As Promised...

In my last post I shared with you my current "status" with WW.  I shared my status as far as my journey and my employment.  I also promised that I would tell you when and where I would be assigned to a meeting.

I have officially been assigned to lead the Weight Watchers meeting in Shorewood, WI on Saturday mornings at 8 and 9:30.  This is very exciting for me!! These meetings were the first meetings that I led last time I was employed by Weight Watchers.  The members at this location have a very special place in my heart I can't wait to be their leader again.  Since I left WW, I have still kept in contact with many of them and consider many of them friends. It just so happened that when I decided to come back to work for WW, the leader of these meetings was deciding that she would rather not work on Saturdays.

These will probably be the only meetings that I lead with WW for a while.  I have other things on the horizon that will be taking up much of my time that I will share with you in my next post.  All of these changes have made my life different these days.  These changes will all bring a different schedule to my life which will bring new challenges to exercise routines and healthy eating.  With all of the support that I have and WW, I say, "Bring it on."  I'm not letting some schedule changes mess with my healthy living.  I'll continue to maintain my weight loss by following WW to the end.

I have lots to do this morning so I will leave you with this short post.  I hope to see some of you in my WW meetings starting this Saturday.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights with him there is no variation or shadow due to change." -James 1:17

Living Weight Watchers and Feeling Fabulous

Hello all!  It's been a long time!! Yes, I know, that's my fault.  Time is not on my side but I think of you often.

I wanted to check in and tell you how life is going. I am working for Weight Watchers every week now.  I have finished my training and can officially call myself a WW Leader again.  It feels really wonderful to be back.  I love helping people change their health, weight and lives.  It may sound dramatic to say that my life was changed by my weight loss with WW but it truly was changed.  I feel great.  I have more energy. I am healthier and I am teaching my family to be healthy too.

Today I worked as a substitute receptionist at a WW meeting and someone who has known me for a long time asked me how I was feeling and if I am keeping on track.  I actually had to ask her to clarify.  "I am feeling great but what do you mean by keeping on track?" I responded, "With life or with WW?"  We chuckled at the possibility of a woman who homeschools her 5 children ever actually keeping on track but that was not what my friend was asking. She wanted to know how my WW journey was going. I actually had to think about my response, "Am I keeping on track?" Yes, I am.  I gave her that short answer, "Yes, I am." To you (and her if she reads this blog) I will give the extended answer. I am on track. Does that mean that I don't have a bad day from time to time?  No.  Does that mean that I wouldn't mind if a few more pounds fell off just for fun? No. Does that mean that I do everything right at all times? No!!!  But I am on track because I am a work in progress that does it right most of the time and I need to give myself credit for that.

I feel great. I fit into my clothes.  I am below my WW goal.  I am within the healthy weight range for someone my height.  My BMI is just right.  My doctor is happy with my weight and health.  Overall, I am a success and I want to share that success with you today.  You are part of the reason that I have been successful.  Your support, encouragement, comments, emails and just knowing that you read this has been greatly important to me. Thank you!

(Just because I feel successful today and don't find time to blog often enough does not mean that I am planning on abandoning this blog.  I will keep it up, some months more than others.)

I am greatly looking forward to leading my own WW meetings again.  Right now I am subbing as a receptionist and leader whenever I am asked and my schedule allows.  Someday soon my Territory Manager will assign me to my own permanent meetings and I will be thrilled because now that I am back working for WW I know just how much I missed it.  When I get a permanent assignment I'll let you know when and were it is in case you would like to come visit me.

Keep feeling fabulous and remember that you are a success no matter where you are on this journey.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13

My Competitive Nature

Is it just me or do we all strive to be the best?  I know that some people are more competitive than others.  I have always been pretty competitive.  I think it's a healthy competitive, but I guess you'll have to ask my husband to be sure;)

When I played sports as a child, I like to win.  I was a decent loser too.  I didn't do a lot of pouting when I lost, but was a whole lot happier when I won.  As an adult that competitive nature has not gone away.  I still like to win and be the best, but I certainly see more of the value now in a time of loss.  We learn a lot about ourselves when we lose too.  I have learned over the years to use those times as tools in my life's journey.

I just plugged my latest competitive tool into my computer.  It's called an Active Link. It's a fascinating tool put out by WW that tracks your activity.  I'm addicted to it.  It reminds me to move more.  I keep it on my body all day except when I sleep.  No one even knows it's there (Well, except all you know now.) Any movement that my body makes is registered on this little tool.  As the day goes on, I can take it off at any time to see how close I am to making my activity goal for the day.  That's when my competitive nature kicks in.  I love to see those 4 lights bright to see that I have attained my goal and when I see only 2 lights lit, I know I'm not allowed to sit down yet today.

It's a great motivational tool. It motivates me to keep moving and shows me what activities earn me more activity points.  For those of you who are not WW members, activity points are a way to measure your activity.  I like earning them because I then get to exchange them for PointsPlus values that I can eat;) I also like plugging it into my computer (it's a USB) to see my chart with what hours I moved the most and how many Activity Points I have earned today, this week, this month or more.

I've learned that I struggle to make my goal on Sundays. I've learned that it's much easier to make my goal on days that I exercise.  I've learned that my faster, higher intensity exercises earn more points too.  That gives more reasons to do them.  I've learned that doing my grocery shopping at Woodman's not only saves me money but since the store is so huge, I earn more Activity Points.  I've learned these things as I compete with myself to light up those little lights that tell me that I am reaching my goal.

Have a great day!
I'm off to do some grocery shopping;)
Corinna

"But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:27

Changing my Profiles

Boy it's been a while.  Life has just been too busy to take time to blog.  One of the reasons that I avoid blogging sometimes is because finding a picture to post with it takes too much time.  So I decided that I'd rather post a quick bit and forget the picture this time.  I miss "chatting" with you all.

What's keeping me so busy?  Well, changes abound again.  I have started re-training with Weight Watchers as an employee again.  I am coming back to Weight Watchers as a Leader.  I'm really excited about it.  Bryan's work schedule and the kids' ages are making it possible (and a good idea) for me to go back to work.  Since I have been gone from employment with WW for over 2 years, I need to be trained again.  That may sound cumbersome but I really don't mind.  I like knowing that I will be well-versed in the proper knowledge to do my job well.  Weight Watchers is extremely diligent in making sure their employees are well-trained and I feel that is a good trait for a company.

I have been trained as a receptionist and now will complete my leader training too.  I wont complete the training until the end of October or beginning of November so it really takes a lot of time.  I love being back in the WW room as an employee but I will be really thrilled when I am fully back as a leader.  In the meantime, I am finishing my training while subbing meetings as a receptionist and working drop in hours at the centers. It's a great way to get my feet wet again.

That's why I will be changing my profile. I will need to change my profile in my blog to be a current employee of WW instead of a former.  I'll find the time to do that soon. Lack of time is still my greatest enemy as the kids have started school and homeschooling tends to take a great effort.

Another profile that is gradually changing is my body's profile.  In my journey with WW I have found that there is a certain number on the scale that when I hit it, my facial profile changes.  It's at that time that I like the way my chin looks.  I've reached that magic number and it makes a difference in what I see when I look in the mirror.

The last profile that is changing is also on my body.  As I continue to strive in exercising as often as possible and staying active, my profile is changing around my mid-section.  After having 5 kids, my mid-section will never be the same but it's looking slimmer and more fit.  It has taken me over 2 years to feel like I am approaching the same feeling that I felt before Sammy's pregnancy but I really am feeling good lately. I'm starting to see those love handles disappear.

