It's New Year's Eve

It's New Year's Eve and I'm in the party mood.  Okay, not really.  I'm home on my couch watching a movie with my 11-year-old son, Josiah.  Nothing says Happy New Year like Star Wars right?! Samuel has been sick for 2 days, Josiah woke up sick today and I haven't felt well all day either.  We were supposed to go to a party tonight but with all the sickness in our house, I chose to stay home.  The rest of the family is out partying in the new year but that's just fine by me.  I'm not feeling left out at all. I've done enough partying over the past month (and especially over the past week) to last me quite some time.

Ever since Thanksgiving my efforts have been relaxed too much.  Some days I have the will power to watch my habits and other times I just don't care.  I haven't been caring much at all over the past couple of weeks.  We have had at least one party to go for 5 of the last 7 days.  I just need some time to get back into the groove of real life again.  I miss routine.  I miss vegetables. I miss tracking. I miss taking care of myself.  I miss sleep and normal bedtimes.

There is something to be said for routine and when mine comes back into my life I will be glad.  I know that it will not be easy though.  Even though I am looking forward to normal home school days again I know that it will be a challenge to enter into a mindful, healthy lifestyle again.  I do believe that is the key though.  It is a lifestyle that I have been striving for all these years.  A healthy lifestyle is not perfect day to day, week to week or even holiday to holiday.  It's a matter of balance.  My life is feeling off balance right now because of the lack of routine.  I need to work to bring it back into balance this week as we get back our normal lifestyle.

I've gained weight since Thanksgiving and Christmas. I indulged too much but since it's all a part of my life, I'm not beating myself up.  I'm getting myself back on track and the weight will come off in time. It may take a few weeks or even a couple of months.  That's not what's important either.  What's important is that I remember to take it one day at a time as I live this one healthy life that I have.

Happy New Year Everyone.  I hope 2013 is great to you.

Corinna

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." -1Peter 1:3

Party without Food?!?

Tis the season for parties.  Hence...'tis the season for buffet tables full of food.  Here's a thought for you.  What if you have a party without food being the center?  I know, I know, I'll give you a moment to compose yourself.  Ready?

Today I had a phone conversation with a friend of mine.  We were planning a get-together to see another friend and her family since they were in town for Christmas.  We decided to get our families together at 1pm.  That way we didn't have to eat a meal together and make the party more complicated than needed.  We wanted to see our friends and their families.  We wanted to have some time to catch up and talk with each other.  We wanted to get our kids together to run around and play.  We wanted to wish each other a Merry Christmas and share stories with each other about our lives.  We wanted to do all of these things so why do we need to involve a meal?  We decided that we didn't need a meal to do these things.  We just  needed each other and a place.

Our plan is simple.  We will meet at my friends' parents' house.  Thankfully, they are willing to have us since we will have a minimum of 11 kids and 6 adults.  We will eat lunch on our own before we come.  We will bring a small snack to share and we will feed our families dinner after we leave.  This way we accomplish our goal of visiting with our friends but no one is having to cook all morning before we meet or spend a bunch of money feeding us all.  I will admit that this was not my idea.  My friend came up with the idea and I love it.  I wish we could have more parties without food being the center of the entertainment.  We will be attending plenty of parties where there will be more food available than I should possibly partake so I am thankful to have one where I don't have to worry about all of the temptation surrounding me.

Think about doing this with some or one of the parties that you are going to schedule this season.  I think you will find it enlightening.

Have a great day and a great Christmas if I don't talk to you before then,

Corinna

"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this; when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure." -1 John 1-3

What to do About that Craving

Cravings are not just for pregnant ladies; we all have them.  The question is how should we handle them?

Last night I was having a chocolate craving.  That's not unusual.  Chocolate is a must-have in my life.  As I put the kids to bed I tried to figure out what I could have that would satisfy that craving.  I have done a pretty good job of cleaning out my house lately so there is little junk around to eat - that included chocolate.  I had been having this craving for a few hours and just didn't think it was going to go away unless I satisfied it.  After the kids were in bed and I had time to look and think I spied the chocolate peanut butter cereal.  I had bought it for the kids when Josiah asked for it on our last shopping trip. I had limited the kids to eating one bowl per morning because if I let them they would eat the whole box in one sitting.  We have had it for a few days so when I looked in the box there was just about a half of a serving left.  I decided that it should be just enough to satisfy the craving.

I don't know what you think about the way I handled my craving but I was happy with it.  There was a time that I would try to eat something else to satisfy the craving instead of what I was craving.  That rarely ever worked.  The craving would just get stronger and I would eventually end up eating what I really wanted in addition to all of the stuff I ate to make the craving go away.  Also, once I finally would give into the craving I would eat it in large portions. I have learned that if I just eat a small portion of the chocolate or whatever I am craving I will eat less in the long run.  Eating around the craving just doesn't work for me.  I have to satisfy the craving and move on.

This doesn't mean that I eat anything I want at any time but I can tell something is a craving if it just wont go away with water, fruits or veggies.  If I am having a craving for something sweet, a piece of fruit or a non-fat yogurt will often handle that craving successfully, but when I am having a specific craving it's best to satisfy it with that specific food.

Last night after my chocolate craving was gone I realized how far I have come.  I remember the days that I would sit in front of the TV at night and eat a half of a bag of chocolate chips because it was all I could find for my chocolate craving - and that was after I had eaten all of the other junk in the house too.

What do you really crave?  Have some of it in small portions, count it and move on happily - no guilt involved.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, 'Where is your God?'" -Psalm 42:1-3

Little Notes that Help

Wow, has it been a long time since I've blogged.  The time has just gotten away from me.  My computer has been on the fritz so I can only get on the internet when my son's school computer is available.  It's probably not good form for a home school mom to kick her son off of his school computer so she can blog so I haven't gotten to blog.  My oldest son, Jason, switched from home schooling to virtual schooling this year so it has been quite a transition year for us.  He has spent a lot of time on his school computer and I have spent a lot of time helping him get used to his new school habits.  His semester comes to an end on January 11th so we have been working incredibly hard to get him up to date on all of his work. Then, on top of keeping him up to date on his school work there has been wrapping, cooking, baking, shopping, homeschooling the other 3 kids, chasing the one-year-old, cleaning and I don't even remember what else.  It's been a busy month.

That busy time has made it very easy to grab whatever is available to eat at the moment.  After a couple of weeks of eating too much of the wrong things I started leaving myself little notes.  My kids opened the cupboards the other day and laughed.  I was in the living room and had no idea what was so funny.  I heard them discussing whatever was so silly and realized that they were laughing at my little note. I was finding myself opening the cupboards to search for something to eat many times each day. In order to remind myself that I should stay out of the cupboards I wrote myself a quick note. I grabbed a post-it and wrote, "Christmas is coming!"  That is my little reminder that I want to look and feel good for Christmas.  I don't want to eat everything in the cupboards and if I keep myself in check I will be rewarded at Christmas when I fit into my clothes comfortably and don't feel guilty by eating a cookie or two.

Since writing that little note I have seen it often. I have opened the cupboard, read my note and closed it back up without removing anything.  Not only did I keep the food in the cupboard instead of in my mouth but I felt good about my decision because I was reminded of why I was making the right decision.

I have used this "Little Note System" in the past and have found that it works well until the note becomes too old.  When the note becomes so old that I no longer notice that it's there because it's just part of the decor, then I need to change the place and message on the note. For now, it's still working.  Since there is only one week until Christmas, when it comes time to change it, it will be old news anyway.

