Friday, September 30, 2005

Ups and Downs

It's weird how I can go from such a high to such a low in a matter of minutes. I was so happy about the baking thing and the Dora costume idea, then I tried to do some things for myself. Boy, is that difficult sometimes when you're a full-time mommy. When I took a shower, Zoe decided it was time to cry and wail in her bouncy seat in the bathroom the whole time. She finally stopped when I got out and fed her some more.

I finally got dressed and decided to exercise on the Bowflex downstairs. I put Zoe in the playpen and she was playing happily. Then Megan decides to follow me down there as usual. As I was setting up, she peed all over herself and the floor.

"Sheesh!" Why do I always get interrupted when I try to do something for myself? It's not like I do anything extravagant. I don't wear makeup or fix my hair 99% of the time. I don't go to a gym, or long bike rides or jogging. I don't even go to Weight Watchers anymore. It's these mommy moments that makes being a mommy so stressful and challenging.

Lord, grow me and teach me to learn and behave better in these moments that test my nerves. Help me to show love and concern for my daughters, even when they drive me crazy :) Amen!

I think God has been reminding me lately that I am the world to my little girls, and if their world is unsteady, they won't have anywhere to stand. The fact that they are completely dependent upon me for everything is very overwhelming to me sometimes. Before the girls, no one really needed me. We parents are so vitally important to our kids and their future. I often don't think I measure up, but I guess none of us do sometimes.

Ok, so my rambling is done again for now. Maybe I'll go bake something. ;)

It's fall!

I love fall! The weather is cool and I'm getting the urge to bake. I literally baked all day yesterday. I baked 2 loaves of pumpkin cranberry bread. We already ate half of one, and I froze the other half for Thanksgiving time. It was yummy, and made the house smell sooooo good. I love that baked goody smell.

Later in the afternoon, I baked 2 potatoes, then some salmon fillets for dinner. Then, about 9:00 last night, my husband remembered he was supposed to bring a pie for a potluck at work today. So, we got the "emergency pie" out of the freezer and baked that. I try to keep at least one frozen pie, like Marie Callender's, so that we'll have one in the case of an emergency like hubby forgetting he needs to bring a dessert late the night before a potluck ;) , or when unexpected guests drop by and such.

That's a good policy--I want all of you to go out now and get an emergency pie. You'll be glad you did when the situation arises that you need a pie. Go on now! Go get it! I'll wait here....ok, well, you can get it next time you're at the grocery, I guess, but go put it on your list right now at least. :)

I'm just as happy as a hog in fresh mud right now. I found a way to save us money and time for Halloween. I began the search online and in catalogs for Megan's Halloween costume this morning. At first, she said she wanted to be a "scary monster". Well, I couldn't find many scary toddler monster costumes, so then she said she could be a princess. There are literally thousands of princess costumes everywhere...too many choices. Then, she spied a Dora the Explorer costume online, and said she wanted to be Dora. I said, "Ok, that sounds like something easy to find." The cheapest Dora costume I found was $20.00, not including shipping and taxes. All it was was a pink t-shirt, orange shorts, little non-functional backpack, and black wig.

My thought processes began churning, which is substantial for me :) I thought, "I bet we could put that together ourselves. Sure enough, I found her a pink t-shirt, orange skirt (no shorts, but they will work fine), yellow socks, and white shoes. She already had a functional Dora backpack, and a Dora bracelet left over from a birthday party. Her hair is almost as dark as Dora's already. We might get some black spray and part it in the middle, but other than that, she looks the part. She's wearing it all right now, of course, so it will be a battle to get it off her, but I'm still happy to have found it! Go me!

Now, if I can just get out of my pj's and get showered and get some exercise in, it will be a great day. If you made it this far, God bless your heart, you must be bored.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Wednesday Ramblings

It's amazing to me how babies know to wake up just minutes before the alarm goes off, completely disrupting your last 20 minutes of sleep...Zoe woke up at 5:40 am. Tried to lay her by me and steal just a few more minutes, but she decided it was fun to grab mommy's nose and lips and try to stretch them like a Gumby toy, and scratch me with those sharp little baby nails.

The good news is that her tooth is finally popping through, so soon I can add biting to the pulling and scratching regime. I'm feeding her right now, and she's tugging and pinching at my arm. Ouch! It's my sacrifice in order to ramble to everyone here--you should feel special :) Mommies are so abused.