I hope you are all doing well.

If you would like to comment, you will now have to punch in the funny characters again.  I was receiving so many spam comments that I just couldn't take it anymore. I would rather just get comments from those of you who really read the blog.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths." -Proverbs 3:6

Because I Just Don't Feel Like It!

Last night was terrible!  I feel like I barely slept at all.  My beautiful 2-year-old, Samuel, was up a large portion of the night.  He kept waking up crying.  He must have been having nightmares because he kept screaming, "Stop! No! Mama!" I felt terrible for him.  Part of me wanted to just let him cry because when I brought him to bed with us, he didn't sleep any better but I felt sorry for him so we both slept terrible.

I'm extremely tired today.  What's funny is that getting a good night's sleep is our routine for the month at Weight Watchers.  I couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that I am supposed to try getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night this month.  Samuel rarely gives me that option.  Most nights, though, he only wakes up once or twice and goes back to sleep in our bed or his crib.  Last night I lost count of how many times he woke up. That leaves me feeling rather lazy today. When I got out of bed because Sam was ready to start the day bright and early as usual I didn't feel like starting the day.  I curled up on the couch while Sam played around me instead of starting my day with my workout like I usually do.

Then, my dad called and said he was coming over....in 3 minutes!  I had not gotten out of my pajamas, I hadn't worked out, some of the kids were still sleeping and I hadn't fed anyone breakfast.  Hmmmmmm, that could change things a bit.  While my dad visited we still did some things like normal - the kids showered, I made breakfast for everyone and I washed a load of dishes.  Other things did not get done like normal - the kids didn't do their chores or school work and I didn't work out, get dressed or shower.

After my dad left I had to get things in order.  I instructed the kids to do their chores and school work and decided that I should do my workout.  Then, I remembered that I had some emails to send so I spent the next 30 minutes on the computer.  Next, I decided that I really didn't feel like exercising. It was now much later than I normally workout and my energy levels were terrible to begin the day so now, they were completely tanking.  It would be so easy to just skip it today.  Really, how bad could it be?  Well, I'll tell you how bad.  I know that I feel amazing after working out.  I have been working really hard on one of my DVD's.  I worked so hard at my 45-minute advanced Weight Watchers Punch DVD last week that by the end of the week, I was keeping up wonderfully and could complete it without feeling as though I needed to pass out.  I didn't want to sabotage myself by skipping it today but that nagging message keeps coming to my mind, "I just don't feel like it."

Here's what I've decided.  There are many times in our lives when we don't feel like doing something we know we should do.  My kids could use that excuse every day for at least 10 things I tell them to do. Would I let them away with that excuse?  Absolutely not!!  I'm not letting myself use that excuse either.  It doesn't matter whether I feel like it or not.  I'm tired, but that will be lessened if I exercise.  I will also benefit from my exercise by working off some of the extra points that I ate yesterday at a picnic.  I will also feel like taking care of my eating habits at the birthday party we are attending tonight because of that workout I did in the afternoon.  I know the results so no matter what I feel like doing, I will get over myself and do it anyway.

By the way, the pictures of my smiling monkey, Samuel, in this post is showing you just how tired he looks today after a terrible night's sleep;)  Don't those active legs and big smile look painfully tired?  Where does all of that energy come from?

Off to do my workout.

Have a great day,

Corinna

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." -Matthew 11:28-30

Tips for Tracking Food When Eating Out

I have told you in the past how important it is for me to track my food.  I really believe that if you want to lose weight or eat healthier that you need to track your food at some point during that journey.  For some I know, they have been able to track for a certain period of time and then keep the weight off and eat healthy without tracking anymore.  That is not me!  I will be tracking for the rest of my life but that little "bother" will be well worth it to keep off the 65 pounds that I have lost.

One of the hardest times to track is when I am not eating at home.  At home, I track on my computer or my tablet.  I love my tablet for tracking.  My mom gave it to me and Bryan for our birthdays and I have hogged it most of the time.  We have wireless in the house and WW has a free app for tracking if you are a member. If I am going somewhere that I can access free wi-fi I can track on my tablet but that's not always the case. Here are some things that I do to track my food when I'm not at home.

1. I always keep a WW tracker in my purse with a pen so I can write it all down if I eat when I'm not at home. It may seem strange at first but it will become habit and no big deal soon.  I have no problem pulling it out and putting it on the table even in a restaurant. I don't care what anyone thinks about me tracking my food and have never been chastised for it.

2. I don't have a smart phone but my phone has a notepad on it.  I make a notepad entry with everything I've eaten on some of my trips out. I even include estimates on portion sizes.  If I know I am running low on points, I also estimate the points so I am sure not to go over. I just look at it when I get to my computer or tablet and enter everything then.  Just knowing that I am keeping track makes me eat less even if I don't know the exact points of what I am eating.

3. If your phone has a camera, you can take a picture of your plate.  I have rarely done this but have talked to many people who have. I find it easier to take notes but I know others love this technique.

4. I am in the habit of always checking how many points I have left before I leave the house if I am going to eat elsewhere.  That way I know just where I stand.

5. Sometimes I keep track with pennies.  I know that sounds silly but it works.  Last night Bryan and I went to State Fair with the kids and some friends.  I was wearing shorts with pockets.  We have a large family so we packed some sandwiches, fruits, veggies, water and treats.  We knew we would have some treats at the fair but can't afford to feed our bottomless pits entire meals and snacks at the Wisconsin State Fair.  My daughter, Gabriella, made my sandwich while I was packing all of the extras for everyone else.  I told her exactly what I wanted and then tracked it knowing that I would eat it.  I then looked at how many PointsPlus Values I had left for the day and put that many pennies in my right pocket.  Then, as we ate things at the fair, I would transfer the pennies one at a time from my right pocket to my left pocket.  When I was out of pennies in my right pocket, I knew I was done eating or the day.  To make it easier I calculated the PPV's to the treats I had packed and wrote the number on the package so I knew exactly how many PPV's I had eaten of those treats.  The Wisconsin State Fair treats that I ate, I estimated the PPV.  This was not the first time I've used this method.  I've used it several times over the years and it works for me.

I hope these tips help you while you are eating out.  Pick what's comfortable for you and use it. Use more than one method or come up with your own.  Feel free to share your own here too.

Have a great day,

Corinna

"Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observed the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God." -Romans 14:5-6

Another Change

In my last post I told you about one of the changes in my life that could effect my weight control.  I have another change in my life that is changing my lifestyle.  Bryan got a new job!

This is a wonderful change in our lives.  We are thrilled about it. For the past 14 years he worked for WTMJ Radio.  It was a job that he loved but over the past couple of years we knew it was a job that God was calling him away from.  Two years ago he got a part-time job at our church as the youth minister so has been working full-time for WTMJ and part-time for Good Shepherd Catholic Church.  This was a minimum 65 hour work week for Bryan each week.  Although he loved both jobs he knew he couldn't do it forever.

Three weeks ago he quit his job at WTMJ to work for the church full-time.  He is now the part-time youth minister for 2 different churches which adds up to one full-time job with benefits.  We are very excited!  He will still be working about 53 hours per week but that's much easier than the 65 he had worked previously. He is also working on one business instead of 2 so he can spend all of his energy on one focus.  It has been a whirlwind of changes for us. Two days after his last day at WTMJ, he left for youth work camp in Michigan with one church.  He was gone for 6 days, came home for 1 day and then left for youth work camp with the other church.  He was gone for 6 days again.

