Back in the Saddle Again

Looking back over the past several weeks makes me feel like I've been living in a "Phineas and Ferb" episode trying to accomplish creating an endless summer.  I've been on a steady downhill slope with my eating and exercise habits since before vacation.  However, vacation spun me completely out of control.  I've slipped back into some habits that I've not had since I was at my heaviest.  I'm eating desserts far too often, drinking sodas when we go out to eat, choosing less healthy options when we eat out, etc.  Being stagnant in my weight loss for about a year and a half is bad enough, but I'm not going to accept this 10 pound weight gain without a BIG fight.  Oh yeah, it's ON!  Instead of getting right back to business when we returned home, I've continued in my poor choices.  I find it less than humorous that it takes so long to establish a good habit, but no time at all to slip back into old, bad habits.

I really, really wish I knew why my motivation has waned so much for so long.  Almost weekly, I'll have someone somewhere comment on how great I look.  "You look long and lean!"  "You're still losing, right? You look so great!"  "I can't believe that you haven't met your goal yet.  You look amazing!"  "You've lost more weight!"  I try to take the comments with a smile and a "Thank you," but I HAVEN'T LOST ANY WEIGHT IN OVER A YEAR!  Seriously, I'm not knocking an overall weight loss of 70+ pounds, but I still have a ways to go.  I'm just NOT finished yet.  I have to get to my goal.  I realize that there's a HUGE difference between the "before" pic and the now, but I just want to get there already and more fully embrace those wonderful compliments :)  

So, today marked day one of my training plan for running another half marathon.  My husband and I have decided to do the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Savannah this November.  I didn't get my 3 miles in this morning...or this afternoon.  And I needed to go to the store this evening.  I hadn't had dessert yet today (do we see a problem with this statement??!) and I was already contemplating getting some ice cream while at the store.  Have I mentioned I love ice cream?  Anyway, as I dreamed about ice cream, I thought about chocolate syrup and oooh, maybe some cherries and oh, if I get cherries, I should definitely get whipped cream.  Enough already!!  At 8:15, I was still in my swimsuit and cover-up from a trip to the pool much earlier in the day.  I had to make a trip to the store and I wasn't going in that, so I went to my room to change.  I picked up my clothes I had worn earlier this morning and turned around and put them down.  I got dressed in my running clothes instead!  I grabbed my husband's phone with RunKeeper and off I went for a run through the neighborhood.  

We all know the story of the hare and the tortoise.  Let me just say that I'm NEVER the hare.  You'll never find me speeding ahead of everyone else and deciding on a quick nap while I wait for the others to catch up.  And if I'm completely honest, there are days that I'm not even the tortoise.  Today was one of those days that I made the tortoise look like Speedy McSpeederson.  Now, when I first stepped outside, I thought, "This shouldn't be so bad.  It's late in the day and we just had a rain shower.  It should be fairly cool."  Ha!  You could just about cut the air with a knife.  It was SOOO muggy.  The kind of muggy that you sweat upon stepping outside.  It was difficult.  It was hot.  And it was wet.  And suffocating.  I didn't hate every bit of it, but I didn't like it either.  The last time I ran 3 miles, I was in Bastrop, Texas and it was July 4th.  My time was better that morning than it was tonight.  But I finished.  I did three miles even when it seemed I was not going to get it in today.  I can check day one of training off my list and move on to day two tomorrow.  What a great feeling that is!

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the ice cream was not so appealing once I finally made it to the store.  I did buy some, but I didn't buy all the stuff to go on it.  And I didn't feel the need to break it open tonight and decided to save it for a special treat.  I had a bite, but I didn't sit down with a vat...or even a serving.  It's just time to let go of whatever is holding me back.  I'm refocusing my energy on once again treating my body to a healthy lifestyle.  Don't I deserve at least that?

Domino Effect

Thanks to all who are still reading and for giving me encouragement along the way.  I've spent the last couple of weeks getting caught up on some things at home.  Well, I successfully completed the Daniel Fast just in time for Easter.  This was after no less than 6 Easter egg hunts which culminated in a huge bag filled with candy.  Hmm, maybe I should have planned a better ending date for the fast!  I'm pretty sure that I've spent the majority of this week undoing a lot of the good I did during the three weeks prior.

The good news is that I think I have developed some really great habits that I'm not ready to let go of.  While I have enjoyed adding back in some of my favorite foods that I missed during the fast, I don't feel the need to eat loads of unhealthy foods just because I can.  I've also been able to gain a lot of insight into some of my most unhealthy eating habits.