I hope you are all doing well.  As Jason gets more of his school work done I will try to get more access to his computer and try blogging more often.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." -James 1:19

How to Handle a Party, or Not, You Decide

I had a Christmas party to attend on Saturday evening.  It was for my step-mom's family.  She is part of a huge family so there were tons of people there.  Each of us was supposed to bring a dish to pass.  The meat and drinks were provided.  Since each family was supposed to bring a dish and there was an estimated 70 people at this party, there was plenty of food to go around.  I also noticed that the dishes that people brought were not just dishes, they were DISHES!  You can tell how large someone's family is by the quantities that they cook.  I have found this to be true in my own family as well.  My mom is also part of a large family and you can tell because when her family has a party, no matter how many people are coming, the portions provided are ginormous (This is my daughter's new favorite word.  I thought I would try it on for size. I'm not sure it fits me.)

The plentiful food made this party especially challenging for me.  Everything looked so good and it was tempting to try each and every dish.  If I had tried each and every dish I could have filled 2 plates full of food and two plates full of food is not the best way to handle the party in my eyes. In retrospect I handled some things at the party very well.  The appetizers filled every inch of a 6-person kitchen table.  The choices were chips, dips, crackers, sausage, cheese, veggies and more. I started with veggies. I’ve gotten myself pretty used to plain veggies so most of the time, I need little to no dip to still enjoy them.  I think it’s important to start with the veggies because the veggies will fill me up and I am less likely to eat them at all if I save them until later. I then moved on to having some chips and some of the dips too – probably a few too many but I’ve certainly ate worse in the past.

One benefit to my current life is that I have a built in distraction at parties – his name is Samuel.  He is 18 months old and goes 18 miles per hour non-stop.  I have not found his off button yet.  He checked out his surroundings for about 10 minutes slowly and then decided that he felt like he was in a fabulous home where people still decorated at his level.  I chased Samuel around this rather large house catching the picture frames, remote controls, pencils and nutcracker displays he insisted on touching.  This kept me from eating the main meal until I was good and ready.  After chasing Samuel for 30 minutes and most people had already eaten I hoped that my choices would be fewer.  I had hoped that most of the bad choices would be gone.  No such luck – this is where that big portions thing comes in.  I’m pretty sure that most of the people took home half of the food they brought.  It was amazing!

One thing that helped me was that my dish to pass was fruit salad.  With all of the parties I always offer to bring a healthy dish.   This way I know that no matter what else is offered, I have my healthy dish.   I am proud to say that although my bowl of fruit salad wasn’t as large as some of the other dishes but it wasn’t small either and I only took home a very small portion. That tells me that I am not the only one that appreciates a healthy dish at parties too.  So as I was looking at all of my choices for dinner I had my fruit salad to fill half of my plate and then put the rest on the other half. The turkey and gravy looked delicious and was probably the leanest meat offered.  I skipped the bun because I was more interested in the pasta salad. I can have a bun any day buy rarely have pasta salads.  There was also a large pot of veggies. I started to scoop some onto my plate but changed my mind. They were swimming in butter.  I decided that I just didn’t need all of that extra fat, even if was covering veggies. I shared my plate with Sammy.  That always helps with portion control too but he doesn’t really eat that much.

Another benefit to my healthy habits is that I always carry a bottle of water with me.  They only had soda, juice and alcohol at the party so I got my bottle of water out of the diaper bag and was able to eat my calories instead of drinking them.  I’m not much of a drinker – I never have been – so ignoring the alcohol is no big deal to me.  I have also gotten used to drinking water all of the time. I almost never drink soda anymore so it doesn’t even appeal to me at most parties.  I just want my water.  I would much rather save my calories for dessert.  That’s my downfall.  There was a whole nook of desserts.  There were some lovely chocolates that looked great and tasted even better.  I could have ignored the desserts and have left the party happy but I didn’t think of that at the time.  It’s a good thing it’s still so early in the Christmas season. I have many more parties to go to so eventually I will get it right.

Have a great day,

Corinna

"Besides this, you know what time it is, how it s now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably  as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy." -Romans 13:11-13

Planning Meals Ahead

I am a person who likes to plan.  I like to know what is going on in my life.  My calendar is written on regularly and is quite full.  Without it I am lost.  I don't have a smartphone so keep my calendar the old fashioned way - paper and pen hanging on my wall in my kitchen.  If you are too young to understand this concept, Google it;)

In addition to my calendar hanging in my kitchen I have a magnetic pad of paper on my refrigerator.  That pad has my meals for the week listed on it.  This may sound incredibly anal but I can assure you that it is quite handy and doesn't take nearly as much time as you would think.

In my years on Weight Watchers I have found meal planning to be a key to my success.  If I don't plan my meals ahead of time I don't eat as healthy. I also find myself eating out too often that way.  That is not an option in my house because not only is it less healthy but it is really expensive for a family of 7 on a tight budget.  Therefore it has become my habit to make a list that keeps my mind at ease.

This is my process.  Each week when I go grocery shopping I make a list.  I start with my menu list from my refrigerator.  I look through my cookbooks and find recipes I would like to make that week.  It doesn't take long.  I don't stress over it or look too hard because there is always next week to make that other recipe that sounded good.  I then write on my menu list which recipes I am making with page numbers, cookbook name and recipe name.  As I write each recipe on my menu I check the ingredients  list and make my grocery list.  This is done easiest while in my kitchen so I can check the cupboards and refrigerator but occasionally I am in a hurry running errands and just take a few cookbooks and my lists with me and do this in the parking lot of the grocery store.  I have a pretty good idea of what I have in my kitchen so this works in a pinch.  So by the time I have my menu planned I also have my grocery list.  I never shop without a grocery list, I would spend way too much money and forget to get way to many things.

I typically eat the recipes in the order that I write them down on my menu but have no problem changing it around it if I find myself wanting to make something else one night.  This is helpful because when it gets to be 3 o'clock and I need to start thinking about dinner, I don't have to think that hard. I just have to look at my menu and make what's on it. I've already done the planning.  I only do this for dinners.  We eat lunch and breakfast with whatever I have in the house that day.  Those meals are not as tricky for me so I don't feel the need to plan them most days.

Not only does this meal planning help keep me on track for my dinners but it helps us eat all of the food in the house instead of throwing it away or keeping it in the cupboard for months.  I shop for what is on my list. We eat what is on my list.  So when the list is all crossed off, I look to see if there is one or two last meals that I can throw together from the food that is left.  If not, I go shopping.  If so, I make what I can with what we have and go shopping when it's gone.  I can't stand grocery shopping.  I don't know why.  It's just not my idea of a good time so the easier I can make it the better.  Also, the fewer times I have to do it the better.

If you are not a planner, try this.  You will find that it helps you in more ways than just your body's health.  It helps your mind's health too because you don't have to stress about what to make the dinner.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7

Own it.....No Matter What it is

I remember back in college days one of my friends would say, "If you drink it through a straw, it doesn't  have any calories."  I loved that one.  I could drink a number of chocolate shakes for no calories.  Funny how those chocolate shakes started showing up on my hips though.  I've evolved since college.  Now, I just think that if I eat it really fast it wont count.  Okay, I don't really think that.  I do find myself eating things really fast if it's something I know I shouldn't eat.  It makes no sense. It's truly like I think that if I eat it fast enough that I don't remember it and no one sees me, then it didn't really happen.

It's sad that I do this but it's good that I have realized it.  I don't do it often anymore.  It used to happen more often but then I became aware of it.  Now that I am aware of it, I know that it's going to happen.  When I find myself in the mood to shove food in my face, I have to stop myself.  I know that if I am suddenly eating at the speed of light, there is a problem. That said, I stumble from time to time.  I don't even know what happened sometimes.  I eat too much and I regret it later. What do I do then?  Own it!!

It's going to happen.  We are not perfect, no matter how hard we try.  When it happens and your willpower gives in to tasty treats, own it.  Admit what happened, remember what you ate, track it and own it.  You may have consequences.  You may gain a little weight. You may not feel well.  You may learn a lesson for next time.  It's all okay. We can learn from our mistakes and own them.  They are no one's fault but our own. At this time of the year I used to find myself ready to blame anyone and anything but myself.  I used to blame the people who brought the food into the house or the person who dared to bake the cookies or even the holiday season itself.  Get real, a holiday season cannot be to blame for our own choices and mistakes.