That left me to keep things going around home all by myself.  I ate too much.  It wasn't due to stress.  It was due to the fact that I'm used to having Bryan around to help keep me in check.  I didn't realize how helpful he was when I was tempted to eat too much. I am grateful to have him back home.  Even though we both struggle with our weight, we are a good balance for each other.  We help each other out by being good examples to each other and reminding each other not too have another helping or have any cookies at all.

The following week Bryan was home much more than usual.  With all of the extra hours he had been working for both churches, he needed to take some comp time off.  It was great having him home.  We started a new routine.  We went for a walk each morning. It was wonderful.  We pushed Sammy in the stroller so he was happy and we got some much needed exercise.  I look forward to many years of walks with my husband.

This week he started working for both churches with a normal schedule.  It's going to be an adjustment for us.  I am going to love having him home more and going on our walks but I realize that whenever I have changes in my life, it changes my routine enough to mess with my eating and exercise habits too. I need to watch myself very carefully.  I have put on a few pounds over the last few weeks and I have to get that under control before it controls me.

Stay tuned.  I have more changes to come.....

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

The Changes of Life and Healthy Living

My life has encountered changes recently.  In my past experiences, I have come to realize that when my daily life changes, my healthy living changes too. Since I am now aware of that pattern I am going to try not to let these changes change the fact that I take care of myself.

I am only going to discuss one of those changes with you today and save the rest for another blog soon. That change is that I turned 40. Not a week goes by that I don't see a commercial, hear an advertisement or read a magazine cover that mentions the fact that it's harder to lose weight or keep weight off after 40.  I can't help but wonder what that means for me.  Does that mean that those pesky 3 pounds that I have yet to lose from Samuel's pregnancy will never come off because I didn't lose them before the magic age of 40? Does that mean that those stubborn 5 pounds that I keep gaining and losing over and over again for the past 2 years will only attach themselves permanently to my thighs and never let go?

I take pride in the fact that age has never really bothered me.  I don't color my hair.  I realize that someday that may mean that I look 10 or 20 years older than other women my age but it's just not something I can ever see myself doing. I don't mind if my hair looks my age as long I as I feel as good as I can.

I don't feel old.  Turning 40 was just a fun milestone. It didn't mean that I was suddenly old or halfway done with my life.  If I'm going to live a long life, I need to turn 40 at some point so I guess this point is the time that it happens.  That truly is okay with me.

My main concern is that if my body starts doing strange things it will make it harder for me to maintain my healthy lifestyle.  So far, I feel great.  I can't complain.

So my strategy for dealing with this change is to take it in stride but to be conscience of it at the same time.  I don't want to ignore that fact that a woman's body may go through changes at 40 or soon after. I may need fewer calories. I may have to workout harder. I may have to find different workouts all together.  Since I've only been 40 for a whopping 12 days I have seen none of these effects but I want to be mindful that I don't let this change to unnoticed.  I noticed the change in my age.  I am going to be aware of the effects and be ready to battle them with the energy of a 30 year old but the knowledge of a 40 year old!

Have a great day, no matter how old you are,
Corinna

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city. The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is the Lord's alone." -Proverbs 16:31-33

Celebrating our Freedom

My big kids getting ready to ride their bikes and scooters in our local 2011 parade.

Today we begin our celebrations for Independence Day.  In our family, we have some great, regular traditions.

Every July 3rd my family goes to a Fourth of July parade with some friends and then stays afterwards to watch fireworks.  Then we follow up our celebrations on the 4th by getting up early to walk or ride in our local parade to a park.  We participate in the games and fun at the park and head home after a couple of hours.  Next we pack up the car to go to my in-laws house  for a picnic and social time with family.  As evening approaches we load it up and drive to another suburb to picnic and watch fireworks with some good friends.  We go home late and tired on the night of the 4th but always have lots of fun.  This has been our pattern for several years.

I know it sounds like a lot of food and celebrating but the nice part is that we have done this for years.  I know exactly what I am going to encounter.  I can plan for it.  I can decide right now what I am going to eat and what I will politely turn down.

On Independence Day we celebrate our freedom and I would like to include my freedom from food.  Food does not have to have a hold on me.  I can say yes or no to benefit me. On this holiday I want to exercise my freedom by saying no to the foods that are not good for me and eating what will be good for me.  Thinking ahead, I know that I will encounter snacks at the parade and fireworks this evening.  I truly have no plans to eat any of them. I am going to get a good, healthy dinner on the way to the parade and then eat it while waiting for it to start.  I'm not sure what yet, but I'm thinking either salad or sub sandwich.  I will decide what I am having before I leave the house and fit it into my points accordingly. I have tracked my food so far today so I will know exactly how many points I have to spend.  I will bring my water for my drink.  I don't need any alcohol and rarely drink soda.  I will enjoy my dinner and then bring some fruit to snack on. I already purchased snacks for my kids and none of them will call to me.  I don't forecast any difficulty in bypassing them.

Tomorrow, we will encounter ice cream at the park when we finish marching in our little, local parade.  I will plan on having that ice cream.  It's always a nice treat after walking 2 miles.  It's just a little bit so it wont even cost me much. I will bring along a healthy snack to eat while the kids are eating all of the candy that they win on their little games.  Right now, I'm thinking a hard boiled egg and some blueberries.  I'm glad I'm working it out in my head now so I can boil the eggs today and have them ready for the mad dash in the morning.

We will then eat at my in-laws for lunch.  I will eat a burger with no bun and a side or two.  I am bringing the fruit so I know it will be there for me.  After a few hours we will be off to watch fireworks with some friends.  I know that they will have grilled meats available.  Depending on how much I ate at my in-laws, I may have a piece of meat.  I am bringing the veggies to share so I can always snack on them.  I will need to track my points today to keep myself on target or I know I will get out of control fast.  My friend always makes rice krispie treats so depending on what I feel like eating I may have one of those instead of the meat.  It is a day to celebrate so there is nothing wrong with eating a little celebration food.

The trick is to stop from eating too many celebration foods.  I always need to remember that it is good to have a limit.  Today is my birthday.  I feel a little strange publicizing that but I have a point.  Yesterday Bryan asked me what I wanted for dinner today.  He has to work all day and is going to meet me and the kids at the parade.  He offered to pick up my birthday dinner.  I told him that even if it doesn't sound exciting, what I really want is to eat a healthy dinner for my birthday.  After all, it's a day to celebrate me so I want to take care of myself.  I don't need any cake or, dare I say, ice cream.  I just want to feel good when my birthday comes to an end.  I feel the same way about my Fourth of July celebrations too.

Happy Fourth and have a great day,

Corinna

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." -2 Corinthians 3:17

Summer is here. Are you still being healthy?

Summer brings new challenges.  My summer has been challenging for me thus far and I'm sure you have faced some of the same challenges.  I want to discuss how to handle these challenges before our summer is gone. (Can you believe next week is July 4th already?)

I have been challenged by parties.  There have been parties like crazy in my life......birthdays, graduations, baptisms, celebrations, memorials.  Parties abound in much of our life. We are people who like to celebrate and we like to celebrate with food, good food.  Being surrounded by this food at these many gatherings gives me some major stress.  I would think that after the many years of being on this healthy life journey that making healthy choices at parties would be second nature.  Apparently not. My nature is to eat anything with chocolate on it and sugar in it.  I have to fight with nature.