I came to realize that some of my most unhealthy habits are a domino effect which begins with something that might be unexpected - lack of sleep.  My sleep habits are terrible.  I don't have a set bedtime for myself.  I also rarely actually "go to bed."  I used to wash my face and brush my teeth and get dressed for bed and then go to sleep.  I at least had a nightly routine that I followed, but I still usually went to bed much later than I should.  When I got married, I would often wait for my husband to get home from college courses which he took in the evenings after work.  I'd watch TV many nights and would end up falling asleep on the couch shortly after he came home.  I was impossible to wake up and I'd wake with a crick in my neck, brush my teeth, wash my face and then stumble into bed sometime in the middle of the night.  This habit worsened when I became pregnant with my first child and my husband began working 2nd shift.  I would sleep late, go into work in the afternoons when it was my turn to close the gallery, come home and nap until he got home and then get up and visit with him until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning.  He worked third shift for a year sometime after the birth of my 2nd child and I don't have any idea how I managed to get any sleep at all during that year.  I would literally stay awake until I just couldn't any more.  When he finally moved to a day shift about 9 months ago, I so looked forward to actually getting on a normal bedtime routine instead of falling asleep when I could no longer keep my eyes open.  We are both night owls and stuck in late-night habits, so this hasn't happened yet.

For my job, I have to meet specific deadlines only three times per month.  Two of these deadlines do take a significant amount of time and focused attention and I usually have one night to do it.  After getting the children in bed and getting to a point when I can start, I am completely worn out.  Most of the time, I can suck it up and do it.  It's usually a really late night and I have to get up the next morning and be ready to school.  Occasionally, however, I end up being so tired that I go ahead and go to sleep and then either A.  have to set my alarm really early to get up and finish the job or B. end up waking in the middle of the night stressed that I haven't finished, get the job done and go back to bed for a couple more hours.

Regardless, I'm not getting the sleep that my body requires on a routine basis and I make it worse a few nights a month by not planning my time well.  So, how does all this effect my food choices?  Not getting enough sleep causes me to wake too late in the morning to accomplish all that I am responsible for.  Something has to give and it's often me grabbing something for breakfast on the go.  Even a healthy choice eaten in a rush in the vehicle on the way to preschool is not substantial enough to sustain me through lunch.  If I don't eat again until lunch, I will end up overeating at lunch or I will end up overeating in the evening hours because I feel dissatisfied throughout the day.  More often than not, my body craves sugary foods because my body is desiring the "quick energy" that can be obtained through simple carbohydrates.   I also place my body in a constant state of stress due to not getting enough sleep.  So, I tend to crave fatty foods or "comfort foods" to help reduce this stress.  The sugary foods give a rush and power boost very temporarily until my body crashes and then I need more to get fired back up.  The fattening foods comfort momentarily but provide little energy and weigh me down (literally and figuratively).  Interestingly enough, when I actually do try and go to bed, I am too wound up to get to sleep, no matter how sleepy I was before heading to bed.  The domino effect has now turned into a vicious cycle destined to repeat itself beginning with the next morning.

I have correlated my poor sleep habits to my difficulty in losing weight, but not for the reasons listed above.  It's common knowledge that a good night's sleep is healthy and that it enables our body to repair itself.  There has also been recent research related to lack of sleep and the over-production of the stress hormone known as Cortisol and it's ability to hinder weight loss and even contribute to weight gain.  Somehow I wasn't getting the connection that the stress of lack of sleep and just being overly tired was directly related to the types of foods I was being more drawn to.

When I'm feeling great and I'm well rested, I not only can think more clearly and make better food choices, but I WANT to choose foods that will allow me to continue to feel great.  I know that if I down something full of sugar or fat that I'm not going to feel great later.  If my body doesn't feel as though it needs a boost, it's less likely to crave the unhealthy stuff and make it a bit easier for me to reach for something that will actually give me sustainable, nutritious fuel.  I'm not suggesting that sleep can make one lose weight, but it sure can do a lot for overall health.  You function better mentally, physically and you're refreshed enough to complete daily activities without feeling so run-down you start looking for a pick-me-up.  You are able to make better choices with a well-rested mind.

My goal for this next week is to begin working on a new habit of starting a nightly routine and making a point to go to bed at a certain time each night.  This will be a very difficult one for me as this is a habit I have had for over 10 years.  I expect that there will be many nights at first that I toss and turn until my body gets used to it's new routine and I can easily fall asleep.

I found the article below while I was a little over half way through with this post.  A lot of my "ah-ha" moments are printed right there in black and white.  It seems so obvious to me now that there is a physiological and hormonal response that is driving some of my food choices.  I just thought I had a complete lack of will power when I just couldn't turn away from the jelly beans during an afternoon lull. :)  

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/lack-of-sleep-weight-gain

Fast food, please!

Today was one of those days.  We weren't any busier than usual, but I just didn't feel like cooking.  I had no plan early in the day for lunch or dinner.  I take that back.  I did have a plan for dinner, but I just didn't feel like cooking it.  My lack of plan for lunch was apparent as I spread peanut butter on a rice cake and ran out the door to pick up B from pre-k.  When I came home, I ate my leftover stuffed portabella mushroom from last night.  The recipe is below.  I'm most proud of it because it's my very own creation.