I did get productive this morning though. I got the bathroom wiped down with disinfecting wipes, scrubbed the toilet bowl, folded and put away towels, got everyone fed, and took a shower before I took Meg to preschool at 8:30. I came home and got in a walk around the neighborhood, and got through all my Abs of Steel video minus the bonus round. It made my abs ouchy Tuesday :) I'll pick it up tomorrow. I then got the litter boxes changed and vaccuumed the utility room/hallway downstairs. And just finished feeding Zoe. Maybe I should start waking up at 5:40 am every morning....nah!

My friend couldn't join me today. I called her briefly and she said she has a sick kid at home. Not sure which one, but I hope they're doing okay. I dread the sicknesses Meg will drag home this fall/winter. This morning was the first really cool morning of the fall so far. Jacket weather. I like it, but seems like every time the weather changes, the kids start getting sick.

Gotta run and pick up Meg. If you made it this far, God bless your heart, you must be bored. I'm going to try to add some links today if I get around to it. Maybe that'll spruce my blog up a bit :)

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

My Fitness Journal, Part 4

Today, I'm supposed to extol on the benefits of drinking lots of water. Why? Because I do it, and so should you! :)

I found some good benefits to drinking water at www.weightlossforall.com. Drink water to: *regulate appetite
*increase metabolism
*boost energy levels
*less water retention
*alleviate some headaches
*help reduce blood pressure
*help reduce high cholesterol
*ease joint pain
*decrease in risk of some cancers
*less chance developing kidney stones
*release toxic waste products
*improves skin
Well, there ya go, pretty much. I drink about 64 ounces of water a day, not including tea, coffee, orange juice, soda, milk, etc. So, my actual fluid intake is greater, but just plain water is 64 ounces. I'm a nursing mom, so I require more water than other folks, as do pregnant women. Your water intake will also be dependent on activity level, weight, and weather.
So, get to drinking! It's free, right out of the tap. Add some ice and lemon if you need to. I'm going to fill up my mug right now!

Tuesday Ramblings

Got a great walk in with my friend today. Great stress reliever just to walk and laugh at silly stuff. Lovely day for a walk. A bit cool--just right to keep the sweat to a minimum :) Finished up my Abs of Steel video--my abs hurt a bit now. It's good to try new moves. I hope to get in the groove of that one soon. Tomorrow I'll try my new 8 minute abs DVD.

I have supper in the crock pot. It's called "South African Chicken". Not sure why. It just has some chicken pieces with onions, garlic, lemon juice, and salt/pepper. Nothing exotic. Smells good anyway. I love supper in the crock pot. It saves a bit of time in the most hectic part of the day.

I haven't heard anything back about hosting a hurricane survivor family yet. Not sure what's going on there. I was kinda looking forward to it--it's a good excuse to clean out our basement. It looks like a hurricane hit down there! :O

Finished cleaning out the fridge today. Did the freezer yesterday. Threw out everything that was old and wiped it all down with warm water and baking soda. I try to do that at least 3 times a year. Go me!

Zoe's been eating and sleeping off and on all day. Might be a growth spurt, or getting caught up on sleep missed while teething. Still no teeth popped through yet, but still humpy. Meg's been kinda mellow too, well, more so than her usual Tasmanian Devil persona :) I wonder if it's a new moon or something.

My cuz in Lexington sent me an unexpected package of clothes for the girls. Nice stuff too. I love getting surprise packages.

We're hoping to attend the local apple festival this weekend. Hope that works out.

Our church's 40 days of Community kicked off last weekend. I'm trying to think of things to do for others. I don't get out much, and I'm a sociophobe, so it's a challenge. I think I'll just e-mail people more spam ;) Already started that, hee hee.

"Always look on the briiiiiiiight side of life...."

No, really, I'm going to try being more connected and show love more to the people around me. Zoe's nursing while I'm typing--isn't that a start?

Monday, September 26, 2005

My Fitness Journal, Part 3

Ok, so I'm writing this just as I'm finishing a snickerdoodle and a glass of Ovaltine in skim milk. I'm not a diet expert, remember? :) I just got hungry after my morning workout and had to have a snack before I pick up my kid from preschool.

I told you before I'm not a diet or fitness expert, right? ;)

I guess I'll try to describe my fitness regime now. Let's see, how do I begin? When I first started this consistent exercise thing, this is what I did:

MWF--Bowflex Power Pro Total Body 20 minute workout, 8 Minute Abs video
T/Th--8 Minute Abs

This I did for the first 6 weeks. Then I changed pace and this is what I'm doing now:

MWF--Bowflex Upper Body workout, 50 squats, Ab work with either 8 Minute Abs or Abs of Steel
T/Th--20 minute walk around the neighborhood with my baby in the stroller, Ab work with one of the videos

I try to exercise every weekday, and take the weekends off. I do ab work all 5 days because that's the area I need to target most. After 2 babies, the ole tummy ain't what it used to be.

