Reflections: on Movement

I grew up in a family of hard workers. We labored -- gardening, caring for animals, carrying in firewood, mowing. Both of my parents have physically active jobs/lives. As a child, I loved sports, playing outside, and dancing. It kept me active and made life enjoyable for me. But "exercise" felt like.. a punishment. I started running with my sister prior to my senior year in high school and kept running for track and then intermittently in college and into my 20s. I felt like cardio was good enough. I stayed out of the weight room because it felt "boring" and "wouldn't really get my heart rate up". These were my perceptions. Flash forward to *you guessed it* 2016 and I had three kids and wanted to be able to move and keep up, but didn't know where or how to start. I felt tired, running was sorta painful, and I didn't have hours of time on my hands. First habit? Balance 365 presented a walking challenge. So simple. Yet it changed my trajectory, again! 

May 2017 

 I had recently found out I was pregnant with child #4 and the last pregnancy had been rough. What could I do? Well, I could walk! And I did. And I just kept going. In the book "Built to Move" by Kelly and Juliet Starrett, which my sister gave me in 2023, Vital Sign 4 is entitled "Walk this Way" and is all about daily movement. They talk about how it may be good to put in a hard workout for 30 min. every day, but if you're sitting for the rest of the day, your body is going to deteriorate (my paraphrase). So I got a pedometer and aim for an average of 8,000 steps a day. Sometimes I bring my kids along on a walk if I know I need some extra steps for the day. Sometimes I go for an alone walk. I will often meet up with a friend to walk and talk. I park further from the door at stores and places I'm going. It all adds up to more overall movement. 

Walking is essential, I can see myself doing it the rest of my life. But I began to learn more about functional mobility and started to think more about my longevity and the fact that I want to be able to move well as I age. This led me to read Younger Next Year and start reading stories about people who were moving well late into life. They were consistently saying the same things: you have to move now if you want to move later. Strength training is crucial. It doesn't matter if you feel like it, just do it. So I started. 9Round served me well for a couple of years -- I loved hitting and kicking those punching bags!! I enjoyed having the workout pre-programmed and trainers to motivate me. But I realized I wanted to be able to work out around my kids so they could see what I was doing and join me sometimes. So I got a Y pass and that was a flop! I had no idea what I was doing in the weight area and ended up using the track mostly. My sister saw me flailing and on my 38th birthday she got me a very confusing gift :P It was called Street Parking and I questioned why she would give me a pass to park downtown when I don't like driving down there to begin with! But I found out it was a workout program. The people who created it are CrossFit trainers who wanted to make something accessible for people to be able to workout from home with a set of dumbbells. And I fell in love! My biggest obstacle had been not knowing how to come up with a workout of my own -- and this solved that problem. My next obstacle was not knowing the terminology -- what is a hang power clean? a snatch? a turkish get-up? They include videos for all the moves! Can a pair of dumbbells really be enough to get in an adequate strength training session? They can! I've seen progress -- I look and feel stronger. I can do more than I used to. When I saw that progress shift was when I transitioned from three workouts a week to four or five. Initially, that felt like too much of a time commitment. I thought I needed to read through each new daily workout and figure it out and sometimes that felt like too much work. But when they suggested saving your favorite workouts and repeating them, that was a game-changer for me. Last September, I looked at my trophy case and decided to set myself a goal of hitting my first 365 workouts by my 40th birthday: meaning I would have worked out every other day for 2 whole years! I'm not going to quite make it, but I'm super close. As of today I have worked out on 337 days over the past two years.  

Something I've come to love is rucking. Very simply: carrying weight in a backpack while you walk. In "Built to Move" it is described like this: "It's strength and cardio in one. It's cardio for the person who hates running, and strength work for the person who hates lifting." p. 125. I did it for over a year with a backpack, a 10# dumbbell, and some towels. You truly don't need to buy anything to start! After I realized this is something I wanted to keep doing, I decided it was time to level up with an actual weighted vest. Now nearly every Tuesday you can find me out for a 20-30 minute ruck. I don't have to change my clothes or set aside a bunch of time. I put on tennis shoes and my vest and leave. Sometimes I just barely squeak it in between teaching piano lessons; sometimes I bring it along on a walk with a friend; sometimes I go the full 30 minutes and other times it's a quick mile.  It doesn't add anything to my mental load for the day because I've already pre-decided that it's what I'm doing. The benefits for me are many. Plus it's fun and accessible to do with others. My sister and I try to go for a long ruck once a month which is a win-win because we both care about movement and spending time together! 

Street Parking has changed the way I approach resistance training. I feel supported to be able to move consistently. They remind us frequently that it's simple, but not easy. My mind has become more tough through these workouts as I coach myself to just do the next move and the next one and then the next. I tell myself it doesn't matter if I am slow, I will keep moving and I will keep trying and it won't kill me like my brain seems to think. I am stronger and tougher than I thought. 