As dinner time was quickly approaching, I began to contemplate taking the kids out to Chick-Fil-A on the way to B's baseball game.  I knew I would still be eating something from home and it would be after we returned from the game.  I decided to go and the kids got their usual grilled chicken sandwiches and the hubs got a spicy chicken sandwich.  I continued to sip water and had an Amy's frozen meal after the game. 

Although I've been very well satisfied with the food I've been eating and I haven't felt deprived, I think the late dinner made the cravings kick in tonight.  I stood in front of the pantry longing for cereal with milk or something of the like.  I remembered that I had some sweet potato fries in the freezer, so I pulled out the spicy ones and read the list of ingredients.  Sugar!  Argh!  I pulled out the plain ones and turned them over.  Leavening!  Double Argh!  I had some regular potato fries that were also not fried that I decided to take a look at.  The ingredients were simple: potatoes, salt and oil.  Score!  I checked the ingredient list on my mustard and it was a "go" as well.  I'm not a fan of ketchup anyway, but it would definitely be off limits right now with the added sugar.  After I "indulged" in my healthy fries dipped in mustard (I just LOVE that combination of potatoes and mustard), I decided to wash it down with a "milkshake."  This was simply my smoothie from last week: 1 cup of So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk, frozen pineapple, frozen mango and a whole ripe banana.  I had successfully squelched my cravings for "fast food" in two very healthy alternatives.  I no longer felt deprived at all.  Instead, I had treated myself to delicious AND healthy food.   

Although we don't frequent drive-thrus by any stretch of the imagination, I do like to go to Chick-Fil-A or Subway every once in a while.  I even contemplated going to Cheeseburger Bobby's tonight as my usual there is already a veggie burger.  I figured I could get it without the bun and load up on veggies, but I have no idea what is in their veggie burger.  I figured most of the ingredients would be fine, but it could contain some sugar and/or leavening agents in it.  It doesn't surprise me to find sugar "hiding" in many unexpected places, but I have been surprised at the unexpected places I have found leavening.  I figured it was best not to try it and leave my veggie burger from a restaurant for after the fast.  I'm not a fast food junkie, but I really, really, really love ice cream.  Did I mention that I love ice cream?  All sweets, really, but ice cream is one of my faves.  I'm hoping that I can turn to my healthy option into my "go to" treat when an ice cream craving hits after the fast. 

If you've not already been watching it, please tune in on Monday nights at 8:00 pm for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  The start of the new season aired tonight.  It has some bleeped out words that I'm not a fan of for the kids - bleeped or not - so catch it at a later time if you'd rather the kids not view it.  He's on a mission to completely change our society's view of food and how we eat.  His demonstrations are moving and I hope he can drum up support for this cause all over the nation.  We as consumers have to demand better for ourselves and better for our children. 

Portabella Mushrooms Stuffed with Tofu and Deconstructed Pesto

2 tsp Olive oil
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
2 Portabella mushrooms
1 Zucchini, diced
10 Grape tomatoes, diced
6 oz Extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 Tbs Fresh basil, chopped
Pine nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wipe mushrooms with a damp rag.  Remove and chop the stems and set aside.  Using a spoon, scoop out the dark underside ribs and discard.  Heat oil in a skillet.  Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant and soft.  Add zucchini and chopped mushroom stems and sauté for another 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and tofu and heat through.  Salt to taste and stir in basil.  Remove from heat and divide evenly between the mushroom caps.  Place the stuffed mushrooms on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 15 minutes.  Serve each mushroom topped with 1 Tbs of pine nuts, if desired.  This recipe incorporates all of the flavors of pesto but uses a fraction of the oil.  This also keeps any unused pesto from going to waste since it is usually made in fairly large quantities.  Win+Win=YUM!

Recipes!

I've had a request for the recipes we've been using, so I'll post at least some today.  I've enjoyed reading all of the comments posted here and on Facebook.  I'm a newbie to blogging and I still haven't quite figured out how to respond to the comments posted on these entries.  Just know that I've appreciated the feedback very much and I am not ignoring you.  I'll get the hang of it, but typically I only have time to post.

Mediterranean Pasta

2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, no salt added
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
10 oz whole wheat pasta, cooked without salt or fat
2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
10 large Kalamata pitted olives, sliced or chopped

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and spinach and heat through.  Stir in basil and olives last and toss throughout pasta.  Sprinkle with 2 tsp. pine nuts after serving.  Non vegans may wish to add feta cheese at the table as well.  Serves 7


Vegetable Lo Mein

1 pound Whole wheat pasta, cooked without salt or fat
3 Tbs Reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs Rice wine, sherry or vegetable broth
1 Tbs Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs Fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1 cup Shredded Carrots
2 Medium zucchini, cut into matchstick strips
1 Baby Bok Choy, chopped
1 Small can Water Chestnuts
9 oz. Extra firm tofu, squeezed dry and cubed