These are the teddy bear cupcakes I made for my niece's birthday......mmmm, chocolate.

As I have made myself aware of these many parties during this time in my life I have asked myself how I should handle it.  I have come up with a couple of choices. I could just forget healthy eating for those days and eat anything I want or I could do my best to make healthy eating choices.  The latter doesn't seem nearly as much fun but in hindsight, it's a lot better than taking the abuse that I put myself through after eating everything that includes sugar or chocolate at the party.  Paying the consequences is never fun.  Since I want the celebration experience to be fun in every way, I need to listen to my inner voice that tells me no when I am standing in front of the chocolate iced brownies as big a my 2-year-old's open hand.

Parties, cookouts, get-togethers and celebrations are a part of summer.  It's a great, fun part of summer. It's a part of summer I want to partake in but don't want to gain the weight from my poor choices.  When summer started just a few weeks ago I weighed in at the my lowest weight in almost 3 years.  I need to remind myself that the ice cream sundae just isn't worth giving  up all of that success.

This weekend alone, I have 3 celebrations to attend.  On Friday afternoon I will be celebrating the end of our Matthew 25 Local Work Camp a our parish. Bryan, I and our team of volunteers have worked very hard all year to plan this work camp and on Friday it will be over.  We will have tacos, chips, salads, sides and ice cream sandwiches to celebrate a successful week.  I will be helping to serve this lunch celebration so I need to keep myself busy so I eat very little.  I also need to remember that when it is all done, I should not wind down with some food in my hand or it will find it's way to my thighs instead.

On Saturday, we are gathering at my brother's house for our annual birthday party and cookout.  My husband, 2 brothers, 1 sister-in-law and myself all have our birthdays in June and July so we celebrate all of them this Saturday with my mom and some friends.  Food will abound.  Thankfully, my brother who is hosting the party is a health nut so I will have some healthy choices.  It's going to be up to me though to eat those choices in small portions as well as stay away from the unhealthy stuff.

On Sunday, we are partying yet again at my dad's house.  This is our annual birthday party with my dad where we include my step-mom's birthday, my dad's birthday and any other holiday we haven't celebrated lately.  I am going to bring a fruit salad to make sure I have that healthy choice available.

My point here is not to tell you my every move over this weekend or any other gathering that I attend but to prove that parties are part of life.  We need to plan for them.  We need to acknowledge them.  We may even need to eat at them.  We cannot chose to let ourselves go at every party.  As tempting as it is, I know that I would be in a world of hurt if I did.  I would be putting myself back into a situation that I have worked so hard to get out.  I would also be doing myself very little good for the next party I have to attend.  Afterall, summer has just begun.

Enjoy your summer. Party it up, but do it wisely.  You will have yourself to answer to when it is all said and done.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me." -Psalm 51:2-4

My Weight Loss Progress

Wow!  It's been a long time since I've posted.  Life has just been so busy.  I am still in a busy time with life but I wanted to take a few short minutes to let you know how I've been doing the past few weeks.

I've had many successes that I could tell you about.......and, of course, a few moments of indiscretion.  Let's start with the successes.  Last week, I lost 2.4 pounds, the previous week was a .8 loss and the one before that was a .2 loss.  I also lost the week before that 4.0 pounds.  That gives me a fabulous total of 7.4 pounds in 5 weeks.  That's one hot total as far as I'm concerned.  In fact, until now, I didn't even know that. On the .2 and .8 week I just told myself to keep up the good work and it would eventually add up to something substantial.  Until now, I hadn't taken the time to do the math.

Last Friday was a momentous weigh-in for me.  It brought me to my lowest weight since having Samuel almost 2 years ago.  It's hard to believe that I have been fighting this battle for 2 years but the ups and downs have all taught my valuable lessons.  I finally feel like I am willing to give it my all, no matter what. I finally feel like I can stay away from the food that I just don't need to eat.

For example, Bryan and I went out to dinner with some friends a couple of weeks ago.  I ate a fairly normal day's food with saving just a few extra points for our dinner out.  I drank water with lemon.  I rarely need alcohol to enjoy an evening out.  I ordered the baked fish even though it was one of the few healthy options on the menu.  I ordered a salad even though it wasn't included in the dinner.  I asked if the meal came with any vegetables and when the waiter said no, I knew I needed some veggies.  I picked all of the croutons off of my salad.  In the past I would have eaten some or all of them and was surprised to see the 1/2 of a cup of croutons piled on my side plate.  That saved me some major calories. I only had 1/8 of the dressing that came with my salad and asked for low-fat.  I took the sour cream cup right off of my plate when it came. My  baked potato was just as good without it.  I enjoyed the company and my meal.  I even took 1/2 of my fish home because the portion was so large.  I left feeling so fulfilled.  I knew I had done right by my body and my mind.

I'll save some of my other victories for another time.  This week has been a little stressful and tiring for me and I have found myself eating too much because of those emotions.  I am glad to say that today I have put myself in check but the 3 days previous were the worst eating days that I have had in a month and a half.  The scale wont be in my favor too much on Friday but I am willing to go to the meeting to see the results of my choices.

I hope you are all doing well.  Thanks for all of the kind words in the comments and emails.

Corinna

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty of hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:12-13

Too Busy to Keep it Healthy?

This is a busy time of year for many of us.  I know that my life has been busy.  This past week was especially crazy.  Two of my sons are in Little League so we typically have at least 4 baseball games per week to attend.  My daughter and one of my other sons take dance classes.  Bryan and I volunteer in numerous ways for our church.  Bryan works a minimum of 65 hours per week plus travel time between his two jobs.  Life is just plain busy.

When people come to my house and see my calendar hanging on the wall I get teased regularly.  First of all, I have a calendar that was given to us by our church so it lists Holy Days and such.  People regularly tell me that I should get a calendar without all of that stuff on it so I have more room for our family activities - they may be right.  Then people just question me about the possibility that we can actually do all that is written on our calendar.  Somehow it all gets done.  Thank God for my family.  Last Monday, my brother took Ethan to his baseball game while I took Josiah to dance class.  Bryan had a meeting at church. Last Friday we had so many activities going on that I had to ask my mom to help get Josiah and Gabriella to their dance recital.  Then on Saturday, she was on duty again to get Jason to his baseball game and then to meet us at the next dance recital.  There is no way I could have handled the week without my family.  We had a flower deliver day to handle at church for youth work camp.  We had to get Josiah and Gabriella to their dance recital. We had to go to mass so I could sing and Bryan could read.  We had to teach GOF (Christian Formation classes) after mass.  That was just our schedule for Saturday.  I wont bore you with the details from Friday and Sunday.  Sunday evening, when we finally got home, we were exhausted.  Bryan had collapsed on the couch sleeping before I had even gotten all the way into the house.

On a week or weekend like that, the first thing that usually goes out the door is our healthy lifestyle.  I knew I had a busy week.  I had to plan how to get everyone to and from their activities.  If I could plan those details, I could certainly plan my healthy living details too, right?  Actually, I amazed myself by doing quite well.  These weekends are usually tricky for me.  Why?  Not only are we so busy that I don't want to take the extra few moments to track but I am physically tired and when I am physically tired, I like to eat.  It's comforting to me.  I have been doing so well with my healthy living that I really didn't want to mess things up due to our busy lifestyle.  After all, I have 5 children. Our youngest is almost 2.  I am going to have many more years of a busy lifestyle.  If I can learn how to work my busy lifestyle into my healthy lifestyle, then I will find life much easier in the years to come.