"The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be..." ;)

After I do about 6 weeks of this regime, I'll switch it up again, not sure how yet, but you have to vary exercise to keep yourself from getting bored and to work different muscle groups.

That's about all I have on the fitness portion. I'm no Jane Fonda yet, but I'm hoping to get to the point where exercise isn't something I have to make myself do, just part of the daily routine.

If you got this far, God bless you, you must be bored.

Monday Ramblings

"It's just another manic Monday...wish it was Sunday...."

Oh, it was soooo hard to get up this morning. At least the baby slept through the night. Saturday night she ended up sleeping with me again. I almost like her sleeping with me. I like to feel her close to me, hear her breathe, feel her stretch and rub her little eyes. But, I can't sleep well with her by me. I'm sooo conscious of every little move and noise all night. And I can't turn over easily, so my hip, neck, and shoulder end up very sore and a bit numb. The sacrifices of motherhood, I guess. I wonder why she can cope with the teething better when she's beside me. I know I'm not stopping the pain, but I guess mommy just makes it better somehow.

I was a naughty girl this weekend. I made a rich blueberry coffee cake for breakfast and we finished it off Saturday and Sunday. I had 2 Blizzards, some pizza, a cheeseburger and fries and sosme cheddar biscuits I made with our fish chowder last night.

"Fish chowder, you say?" "Why yes, it was a new recipe. I made it with flounder fillets and clam juice."

"Clam juice?" "Yes, clam juice. Well, actually 5 cans of baby clams and I just used their juice. I can't find anything as 'exotic' as clam juice in this little town."

My husband gagged a bit when I described the clam juice, but he did like the chowder. I thought it tasted a little too fishy. Probably the clam juice ;) I think I'll use chicken broth next time.

I will do my very best to exercise well today when I drop Meg off at preschool. I will also do my best to update my fitness journal. Those are my good intentions.

"I think I can, I think I can..."

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Zoe the Joy

Zoe the Joy is back! She slept through the night and only woke up this morning because she got her leg stuck in the crib rail. She's still a sleepyhead today, and I'm sure the teething isn't over, but she's back to her sweet self for now. I just love her. She's too precious.

Can you tell I'm in a better mood? Going now to shower, then make a meal and bake cookies for some church friends who just had their fourth baby--I know they're tired!

I'll be back to blog more Monday. I'm sure you can't wait.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Dare I???

Oh, man, I saw something that's so exotic, I may explode. Honestly, I'm tempted, but I would probably end up a complete addict. I'm already a coffee and chocolate-holic, but if I put the two together, it might get dangerous. I would probably end up like Homer licking the frogs (only Simpsons fans will know what I'm talking about).

Check it out: Chocolate covered coffee beans!

Teething

I think the baby's teething. I haven't seen any teeth yet, but the bottom gum is definitely "humpy". It's also the only way to explain how "Zoe the Joy" has turned into "Zoe the Howler Monkey". Night before last, she woke up twice crying, and luckily, I was able to get her back to sleep in her crib. Last night, she slept about an hour and a half in her crib, then the howling began. I tried to rock, nurse, and walk around with her. Everytime her back touched the crib, she was inconsolable. Tylenol didn't help, Orajel just made her madder.

"Phew!!" *Grumble, grumble....* And probably a few things under my breath I shouldn't have said :( Anyway, she ended up sleeping with me and DH, and as long as she was curled up right next to me and I didn't move more than what it takes to breathe, she was sound asleep.

All makes for a grumpy mommy this morning. And Meg doesn't have preschool, and she got up early too, and she's already testing my patience. *Grumble, grumble...*

The laundry is still waiting, the dishes are still waiting, I haven't had a bath yet. I really want a night out with DH, but that doesn't seem to be happening. I'm disgruntled. Needless to say, I haven't exercised yet. I probably will if I can get the kids under some kind of control. I think it's mutiny :)

I did have a good day yesterday. Went on a field trip with Meg and her preschool class to an apple orchard. We picked apples, had a hayride, enjoyed the petting zoo and drank some cider. Had lunch with my friends, who watched baby Zoe while Meg and I were gone. I think my friend is trying to sabotage my diet, because she sent me home with three of my favorite cookies and a delicious banana pudding. Well, I just might finish it off today. I'm in that kind of mood.

