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