To movement... and building tenacity! 

"Why do you do it?"

In June, we visited family in CO and someone asked us, "Why do you eat gluten free?" It's hard not to feel like a burden when we visit others -- we have six people in our family, gluten free items are more expensive, harder to find, and {according to some} not as tasty. So it's hard to not apologize or feel bad or like an inconvenience. But I'm getting a little braver and believing in myself more. So here's a little more to the story... 

Way back in July of 2010, Jeremiah took a trip to Africa. *But wait* [even prior to this, it was an issue, but we never really attempted to do much to accommodate it. It just felt mildly annoying.] While he was in Ethiopia he got sick and was given a very strong antibiotic to "kill the bug", but when he returned home his gut microbiome, was never the same. We discovered this one night when I made a delicious chicken-velveeta-broccoli supper and, without being too graphic, after spending an unreasonable amount of time in the bathroom, let's just say, I never made it again. After this unforgettable night, Jeremiah began doing his research on milk alternatives, yogurt, bacteria strains, kefir... basically a deep dive into what he could have, what would help heal his gut, why he was having such strong reactions to dairy (as well as other high fat foods such as pork, avocados, hot dogs, etc.). While he did all this, I didn't make the changes with him. My stance was, "I'm sorry you're going through this, but no, I like all those things so... you're on your own, buddy." Super supportive wife. 

Fast forward to August 2015 and we realized Zoe (a newborn at the time) seemed to have a reaction when I was eating dairy. So, much to my dismay, I made the switch. My first foray was into cashew milk because I already knew I didn't like almond or coconut, especially when eating my daily cereal. It helped with the transition, because I felt like it tasted most similar to regular dairy milk. Once I removed all the dairy, her crying and screaming dramatically decreased. I was sold on this outcome alone. 

Not long after, we felt like Levi seemed bloated and was in some pain which made it hard for him to control his emotions. Once we moved to KC in 2017, we took him to a chiropractor and she recommended removing dairy and gluten from his diet. As he was only 3 years old at the time, we decided we would do this as a family. So in November 2017, we took the plunge. I was 8 months pregnant at the time, the holidays were coming, and people kind of knew me for my baking abilities. I was feeling rather intimidated and a bit sad because I knew some of my holiday favorite foods would not taste quite so, tasty, that year. But as we began to overhaul our diet -- it wasn't quite as big since we had already cut most dairy, so it was mainly the gluten at this point -- we noticed changes, and quick! My eczema was gone. Behavior issues that the kids had been having, lessened. Jeremiah's gut began to feel better. I wasn't as tired. Jeremiah wasn't as tired. Levi's face began to look less bloated and even now, we all get sick less than we used to. We felt the changes and the changes felt good. 

How do we live this out long term? For awhile, Jeremiah and I were adamant that we were 100% all the time, no mistakes. But now that we've been doing this for almost 5 years, we are trying to find the line. And sometimes we disagree on where the line is. Jeremiah tends to ride the more conservative approach, but this makes sense since he is the one who is more sensitive and has pain and repercussions if he doesn't. It's been hard too because the kids have been so young up to this point, we couldn't get much feedback from them aside from what we observed. Now we try to ask questions after we eat something out of the ordinary. We try to relax when we are in a place that is new and we can't manage to get them something to eat that "meets our standards". But it is a hard line to follow because it's all based on our best judgment. 

But what does it all mean? It means we pay attention. It means that we want to take our health seriously. This is the only body, the only life we get. Technically, could we eat gluten and dairy? Yep, we sure can. We're not allergic. But we really feel convicted that God has given us the wisdom and understanding that for our family, we want to do better. I've read too many books, since we started this journey 12 years ago, that talk about how well our bodies can adapt, process, manage all of these foods... right now. But over time, the toll it takes on our bodies to do that work, particularly if we have an intolerance, does damage to our body that is irreversible. Just because we are not seeing a problem now, doesn't mean we say, "Oh who cares? I'm young! My body can handle this!" We are looking to the future for how we want to treat our bodies, how we want to feel when we're in our 60s, 70s, and 80s. Some days are harder than others. We've taken our own treats to birthday parties -- will we offend the host? Are our kids missing out? Why can't life just be easier?! Ultimately, our heart behind these changes, as a family, is to help our kids make their own healthy choices in the future. Is it sometimes worth it to eat something that might hurt our tummies later? Can we enjoy foods without gluten and dairy? {Yes!} How do our bodies feel after eating certain food items? It seems like it will be a lifelong journey for all of us. A journey of awareness, treating our bodies kindly, and supporting one another. 