I have yet to update my Fitness Journal. Probably won't today, just out of guilt. Hard to talk about all the benefits of fitness when I'm sitting around eating banana pudding ;)

I will get back to it soon, but might be next week. Stay tuned...or just grab some banana pudding. *Grumble, grumble...*

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

My Fitness Journal, Part 3

Here it is folks! I know you couldn't wait. Been busy today. Had to do my weekly grocery shopping, but I managed to get my Bowflex upper body workout, 50 squats, and 300 crunches in today when I got home. Tomorrow's field trip day with my DD's (dear daughter) preschool, so I probably won't get any exercise, except for walking around with her.

Ok, enough of that. I told you I'd describe how I eat healthy. It's not hard, it's not complicated, no "magic" food that melts away pounds. Just common sense, really. First I'll tell you what kinds of foods I try to eat daily and then what typical meals look like for me.

Daily, I try to include:

  1. Whole grains--I like Sara Lee "Delightful" 100% whole wheat bread and bagels, Barilla Plus whole grain pasta, Kashi Go Lean cereal, oatmeal of any kind, brown rice, whole grain couscous (special pasta on the pasta aisle). (4-5 servings)
  2. Dairy--Skim milk, light yogurt, cheese, frozen yogurt. (3-4 servings)
  3. Fruits/Veggies--I like almost everything, and I try to eat them in as natural a state as possible. I don't cook the heck out of them and I don't smother them in butter or cheese. I like my veggies steamed, raw, or sauteed. I like baked potatoes with the skin--very good for you. Fruit, of course, I eat raw, except in the occasional baked treat. (5-6 servings)
  4. Meats--I try to keep them lean, and include fish, especially salmon at least once a week. Salmon is great for Omega-3 fatty acids--great for your heart and good for brain development in my nursling :) When I can, I will substitute leaner versions, like turkey pepperoni or turkey sausage, etc in recipes like pizza or pasta. (2-3 servings)
  5. Fats--I love Promise Light spread, extra virgin olive oil (I use it almost every day), canola oil (especially in baking recipes, some stir fry), Parkay Fat Free buttery spray (great for veggies and potatoes), small pats of butter (gotta have some butter), and fat free buttery flavor cooking spray (great for eggs, "greasing" pans, etc). (Use sparingly)
  6. Snacks--Hmmm, I vary these so much, but some of my favorites are Baked Lays Tortilla chips, especially Baked Doritos, Krave snack bars, Kashi snack bars, graham crackers with peanut butter, yogurt, Ovaltine in skim milk, raisins and cashews, dry cereal of any kind. I try to keep my snacks around 120-200 calories, depending on my meals. (1-2 a day)

There's my breakdown of the healthy foods I try to eat on weekdays. Now, I have found that if I allow myself to indulge more on weekends, I can stick more easily to eating healthy things through the week. That means, I make pancakes and waffles, real bacon and sausage and other goodies for Saturday breakfasts. We eat out once or twice. I get a Blizzard sometimes (yum!). It's kinda my reward for being good all week.

Now, a typical day's meals and snacks (I vary a lot, but this would be a common day):

  • Breakfast--1 cup Kashi Go Lean with 1 cup skim milk, 1 cup OJ, 1 cup coffee with non-dairy creamer.
  • Mid-Morning snack--1 cup skim milk with 2 tbsp Ovaltine
  • Lunch--Lean Cuisine frozen pizza, 1 can 7-Up plus, fruit salad with apples, grapes, and toasted walnuts.
  • Afternoon snack--Krave snack bar with 1 cup decaf green tea, unsweetened.
  • Dinner--2 cups Pork Stir Fry with pork loin, broccoli, water chestnuts, green pepper, carrots, and onion (in a bit of olive or canola oil), 1/2 cup brown rice, 1 can Diet Rite, 1/2-1 cup frozen yogurt (any brand) for dessert.
  • (Optional, if hungry at bedtime)--1 cup dry 1/2 sugar Fruit Loops, 1 cup Sleepytime tea.

*Please note: I am a nursing mom and I'm hungry all the time. I DO eat quite a bit, but I try to make my calories count, and not fill my body with too much empty calories. I think this is good logic for anyone.

Tomorrow I will talk about my exercise routines. I have been exercising consistently for at least 8 weeks now, 5 days a week, with a few missed days here and there. Stay tuned to get pumped!