Here are a few things I did right this past weekend:

*I tracked it all.  No matter what I ate, I tracked it.  Sometimes I didn't track it until later, but I tracked it.
*I stayed away from the most of the processed carbohydrates. For example, on Saturday morning we had muffins, donuts, juice and fruit for the work camp youth and adults to eat while working with the flowers.  I only at the fruit.  I brought some yogurt with me.  I never found time to eat the yogurt.
*I drank my water. I carried my water bottle with me to every event and drank it as soon as I found myself hungry.  It helped quench my thirst and my hunger.
*I still let myself have some fun stuff, but in moderation.  Saturday evening was our GOF at church.  This was started with a meal.  Sub sandwiches were being served.  I've been eating little to no bread these days.  I had barely eaten a thing all day so a turkey sub sandwich with no mayo and piled with veggies was not going to hurt me.  It hit the spot.  It was delicious.  With the subs was chips, fruit and yogurt.  I passed on the chips. I ate the fruit and yogurt.  An hour after dinner was a sundae bar.  I had a small bowl of ice cream.  Topped only with a little chocolate syrup and some fruit.  I passed on the jimmies, nuts and whipped cream. If  was going to have ice cream I wanted to enjoy it.  Chocolate syrup was a must to enjoy it properly;)
*I didn't let tired get in the way of a healthy day.  Often when we have these busy weekends. I find myself eating too much on Sunday morning.  On Sunday morning we ate at church again.  I didn't have any french toast sticks although they looked good.  I like carbs when I am tired but knew that if I started, I would find it hard to stop.  So I just didn't start.  I ate a hard boiled egg, some fruit and a yogurt.
*Ham and rolls are so yummy on Sunday afternoons but I kept it to only one.  When we stopped for our ham and rolls like we do many Sundays, I also picked up a bag of baby carrots.  When I was tempted to have a second sandwich, I ate carrots instead.
*I paid attention to my hunger signals.  I asked myself over and over when I was tempted to eat if I was really hungry.  Most of the time the answer was no.  If that was the case, I didn't eat.

On Friday, I will weigh-in.  I don't know if I will lose anything at all this week.  Last week, I lost .2 pounds.  If I lose .2 again, I will be happy. I stuck to my daily points and my weekly points so I should probably lose a pound or more but the number doesn't matter at all to me this week.  I'm proud of myself for navigating so well this week.  If it doesn't pay off on the scale, it's already paid off in my mind and in my body.  I feel great!!

Have a great day,
Corinna

Mother's Day, Father's Day, Graduations, Oh My!!

Happy Mother's Day (a few days late).

This is the time of the year where I feel that celebrations abound and they evolve around food.  This past Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day. We had a great Mother's Day celebration in my family. We went away for the weekend with my mom, my brothers and their families.  It was a great time.

As we were making the plans for the weekend we found it necessary to include plans for food.  Thankfully, we were going to a home where we had access to a kitchen and could bring our own food.  I find pre-planning so important in these instances. We divided up the meals and each brought food for our assigned meals.  I brought foods that I thought would be fun for everyone to eat but also would be friendly for me to eat when watching my carbs and points.  I also brought plenty of fruits and veggies to snack on.

I enjoyed a conversation with my mom before the trip where we shared our current weight and diet struggles and triumphs. It helped me to know that my mom shared some of my goals for the weekend.  It helped me to know that she wasn't expecting to eat a bunch of junk during our fun weekend and I wouldn't be ruining anyone else's weekend by bringing my healthy foods.  It would actually enhance her weekend to know that she had healthy choices.

Overall, the weekend went well.  On Friday I stuck to my points and stayed away from processed carbohydrates like I have been in my daily life. It was pretty easy to do since we didn't get to the cabin until dinner time.  On Saturday, I ate some things I wouldn't normally eat.  My brother and niece made french toast and sausage for breakfast. I ate just a little.  The rest of the day I let myself indulge a bit here a there.  I ate chips that I wouldn't normally eat.  I ate some homemade strawberry rhubarb cake.  I ended the day eating more than I would have on a usual day but not stuffed.  I did not track on Saturday.

On Sunday, I knew that I would have a great Mother's Day if I remembered to take care of myself.  I ate small portions and tracked them. I was careful for lunch to avoid the bread that came with my salad and didn't eat even one tortilla chip that everyone else was eating from the middle of the table.  I knew that it was Mother's Day and I could use that as an excuse to have more than I wanted but knew that I would regret it later. I enjoyed my healthy salad and worked it into my day.  On our drive home we found ourselves with some extra time to kill before going to mass in the evening.  Bryan suggested that we stop at Kopp's for frozen custard.  I knew that Kopp's would put me over my budget a little for the day but I also knew that I had purposely saved some points knowing that we are a family who likes our dessert on special occasions.  I enjoyed my mother's day custard.  I also enjoyed knowing that I burned lots of calories on our 2 hikes over the weekend.  The activity of the weekend would help me earn that yummy frozen yogurt.

Here is Sammy and me on one of our hikes.  It was fabulous that my family was willing to get so active on a vacation together. It was cold and windy this day but we still kept hiking.

I lost 4 pounds last week at my weigh-in.  I know that I will not lose 4 pounds this week.  I may not even lose 1.  I indulged a little but I feel good about it. I didn't take any of it to excess. I will be okay if I lose a small amount this week or even maintain.  Some occasions call for maintenance.

This has got me thinking about the other occasions coming up.  As I look at my calendar I can see how busy it is.  We will be eating dinner at church this weekend one night. We will be eating breakfast out one morning. We are going out to dinner with some friends next week.  Those are not occasions where I have to let things go.  I can eat just enough to have a great time but not ruin my hard work thus far.  The next week we have a birthday/graduation party to go to.  The following week will be Samuel's birthday, Bryan's birthday and a party to celebrate Gabriella's birthday too.  Next will be Father's Day.  Then we have another graduation party.  Do you get where I am going here?  This is the season for many parties, many occasions, many celebrations and much food.  If we use every single one of those occasions as an excuse for overdoing things we will find ourselves gaining weight and being unhealthy.

Look at your calendar. Does every occasion warrant too much food or can you eat normally for some of the occasions and just have a bit more for others?  Which occasions will be maintenance weeks and which ones will still be lose weight weeks?  Think ahead. Plan ahead.  It can make all the difference.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth." -Psalm 139:13-15

To Each His or Her Own

Ethan's First Communion was 2 weeks ago.  This was the cake that I  made.  That was before I temporarily gave up sweets and processed carbs.  Over the past weekend I had 3 opportunities to eat cake.  Each time I happily said, "No, thank you."

Next time you are shopping, browse the check-out stand for magazines.  Most likely you will find a weight loss or healthy living article advertised on the front of 80% of those magazines.  As if that's not amazing enough, if you read each of them, they will probably each have a different way for you to eat or live to stay or get healthy.  There are so many books, magazines, plans, styles and theories out there to lose weight and stay healthy.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming.

On Monday, I found myself in a few different conversations with some friends of mine from my home school group over the period of a few hours. I'm not sure why I happened to find myself in these conversations.  I didn't start any of them. Maybe it's the weather in Wisconsin that has us all thinking about getting healthy. Or maybe it's because some of them know of my plights with my weight over the years.  Maybe some of them read my blog.  I'm not exactly sure.  Anyway, since this is a topic near and dear to my heart I found myself engaged in all of the conversations that I happened to be in at different times of the morning.