Prepare pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, wine or broth, oil, ginger and garlic.  Pour 1/3 of the mixture into a wok set of medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté until onion is translucent.  Add carrots, zucchini and bok choy and sauté until tender.  Add the water chestnuts and tofu and continue cooking until heated through.  Set the vegetables aside.  Pour the remaining sauce in the pan and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes.  Add the pasta and stir to coat.  Toss in the veggies and heat through once more.  Serves 6



Lentil Dal

1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup onion
1 Tbs fresh ginger root, minced
4 cloves of garlic, mined
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups of chopped cauliflower
1 14 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes, no salt added
2 1/2 cups of water
1 cup dry lentils
2 Tbs fresh cilantro
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until translucent.  Add the next five ingredients and cook until garlic and ginger are soft.  Add cauliflower, tomatoes, water and lentils and stir.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for 35 minutes.  Sprinkle in the chopped cilantro and stir in the lime juice.  Makes 6 1 cup servings.  Pour over 1 cup of brown rice per serving.  (I use either the SteamFresh brown rice in the frozen section or Trader Joe's frozen brown rice.  If you have time, just cook your own to save money.)

This Tastes Great!

It never ceases to amaze me when I mention eating organic foods that it's not uncommon for me to receive the response, "Ewww!"  I think people are becoming much more educated about food and this is less of an occurrence as it was five or six years ago.  When I would talk about using organic milk, faces would scrunch and the corner lip would curl.  I often wondered what people thought "organic" meant.  Did they think I pulled up a stool to the cow and drank the milk straight from the animal?  I'd do more than just frinkle my face over that and I'd have to agree with "Ewww!"  I would gently explain that organic meant that the animals were raised without hormones and anitbiotics and fed an all natural diet of the kinds of food the animal would eat if it were left to its own devices.  Organic fruits and veggies are grown without the use of harmful pesticides.  I'm not die hard on organics and I tend to buy organic products when convenient and cost effective.  We always buy organic milk.  Most of the rest of our food items are hit or miss.  There are some foods that it makes sense to buy organic and others that really don't matter as much.  For a list of the foods that it is best to buy organic whenever possible, Google "dirty dozen fruits and vegetables" and you'll get a complete list of the foods that contain the highest amount of pesticide residue. 

I could argue that as a society, particularly in our southern culture, there is still a notion that eating very healthy food is boring and flavorless.  What typically happens is that when people are "dieting" they tend to eat the same foods over and over again.  These foods tend to be prepared in a bland way such as grilled chicken with brown rice and broccoli.  This is still a go to meal in my home when I don't feel like being creative, am short on ingredients or when I don't feel like following a recipe.  However, if this were the meal we had two or three nights per week, we would all begin to feel as though eating healthy is boring and flavorless. 

I have a few vegetarian cookbooks I bought several years ago, including a Weight Watcher one.  It contains many dishes that incorporate both eggs and cheese and only a few vegan dishes.  The other two books are completely vegan.  We're all enjoying trying new things and today's lunch was a dish we have never tried before.  It was extremely flavorful and filling and the portion was huge.  It had just enough spice to give it some heat, but did not overpower the dish.  It was far from boring and it made me feel as though we were dining in a well established Indian restaurant.  No butter, no cheese, no meat, just wonderful spices and ingredients to make an amazing comfort food dish right in the middle of our Saturday! 

Breakfast:  Lara Bar and an apple

Lunch:  Lentil Dal served on brown rice, fresh pineapple and an orange
Lentil Dal is a delicious dish with lentils, cauliflower, curry and lots of other yummy stuff.  It was easy to make and required minimal supervision during the 35 minutes of simmering.  A bit spicy for Boo, but she managed to eat it.

Dinner:  Leftover Vegetable Lo Mein for me while the rest of the family had a chicken stir fry

Snacks:  A smoothie made with So Delicious coconut milk, frozen pineapple, frozen mango and a ripe banana

Almost a week in...

Tomorrow is my last day of week one on the Daniel Fast.  I started last Sunday abstaining completely from food for one day and then started the eating plan.  The keys to the success on this plan thus far have been planning ahead and having a well stocked fridge and pantry.  I have kept several things on hand that have been great in a pinch or when I really needed to be able to prepare something quickly.  But I've also made the time to try some new recipes.  Most of them take about the same amount of time to prepare as the foods I usually make.  Most of the meals have been quite delicious and filling.  Tonight's dinner was the first dud. 

I should have planned today's meals and prepared breakfast and lunch last night.  I didn't get it done before bed last night, so I got up a little earlier this morning.  We had a field trip planned today and lunch was going to be out again.  I was able to get lunch ready for each of us and get the kids breakfast, but I failed to eat breakfast myself.  I had planned to eat something pretty substantial like oatmeal or something equally as hearty, but I ran out of time.  In fact, I actually completely forgot.  We were near the field trip location when I felt hungry and realized I hadn't eaten breakfast.  Luckily I had brought along a Lara Bar in case I needed a snack.  I ate it and it sustained me until lunch time.  The lack of proper planning ahead of time was quite apparent when I ended up needing 12 additional Points Plus to finish out my day AFTER dinner.  It worked out well for me though since I was left feeling dissatisfied after a not so tasty dinner. 

