day menu.  I want to include my family's favorites, but I want to be cautious about tempting myself with all of those goodies.  It will be a challenge, for sure.

Broken

A couple weeks ago, I broke my pinky toe. Silly, but painful.  That took me out for walking. Just when I was gearing up to get back to my morning mile, my back went out this weekend. As in, bend over and don't get back up. That's what I get for nursing a broken toe, sitting on my backside all week working on the computer, and...well...I don't know. But, it sure is frustrating.

So, here I am, lying flat most of the day. But, I am able to walk now and getting in my mile actually makes my back feel much better. So, I'm likely going to get out there several times a day, hoping it strengthens my core for now. I'm doing some light stretching, per my chiropractor's orders. I'm getting very little sleep, however, so that is making life a little hard. 

Wish I could say I've been eating next to nothing with all this lying flat. Sadly, I've been eating more with all this lying flat. :(  Easy food for the children to make while helping means lots of munchies and not so good eats for the fam. Sigh. One thing and then the next, right?

Tomorrow, I blog, log, and walk at least twice.  Once I'm able, I am most definitely getting back into my ttapp workouts. I have to strengthen my core so I don't ever go through a week (or more!) like this again. Ugh.

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.

Feeling Lost

I'm not even sure what my plan is this week.  Well, I guess my plan is no plan, really.  I have been up each morning at my 5am wake up to pray with my sweet husband and then out for my 1 mile walk, my oldest joining me today.  My sweetie and the boys have been getting in their pt in the mornings too, they even got in a quick swim after their run this morning. It was already that hot at 6am!!!

So, I'm doing pretty well getting back to that part of my routine. I haven't been logging, though, or blogging.  I didn't weigh-in Monday. I was just too scared to see the number. I didn't want to feel down about it, since I do think I worked hard to do well while on vacation. I didn't do well on our weekend of cookouts, however, so Monday I was hiding from the scale. *blush*

I'm still so super tired from our trip. The 1 mile a day is about all I can muster aside from the work of getting our home and hearts back in order.  I even caved on date night tonight and devoured my very own Mocha Chip ice cream.  Sigh.  I guess being tired and worn down weakens my resolve. 

So, for the rest of this week I'll put rest, walks, and more water on my goal list, praying those will strengthen me for making better choices.

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.

My Afternoon 15

I grabbed the camera the other day to get some photos of the pretty snow while on my walk. This is my usual route to get in my 15 minute mile.

 I was out a little late that day, so the lighting isn't so great. It was also hard to get a shot of all the amazing views. Horses standing tall and regal with their winter blankets. Distant mountain peaks. Idyllic new england farm houses surrounded by gardens, pastures, field and forest. Where we live is beautiful in all directions, so sometime I'll get some more pics to post of my other lovely views.

Truly, being out in the beauty that God has made is so invigorating. I can't help but praise Him for all that surrounds me as well as the opportunity to be out there enjoying it. This is definitely the kind of exercise I have come to love and look forward to. I'm so thankful He's given it to me!

Tuesday March 1, 2011 Great Day!

Today's Good Things:
Family prayer time
Short morning walk due to too much ice on the road, but still great getting out!
Great eating
Great school day
Afternoon walk with dh and ds
Date night OUT, children at Papa and Grandma's
Mall walking - 2miles (at least)
Great conversation time with dh

Today's Not So Good Things:
Indulged in a Boston Kreme my sweetie bought for me
I'm staying up too late again

Such a lovely day today. I loved getting outside to walk and soak up the cool, crisp air and sunshine. The ice was a little scary, but worth it. I was so good and skipped the pasta bake I served the fam for lunch and heaped up a big ol' plate of greens instead, topped with black beans, corn and salsa. Grapes for sweet. Great lunch! Peanuts for snack time and I was on a roll!

Dh offered to take me out for date night, so we headed to Applebee's for their under 550 menu. My meal, with sides, was only 390 calories! Woohoo! Then we headed to the mall for some speed walking. We were told it's a 1/2 mile per lap, but it sure feels like a lot more than what we walk for our mile at home. I can't find it listed online, so I'm going to call tomorrow to see. My curiosity is driving me crazy wanting to know how many miles I really got in tonite. ;) As it is, I'm recording my 4 laps as 2 miles, plus the 1.5 I walked around the neighborhood gives me a 3.5 mile total for the day. Yay!

We started our new curriculum this week and we are all LOVIN' it!! Amazing what a difference it makes. I can't wait to look at the other subjects at convention in a couple of weeks.

Off to get some zzzzz's......

Monday February 28, 2011 Monday-Monday

Today's Good Things:
Glorious 1 mile morning walk
decent food choices up to dinner

Today's Not So Good Things:
Rough Monday.
Tough attitudes
Not enough exercise
Poor ending to my good eating day

What a Monday. I woke this morning cheerful and got out the door after bible time to get in my walk before the rain and muck set in. It was such a breathtaking morning. Shimmering frost on every branch, pine needle and the fog giving a fairytale haze all around. I audibly gasped when I looked up from watching my feet while I walked at the beauty of it. Praise the Lord for His splendor!

Then I walked back in the door. Sigh. No one else had shared my experience and it showed. All day long felt like we had to keep calling a "Do Over" on our day and it just never really got great. I'm praying tomorrow is better. It has to be better, right? Someday, Monday will be my favorite day of the week, I just know it. ;-)

With the weather acting poorly, I am home instead of out having coffee with friends. I could have really used the evening out, but dh is working hard to allow me to relax and get in some reading this evening. That is lovely. I'm feeling so tired these days, I don't even think about getting in a workout of any kind. I really did love my walk this morning, though, so I'm hoping to get one in each morning and still get my afternoon walk in too. Something about being outside is filling a need I have right now. I'm going to follow that this week and enjoy it.