After leaving the gym class for the morning the conversations rung in my head.  There was a different topic and a different tone to each one of them.  One of them involved different exercise forms that people have been trying lately.  Pilates versus yoga came up.  One of them involved going to exercise classes versus exercising on your own.  Which one of them works for you?  Another conversation included a book recommendation for a healthy eating plan.  That conversation went in many directions with all participants giving their ideas for healthy eating plans and their book or plan recommendations too.

What fascinated me the most of this busy morning was how many different ideas people were trying or planning to try to lose weight, tone up, stay healthy or get healthy.  All of these conversations happened to be with women and each one of these wonderful women had different ideas for their lifestyle.  I could have left the building that day frustrated with the fact that they all didn't prescribe to my thoughts on healthy eating and exercise but I didn't.  Over the past several years that I have been on this journey I have seen many friends and family living their version of a healthy life.  In my past thinking I would have thought, why don't they just do it this way?  Don't they know how much sense this makes and how well it works?  I don't think that way anymore.  I have seen many different ways work well for other people.  As I get older I realize that everyone has a way that works for them or that feels comfortable for them.

If you choose not too eat bananas, that's okay.  That's what works for you and what feels comfortable to you. I may or may not choose to join you in that venture and that's okay for me.  I love hearing about all of the different ideas.  They resonate in my head whether I try them or not.  A friend of mine who reads this blog suggested a low-carb diet to me months ago.  At the time, I had no interest.  What I was doing at that time was what I wanted to do.  Now, months later I find myself on a low-carb diet.  I'm enjoying it and it's working for me.  I'm glad she shared it with me but didn't push me to do something that I wasn't comfortable with at the time. I share it here on this blog not to make everyone reading it do what I am doing but to make others aware of yet another strategy to lose weight and stay healthy.  You may chose to join me in my journey or try what works for you instead.

We don't all have to do the exact same thing.  What we have to do is what feels right to us.  I would encourage you today to ask yourself what feels right?  Should you give up all carbs?  Should you give up only processed carbs?  Should you give them up permanently or just for a time?  Should you keep eating what you want, when you want?  Should you track your points or calories?  Should you exercise every day or every other day?  What is right for you?  Figure out what it is an do it.  Own it.  Feel good about it.  Take care of yourself and your family.

Have a great day,

Corinna

"By contrast, the fruit of he Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." -Galatians 5:22-24

Getting Creative with Healthy Foods

This is a great, healthy way to satisfy the sweet craving with fresh strawberries topped with fat-free chocolate pudding. Yum!!

I told you yesterday how I have been changing my choices in my foods.  I have been steering away from processed carbohydrates and sweets but towards fruits, vegetables, lean dairy and lean proteins.

In doing this I have come to realize that I need more options for meals and snacks in my life.  I try pretty hard to keep my dinners fresh and different. I use my many Weight Watchers and Light and Tasty cookbooks to help me do this.  My challenging areas are snacks, breakfasts and lunches.

I need some more protein options in my day.  I become bored easily with eating the same foods day after day so it's time to start getting more creative.  I realized that one of the reasons that I was probably eating so many carbs and sweets is because I didn't have many good choices of the other foods to turn to in my house.  I know that is only one of the reasons but having more choices will help me make healthier choices going forward.

Here's a look at the things I regularly eat:
dairy-
greek yogurt (because of the extra protein it contains I kind of count it as a protein too)
light string cheese
low-fat cheese
fat-free pudding

protein-
chicken
ground turkey
ground 95% lean ground beef
pork
fish
Many of these proteins are eaten in my dinners.  I have found myself needing some more options for snacks. One idea I had recently is fat-free re-fried beans with celery.  I'm not a celery fan unless it's got something good to dip it in.  This is a great way to get in my veggies and protein for few pointsplus values.
turkey or chicken lunchmeat (for a snack I love to take 3 pieces and wrap them around 3 sections peeled off of a string cheese. It's low in points, healthy and filling)
almonds
canned tuna (this is one of those proteins that I love to eat but often forget that it's there in the cupboard.  I need to make sure that I always have it on hand and eat it for a snack or meal. Yesterday I had some of it on top of my bowl of hot, steamed, seasoned veggies.  It made a great lunch with no mayo or bread involved.
eggs
turkey breakfast sausage - these are a staple in my house. They microwave easy and taste better than any pork sausage.

Vegetables-
I will eat any vegetable.  I even choke down brussel sprouts if they are being served.;)
carrots - cooked or raw
tomatoes
asparagus
bell peppers
cucumber
lettuce
In the morning I like to saute some fresh veggies in olive oil and then pour my scrambled egg mixture over it to cook.  This is a very filling breakfast.  It takes some time but is worth it.
boxed frozen vegetables - I love to buy the Green Giant boxes of veggies. My favorite is green beans with almonds.

Fruit-
Again, I will eat any fruit.  I go shopping for fresh fruit at least 2 times per week.  My family eats so much of it that I can't fit it all in the fridge if I buy enough for the whole week.
bananas - I have 2 every morning
apples
strawberries - my absolute favorite fruit
blueberries - a close second place
pears
mangos - I slice these up and enjoy them slowly.  My kids peel off the skin and then eat them like an apple.
grapes
pineapple
melon

What I need now is some new ideas.  What proteins, fruits, vegetables and dairy do you eat?  What are your creative breakfast, lunches and snacks?

Share them in the comment section so we can all learn from each other. You don't have to leave your name if you don't want to.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze..." -Exodus 35:31-32

Living the Healthy Life

Today I heard a great story on the radio. It was about a man who had lost hundreds of pounds in a short amount of time with "good old fashioned diet and exercise."  I love how people say that.  What I like about WW is that it is just "good old fashioned diet and exercise" that you can quantify.  Although I chuckled when the reporter made it know that this man used no fad diet to lose his weight, I understood and appreciated the story.

Today's story wasn't just about the fact that the man lost hundreds of pounds but about the fact that he kept it off by changing his lifestyle forever.  This is a statement that has been ringing in my ears lately.  I pride myself on the fact that I have changed my lifestyle and that's how I have kept this 60 pounds off.  I'm still struggling with that last 6-10 pounds but the fact that I have changed my lifestyle has made it doable.

One thing I heard in this story struck me.  The man has changed his lifestyle in a way that he can keep his weight off by staying away from things like cake.  It's just something that he doesn't have anymore.  In the past, this is something that I have disagreed with.  I have told myself that I can have anything as long as I don't have too much, too often.  There is the problem.  I have been having too much, too often.  That's why those last pounds just wont budge.  It's because I wont budge about what I am eating.

This story brought together for me a concept that has been on my mind the past couple of weeks. I think that I am in a time in my journey where I need to make some things off limits on a daily basis.  I've always disagreed with that strategy when it comes to healthy living but I now wonder if it may be a helpful attitude.

For example, when I heard that this man no longer eats cake, I thought, big deal.  I could easily live without cake.  It's not one of my favorite foods that I have to have. Hmmmmm.....so why haven't I stayed away from it?  Why do I keep spending my much coveted points on it?

I have recently fought with carbs and sweets.  It's to the point where it's out of control.  So I decided to cut them out for a while.  Now, I'm not cutting them out forever.  They just need to be off limits for a while so I can get myself under control.