Own what you have done, learn from it and move on.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Give these commands as well, so that they may be above reproach. And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." -1 Timothy 7-8

When Life Gives us Lemons

About a month ago when Halloween came around I started thinking about my plans for the holiday season.  When thinking about all of the goodies that I would want to eat I began wondering how I could survive.  As I mentioned yesterday in my blog, it's not just about survival so I wanted to make a plan.  I decided that the biggest part of my plan was going to be regular exercise.

I had gotten into a good exercise routine and I was feeling great about it.  I knew that if I upped my exercise time and intensity that I would burn even more calories and that would give me more room for treats.  There is nothing wrong with making more room for treats.  In fact I thought it was a lovely plan because at least I was making room for them instead of stuffing them in where they don't fit. It I do that, then my pants wont fit either.

I had upped my time and intensity of my workouts.  I was now working out to the 45-minute advanced workout.  I was sweating and working really hard...........until this week.  My right knee gets sore from time to time when I am doing my aerobic DVD's.  This week it was really sore when I tried my DVD on Monday.  I think my knee has been getting worse because of a callus on my left foot.  I know I sound like a mess.  I'm not even 40 yet!  Two months ago when we went camping we went on a 5 mile hike. (If you missed that blog you can read it in my September blogs.)  That hike gave me a callus on the ball of my left foot.  I have been fighting with this callus ever since that weekend.  It's extremely painful.  I find myself limping often. I can only wear flat shoes.  This made my anniversary date a bit plain as far as my outfit was concerned.  Poor Bryan has heard me whining and complaining about this callus for 2 months now. I feel like I've tried everything to get rid of it.  I used the medicated disks and pads you can buy in the store for the first few weeks. I soaked my feet for the past few weeks most days.  I've rubbed it with a pumice stone in the shower each day.  Nothing seems to be working.  This week it is as painful as ever.

These 2 pains made exercising to my Punch DVD nearly impossible on Monday. I turned it off with frustration but figured that the break may do my aches and pains some good.  I tried it again on Tuesday but again had to turn it off.  I decided that I needed to take a break from exercise until I can get this callus cured.  For the past 2 months, while exercising to my DVD's I found myself in pain but just decided that I wasn't going to let it take me down so I exercised through the pain.  Many times I did the exercises while limping.  If it sound amusing, it was.  It's also not a very safe way to exercise.  I can't keep ignoring it.  I don't want to hurt myself even more because I am ignoring the problem.

This leaves me with a quandary.  What will happen to my plan to exercise more and leave room for more calories?  It's Thursday and I haven't exercised at all this week.  Today I realized that I need to something about it. Although I can't do my Punch DVD, I can do some kind of exercise.  I have hand weights.  I prefer to lift them while standing or marching because I know I burn more calories that way but it will still benefit me to lift them while sitting.  As I write this blog, I am soaking my feet but when the computer leaves my lap, I will pick up my hand weights and lift while soaking my silly callus.  I can also do crunches. They are great exercise and will not hurt my callus or sore knee at all.  I need to get creative with my exercising instead of giving up completely on it.

Plans are great to have but they can be changed.  They don't have to be cancelled, they can be changed.  This is important.  When life gives us lemons, make lemonade (or lemon bars at this time of the year).

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day Tod finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation." -Genesis 2:1-3

It's Holiday Month?!?

This is how my mind works and I think many of you probably think similarly but I certainly may be wrong.  Maybe I'm the only one.  You can read this and decide for yourself.

When Halloween rolls around, candy enters my life again.  I consider going back to an unhealthy lifestyle so I can eat all the candy I want without feeling guilty.  Thankfully, I only consider it and come back to my senses after the scent of sugar passes by my nose a few too many times.

Less than a month later Thanksgiving comes into my life.  Food abounds from cupboards to tables, from refrigerators to break rooms, from freezers to buffet lines, from ovens to kitchen islands and more.  Food is everywhere while getting ready for Thanksgiving and it seems that it's just the beginning.  After Thanksgiving there is an unwritten rule in our country that now we are at liberty to fill rooms and tables with food at all times.  The thought of having our oven empty bothers us.  We must bake and share our culinary talents with the world.  Therefore, we cannot walk into work, church, school, other people's homes or even our own kitchens without being bombarded with food.  This is the culture that I have grown up with and this is the culture in which my children will live as well.  It's hard sometimes to come to grip with this reality.  I find it important to find a balance with it all.

Do I indulge in the wonderful goodies that are at my fingertips day to day and week to week or do I ignore it all just to get through the holidays?  Here's my problem.  I don't want to get through the holidays, I want to enjoy them.  The holidays are truly a wonderful time of year.  My children (unbeknownst to me) starting decorating our basement the day after Thanksgiving.  I went downstairs one night to do some laundry after they were all asleep and found the basement glowing with Christmas lights. How wonderful! I thought it was so sweet that they were so excited for Christmas that they started decorating without my knowledge.  My mom has told me more than once that I have created little robots.  I'm such a creature of habit that my kids know my routines.  They know how I decorate and have taken over the process but still added some of their own flare.  I love it!!

These things are part of the glory of Christmas.  I want to enjoy the Advent season as we anticipate Christmas, not dread it because of a few cookies, candies and breads. With this in mind, I know I need a plan.  I cannot go lightly into the season or I will exit the season with a large thud (or a large something else;).  Therefor I am going to enjoy a cookie from time to time.  It has to be a good cookie though (in my language that means it needs to contain chocolate).  I will enjoy some candy from time to time (same requirement).  I will enjoy some banana or nut breads too (chocolate not required but a nice bonus). ( Hmmmmmm........I may have another problem that needs researching in the future - I see a pattern in my requirements........oh well)  I will also enjoy the foods that I do not get at any other time of the year.  These are the foods that I will eat at the parties and celebrations.  The every day stuff can be eaten every day.

Speaking of every day, every day from now until Christmas is not a holiday.  Do I need to repeat that? Christmas is almost a month away and if we indulge every day from now until then, we will be in a bind. We will have guilt ridden faces - or bodies - if we treat the "holiday season" like one big eating-fest.  This will get us into some serious trouble.  The everyday days need to stay just that - everyday, normal, ordinary days.  We need to eat our fruits and veggies every day.  We need to keep ourselves honest every day.  We need to  remember that the ordinary day is a day for healthy meals and normal portions so that the days that we have celebrating to do, we can do so without guilt or fear.

Don't be afraid of the holiday season, enjoy it, embrace it, remember the "reason for the season."  I'll give you a hint - the reason is not to eat as much as humanly possible.

I hope to blog more often.  I've been pretty busy with life here at home.  I was surprised to figure out today that I had not blogged in 5 days.  I was thinking of you all though and blogged many times in my head over these past 5 days. Time just got away from me.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grown with a growth that is from God." -Colossians 2:16-19

Shopping Today?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday.  I had a great time with my family yesterday.  I ate some wonderful foods, looked at the ads, worked on my Christmas shopping list and visited with my family.  I have many things to be thankful for.

Today I want you to remember that Thanksgiving Day is over.  Today is black Friday and it has nothing to do with the food that the pilgrims ate.  Maybe you are out shopping today.  Get some exercise by walking as much as you can in those stores.  If you are going out to eat during those shopping trips, eat sensibly. The food court can be very dangerous.  You will have a lot more energy to shop if you eat some fruits, vegetables and lean protein during those shopping breaks. Yesterday was your day to eat the special stuff.  Today is the day to get back to healthy living.