Avoiding dairy, sugary foods, and other carbohydrates other than fruits and whole grains has opened up the possibilities for me to consume foods I wouldn't normally spend the Points on.  Dried fruits are very high in points.  You get a lot more bang for your buck eating fresh fruits.  Actually the WW plan now includes all fresh fruits for zero Points Plus.  However, dried fruits are incredibly concentrated in their sugar content, thereby increasing their sweetness.  Dried fruit consumed in place of sugar laden desserts with empty calories can add a lot of fiber to your diet while satisfying even the most die hard sweet tooth.  Nuts are another example of a healthy food not in my normal diet because of the high Points Plus values.  Tonight I was able to use those 12 Points Plus by eating a single serving of cashews and 5 dried figs.  That's not a wise way to spend Points on a normal basis since it wouldn't be very filling, but it was late in the day (after dinner) and I had a number of Points to still use.  It sure beats the 12+ points I could have spent on a trip to Bruster's Ice Cream!

Breakfast:  Luna Bar and Fruit and Fiber bar

Lunch:  Hummus with a variety of raw veggies and grapes

Dinner: Caponata with polenta - the polenta was good, but the caponata was not something we will have again.  It had ingredients we all really love, but none of us thought the combination worked well together.  The dinner table feedback was unanimous - this recipe got a "thumbs down."

Snack: Banana, 5 dried figs, 1 serving of cashews

Daily Points Plus = 29

Feeling great!

I'm tired and feeling a little uninspired tonight because it's late.  However, the food I've been eating has me feeling great!  I'm loving the choices I'm making and my body is thanking me for increasing my fruit and vegetable intake so drastically.  I'm enjoying trying some new recipes and revamping some old ones.  My family is enjoying the variety in our diet and they are all being very supportive.  My husband is being a real trouper and I think he's just thrilled that I'm cooking for all of us and not making him fend for himself. 

Breakfast:  Lara Bar and a banana

Lunch:  Leftover Mediterranean Quinoa

Dinner:  Vegetable Lo Mein

Snacks: Rice cake with peanut butter and banana, 2 dates and 1 dried fig,

Get up and MOVE!

Today was a better day for me in the way of getting things done.  We had school work to accomplish before making an hour drive to sign off on our taxes.  Afterward, we headed over to Target and from there, we went straight to Jazzercise.  I am LOVING Jazzercise.  It gets my heart rate up, makes me pour sweat and it's loads of fun!  A long-time friend of mine from high school teaches the class and she's really amazing.  Kari is fun, motivating and super cute.  She's not only cute just being her, but she's so stinkin' cute doing the dance inspired moves in Jazzercise.  I often imagine that I'm as cute as her doing the routines, instead of flailing about, trying to keep up and trying to avoid tripping over myself (which I did today). 

I don't love exercise.  I do it because I know it's good for me.  I love some kinds of things, but they are not always practical.  I always feel great after a workout, but getting to the workout is often a challenge.  I've tried to get in the habit of being more active more often.  Just GET UP AND MOVE!  Really, that's all there is to it sometimes.  Two years ago, I started participating in 5k run/walk races periodically.  At the end of the summer of 2010, I was inspired by a friend to participate in a sprint triathlon.  It was a really neat feeling to finish a triathlon.  Just after the tri, my sister-in-law invited me to do a half marathon in February. 

Here is a list of some of the things I learned through experiencing new activities and training for endurance events.  Some of them are no-brainers - things I already knew but proved true by actually experiencing it.  Some of them are things I learned about myself.

1. No matter how much you are working out, you will not lose weight if you are not carefully tracking what you are eating.  You might see some change at first, but just like eating well without exercise, progress will eventually plateau.
2. Cardio exercise is great for you.  It makes you feel great and you'll increase your endurance.  You'll see some changes in your body, but they won't be drastic.
3. Resistance training is essential if you want to see dramatic changes in your body.  The best exercises are those that combine cardio training with resistance training.  They obtain the most results in the shortest amount of time.
4. No matter what your starting point, if you train and follow a solid program, you can achieve amazing things.  You can run a half marathon, participate in a triathlon, run a marathon, etc.  OK, I'm guessing on the marathon here because I've not actually run one myself.  But based on my experience, I truly believe it's completely possible if you want it.
5. Any kind of movement for any length of time is ALWAYS better than sitting on your rear.
6. I enjoy exercising more when I have a friend with me.  I prefer running on a trail to running on the road.  And I really prefer running from a single starting point to an ending point rather than making loops. 
7. I've especially learned that I need to keep challenging myself and trying new things to keep exercising from becoming boring and monotonous to me. 

