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