I know that you may have some leftovers in the house to think about, but Thanksgiving is just a day and that day is over. How are you going to use the leftovers? If you can control yourself, eat them in the proper quantities.  Many of them may be quite healthy.  The ones that are not so healthy, you may have to eat in very small portions.  If you cannot control yourself around the pie, torte or stuffing that is leftover, get rid of them.  Find a neighbor, friend or family member that wants them.  If you can't do that, throw it away.  I know, I know, I just heard all of the gasps.  Throwing away food is naughty.  That's what we were all taught as children.  If you cannot control yourself when it come to eating the leftovers, they are better off in the garbage than they are on your hips.  I believe that wholeheartedly.

If it sincerely gives you pain to throw the leftovers away, then get in the car and drive to a neighborhood where you know you can find someone who would appreciate and need the food.  I am not kidding.  I was once told of a family who did this once a week.  They went through their refrigerator and whatever leftovers they were not going to eat (that were edible of course), they hand delivered to people on the streets who appreciated it.  People on the streets came to love this family and look forward to their visits.

Do what works for you and avoid what does not work for you.  If you can remember overeating leftovers every black Friday for the last 10 years, then it is not a good idea for you to have the food in the house.  You have learned that from experience.  We need to take our life experiences and learn from them so they benefit us.  If you have wonderful visions of enjoying the leftover turkey sandwich but can live without the leftover stuffing, then make that compromise today.

Today is also a day when many people do not have to work (unless you are retail of course).  If you have the day off of work, you have extra time on your hands.  Get in some extra exercise to work off some of the calories from Thanksgiving and have a great time with your family doing it.  Personally, it felt awesome to exercise both yesterday and today.  It reminded me that although it is a holiday weekend, my health is not taking the time off.  Take care of yourself today and be thankful for the life you have been given.

Have a great day everyone,
Corinna

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name." -Psalm 100

Thanksgiving Healthy Tips

Recently I told you how I was starting to strategize for the upcoming holidays. I'm still in a bit of a shock that tomorrow is Thanksgiving so I need to share some more of my strategy with you.

Over the last week there have been too many unhealthy choices making their way into my house.  That's normally something that I control better but with the holidays on the horizon I have been letting things slide.  Sliding is a dangerous activity when it comes to healthy living. The last thing I want to have happen is to slide back into old habits at a stressful and unhealthy time of year.  This is the time to tighten the belt a bit.  As I give in to the chocolates, candy and cookies that have been around my house I scold myself.  It's not a problem to have them in small portions but my portions are rarely small.

Yesterday I realized that I need to control my environment during the holiday season.  There will be plenty of opportunities to indulge in sweets and carbohydrates at the many parties and gatherings over the next two months. I don't need those foods in my house to tempt me each and every day.  I can't control the many environments that I will be visiting over the next couple of months with parties but I can control the one that I live in every day.  I should be eating as healthy as I can at home so I can indulge in the unhealthy when I am out and about in a place with fabulous food.

Breaking news......I interrupt this blog to bring you the latest in the Ramsey house.  Bryan just got home from work.  He called me an hour ago and said he would be home soon and was bringing home dinner.  Here is the box of food that I was greeted with as I opened the door for him just minutes ago.

So what was I just saying?  No more junk food in the house?  I guess I stand corrected.  Bryan is the Director of Youth Ministry at our church and he had leftover food from a bonfire.  He fed the leftovers to the staff today for lunch but I guess he still had more leftovers so the large household of the Ramseys got the food. Don't get me wrong, I love the generosity.  It's expensive to feed this large family.  This just now leaves me with having to watch what I eat and have a plan.  So here is my plan.  I have a large family.  They can eat the food.  My 14-year-old Jason can pound food like you wouldn't believe and he's as skinny as a rail. I need to leave the junk food for him and my other children.  I don't need to eat any of this junk food. I will have plenty of opportunities for eating less than healthy food over the next 2 months.

It will start with tomorrow. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving with my mom and my brothers.  She will cook up a storm.  She will have both healthy and unhealthy choices.  I will remind myself that I don't want to feel like a stuffed animal.  I want to be comfortable.  I will eat some of the unhealthy choices because it wouldn't Thanksgiving without them but I will only eat the ones that really sound good and eat them in small portions.  I'm already looking forward to the Chocolate Pumpkin Torte she told me about so that will be my dessert and I will enjoy it in a small portion.  My mom also told me that she and my brother are cooking several different vegetables.  I will fill my plate with them.  The benefit to Thanksgiving is that there are usually a number of healthy choices if we look for them.  Turkey is a very healthy, low fat food.  I love the white meat.  I can eat lots of filling Weight Watchers Power Foods and small portions of the rest. I look forward to coming home tomorrow evening feeling in control.  I also have another Thanksgiving celebration on Sunday. I need to save some of my calories for that celebration as well.  I don't have to pig out all in one day.

I will not be hanging out in the kitchen unless I am helping with the cooking.  There are always appetizers on the island and table that call to me if I hang around in the kitchen.  I will adjourn to the living room away from the food. I will focus on playing with Sammy, looking at the paper, making my Christmas shopping list and visiting with my family.  Thanksgiving is partially about the food. I would be kidding myself if I said it wasn't but it's not ALL about the food.  There are other activities I can focus on.

I hope you can use some of these ideas. Feel free to post some of your own.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Maybe I'll use his computer and post a blog from my brother's house tomorrow.  That just may help the temptation too.

Remember, the only thing that should be stuffed on Thanksgiving is the turkey!

Corinna

"O come, let us sing tot he Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." -Psalm 95:1-3

Just how far have I really come?

In my last blog I mentioned going through the "holiday clothes" to see what will fit this year.   This made me start thinking about what I wore for the holidays last year and if they fit me or not.  I realized that I must have lost weight since last year at this time so of course the clothes will fit me.  If I have truly lost the weight, they should fit me even better, right?  I say this with a little bit of fear in my voice because part of me was afraid to find out the real answer. To find out the answer I went to my records.

I went first to my paper Weight Record that Weight Watchers uses to record my weight each week that I attend meetings.  I then went to my online etools on weightwatchers.com where I can record those weights.  I used to record my weights faithfully each week but fell out of the habit a few months ago so I had to update my weights in there.  I then played around with the site a little bit to find this really cool tool where I can tell it to show me my results for a specified time period.  I specified the time period for the last 12 months. It then graphed my weights for the last 12 months all on one page with some statistics a the bottom of the page.  One of the statistics was my total weight loss for that time period.  Are you ready? (I'm not sure I am.)  I lost a total of 9.2 pounds over the last 12 months!

Really?!?  Are you kidding me?!?  I've been working on this week after week and I've only lost 9.2 pounds in a 12 month period........52 weeks........366 days?!  I even had an extra day for leap year and I could only lose 9.2 pounds! That averages out to .17 pounds per week!  Make sure you look really hard to see that decimal in the .17. It was a bit disheartening.  After I took a breath and thought about it I realized that it shouldn't be that shocking.  I played the roller coaster game a lot this year, I just didn't realize exactly how much.  Also, if I had lost more than that, I wouldn't be wearing the same clothes now that I have been wearing most of the year.  They just feel a bit better on me now.  Granted there were a pair of pants or two that I couldn't wear at all in the beginning of the year that I can now wear so that's something.

This exercise was a dangerous one. When I came up with the brilliant idea I thought I was going to pleasantly surprised at the large number on the screen and feel so accomplished.  I don't consider this number anywhere near large so the accomplished feeling is going to have to be manufactured at this point.  So here is how I am going to manufacture that feeling.  I'm going to think of the positives in this outcome and list them:

1. I lost weight.  Last year at this time I was actually a bit under my WW goal so I could have just stopped there but I plugged on to get the extra weight off I had gained from Samuel's pregnancy.

2. I had many weeks that I gained weight but I made up for them by losing weight the other weeks.  At least I kept my goal in mind and didn't let myself end the year heavier than I was last year at this point.  There was a time in my life when I ended each year with a weight gain.  I have changed that part of my life.