If you made it this far, God bless your heart, you must be bored!

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Don't forget!

Don't forget to read my Fitness Journal, Part 2, a couple of posts down. I couldn't, for some reason, get the spacing to "stick" in my editing, so the paragraphs are running together a bit. Sorry for the edit problems.

Tuesday Ramblings

It was hard to get up again. Chugged down the coffee, dragged us all out of bed, dropped Meg at preschool, and had a great walk with my friend. We put our kids in the strollers and burned some good calories. The time really seemed to fly as we walked and talked and laughed. Time always flies when I'm having fun.

Just had a good glass of Ovaltine in skim milk. "More Ovaltine please!" Great snack. The baby is swinging, seems like too fast. I'm blogging and watching Food Network.

I LOVE the Food Network. I watch it all the time. If children's programming is not on, it's usually the Food Network. I got addicted to it when I was pregnant, when all I could think about was food. I love to learn new tips, recipes, and tricks to getting new and different meals on our table.

Megan and I have had several good days. Of course, we still have our spats here and there, but I can feel myself lightening up. I'm enjoying her more, being less angry, not simmering all the time. I wonder if hormones affect my moods that much? My DH says the Depo shots make me evil. I'm really enjoying Megan being in preschool. I get a couple hours with my quiet baby :) and can exercise and catch up on stuff. I am really trying to get our days on a schedule more. I think that helps kids and adults. Everyone knows what to expect when, and no one ends up over tired or too hungry or whatever. Also trying to get in a little more me time every day. Loosens me up and helps me be there for my family better.

Now if I could just find the time and energy for more romance?? Is that attainable when you're married with young kids? If anyone has any ideas on THIS subject, please, please comment on it!!

If you got this far, God bless your heart! You must be bored.

My Fitness Journal, Part 2

Breastfeeding and Weight Loss
Yesterday, I decided to make an ongoing fitness journal, and I listed the ways in which I'm getting and staying fit. Today, I'm going to elaborate on my first topic--breastfeeding. This is in no way a slight to formula-feeding moms, but will hopefully share some knowledge about how breastfeeding is not only good for your baby, but good for moms too.
The great news for new and expecting moms is breastfeeding can help you lose those baby pounds! When babies are nursed exclusively (i.e. no formula), a mom can burn 200-500 calories a day just from feeding the baby. The excess fat you gain while pregnant is meant to fuel your milk supply. So, when you nurse, you're burning up that stored fat.
This, to me, means that I can't just sit on my bum and eat anything I want to, or the milk supply will just come from those excess calories, not my stored fat. So, in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise, breastfeeding helps me burn extra fat.
I found some useful guidelines for breastfeeding and diet on www.kellymom.com:
1.Wait until your baby is two months old before dietingIt's best not to do anything consciously to lose weight until after the second month. This gives your body enough time to successfully establish a healthy milk supply that is less likely to be adversely affected if your caloric intake is restricted. Breastfeeding your baby, on average, burns 200-500 calories per day (above what you needed to maintain your pre-pregnancy weight) -- so keep in mind that even without a weight loss program you are burning extra calories.
2.Breastfeed without restrictionResearch tells us that both more frequent breastfeeding and breastfeeding longer than six months increases maternal weight loss.
3.Eat at least 1500-1800 calories per dayWhile nursing, you should not consume less than 1500-1800 calories per day, and most women should stay at the high end of this range. Some mothers will require much more than this, but studies show that going below this number may put supply at risk.
4.Keep weight loss at less than 1.5 pounds per weekMost moms can safely lose up to 1.5 pounds per week or 6 pounds per month after the second month and not affect milk supply or baby's well being. One study has suggested that short-term weight loss of 2.2 pounds (1 kg) per week is not a problem (in this study, moms dieted for 11 days).
5.Decrease the calories gradually. A sudden drop in calories can reduce milk supply. Some moms notice this during an illness, although dehydration and/or medication use could also be a factor in reduced milk supply when mom is sick. It has been hypothesized that a sudden calorie decrease can cause mom's body to go into "starvation mode" and cut nonessential resources such as milk production.
6.Avoid quick-fix solutionsLiquid diets, low-carb diets, fad diets, weight loss medication, etc. are not recommended while breastfeeding.
So, what do I do in regards to breastfeeding? I am feeding Zoe pretty much on demand, when she's hungry, which means about 5-6 times per day now. She is eating solids now, so nursing less than she did before she had solids, which is normal. I am planning to nurse for at least one year, and end by 14-15 months.
I drink lots of water to help boost my supply. Nursing does indeed make me more hungry, especially with added exercise, so I do require extra calories. I usually eat 3 good meals a day, and 1-2 snacks. I sometimes have a bedtime snack too. I have not drastically cut calories, so that I will lose weight gradually and not affect my supply.
I know that some mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed. However, I do encourage new moms to give it a try for as long as possible. If you work outside the home, you can find a great breast pump and still give your baby breastmilk exclusively. There are so many benefits to both baby and mother that I won't go into them here. If you want more information, please visit http://www.kellymom.com. Breastfeeding CAN be done, and you can find lots of support right on the internet.
Ok, I'm now done with my pro-breastfeeding campaign, but if you ask me about it, I may go into a long sermon again, so beware! :)
Tomorrow I will begin the sermon, I mean journal, about my diet. Healthy eating choices are so vastly important not only to weight loss, but to overall health. Take heart, ye of little faith--healthy eating is achievable. Tune in tomorrow to see how!
If you made it this far, God bless your heart! You must be bored.