I plan to do some follow-up posts about how I bake and cook now that we eat this way. I hope it might help others who might want to try, but haven't felt sure where to start. Some days it can feel overwhelming -- we eat nearly all meals at home, there are always tons of dishes because even snacks are hard to find so I make those too, there's chopping, cutting, prepping, cooking, and more. If you have questions I'd love to hear them! Or give me some ideas for possible future topics if you're interested. 

To life... full of delicious food!       

On the Brink of Death

Dramatic title, much?!?! Ha, I know. But it was a thought I was pondering a few nights ago, just within the first week of my new no social media resolution. We're only 9 days into the new year, but I've already noticed a stabilizing to my mental health. I think one of the biggest components for my anxiety was the feeling of imminent danger/death for every decision I made. In years' past, I too have shared difficult moments in life, often reaching out for support when we lived far from family or friends, on social media; and it was a source of comfort and encouragement when people would respond and reach out. So I do understand the reason people share their stories, the good and the bad. But it seems for me, that I was reaching the point where it felt like everyone, everywhere was sick or dying. {I realize, in the grand scheme of life, we are all dying and it's a fact that someday we all will. But living in constant fear of it is more my point here.} I started layering their stories onto mine. I would put myself in their shoes and wonder how I might respond in such a tragic situation. I would imagine what it would be like to be terminally sick, how would I be feeling? Would I respond well or lose it?

~~~ The homeschool mom who had ovarian cancer for 2 years and fought hard, and found joy in the midst, and died in 2019. ~~~The 7 year old girl who fell off a golf cart and suffered a tragic and traumatic brain injury in August and is still recovering. ~~~The well-known Christian author and mom who went to the hospital with a fever and cough and didn't come back out alive. ~~~The child who was vaccinated and suffered an injury to their brain. ~~~ The mom who found her 3 year old unconscious on the bedroom floor in the middle of the night and resuscitated her and took her to the hospital and found out she had a tumor and then it miraculously healed and then the U.S. required her to continue chemo treatments, so they left the states.~~~ 

There are so many stories. There are so many choices. I believe thoroughly in research, being aware, finding answers, searching for truth. There are choices I've made because other people enlightened me and I am thankful. But some of the day to day choices I was trying to make became almost excruciating... if I feed this food to my children, am I causing them to have a stomachache? And ultimately creating conditions for an autoimmune disease? Which will lead to a shortened life expectancy? My child's teeth are coming in too early... will this lead to dental problems the rest of their life? Do they have so many cavities because I didn't brush their teeth enough? Because I let them have too much sugar? Because I didn't give them enough mineralization? Or because I let the dentist put on fluoride at the last visit? Or because I don't use a toothpaste that is fluoridated?

It's exhausting.

Not only that, but it was keeping me from being present in my own life. To be able to actually SEE the people in my life and assess what was/is best for them in the current moment. To seek God's wisdom in decisions for our family. To trust my own instincts as to knowing what was best for myself and my children.

Upon reflection, this might be one of my biggest break-throughs and one of the best ways I'll be able to heal this year. I have done tons of research, received lots of input, been inspired, encouraged, and informed. Now it's time to sift through what I have received, toss out what isn't needed or doesn't work, and move forward in health, bravery, and faith.

To life... full of sifting and shifting. (I remembered my sign-off without looking back :))

Also, a picture. Naomi is starting to miss a few naps nowadays, so this is how we found her one evening around 7:30 pm...

Walk for Arthritis Update

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Zeke's Walk for Arthritis this month! He raised $65 which was way more than I expected! His team won 3rd place for the highest amount raised among the groups that participated! He completed 2 full laps around the stadium which equaled 2 miles. He got pretty tired the second time around, but his Taekwondo coach Miss Tiffany was walking with us and encouraged him to use his perseverance and he made it the rest of the way!

It was a very warm and sunny morning, but the kids had lots of fun! They received balloon animals, played on a playground, drank new juices, received some fun swag, and Pop-Pop was able to come and cheer us on! 

Human Hamster Ball -- a big hit! 

Zeke was invited to test for his first Taekwondo belt the first week of June! We are excited to see him grow and learn. He is enjoying his class very much!

Walk for Arthritis

Hi Family,

We decided to start Zeke in TaeKwonDo lessons. In just 2 sessions, I'm already very excited for him and what he will be learning. The couple that owns the studio, TJ and Tiffany, are a young couple who have a heart to serve their community and have a sister school down in Haiti to empower the children living there. I have really enjoyed getting to know them, as I have been taking jiu jitsu with them as well. If you'd like to learn more about them and what they do, you can visit their website here: https://www.kickma.com/ 