I appreciate Kari's spirit.  She is an amazing dancer.  She is a natural on stage.  She was voted "Most Talented" by our Senior class and anyone who takes her class would see that the award was well-deserved.  She helped choreograph some of the numbers we did in show choir together as well as some of the dance portions for our musicals.  Jazzercise is a natural fit for her.  She has channeled her passion for dance to a form of group exercise that she can sustain doing because she loves it.  I'm inspired by her for a number of reasons, but mostly because she is doing something that she loves and it happens to be really good for her body.

I'm looking forward to a day when exercise is a "have to do" for me because I love it and can't imagine going a day without it.  For me, it might be riding my bike on the trails one day, street running with a friend the next and cardio/resistance combo training the next.  I like to mix things up, but I need to make it consistent in frequency.  I'll focus my energy tomorrow on "Just get up and MOVE" and that should get me pointed in the right direction.

Switching gears...our hectic day required me to make sure that I packed a healthy dinner for myself and the kids.  We left Jazzercise and headed back across town to baseball practice.  Planning well in advance has proven to be one of the biggest keys of sustaining this plan.

Breakfast:  Same as yesterday and Monday, but today I added 2 tsp slivered almonds

Lunch:  Leftover Mediterranean pasta

Dinner:  Hummus with sugar snap peas, baby carrots, red/yellow/orange bell peppers, grape tomatoes, brown rice crackers

Snacks: Banana, Green grapes, Lara Bar, 3 dried figs

Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS = 33

Spring Break

Today was the second day of spring break.  My sweet little guy (nicknamed Bruiser at church because of his stocky physique) is in a church preschool, but I homeschool my sweet girl (I lovingly refer to her as Boo or Boo Girl).  All breaks from school are usually really nice.  They are a break from our normal routine at home and a break in our regularly scheduled activities outside the home.  Some of this is very welcome and some of it, well, not so much.  Yesterday, we took the day off and went to Stone Mountain.  We were there from about 11:30 until 9:30.  It was an amazing time!  The kids and I were wiped out and we all slept in this morning.  Rather than getting right to my list of things to accomplish for the day, I decided to take a shower then poke around on Facebook for a while.  BIG mistake.  The shower was necessary.  Facebook, on the other hand...I mentioned addictions in my first post.  Facebook is a place I can really waste a lot of time without even realizing it.  I hopped off and on for most of the remainder of the morning and during the early afternoon.  I wasted enough time that I was not going to be able to recover any time to do school work today.  With all of the extra breaks due to the snow and Bruiser being sick for a week in January as well, we are using spring break to make up some of the time Boo and I missed.  Typically it is too difficult for me to get in a solid school day with her when Bruiser is home since I don't usually have to factor him into our school day.

Interestingly enough, I watched as my teacher friends threw posts on Facebook today showcasing all that they had accomplished...before lunch.  I'd barely gotten a shower before lunch.  Actually, we were eating breakfast not too long before most were probably eating lunch.  Our lunchtime today occurred at a time that would have been more suitable for a mid-afternoon snack.  Around 2:00, Boo and I decided that instead of trying to cram in our school day, she would read independently and I would read to her, but our school day will be moved to Saturday.  We focused on getting some of the cleaning done around the house that has been neglected.  I love being laid back and relaxed with my kids during school breaks.  However, the absence of our normal schedule made me a little too relaxed today.

We will keep up with most of our normal curriculum through the summer, but I planned to end our official 180 days of school the first week of June.  One reason I enjoy homeschooling is the flexibility it provides.  I have an entire year to do 180 days of academic curriculum.  I like that I have choices for curriculum.  In fact, I have too many options and it's sometimes frustrating.  It's like your first trip to the Cheesecake Factory and they give you that ridiculous menu with endless options.  Everything sounds amazing and you wish you could have a sampling of your top 5 choices before you place your order.  Mix in the fact that your child's academic career is at stake and it's enough to make anyone go mad. 

I always say that I take one year at a time with school choices.  I've been weighing different options for curriculum for next year since February.  Spring break signals to me that I need to close in on my schooling decisions for next year.  Should Bruiser homeschool as well?  Should Boo move to a different environment outside the home?  Should we continue homeschooling and use the same curriculum source or continue researching publishers?  My reasons for homeschooling constantly morph and I sometimes wonder if a more traditional environment might be on the horizon for us.  So, tonight I attended the parent informational meeting for the Cherokee Charter Academy scheduled to open this fall.  I've filled out an application for both children.  The deadline is April 15 and they will hold a lottery to determine who will be chosen to attend the charter school.  There are over 2000 applicants already and just under 800 slots available at the school.  Clearly there are many families excited that there are additional options for school.  Now that I've thrown my hat into that ring, I'll be making some lists over the next week weighing the pros and cons of all of the options I have in front of me.  Thank goodness I'm actively seeking clarity and guidance from the Father already.  I'll be praying for direction and peace for the decision we make.

In case you're interested, below is today's menu for me.  If you'd like the recipes, just let me know!