Monday, September 19, 2005

My fitness journal, part 1

Let me first start by saying I am not trained in fitness or diet, so make sure you check with your doctor first before you try anything I might advise. Does that legally make me unresponsible for you falling on your butt or spraining your ankle or getting food poisoning? I hope so. :)

First I'll describe me until I can post a picture of myself. I'm 5'3" tall, smallish-framed, somewhat blonde, hazel eyes, yada, yada.

I don't really know what my true hair color is now, except that it is starting to get gray. I've been putting various colors on it for a few years now. I let my roots grow out about 2-3 inches before I color, so it looks dark blonde with a bit of gray peeking through until you get down to the colored part. I also have a perm growing out, which I mean to do something about soon. I'm so indecisive when it comes to my hair. I usually get a new do once or twice a year, then have mediocre-hair syndrome the rest of the year. Oh well, mothers rarely have time to worry about looks with very small children in the house.

After that unnecessary rambling, I'll comment on my build. Being a short person, any extra 5-10 pounds really shows on me. So, when I was pregnant with my daughters, I gained 40ish pounds with both of them, weighing in at around 163 at each birth. So, you can imagine what I looked like in the 9th month--a beached whale? Seriously bloated? Everything on me got big. I'm envious of those tall, skinny women who just have a little bulge in their bellies when they're pregnant, and maybe just a little plumpness in all the right places.

After my second daughter was born in January, I instantly dropped about 25 pounds in a couple of days. Birth will do that to you. :) So, that was a big help. I went home weighing about 138, I think. Now, after my first daughter was born, I decided my ideal weight was 115, so I had 23 more pounds to lose.

I've never been a very overweight or obese person, thankfully, but as I said before, being short makes any extra weight make me look really chunky, especially 23 pounds.

I had joined Weight Watchers (WW) after my first daughter was born and lost all my weight and then some within 16 weeks, and had been a lifetime member since then. So, when Zoe was 6 weeks old, both DH (dear husband) and I joined WW, and began losing 1-5 pounds a week, but we became drop-outs when the meeting night was changed. It just wasn't a good night for us. I decided I would just use the tools and tips I learned for healthy eating in WW at home. I'm not counting points but I am eating very near the WW guidelines, and preparing healthy food for our family.

Now, after that background, I'll break down the topics I will address in my ongoing fitness journal that I know you can't wait to read every day :). Here is a list of how I lost weight, and how I'm getting and staying fit and healthy.

  1. I breastfeed my baby--no formula.
  2. I eat healthy meals and snacks for the most part on weekdays and allow myself to indulge on weekends.
  3. I exercise 5 days a week with a combination of strength training, aerobic, and abdominal exercise.
  4. I drink lots of water.
  5. I try to get 7-8 hours of sleep at night and catch naps when I can.
  6. I take "me-time" when I can.

Tomorrow I will go in-depth about breastfeeding and how it can help you lose weight. Men, you're out of luck on this one. You're allowed to skip tomorrow's lesson :)

If you made it this far, God bless your heart. You must be bored. Tune in tomorrow to My Fitness Journal, Part 2!

Weekends are too short.

Weekends are just too doggone short. Where did it go?