I'm aiming for 1600 calories daily this week, upping it just a bit from last week to see if it helps keep my supply strong. However, ending the night with pizza for dinner, even if it was thin crust, isn't going to keep me at my goal. Sigh. Sabotaged myself again. :-/

Sunday February 27, 2011 Shovelin'

Snowed in from church today. We slept in. My dd treated us to a lovely breakfast of french toast and fresh fruit salad. Yum! Our day was so restful, but some of our lazing around brought back some bad habits. It didn't take long for the munchies to set in with all that hangin' out. That's when the Shovelin' began--chips n' salsa with diet pepsi. Not only that, but our lunch was made up of lazy food, hot dogs, sweet beans, french fries from a bag, and more chips with cream cheese dip, so high on carbs and fat. By afternoon time, I was feeling gross--can anyone say heartburn and indegestion??  After an almost nap, I needed to get moving.

I headed out for a walk in the fresh snow. It was beautiful and just what I needed. When I got back, dh and I spent close to an hour outside shoveling and clearing snow. Now *that's* the kind of Shovelin' I needed!! :D

After a quick trip to town for a few essentials (diapers, milk, and treats for today's workers), I am proud to say I resisted the ice cream and enjoyed my new favorite food...grapefruit. Mmmmmmm. 

So, no guilt about our food choices today. They definitely weren't great, but I got moving, refreshed myself, and put something good in my body to help move out the bad. That's a good recovery and what I call Progress.

Monday February 7, 2011

Today's Good Things:
Bible time
Decent eating choices
The scale was down from Saturday - hope it stays!
Good on water
Got in almost 6 hours of pain free sleep! (still woke struggling, but I'll take it!)
Afternoon mile in the beautiful sunshine, walking on the sparkling ice that lined the road. Breathtaking.
Coffee with friends

Today's Not So Good Things:
Tough day for mothering a 2-almost-3-year-old....sigh.
We all felt very Mondayish today

For some reason, school has become all consuming. I'm not sure what has happened. We used to be able to get done with everything by 1ish, but now we are going until 4pm somedays. I was hoping it was just because we were behind last week and this week would be better. Today was another long day. However, we didn't get rolling until 10am, so prayerfully we'll get an earlier start for tomorrow.

The late start kept me from my morning 15. That was a bummer. However, my darling son surprised me by making a giant ceasar salad complete with chicken for lunch. He knows how to win my heart. ::swoon::

My walk this afternoon was amazing. It was so nice outside, I felt like I could have stayed out all day. I wanted to, but I knew we needed to get back to work.

I've felt very preoccupied since last week. Dh and I have been discussing high school for our oldest. That has led to all sorts of research, thinking, praying and reading on my part.  It looks like we may be making some big changes for our education materials soon and it's been filling my thoughts on all ends. I guess it's that time of year. ;-)

I'm hoping I can get things together early enough to give us a decent start tomorrow. I'd really like to get outside and enjoy the weather if it's warm again. If not, I'm declaring it a Wii Challenge day and see who dares take me on!

Monday January 31, 2011 Shoes On

Goodbye January!!

Today's Good Things:
Hard but productive day of lessons
Short but meaningful bible time
Morning and Afternoon 15 done
Met my water goal
Coffee out with friend

Today's Not So Good Things:
Missed Bible sharing time with the fam (I've been up with the babe and just could not keep my eyes open)
Felt a little like walking through molasses today, trying to get things done
Fussy baby
Heavy on the carbs today
Missed my workout

Today was a good start to the week. Even though I got going a little late, I was cheerful and eager to work on some changes. 

I started with a new outfit I bought over the weekend. I wanted another pair of pants to wear when I go out for my afternoon walks. (it's getting so cold out there!) I was pretty excited to find something from off of the Misses rack rather than the Women's that would fit. An added bonus was getting a $50 pair of jeans for only $5!! Add a $5 sweater and I'm a happy lady. ;-)

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I bought new clothes. I typically go second hand with what I wear, but I wanted to try on "real" sizes in the store and see where I was at. I'm not in the sizes I was hoping for, but I am on my way. I'm excited about that. :-)

I was SO dragging this afternoon and Did Not want to go outside to walk my mile. But, I grabbed a walking buddy and we hit the trail. I'm always so glad to be out there once I get going. The fresh air, cold as it is, wakes me up and keeps me going until dinner time.

What helped to get me out the door was my new strategy for the day. I've decided to wear my shoes all day to keep me moving and ready to go at all times. Something about wearing shoes makes me feel like I need to keep active and get on to the next thing. It was good. So, I'm adding Shoes On to my routine as well.

Fussy baby again tonite. Oh, how I could use some good sleep. ;-)

ETA: I forgot to mention the scale. I recorded my official loss from the weekend. However, when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was down almost 2 pounds from Sunday morning. ::shock::  I'm not counting it as yet, but I'm hopeful for the end of the week. If it sticks, that puts me at over 10 pounds gone and ready for my first reward. :D 

I've decided to weigh in daily and see how my scale likes it. I'm still getting off readings. Step on it once, get a number. Step on it again, get a number 2 pounds higher. Step on it again, get a number 1 pound lower. That's annoying, to say the least. But, when I can get a number to read the same 3 times in a row, I'm calling that good for now.