3. My wardrobe fits much better now than it did a year ago, I just don't remember it.  I know that a year ago I was probably wearing my clothes much tighter and was wearing some larger sizes.  I am not wearing all of the same clothes that I was before my pregnancy with Samuel.  Some of them can be a little bit uncomfortable at times but these last few pounds will take care of that.  Most of my clothes can be put on without any thought about whether it will fit or not.  I no longer need to be afraid to get dressed in the morning.

4. It's about progress, not perfection.  This was one of my favorite sayings when I was a WW leader.  I always tried to remind both myself and my members about how important it is to forgive ourselves and stop expecting perfection out of ourselves.  If I am making progress toward my goals, I need to recognize that.

Now, I will think about some new goals for myself.  Where do I want to see myself next year at this time?  I'll let you know about those next time.

How far have you come?  What can you work on this year?  I know it's not the new year but I think before the holidays is a perfect time to set goals.  Those goals may help keep us on track during the holidays too.

Have a great weekend,
Corinna

"But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevered, being not hearers who forget but doers who act - they will blessed in their doing." -James 1:22-25

The proof is in the.....cookies

I can't deny it anymore. I really was trying to look the other way and forget about the fact that the holidays are coming. Don't get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas and New Years.  The celebrations are wonderful.  The kids are so excited.  The adults are so excited.  Everyone gets dressed up and looks so great.  Family time is wonderful.  It's the perfect reason to get together with friends and family members you haven't seen in a long time.  It's a beautiful time of year.  The part that scares me is the food.

Food is at every celebration.  The kids look through the cookie books to request that we make their favorite Christmas cookie.  The adults love to cook their favorite dish, explore by making some new ones and want everyone to try everything.  It's time to get out my "holiday clothes" to see if they fit or see if I have to go shopping.  No matter how much weight I lose, shopping is never my favorite past time.   I am my worst critic about how I look in clothing.  I see every bump, wrinkle or bulge.  I had to try on 10 bathing suits this past summer before I reluctantly bought one.

It's time that I face the fact that the holidays are almost here.  Thanksgiving is just one week away.  It doesn't seem right.  It seems like it crept up on me but the commercials don't lie.  The sales are being advertised, the music is being played and the food is being plastered on the screen too.  I guess that also means it's time for me to start making a plan.  What will I do about my healthy living for the holidays?  Will I eat all the cookies I want?  No.  My mom, Jason and Josiah started baking this week.  Jason and Josiah each picked a cookie recipe.  They baked them at my mom's house.  That was helpful.  I didn't have to smell them, lick the beaters, taste test them, eat the leftover kisses or store them until Christmas.  My boys came home with 2 bags of cookies containing about 10 cookies per bag.  I was so grateful for that. One of them is a kind that doesn't appeal to me - bonus!  The other one is one of my favorites that I can OD on in a heartbeat.  I have had just one of them since they have been in my house for the past 2 days.  I tracked it, ate it and enjoyed it. I may not be as lucky with the rest of the cookies that need baked.  I may have to make some in my own kitchen.  When I do, I will have to read this blog before to remind myself that I can control myself if I want to.

This is just the first of the many challenges that are on their way due to the holidays.  I will address more of them as we head further into the season.  I think I will address them on my blog the same way I will attack them in my life - one at a time. The cookies were the first reminder that the holidays are on their way and I will have challenges to face. There will be more reminders. I'm aware of them and will be watching carefully.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"O how abundant is your goodness that you have laid up for those who fer you, and accomplished for those who take refuge in your, in the sigh of everyone! In the shelter of your presence you hide them from human plots; you hold them safe under your shelter from contentious tongues." -Psalm 31:19-20

My ring reminds me

I am reminded of a story that my kids' listen to on tape (yes, we still  have a cassette player in our car).  In the story, the people are stranded in the ocean because their boat malfunctions.  After sitting in the water for a while waiting for help to come, they realize that they are floating out to sea because they can barely see land anymore.  They frantically search the boat for an anchor so they can stabilize the boat.  When they find a chain with no anchor on the end of it they panic.

I certainly don't claim to know the feeling of truly being stranded in the ocean.  I do know the feeling of panic when I feel out of control in my healthy living though.  This past weekend I let things get out of control.  I ate just a little too much on Friday night when out on my date.  That was no big deal but unfortunately, it was just the start.  I then let my little overage from Friday spill into Saturday. I lost more control Saturday and used my happy-go-lucky feelings give me a reason to splurge.  On Sunday I intended to get control again but as soon as I felt the least bit tempted, I gave in.  Monday is always the day that I get back on track if I go a little nuts over the weekend.  It didn't happen either.  Again, I let any little temptation take control of my eating.  It was ridiculous.  By Monday night, I felt defeated. I gave myself a good scolding and vowed to get it together for Tuesday.

Thankfully, Tuesday I was able to control myself. I stopped my ridiculous behavior and ate well all day. I actually made the comment to Bryan Tuesday evening that it was about time that I end a day eating only what I am budgeted to eat. I scolded myself again but this time I did in front of Bryan.  He looked at me like I was nuts;) I was reminded that day of my decisions by the feeling of my ring. Bryan did a good job when he proposed to me.  He bought my ring from a friend who worked in a jewelry store.  That friend happened to be engaged to my roommate. She was able to raid my jewelry box to find out what size ring I wore.  Since that day I have had it sized a few different times.  I don't remember exactly how many times.  I just remember having to size it up once, twice or maybe three times as I gained weight over the years.  Then I remember having to size it down once or twice as I lost weight.  It is now comfortably sitting on my finger each and every day and night.

When I eat too much, my ring starts to get tight. It's not that it gets so tight that it's painful but I like it to be a little loose. When I play with it, I like it to move around my finger a bit. My wedding ring is an anchor for me to remember, of course, my love for my husband.  It also reminds me to make healthy choices.  When I am tempted to eat something that looks tasty even though I know I shouldn't, I can play with my ring to remind me of how I like it to lay comfortably around my finger.  It reminds me of my commitment to my husband as well as my commitment to myself.  It is an anchor that helps me from drifting out to sea.  If I drift out to sea I find myself on the "seefood" diet (if I see the food, I eat it;).

Anchors are very helpful tools.  They can be helpful reminders of commitments that you make to yourself or others.  I've had a few anchors over the years that have helped remind me of the choices that I have to make.  My wedding ring is one that I have just recently noticed that I could use.  It's something that is with me all the time.

If you don't have an anchor that helps you with your healthy living, find one.  It may be a poem that reminds you of your goals.  It may be a charm that someone once gave you.  It may be a picture of how you want to look.  It may be a picture of how you once looked.

If you would like to tell others about anchors you have or will have, feel free to comment to give ideas.

Have a great day.  Don't float away,

Corinna

"We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Okay, let's do it again.

This morning I worked out to the Intermediate level on my Weight Watchers Punch DVD.  I needed the  upped exercise in my week.  I ate too much this weekend and was having a hard time getting myself back into the good eating routine.  I was hoping that some harder exercise would burn off some of those extra calories as well as give me a reason to get back on track.  It's only 10:15 in the morning so I can't say that it worked yet, but as of right now I feel great and want to eat well all day long to keep that feeling.

The difference between the beginner level and intermediate level was enough to make me sweat and need to catch my breath.  The intermediate level was only 5 minutes longer but it felt like an extra 30 minutes.  I had spun around the living room doing the wrong moves at the wrong time over and over but regardless, it was good exercise.  I had tripped over Samuel more than once but it was still good exercise and when Sammy needed to be held I had to stop the DVD to tend to him.  I kept turning it back on after each interruption because I really wanted to finish.  When I heard her say, "Okay, let's do it again." about a routine we had just finished I thought the DVD must have skipped.  I was very tempted to use Samuel as an excuse to turn it off early and say I had exercised enough for today.  I pushed through it though and am glad I did.