Breakfast: Same as yesterday

Lunch:  Mediterranean Pasta

Dinner: Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Mediterranean Spiced Quinoa, Broccoli

Snacks:  Banana, Orange, 6 Dried Dates, and a Trader Joe's Fruit and Fiber Bar

Total Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS Today = 29

The Daniel Fast

My most recent encounter with weight loss began at the end of September in 2009.  I joined Weight Watchers (again) for the last time.  I know A LOT about what foods are healthy and which ones are not.  I know HOW to lose weight and I know how to keep it off.  I'm just not so great at making the best choices and sticking with them.  I was determined to make this time the one that "sticks."  My goal was to obtain a healthy lifestyle for a lifetime.  I knew the process would be slow, but I had a lot of bad habits to change.  I wanted the changes I made to be manageable and permanent.  I've lost over 70 pounds to date!  I have 35 pounds to go and I've been at a standstill for about a year.  I've needed something to get me motivated again and moving in the right direction.

A good friend of mine did a 21 day cleanse and started blogging about it right at a year ago.  I was intrigued by her pursuit as she's always been an inspiration to me and someone I turn to when I want to know the healthiest way to eat.  The cleanse called cutting out all animal products, gluten, caffeine, sugar and alcohol for 21 days.  I've been toying with this idea for...well, a year now and I still haven't taken the plunge to do this cleanse.

All of this is leading up to something completely unrelated to weight loss that is going on within our church.  Our church body is in a season of waiting right now.  We know for certain that God is moving among his people and that big plans are in store for us.  Prior to our new minister arriving, we received a challenge to fast in some way as we prayed to seek the Lord's guidance in the life of our church.  At the time, I was training for a half marathon.  A complete fast of food was not appropriate for me.  I also justified that I would not be able to drastically change my diet during training since it was all I could do to get my training in.  Planning for a special kind of diet and making sure I got the carbohydrates necessary to sustain my long runs just seemed like too much trouble.  I chose to fast from various forms of media.

Our new minister has since arrived.  He recently brought forth the challenge of fasting from something at least once per week during this season of prayer and actively seeking the Lord's guidance.  A few weeks before he presented this challenge, I had a friend on Facebook post that she was doing the Daniel Fast.  I looked up the information and the fast includes all vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, quality oils such as canola and olive oils, only water as a beverage, tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings and herbs.  It also includes whole grains, but no leavening.  It's essentially what my other friend did during her 21 day cleanse.  Here is this challenge presented to me again and I am no longer training for a half marathon.  Challenge accepted!  I'm not a huge fan of meat, but I love dairy - especially cheese.  No sweeteners of any kind are allowed - no artificial or natural sweeteners.  But fruit is allowed!  This is key for me because I am highly addicted to sugar.  I'm looking forward to not being ruled by sugar AND to learning how to use fresh and dried fruits in new and creative ways to enhance my meals and snacks.  I expect it to be difficult and I expect that I will engage in much prayer when I am faced with temptations over the next three weeks.

It's extremely important for me to note that my decision to do the Daniel Fast was not an attempt to continue to lose weight.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am participating in the Daniel Fast to cleanse my body and to allow for discipline of the flesh from the Holy Spirit in preparation for God to speak and work.  I would presume that eating this way would result in some weight loss at the end of a three week period.  However, it's not the goal and I would not be disappointed if I didn't drop a single pound.

Having said that, I'm still counting my Weight Watchers Points Plus during this time.  So, I fully expect to lose weight because I am following the Weight Watchers plan as well.  I'm just choosing to omit some foods from my diet for a short period of time.

People are always interested in the details behind major weight loss.  The two most common questions are "What are you doing?"  and "What exactly are you eating?"  They want access to the "golden key" or the "magic pill" that you must have found.  People are also VERY interested in what exactly you eat if you are following a vegan diet - particularly a vegan diet with additional restrictions, such as the Daniel Fast.  So, I'm happy to share what I am eating. 

Today we went to Stone Mountain.  We were gone all day and I packed lunch AND dinner to take along with us.  Both meals and all of our snacks had to be fast, portable, easy to consume on a picnic and follow the plan.  Here's how my day looked from a nutritional standpoint:

Breakfast:  1 cup of steel cut oatmeal, 3 Tbs raisins, cinnamon to taste, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, water
Cook steel cut oatmeal in the crock pot the night before.  2 cups steel cut oatmeal (NOT quick cooking) and 8 cups of water in the crock pot on low for 7-8 hours.  In the morning, stir and serve topped with favorite toppings.  It makes 8 servings, so place the leftovers in the fridge and reheat subsequent mornings.  Just add some liquid to thin out the oatmeal to the desired consistency.  Super healthy and super fast and easy!

Snack:  Trader Joe's Fiberful handmade dried fruit bar and water.  I had the fruit and veggie kind.  It was quite yummy and filling with 6 grams of fiber per bar.  It's like a fruit leather with flax seeds and fiber!