My husband once said that since I don't work outside the home, that weekends shouldn't be much different than weekdays for me. But they are. First of all, he's usually home. Megan's not in preschool. We go to church on Sunday. We usually sleep in on Saturday. We eat more indulgently and eat out at least once. I don't do as much housework and relax more. I like my Sunday afternoon nap :)

The alarm rang at 6 am. DH and I had to get up at 5:20 am to potty. For some reason, if one of us gets up to pee, the other one has to as well. It's contagious. Well, if you have to get up less than an hour before you need to be up for the day, it's very hard to go back to sleep, and it seemed like we were back in bed for about 5 minutes before that horrible beeping sound made us get up to start the day.

Before the sun came up....ugggh. I hate getting up when it's still dark outside. It makes it that much harder. At least I'm enjoying my coffee thoroughly!

My next post will be all about how I'm getting and staying fit, since I got a nice compliment yesterday about it, hee hee. Stay tuned.....

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Look straight ahead....

Why is that so hard for a 3 1/2 year old? When I was fixing Meg's hair this morning, I told her to look straight ahead so I could see. Well, she didn't want to. Needless to say, it finally resulted in a pop on the leg, then a blood-curdling scream. (No wonder I'm losing my hearing!)

I'm not sure how to handle these little situations sometimes.

Megan has sort of been like my little guinea pig when it comes to child-rearing. I've got the baby care down pat--taking care of Zoe seems like second nature. But each day Megan throws me for a loop. I guess that's how all firstborn children are. Doesn't seem fair to Meg.

I can't help but look straight ahead (forward) to the day when Megan can be reasoned with more effectively. Sometimes I don't want her to grow up so fast, though. She came to me this morning and said, "Mommy, I have to tell you sumpin (something)." She said, "Those people on the TV don't have any homes because the storm knocked them all down. They'll have to get new homes." She's so observant and smart. I can't believe how much she can already understand.

Took a great morning walk today. Ran into a good friend and her cute little auburn-haired boy, and they joined me for my walk. We took a new route, and it was lovely. I'm glad I beat the rain that's coming soon.

When I got back home, a tragedy occurred. My 8 Minute Abs videotape gave out. I still did my crunches from memory. May have gotten one or two moves out of sync, and maybe the times didn't match up, but I felt it, so it must have been a bit effective.

I think I'm through with my morning ramblings. If you made it this far, God bless your heart. You must have been bored!

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

The Rules for Being Human

Here is something I really need to memorize, and we all should revisit regularly (a bit secular in view, but true nonetheless):


The Rules for Being Human

When you were born, you didn't come with an owner's manual; these guidelines make life work better.

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's the only thing you are sure to keep for the rest of your life.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "Life on Planet Earth". Every person or incident is the Universal Teacher.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of experimentation. "Failures" are as much a part of the process as "success."

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. It is presented to you in various forms until you learn it: then you can go on to the next lesson.

5. If you don't learn easy lessons, they get harder. External problems are a precise reflection of your internal state. When you clear inner obstructions, your outside world changes. Pain is how the universe gets your attention.

6. You will know you've learned a lesson when your actions change. Wisdom is practice. A little of something is better than a lot of nothing.

7. "There" is no better than "here". When your "there" becomes a "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that again looks better than "here."

8. Others are only mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another unless it reflects something you love or hate in yourself.

9. Your life is up to you. Life provides the canvas; you do the painting. Take charge of your life, or someone else will.

10. You always get what you want. Your subconscious rightfully determines what energies, experiences, and people you attract; therefore, the only foolproof way to know what you want is to see what you have. There are no victims, only students.

11. There is no right or wrong, but there are consequences. Moralizing doesn't help. Judgments only hold the patterns in place. Just do your best.

12. Your answers lie inside you. Children need guidance from others; as we mature, we trust our hearts, where the Laws of Spirit are written. You know more than you have heard or read or been told. All you need to do is to look, listen, and trust.

13. You will forget all this.

14. You can remember any time you wish.

Unknown author

Weird Dreams

President George W. and First Lady Laura Bush are having another baby--according to the crazy dream I woke up to this morning. I have a lot of crazy dreams. I don't know whether that's a sign of genius or madness. I like to act like Joseph from the Old Testament and try to interpret other people's dreams. It seems like I can make sense of everyone else's, just not my own.

The morning started out the same. I got Meg off to preschool, went to Wal-Mart for my weekly grocery run, came home, fed Zoe, picked up Meg, back home, did Bowflex upper body workout, 50 squats, 8 minute abs, fixed lunch, washed a load of clothes, and now I'm plopped down for some computer time.