Push yourself to do something extra and uncomfortable today.  You'll be glad you did.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle."
-Proverbs 31:17-19

A Happy Anniversary...with Food

Sunday is Bryan and my anniversary. We have been married 17 years. I love celebrating our anniversary.  We lead a very busy life and don't get out on dates much.  Our anniversary is a wonderful reason to get out - just the 2 of us.  When I told my kids we were going to a movie and dinner, they asked us to go see Wreck-It Ralph and take them along.  They don't seem to understand the purpose of an anniversary date;)  No, they are not coming along and I am not seeing Wreck-It Ralph.  This is my time to escape from daily life with my husband and I'm not seeing a movie intended for children.  I'm sure we will talk about the kids during dinner and frankly, I don't see anything wrong with that. We don't get a lot of time to talk in general whether it's about work, the kids, us, or anything else.  Whatever we talk about, it will only be interrupted by waitstaff and dinner.  I'm more than happy to accept that kind of a distraction.

Last week we talked about when we would celebrate our anniversary.  On Sunday Bryan has lots of things going on at church so going out on Sunday evening after he worked at church for 9 hours was not appealing to him.  We are always exhausted by Sunday evening after a busy week and weekend anyway. I opted for Saturday then. My Weight Watchers week starts over on Saturday morning so going out Saturday night appealed to me.  I would have my extra weekly points to spend on our dinner so I wouldn't have to be as picky about what I ate.  Bryan didn't like that idea either.  On Saturday afternoon Ethan is getting his First Reconciliation and we agreed to take him out to Five Guys for his celebration meal.  Bryan was right that we should just go out to eat with him that day and make it his day to spend with him.

That left us with Friday as our date night.  It made me nervous but it was the perfect day to pick. Bryan has off from church so he will be able to come home from his radio station job and take a nap and he will be rested for our date.  The obstacle for me is that I have already used all of my Weekly PointsPlus Allowance this week.  I only have my Daily PointPlus Target to work with for going out to eat.  I mentioned my concern to Bryan and he assured me that I would be fine.  He said I never go crazy eating and I wouldn't this time either.  He has more faith in me than I have in myself many times.  Much of my faith has come from him these past 17 years.

That leaves me with a couple of choices.  I could throw all caution to the wind and say, "It's my anniversary and I'm eating whatever I want no matter what the outcome." I could do that and I know that it would be okay.  I could gain the weight this week and work a little harder next week to take it back off.  It would just put me back one or two weeks on my goal but what's one or two weeks in the long run?  It's not that big of a deal.

Or I could take choice number 2.  I could watch what I eat all day, make healthy choices tonight at dinner, forgo popcorn at the theater and weigh in tomorrow knowing that I did my best.  I think I'm going to take choice number 2.  I've decided that I wont regret a thing if I order a healthy meal tonight with lean meat, healthy carbohydrates and lots of fruits and veggies.  I have done this before and never regretted it.  I know at the time the waitstaff is offering dessert it will be tempting to go nuts but I will feel much better about myself mentally and physically if I say, "No, thank you."  I'm going to focus on the most important thing tonight, my anniversary.  It's not about the food, it's about the company and the fact that I don't have to take anyone to go potty or change any diapers.  I also don't have to prepare the lean steak or fish I will eat.  I don't have to cut up any of the veggies I will eat.  I don't have to clean anything up or do any dishes.  That will be reward enough for me.

I will come home tonight in love with the man I married 17 years ago and feel good about the life we have led together.  Our marriage has never been based on food so why would our anniversary be.

Until next time,
Corinna

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." -1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Troubleshooting Weight Gain

This is the football cake I made for Jason and Josiah's birthday party on Sunday.  This cake helped lead to too much food on Sunday.  I just had a little piece.  The funniest part was when I lit it.  I put 11 candles on one corner for Josiah and 14 candles on the other corner for Jason.  When I lit them I accidentally lit one of the goal posts on fire.  After catching that I continued to light the candles.  I was concentrating so hard on the candles until my 5-year-old nephew commented, "Hey, that football guy is on fire!"  It was a mess and it was so hilarious that I could barely continue lighting the candles, but it tasted good.

It's been an interesting week.  It started with a normal Saturday with a little extra craziness to get ready for a party. Sunday was the party so it was work, work, work.  It was also food, food, food.   I ate a little too much at the party but I tracked it all afterwards.

I started a new exercise DVD this week to up my exercise intensity and help burn off those party calories.  I have continued to track everything I have eaten this week.  I have made up for the party calories in exercise. All of that has gotten me a weight gain.

Most days I weigh myself at home in the morning before I eat or drink anything for the day.  That ensures me an accurate number to compare to the previous weight.  I also weigh-in on an empty stomach in the morning at Weight Watchers each week.  That leaves me no excuses for my weight there either.  Each day that I have weighed myself at home this week, the scale has been higher than the previous day.  At first, I blamed the party and figured the number would go down in a couple of days of good behavior.  It hasn't - it has continued to go up.  I'm trying not to be frustrated but each day, it gets harder to maintain my composure. Today, I decided that instead of losing my composure, I need to troubleshoot.  What am I doing to make this happen?  Am I doing it or is it just the way things are with our bodies from time to time? I've been doing this for long enough to know that sometimes we have unexplained weight gains that come back off with little to no effort.  Maybe this is one of those weight gains.

Just in case it's not one of those weight gains I've decided to do something about it.  It certainly can't hurt to be proactive.  I have several possibilities in my head for the reason for this weight gain.  If I tried to remedy it with all of those possibilities I would not know what the problem was and I would be expecting a lot of change all at once.  Therefore, I am going to focus on two main issues that I think may help with the problem.  If they don't work, I will move on to some of my other possibilities.

The first thing I think I have gotten lax on is eating all of my fruits and veggies each day.  Weight Watchers recommends at least 5 servings of fruits and/or veggies each day.  Most of those fruits and veggies are 0 points so I often don't track them.  I only track the things that actually have points to them.  That is leaving me with no idea if I am getting in all of my 5 servings each day.  Starting today, I am going to track all of my fruits and veggies no matter what PointsPlus Value they hold.  On the etools tracker I use on weightwatcher.com it also has a section where you can check off your servings as you eat them.  I will check them off each time I eat them to ensure that I get at least 5 servings.  I think I have been eating too many processed foods this week and this may be part of my problem.  Processed carbohydrates have been particularly high in my diet this week.  Because of this I will try to eat 7 servings of fruits and veggies each day to try detoxing my system a little bit.  The suggestion is to eat at least 5 servings.  It is okay to eat more than that.

This should help me in a few levels.  I should be less hungry because I am filled up with fruits and veggies.  It should also help me get rid of some of the processed stuff I have in my body right now. It will also help me get in more fiber and water since fruits and veggies are filled with fiber and water.

The second thing I am going to focus on is drinking all of my water.  I know I mentioned this in a previous blog just about a month ago: http://corinnaweightsupport.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-much-water-do-we-really-need-to.html  I am going to remember the things I mentioned in this blog and focus on drinking all of my water each day.  I have not been keeping track of that either so I am not sure if I have been drinking enough.

I am hoping that these 2 things help my body get back on track.  If not, I will keep up these things because they are good for me and then add a couple more things.

I don't know exactly what's going on.  I do know that I am willing to be patient with myself to figure it out.

If you have any ideas for me, please feel free to leave them in my comments section. People have recently have told me that they want to make comments but it's not letting them. Here is a link that may help: http://support.google.com/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=42399.  Also, one of my regular readers who comments left this advice for commenting: "If you have trouble leaving comments, just indicate that it's coming from Anonymous - that way it goes through. Sign your name to your comment if you want people to know who wrote it. Oh yea, then you have to put in those weird letters/numbers, too. LW"

Until next time,
Corinna

"But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off'; do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." -Isaiah 41:8-10

Great Job! Way to work!