Lunch:  2 Tbs all natural peanut butter (peanuts and salt are the ingredients), 2 plain, lightly salted brown rice cakes, 1 banana, mixed greens salad with 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, water
I spread the peanut butter on the rice cakes and topped with sliced bananas.  No joke, my kids were jealous and asked me to make that for them next time we had peanut butter instead of their PB&J roll-ups on whole wheat Flat-Outs bread.  Go figure.

Dinner: 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, lots of raw veggies - baby carrots, grape tomatoes, red, yellow and orange bell pepper strips and sugar snap peas, 1 serving (7) HOL*GRAIN Brown Rice crackers (ingredients are brown rice and salt and I can only find these at Harry's), 1 orange, water

Snack:  Lara Bar and a banana, water

It was all delicious and very filling.  I wasn't hungry all day.  How could I be with all that food?  Day 1 on the Daniel Fast = Success and 29 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS (my daily target).

Here goes...

I've wanted to start a blog for quite some time.  Holding me back were the things that most likely hold others back from starting their own blog.  What would I write about?  Who would care to read it?  I'm not very witty or funny, so I might as well not even try.  What if I misspell something or use poor grammar?  People might judge me!  I finally decided that maybe this blog could just be for me.  I decided to make it a place where I can share some pieces of me regardless of who may or may not read it.  Maybe someone will stumble upon it or take a few moments out of their day to read it and end up connecting somehow with something I have written.  If I can impart some small piece of wisdom or encouragement to someone because of sharing my experiences, it's worth the effort to somehow organize and publish the swirling mess of information in my head.

It seems that many blogs I've read explain the reason behind the blog title in the first post.  So, in keeping with this tradition, allow me to explain "Scars of Beauty."  I was a fat kid.  I could try to soften it a bit by using a more politically correct term such as "overweight" or "heavy," but I don't think that accurately conveys my physique throughout most of my childhood.  I was F-A-T, fat.  Although I was always on some kind of diet beginning around 5th grade, I wasn't successful at sustaining any weight loss until I reached high school.  It took me about two years to lose 70 pounds during high school.  My self esteem had been damaged with years of ridicule from my peers.  I found it difficult to relate to people who may have been genuine in desiring a friendship with me because I had been judged by my looks for so many years.  I was always afraid that someone would pretend to like me just to have a chance to tease me.  Unknowingly, I began defining my self worth by what the numbers on the scale told me.  I knew better, mind you.

By the last couple of years of high school, I had found my niche and had some amazing friends.  My youth group at church was growing, I met the boy who would become my husband at youth group and I had big plans for college.  My confidence grew during my junior and senior years of high school and even more during my college days.  My growing confidence, my own maturity and the growing maturity of my peers contributed to my faulty idea that my worth must be linked to what my body looks like.  People like me and I'm accomplishing neat things, so it must be because I'm thin.  When I wasn't thin, my life wasn't like this. 

Fast forward a few years...I settled down in marriage and got a job behind a desk.  A few more years pass and I had two pregnancies.  After my second pregnancy, I found myself 110 pounds overweight.  All of a sudden, I felt just like that insecure little girl I once was.  I was so disappointed in how I'd let myself go and I was furious that I'd have to lose all of that weight again!  I was ashamed and didn't want anyone who knew I had been overweight and lost weight to see that I'd put it all back on and more.  I didn't want anyone who hadn't seen me as overweight (mostly friends in college) to see me so out of control.  I just didn't want to interact with anyone at all.  I withdrew emotionally and felt that the emotional scars of my childhood had been exposed. 


I've been a work in progress ever since.  God has been creating a good work in me!  He has taught me much and shown me such grace.  I knew my thoughts were faulty.  I had to allow Him to speak into me His truth so that I could start claiming His truth as my own.  At one point I even thought maybe I shouldn't lose weight and go through all of that hard work because I would still all of these stretch marks from gaining and losing weight and from having my two beautiful children.  I thought I would look terrible no matter what, so why even bother?  I began to dwell on that thought.  The more I thought about it and listened to God's truth, I began to see that I earned every mark and they are part of what makes me the woman I am.  I have stretch marks that remind me of unhealthy choices I have made in the past.  I have stretch marks from my pregnancies.  Each one reminds me of where I've come from and the journey that is mine alone.  I don't have to view them as something that is ugly or unpleasant.  I can choose to embrace myself with all my imperfections and allow God's perfect grace to be all that I need.  Every emotional and physical mark and scar we obtain builds our character and our endurance to run the race of life.  The perfections are not what make us beautiful.  Pretending to be perfect or acting as though we have our lives together are what make us detestable to the world around us.  It's one reason Christians are called hypocrites.  The imperfections are what make us beautiful.  It is only when we allow ourselves to embrace the imperfections in our lives that we can truly accept the gift of Jesus.  When we face our hurt, fear, addictions, pride, and past mistakes and give them to Him, He heals us and makes each scar beautiful because they belong to Him.