I have had no bread for 3 days now.  I don't even miss it.  I have had no sweets for 3 days now.........I DON'T EVEN MISS IT!!!! It's amazing to me that I could cut those things out and still enjoy my daily life.  I have always thought that those foods needed to be part of my life for me enjoy life.  My life is much more meaningful than what I put in my mouth.  I have so much more to love about my life for me to look at food like it so important to my happiness.  It's time for an change in my thinking.

I am continuing to count my points and stick to my daily budget but I am finding that I am so fulfilled by the foods that I am eating that I have not craved the foods that I have temporarily taken out of my diet.  I realize that it has only been 3 days but I am looking forward to the new me who no longer needs certain foods to thing her life is now happy.

Have a great day,

Corinna

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, 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 renewal of your mind, that by testing you will discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." -Romans 12:1-2

Vacation Plans for Healthy Eating

I promised some detail in my last post so here it is.  I am currently in Door County, WI for a little get away with Bryan.  I am returning to life with 5 children tomorrow so it's time to type one last blog while I still have a little extra time in my days.

I shared with you in my last blog my first vacation tip. Here are some more ideas from my trip.

I tracked everything I ate on this trip.  If that sounds like it could ruin a vacation, it really had no impact other than the fact that I ate fewer calories and eating fewer calories only made my trip better. I didn't look up everything that I didn't know points for.  Instead I estimated.  If I got the points slightly wrong, it was okay.  Tracking it made a difference in my intake, plain and simple.

I got in lots of activity.  We hiked through Peninsula State Park.  We picked the long trail when we had the chance.  I took advantage of the fact that Bryan loves to hike.  It was a great time together and it didn't include any food.  We got to talk and spend some quiet time with nature.  It was fabulous.

I got in even more activity.  The condo we are staying in has an exercise room in another building on the grounds.  I love that part about traveling.  Even though we have stayed active when we are not at the condo, I have made it a point to get extra activity on the treadmill, bike or elliptical.  Even though this is a vacation for Bryan and I to spend some time together we have enjoyed giving each other some time alone too.  Bryan has had no interest in the exercise room but has been understanding of my need to go there.  It's been fun to get a different kind of exercise into my day than I am used to at home.

We have kept ourselves busy. The picture in this post was one of the sights we saw today.  We live very frugally so we don't spend a lot of money on outings.  We visited the Cathedral in Green Bay today for free. It was gorgeous and we got in more activity exploring it.  If we don't keep busy we will sit in front of the TV and eat.  We have done a little bit of TV time each day but not in excess - just enough to veg out.

I have kept Bryan informed.  Bryan is not counting my points so I can't depend on him to make healthy choices for me.  I shared with him my struggle so he could be aware and help me but I have to take most of the responsibility on myself. I have told him when I am almost out of points. I have told him when I have had enough food or wine.  I have told him when I have regretted the choice that I made so he is aware that I don't want to do that again.

Have I been perfect on this vacation? No.  I don't expect perfection, but I have made great progress.  That's really all I can ask.

Have a great day and when the time come, have a great vacation.
Corinna

"The apostles returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves." -Mark 6:30-32

I'm on Vacation

Isn't that a gorgeous picture?!?  That is the beautiful sunset that I got to see the past two days.  I am on vacation with my husband, yes, just with Bryan.  We took a little vacation to Door County, WI.  My dad offered to watch my kids for a few days while we got away.  Bryan had 3 personal days left to take at his job so he used them to get away with me.  I am honored.

Before leaving I had to ask myself how this little vacation would impact my health and my weight.  First of all, I think this impacts my health positively because Bryan and I sure needed a break from our reality.  We are not a family who takes many vacations.  We are not a couple who takes a lot of time for us either.  It is good for my mental health to have some down time with Bryan.  We are not on a schedule.  We are doing what we want, when we want.  It's freeing.  I will go home a happier mommy.

After being excited about this vacation I had to look at it realistically.  I have been struggling with my food choices lately. Vacation is a time when I would often relax my healthy efforts.  Bryan and I like to eat.  That is something that is easy for us to, especially when we are focusing on having a relaxing time away.

On our way up north, (I know, we are among the few people in Wisconsin who would go to a colder climate in April for vacation) I had a conversation with Bryan.  I let it all out.  I told him all about my struggles.  I told him that I had a problem and that I needed to fix my relationship with food.  He listened well.  Then he said, "Honey, you don't have any more of a problem than anyone else.  Everyone feels that way."  I know he was just being supportive but I needed him to completely understand what I was saying.  I gave him specific examples of why I am not like everyone else.  I know there are people who struggle like I do, but it is certainly not everyone.  Not everyone will take the quart of ice cream out of the freezer and dig in with a spoon until it is half gone.  He was shocked when I told him that I can and have done that in my recent past.  He now knows how serious I am when I tell him that I need to work on it.

This was good for me to do before our vacation because we have now treated our vacation differently than we probably would have without that conversation.  We are doing good for our mental health by getting this time away, but it is important that we have not sacrificed our physical health as a result.

I'm still on vacation for another day. I'll post again later to give you some of the specific ways we have taken care of our health and well being.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  -John 8:32

I'm a Stress Eater!

For several years now I have know that I am a stress eater.  Before I joined Weight Watchers, I never thought about why I ate.  I just knew that I ate too much.  I just chalked it up to bad habits and a love of food. Then in my WW meetings the topic of why we eat would come up.  We would talk about emotional eating.  The first couple of times it was talked about I truly thought it didn't apply to me.  I didn't consider myself an emotional eater at all.  I really just thought I needed guidelines on what and how to eat.

After being a WW member for a longer amount of time I became more aware of the times that I ate and how much I ate.  I became aware of the fact that I am certainly an emotional eater.  I am very thankful to WW for helping me realize this and giving me tips and ideas to combat it.

I have also learned that in times of stress I need to think ahead.  I know that I have a stressful week ahead of me.  This Saturday my son, Ethan, will receive his First Holy Communion.  It's a very exciting time in our house.  This morning he insisted on baking bread for breakfast and breaking it just as Jesus did.  He's such a sweet boy with a sweet soul.  Even though this is an exciting and precious time, it can be very stressful for me as well.

As you well know, I have 5 kids. These 5 kids, as precious as they are, keep messing up my house!;)  It's a fact of life.  I don't send them to school.  I school them at home so they are always here to keep making a mess. It's something I have learned to live with.  I have come to terms with the fact that on a daily basis my house is never clean, my dishes are never done and my laundry always has a dirty pile.  If I don't come to terms with this I will drive myself crazy. When it comes to having a bunch of family members in my house for a party though I refuse to come to terms with a messy house.  This week is crunch time. I will be cleaning feverishly.  Then I will be grocery shopping.  Thankfully, my mom, mother-in-law, aunt and sister-in-law have all graciously offered to bring something so that will lighten my load with the food preparations.  My mom always comes to help with preparations too.  I will bake Ethan's cross cake though. That has become something very precious and special for me to do for each of my kids. Again, even though it is special, it will take time and add a little bit of stress.

I know right now that I need to plan ahead for this stress.  That way I will not grab for the stress food instead of following my plan.  This is my plan of attack:
-I will track every bite, lick and taste that I have all week.
-I will give myself a day off from tracking on Saturday for his First Communion.  I will not have a lot of time to overeat anyway.
-I will not use any of my extra weekly points during the week.  They will all be saved for the weekend.
-I will go to my WW meeting on Friday.  This will help me tremendously with accountability.
-I will have plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables handy for snacking when I want to do some stress eating.
-I will have easy, healthy meals planned for this week.  I know I will not have a lot of time for complicated cooking but I don't want to order out or eat pizza every night.
-I will take the time to exercise every morning before I start my busy days.  I will need the energy, stress relief, time to myself and calories burned.