I just got done with my morning workout.  That sounds really cool.  I haven't been able to say that in a while.  Last week I got exercise back into my life.  I exercised every day of the week and took off the weekend.  Taking off the weekend makes me a bit nervous because I am then afraid that I wont get back into my routine again on Monday.  This Monday, not only did I get back into my routine but I turned it up a notch. I told you in my last blog how excited I was with my progress, my successes for last week and how it was fueling me to work even harder.  That progress made me want to exercise harder this week.  Yesterday, I pulled out a DVD that I used to workout to.  It is the Weight Watchers Punch! exercise DVD.  It's lots of fun.  I get to wear pink, weighted gloves. It works me hard and that's what I need.  I need to be worked hard to get my body back. I am just a few pounds shy of my pre-Sammy weight but my body is not what it was when I was last at this weight.  This has made me realize that I am missing a key component that I had in my life before - fat burning, heart pumping, muscle building exercise.  This week I am putting that back into my life.  I look forward to seeing and feeling the results.

I had another reason for kicking it up a notch with exercise too.  Over the weekend, I hosted a birthday party for my 2 oldest sons, Jason and Josiah.  This meant that I had stress and food in my weekend.  That's a very dangerous combination for me.  Overall, I dealt with it well.  I ate a little too much but it's nothing compared to what I have done in the past.  I am not going to beat myself up for it.  I'm just going to have to work a little harder on my exercise now, to burn those extra calories that I ate on Sunday.

I needed a boost in my exercise routine.  Although I was exercising for 35 minutes each morning last week I wasn't pushing myself as hard as I could.  I was marching in front of the TV while I watched the morning news.  That felt like a treat because unless I'm exercising, the TV is never on in my house in the morning.  There is just no time.  Every so often I would change my normal marching to different moves that would work different parts of my body.  I also lifted my hand weights while marching to get my arms toned.  It was a good workout but it's easy to ease up on your exercise when you are pushing yourself. There is something different for me when I am working out to a DVD where someone else is pushing me.  She doesn't get easier on me when I get a little tired.  It has felt good to sweat a little bit with my workout these past 2 days.  My heart rate goes higher when I am working out to my DVD's too.  That's great for my body.  I needed a change and am glad I made it.  I plan on changing my workout again next week ever so slightly. The Punch! DVD has 3 levels.  This week I am doing the beginner and next week I'll step it up to the moderate level. I have learned from my past that if I don't keep changing it and keep challenging myself, I stop doing it all together.

Today when I finished my workout the instructor said, "Great job! Way to Work!"  I am taking that personally.;)

Get some exercise in today!
Corinna

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grown weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.  Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." -Isiah 40:28-31

Gaining Momentum and Losing Weight

I had a fabulous week.  Today is Saturday and I consider this the start to my new week.  I went for my weigh-in this morning and was thrilled with the results. I lost 3 pounds!  I looked through my weight records and saw that the last time I lost this much weight in one week was February.  That may have been the last time I was this diligent in everything that I did.

I also studied my weight records and saw that the last time I weighed the number that I did today was when I was 7 weeks pregnant with Samuel.  Since I gained very little weight at the beginning of my pregnancy this means that I am very close to my pre-pregnancy weight.  This is the first time that I have reached a weight this low since Samuel's pregnancy.  Samuel is 16 months old so this is a momentous occasion for me.  I am going to use this excitement to fuel my momentum.

This is causing me to think hard about what I did this week so I can do it again.  I know that I may do it all exactly the same and not lose 3 pounds but I would be thrilled with any loss over 1 pound and somewhat happy with any loss at all.  Sorry if I'm being choosy here but after seeing what I can do when I set my mind to it I want the best out of myself.

This week I started exercising again.  I did it begrudgingly.  I didn't want to do it. I just knew that if I did it losing those pounds would be easier, eating extra food would be more fun and my body would be less jiggly.    After just one week of exercising every day I can honestly say that all of those things have happened. Now, I actually want to exercise.  I am gaining momentum.

This week I tracked everything.  I mean everything.  Every bite, lick and taste that I took went on my computer.....even all of the Halloween candy that I told myself I wasn't going to eat.  I owned it.  That made me more accountable to it.  That also made me realize that what I ate wasn't as bad as I thought it was.  That actually made me stop eating so much. I am gaining momentum.

This week I stuck to my target. I ended the week by eating only the points that I allowed myself for the week.  This proves that I can eat the right amounts, enjoy my food, eat my candy, manage a buffet and still lose weight. I am gaining momentum.

I feel like I can conquer this thing.  I can conquer this thing.  I will conquer this thing. I'm not naive.  I know it's not going to be easy from here on out but I'm up for the challenge.

Are you gaining momentum this week, this month, today?  If so, ride it and do your best with it.  If not, what can you find that is positive in your life.  Focus on it. That can give you the momentum that you need.  Then, the positive results will fuel your momentum even more.

Stay healthy and keep trying,
Corinna

"Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached tho goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 12-14

The Triggers to Eating

Yesterday, I saw a friend of mine who is a reader of my blog.  The first thing she said to me is, "Thanks for posting that picture of an ice cream sundae on your blog today.  I had to stop at DQ for a small ice cream."  We laughed and I made sure to notice that she said 'small ice cream.'  At least it was small.  I'm guessing that at another time in her life, it would not have been small.  Karen has been through many of the same struggles I have been.  She looks incredible right now and by looking at her you would never know that she has had a journey with losing weight and eating healthy.  I've known her for about 12 years so I've seen some of her journey.  I know what she looked like 100 pounds heavier than she is right now.  That's right, 100 pounds!  She lost it a few years ago (if I'm doing the math correctly). Just because she looks incredible and has kept the weight off doesn't mean that she doesn't still have to very conscious day to day and hour to hour.  It's nice to hear that she is tempted by ice cream pictures too;)

Talking to Karen about the picture on my blog reminded me about how things can trigger us to eat.  That picture may have caused her to crave ice cream.  I actually think about that when I am picking pictures to post on my blog.  I don't want to cause people to fall because of a picture but at the same time I try to find pictures that are appropriate to my topic of the day. Now you know why I picked the picture I picked today.  I thought I would make up for sending any of you to DQ yesterday;)  When you're done reading this blog, go eat some fresh veggies.

I was flipping through channels on TV the other night and came across a fast food ad.  I flipped the channel right away because that ad made me want to eat and I didn't need to eat.  Triggers are hard to deal with and we need to be aware of them.  If we know what they are we can try to avoid them when possible or lessen their impact because we are aware.  Sometimes I don't even need to see the commercial because just the act of watching TV in a quiet house while the kids are sleeping triggers me to want to eat.  It's my way of winding down and treating myself after a long, hard, tiring day.  The problem is that I don't need food at that time of day and I should treat myself with some quiet time with God or some other activity that I wont be sorry for later.

Today is Jason's birthday. He is turning 14!  Amazing!  I cannot be old enough to have a 14-year-old.  Anyway, celebrating makes me want to eat.   That is yet another trigger.  We will be going out to eat later and I will want to celebrate his birthday, Josiah's birthday from 5 days ago and the fact that we went out to eat (we've been cutting down on eating out dramatically lately to save money).  I need to know now that I will be triggered to eat and make a plan as to how I will celebrate but still control myself.  It doesn't help that we will be going to a buffet but I've navigated my way through buffets safely in the past and I'm determined to do it again today.  That brings up another trigger........pizza.  We are going to Stonefire Pizza.  Eating one piece of pizza always triggers me to eat more.  Therefore, I am going to eat other stuff.  They have plenty to choose from. Pizza is not one of my all time favorite foods and I don't need to eat it tonight.  I am looking forward to making myself a salad with all the trimmings that I don't have to chop up.  I am also looking forward to having a baked potato with great toppings on it without having to prepare it either.  I am staying away from my triggers.

There are certain things that can trigger us to eat: pictures, words, events, commercials, people, situations, feelings, etc.  This is a huge topic that can be broken down because at different times in our lives we will be triggered by different things.  These are the things that I will look out for today. Tomorrow I may have a different list of triggers of which I should be aware.