I am constantly wondering how other people seem to have so much time. It seems like some women can keep house, take care of the kids, read books all the way through, exercise, do church activities, etc, etc and pull it off almost effortlessly. I know that's probably not a realistic assumption, but I know that I don't have it all together. I've made some strides recently. I've been incorporating some of the ideas on http://www.flylady.com. It's been slow-going though. I can't seem to keep up. My sink IS shiny most of the time, though :) I've also been using a meal-planning service on http://www.savingdinner.com. I got the 3 month trial subscription, but I think I'll stop after that. Some of the recipes haven't went over well with DH. It has been nice to go grocery shopping just once a week and know I have dinner planned for 6 days a week. I think I can do it myself though.

Megan and I have had a good couple of days. Maybe prayers are being answered or it's just a fluke, but I like it. Fighting and negative reactions have been minimized somewhat, so I will just stay in prayer every day about it. Maybe some real progress will be made. I'm sure I'm not the only one who clashes with her toddler, and I'm sure I'm not the only mother who is bothered by it, but if I can improve and mature as a mother, my whole family will be blessed.

Again, if you made it through all my ramblings, God bless your heart. You must be bored :)

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

When you can't say something nice...

I got in my 20 minute walk in the suburb across the street this morning while Meg was in preschool. Zoe slept soundly in her stroller and I enjoyed the peace, solitude and prayer time while I walked, stopping often for a few sips of water on this humid morning. I'm starting to really enjoy my morning walks twice a week. It's about the only time I can get my mind focused on talking and fellowshipping with God.

One issue has been dominating my prayer time for a week or so. Yesterday, I called a lady from our church who is organizing a list of people who are willing to provide shelter to hurricane Katrina victims. I told her to sign us up as we have extra bedrooms in our basement. I've been really anxious about it and not sure how we're going to manage it, but my husband actually came up with the idea first, and when HE comes up with something like that, I figure God must be urging the issue. So, I figured if it's His idea, then He'll provide what we need to manage extra people staying with us.

Another issue I've really began praying about and must keep in prayer about constantly is my attitude. I've been Ms. Negativity for too long. I am so impatient, angry, discontented, and frustrated, that I lash out at my family and don't keep in contact with friends and extended family. One reason for all of it is that my 3 year old is a very strong-willed little girl, and her personality and mine clash. I end up yelling and spanking way too much. It's hard for me to accomodate her constant arguing and defiance and learn how to deal with it accordingly. I've had a hard time enjoying her toddlerhood because I can't mature enough to handle her behavior. So, I've hit a point where I KNOW I have to address the problem and work on MY own behavior before I can effectively deal with Megan's. I'm afraid I'm going to scar our relationship for life if things don't change soon. I know children are pretty forgiving, but I don't want us to hate each other when she grows up. I have that mommy dream that I'll be great friends with my daughters when they grow up and they will feel like they can talk to me about anything. Might be unrealistic to a point, but it's worth trying for!

Wow! I'm actually blogging!

Well, over the years I've slowly caught onto and jumped onto the latest technical fads. I'm now on the blogging wagon. Since I'm not familiar with the whole blogging thing yet, I'll probably sound pretty boring for a while. My life as a homemaker/mother/wife is not as exciting as those ladies on desperate Housewives--thank God for that really. I don't watch the show, either, in case you're wondering if this will be a Desperate Housewives fan blog, so it won't.

I'm actually playing copy-cat to a good friend who has inspired me to try blogging with her own blog. She actually has interesting and meaningful things to say in her blog--deep and thought-provoking things. I don't know if my blog will reach that level. I'm not that deep of a person most of the time. I tend to be a surface-dweller, kind of like those little water bugs you see on ponds, skittering about from here to there, occasionally stopping to refresh and reflect.

I suppose blogs usually include day-to-day happenings in people's lives, so here is how this morning starts: Up at just past 6, drag hubby out of bed, hubby takes shower, I eat breakfast, relish my morning coffee, read my friend's blog :) , take a shower, get dressed, get daughter Megan dressed, get baby Zoe up and dressed, make Meg's breakfast, feed Zoe, and now we're almost ready for Meg to head to preschool. That's pretty much my morning now from Monday to Thursday. Hoping to get home after dropping Meg off for a great morning walk with Zoe. I've been making exercise 5 days a week a priority for a while now. I hope it will eventually just become routine and I won't have to make myself do it.

All for now, and if you made it this far without yawning or changing sites, well God bless your heart, you must be bored.