I have a plan.  Now I'm off to execute it.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going way, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe." -John 14:27-29

Intensity Matters Too

I did my morning workout today.  I'm proud of myself because as I told you yesterday, I made poor choices the past couple of days and one of them was to skip my workout.  Today, I am back on course.  I love my morning workout.....after I have started it......and even more after I have finished it.

A couple of weeks ago, I changed my morning workout.  For 2 months I had been exercising in front of the morning news on TV by marching and using exercises from my WW magazine.  It was working for me.  I was working out for 60 minutes per day.  Two weeks ago I decided that I needed a change.  I pulled out my WW Punch it Up DVD and started it instead.  I needed the change the intensity of my workout.  I wasn't feeling the same results that I had been previously so I knew I needed to change something. I'm glad I changed the workout.  I love my Punch DVD.  Normally, when I start a different workout I start from the beginning level and work my way up but I felt good about my fitness level so I started at the advanced level. It's a 45 minute workout and I am out of breath and sweating when I am done.  It pushes me a little further than I would go on my own but not too far for my fitness level.

This has helped me in a few ways.  I am working a different set of muscles. I am following someone else so I push myself harder to keep up with them. The intensity is higher so I can get a better or comparable workout for less time.  I have saved myself 15 minutes and every minute counts in my life.

My workout today was fabulous.  I am so glad I got back to it before I had gotten myself into a slippery slope of laziness. Sometimes I need to push myself a little harder than I really want to but when it's all said and done I am so glad that I went that extra mile.

How is your exercise level?  Do you need to add time to your routine?  Do you need to add extra intensity to your routine?  Do you need to get a routine?  Don't do it all at once.  Work yourself up to where you need to be slowly so you don't hurt yourself but still keep your routine.

Have a great day,
Corinna

"I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to to share my distress." -Philippians 4:12-14

So Many Choices

I find myself thinking of the many, many choices that I have to make day in and day out.  I also find myself overwhelmed by them from time to time.  My current problem is that when I let myself get overwhelmed by them, I chose the wrong choice.

For the past 2 days, I made the wrong choice when it came to exercise.  I chose to skip my workout because I had so many other things that I wanted to accomplish before afternoon hit.  I have been so consistent with my exercise the past 2 months so it's very disappointing that I have let a poor choice dictate a new, poor routine.  I vow to you that tomorrow I will make a better choice when it comes to my morning workout.

This afternoon I am being given a choice.  I can choose to eat Chinese food to my fill with my dad and my family or I can chose to eat the veggie dish and eat it in a small portion.  I can choose to track that meal or choose to ignore tracking which will inevitably lead to overeating.  I am making a choice right now to do the right thing and now I've told not just myself but all of you.  Some days this choice would seem automatic but lately I have been overwhelmed by poor decisions and have let it take over my outlook.  It has made me tired, stressed,  feeling bloated and terrible.  Today I am making a choice to turn around my choices.

I am going to try to look at it as just once choice at a time.  One good choice will inevitably lead to another and before I know it I will be feeling healthy and alive again.  It's time for me to stop playing the part of the victim and realize that I have choices and the power to make them.  Just because my dad is choosing to bring Chinese to my house this afternoon doesn't mean that my entire day is out the window.  Just because there is ice cream in my freezer that happens to be a flavor I love, doesn't mean I have to eat it. I can let it sit there.  I can serve it to others in my house if they want it and not take part.  It would be a good choice.  It would be an empowering choice.  I need to make more empowering choices because I have stripped myself of that power that I used to hold to closely.

Here's to choices.  I'm going to make better ones.......one choice at a time.  The first one will be to publish this blog because I need help, accountability and strength.  This blog contributes to those things in my life.

Have a great day and make good choices.

Corinna

Lesson Learned

Happy Easter Everyone!

On Friday morning I attended my usual Weight Watchers meeting.  I was anxious to see how friendly the scale was going to be because I had one too many days of freedom last week.

I told you recently of my new strategy to lose weight with the balance of tracking and not tracking.  Last week I took my 2 days of no tracking to 3 days and it was a mistake.  I knew it would affect me on the scale and I didn't want that to happen so I came up with a plan to make up for my fatal mistake.  I shorted myself points each of the following 4 days to make up for the fact that I had overindulged for that extra day.  I found myself to be satisfied on Monday with a few less points to eat so I figured I would be able to eat even a little bit less on Tuesday and keep that pattern through Thursday so that when Friday morning came I would have lost all of the extra calories that I had eaten on Sunday.  On Tuesday I ate fewer points than Monday and fewer points than I am supposed to eat in a day.  I found myself to be pretty hungry so I bulked up on fruits and vegetables.  On Wednesday I ate fewer points again and found myself to be even hungrier but kept reminding myself that it would be worth it to stay even on the scale or even see a loss.  On Thursday, I couldn't wait for the day to be over.  I was again eating less and was hungrier than ever.  I scolded myself by telling myself that if I hadn't eaten so much on Sunday, I wouldn't have to be so hungry.

I weigh myself most days at home in the morning shortly after I wake up. I find it good for me.  It helps keep me in check. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the scale went down a little each of those mornings. It was telling me that my strategy was working and I would be able to pull off a normal weigh-in despite my lack in judgement on Sunday.

On Friday morning I woke up and weighed myself at home again. I had gained 2 pounds from the day before!!  Can you say backfire?  I had let myself be hungry day after day for 4 days in order to stay the same and I was going to gain weight.  I hoped that my scale was just acting up and the WW scale would tell the truth.  I went to my meeting.  The WW scale told the truth all right........the truth about my mistake of a week.  I gained 2.2 pounds.  It was a lesson learned.

What did I learn?  Many things.  First of all, I learned that I need to track 5 days per week.  On my 2 "no tracking days" I need to eat responsibly.  I also learned something that I have preached to other people many times, it doesn't work to eat less than you are supposed to eat. It is a recipe for disaster.  It confuses our body.  Our body doesn't know why it is not allowed to eat the proper calories.  Our body doesn't have the fuel in it to burn the calories properly unless we feed the fire.  It is not possible to eat all of the proper nutrients in a day if we short ourselves calories.  Our bodies need the proper nutrients to stay in proper working order.

After shorting myself calories for 4 days straight, I was so hungry that all I wanted to do was eat on Friday.  I resisted the temptation but it was hard.  I tracked on Friday because I had learned my lesson from my weigh-in.  I wanted some freedom from tracking on Saturday and Sunday because of Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday so this meant that Friday after my meeting I still needed to track and eat healthy. I gave myself back all of my normal points and ate them.  I was able to end the day without being overly hungry and it felt right.

On Saturday morning I weighed myself at home and I had lost 3 pounds overnight.  I had to laugh.  Was Friday just a fluke day?  Was I retained water?  Was God just teaching me a lesson?  Next week, will I lose the 2.2 pounds that I gained last week plus the pound that I should have lost?  I'm anxious to find out the answers to these questions.  I will eat my proper nutrition this week and do things the right way.  I hope the scale is kind to me on Friday but I'm up the challenge no matter what it says.

Have a great day,
Corinna