Today, think about your triggers. How can you avoid them?  If you cannot avoid them, what can you do to be more aware of them so they don't hurt you?  Maybe you can substitute for them.   Maybe you can have a small ice cream instead of what you used to have......or eat the veggies you see pictured above;)

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you." Proverbs 4:24-26

No Motivation? What about Habits?

Yesterday I told you how motivated I am right now.  I am feeling determined.  I am telling myself that I will get these pesky, last pounds off no matter what.  I am still motivated today.  I feel the need to tell you that because I know that at any moment Motivation could decide to move on to someone else's house and I will be left mourning the loss.  It's happened before and it's not pretty.  I'm not a doomsday person at all.  I like to think of the positive but I also believe in being prepared.

Also, if you are not feeling the motivation that I am right now, I want you to feel that you have somewhere to turn.  I want you to turn to your friend, Habits.  Habits is one of those friends that you can find on either shoulder.  You know, sometimes he is wearing the red costume and sometimes he is wearing his halo and wings.  Even though he can be confusing I still consider him a friend. I have helped Habits change his life and he has helped me change mine.  In my life he now spends more time in the halo and wings than with the horns on his head.

My habits have changed drastically in my life.  When I started trying to lose weight I had an uphill battle.  We ate ice cream or frozen custard almost every single day in my house.  That was a habit.  It was a habit that all of us came to know as normal so when I tried to change my life, my entire family was in a bit of shock.  It was not easy but I conquered that habit.  It got to a point where one day Bryan mentioned going out for ice cream and I had to think really hard about that last time that we did that.  It had been weeks.  That was a sign of true progress.  We had made a new habit.  Ice cream was now a treat in our house, not an expectation.  On most days ice cream doesn't enter my mind anymore.  When I notice that we have eaten ice cream more than 2 days in a row I am conscious of it.  I know how easily that bad habit can creep back into my life and I've worked too hard to get here to let that happen.

Portions are another habit that have changed in my life.  I now know what a proper portion is.  I can say that when I learned that a proper portion of meat is 3 ounces and that's about the size of my palm, I was shocked.  I had been eating twice or even three times that amount for years and didn't have any idea.  I also didn't know the difference between 3 and 9 ounces of meat to begin with.  You could have served me a 9 ounce steak and told me it was 3 ounces without be batting an eye.

My life has changed. My habits have changed.  Most of the time I have good habits. I could go on telling you about all of them but then what would I blog about for the rest of the year? When my motivation weans I need to lean on those good habits because I cannot trust that Motivation will always be around.  If I trusted only on Motivation I wouldn't be able to lose all of the weight and I certainly would not be able to keep it off.

If you are not motivated today, look at your habits.  What habits do you have that are good ones?  Lean on them.  Listen to them.  Be conscious of them.  What habits do you have that are bad ones?  Focus on one of them at a time and change them.  There is no one thing that will keep you healthy.  It's a number of things.  These 2 are big ones and used together can be very powerful.

Until tomorrow,
Corinna

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect." -Romans 12:1-2

So, are you motivated?

I have been on this journey for many years. In those years I have found myself motivated for moments, hours, days or weeks. On a rare occasion I may have even been motivated for months.  My motivation comes and goes, ebbs and flows.  I know that now. I didn't know that when I first started on my journey.  I thought that once my motivation was gone, that all was lost.  That is far from true.

My healthy lifestyle has been easy for me that past few days because I am motivated right now.  I am feeling the motivation in my day.  I have had some very busy and stressful days but my motivation has not weaned through that stress.  I have been able to say no to the cupcakes sitting on the counter that Gabriella and I baked on Sunday.  I have actually been able to walk right by them several times per day, even while hungry.  That is proof that I am in a time of motivation.

I know you know what I am talking about.  You have had this motivation too. If you are not feeling motivated right now, you may not remember a time that you were but I know you have been there.  You know, it was the time when you were offered those chocolate chip cookies 3 times and said no each time with a smile on your face because you had just started your "diet" and was determined that you were never eating chocolate again.  Now it's coming back to you, right.

Motivation is a complex feeling.  We yearn for it to spurn us on to our next goal.  We expect it to do the work for us and then stay forever.  Unfortunately, it rarely stays forever.  We eventually have to lead our healthy lifestyle without our friend, Motivation.

I look at my 16 month old Samuel.  He is constantly motivated. He is motivated to take out every toy in the living room and then walk away.  He is motivated to cry until someone comes to get him.  He is motivated to get that game piece that everyone keeps telling him he can't have.  I need to look at his motivation and glean from it.

Thankfully, today I had Motivation with me all day.  I exercised this morning. I ate right all day.  I stopped eating when I was out of my budget for the day even though I wanted more food.   I turned to my to-do list instead of food when I was overwhelmed by the projects I needed to accomplish. Motivation kept me in line.  I'm hoping Motivation stays around for a long while.  When it leaves I'll have to move on to my next friend...Habits.

Stay motivated,
Corinna

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going." -Ecclesiastes 9: 10

I guess it's time to address exercise

Thank you Ambrozio for use of the picture.

I'm not sure how to begin this blog.  I can tell you my exercise excuses.  I can tell you my current exercise level.  I can tell you my past exercise level.  It would take way too long to tell you all of it.  My excuses list alone could be the length of 2 blogs and Bryan says my blogs are too long as it is.  So I guess I'll do my best to get to the point.

I haven't been exercising.  There, I said it.  That's really the point here but it was hard to admit.  I don't want to admit the truth to a group of people who have told me that I help inspire them.  How inspiring is it to admit that I haven't purposely exercised in probably 2 months?  I'm pretty sure none of you are inspired to go exercise right now due to my admission.  I say "purposely exercised" because as a homeschooling  mother of 5 children, including one toddler, I move every moment of the day except when I am sitting at this computer or when Sammy stops moving for 10 seconds and lets me cuddle with him.  (Ten seconds is all I get, he's a very busy one-year-old.)  I can't even sit at this computer for an entire blog without being needed at some point.  I've been up 3 times already for household needs!  The problem is that the moving I do all day is not enough exercise for me.

If you have been following my blog since it's inception you have read my blogs about exercise before.  You will find many of them if you look for them.  There have been times in my journey when I have been on fire for exercise. I have told you of methods, CD's, plans and successes.  I am just as filled with times of failures when it comes to exercise too.  I don't love exercise.  I don't look forward to it when I wake up in the morning.  I don't like finding time for it.  It is always the last thing on my to-do list.  I think of everything else in my life as more important to get done.

It drives my crazy when the sink is full of dirty dishes.  I can't stand it when the living room is full of clean laundry to be ironed and folded.  Those are 2 things that bug me every day and if they aren't done I figure there is no way I should be taking time to exercise. I am a very logical person but unfortunately, that logic seems faulty at the moment.  If I never exercise unless the dishes and laundry and done then I will never exercise.  This is a problem.  My body needs exercise.  I lose weight when I exercise.  I've seen it.  My body has proved it me time and time again.  I maintain my weight loss better when I am exercising also.  I can eat more when I have burned calories exercising which helps me maintain better eating habits in the long run.  I feel better physically.  My body doesn't jiggle when I walk when I am maintaining a level of exercise in my life.  When I list all of these benefits I don't know why I keep giving it up, but I do.

I exercised this morning.  I'm not excited about it.  I don't feel amazing. I don't feel like I could conquer the world.  I am proud of myself though.  It's something I need to do.  I wont crave it tomorrow but I will do it because I need to.  I have to stop ignoring it.  My kids often tell me that they don't want to do something that they are told to do.  My response is always the same, "Do it anyway.  Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do."  I guess I should start listening to myself.

Until tomorrow (after exercising),
Corinna

"Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified." -1 Corinthians 9:24-27