Zeke has signed up for his first walk for a cause! During each testing session (10 weeks) he needs to complete one service project in order to earn his next rank. For this testing session, we chose to join his TaeKwonDo team and complete the Walk to Cure Arthritis on Saturday, May 5th. I am excited to complete the walk with him! If you would like to support his walk and help his team reach their goal of $5000, would you please consider giving a donation? We chose to each raise $10, so any small amount or contribution will absolutely help us reach our goal! Here is his fundraising page: https://events.arthritis.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=14967

If you don't feel like contributing monetarily, that is absolutely ok! Another way you could support him is by sending cards to us and I will save them to read to him on the day of the walk on the 5th. Since this is his first one, I know he might struggle or feel like he can't finish, so any cards that encourage him or tell him what a great job he has done will really inspire him.

He lost his first tooth on Sunday, April 8!

I am super excited to get Zeke involved in this community with other believers who serve and do activities like this together. I think it will be a great investment of time and money and I can't wait to see how he will grow and flourish in a supportive and safe group! I will try my best to give you an update on how he is doing and when he completes ranks and such!

Friday Night Food

Jeremiah is a big fan of Chinese Food. I, on the other hand, care for it only sporadically. When we were dating, if I even started the sentence, "I think I'd like Chinese for..." -- "YES!" was Jeremiah's immediate response :D He was always ready. 

As we've been discovering dairy seems to be hard for 3/5 of our family, we have decided to forgo Friday night as pizza night. So I have begun to make Chinese food instead. It takes a bit more effort, but take-out is so expensive, I can't justify getting that every week. So I've been working on getting a few recipes in rotation, so we don't get bored, but also get to enjoy our favorites. 

I plan to share a few new recipes over the coming weeks/months (we'll see how long it takes for me to get around to it!). The first one is Chow Mein. I never realized how delicious Chinese noodles were until we lived in TX and I tried lo mein for the first time. I had only associated rice with Chinese food before. But I've found that I really enjoy the noodles! From Pioneer Woman's Dinnertime cookbook, this recipe is located in the 16- Minute Meal section. The first couple of times I made it, it proved to be closer to 30/35 minutes. Then I decided to prep all my veggies before we went to the pool one afternoon, we came home and I threw it all together, and Voila!, 16 minute meal indeed! So, my word of advice is to prep those veggies ahead of time and you'll be ready to get dinner on the table pretty quick! 

Shredded carrots, napa cabbage, and sliced onions, ready to cook! 

Since this was my main course for dinner, I chopped up a couple of chicken breasts I had cooked earlier in the week and added them to the noodles for protein. I decided to double the recipe (partly because I would never use that second half of the napa cabbage, so I figured we might as well use up the entire thing) I'm going to write out for you below and we ate a good lot of it, but also had some nice leftovers the next day.

Look at my adorable helper! 

Ingredients: 1 T. peanut oil 

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 cup julienned carrots

4 green onions, sliced

1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly sliced (I use the food processor.)

8 oz. thin Chinese noodles, cooked according to the package directions

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the carrots, and half the green onions, then stir and let the veggies cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and cook for 2 minutes more, then add the noodles, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss it together, then add the rest of the green onions. Serve hot. -- from The Pioneer Woman Dinnertime cookbook. 

Our family really enjoys this recipe! I'm excited to share more of our favorites with you! 

Balance 365 and A Link

If you've noticed some of my posts from the past several months you may have noticed a hash tag such as #healthyhabits #healthylife #B365. What do these mean, you ask? For the past 16ish months, I've begun focusing more on small habits that can benefit my overall health. I have a hard time getting onboard with anything big and scary/overwhelming at this phase of my life. 
Some days I can't even do dishes, so there's no way I can give a ton of mental energy to a big "diet" plan or an intense season of exercise. What I can do is give just a little of myself each day to making healthy choices, and once I make that healthy choice for about a month (or am feeling confident that I will continue to do so) I move on to something else. Back in April, I was introduced to the group Healthy Habits, Happy Moms by my cousin Annie. The group began a Walk the Way challenge in May in which they challenged us to get out and walk every day. That didn't seem too scary to me, so I decided to do it and just loved it! It was great to get outside and get fresh air, plus most of the time I was able to go alone because I would wait until Jeremiah was home so I'd be able to have a little quiet time which made it even more enticing because it gave my mind a mental break from "momming". I found a route approximately 1.5 miles and have kept up with it, several days a week, since then. For me, that is the epitome of successful. It's not a huge goal, or an intense form of exercise, but it's something I can do in this season of life. When I come across a day when it can't be done, I don't feel discouraged, because I know it's no big deal to do it again the next day. I figure with my consistency I've been walking an average of 4-5 times a week since then which means I've walked about 228-285 miles over the past 8 months instead of doing something sporadic and less enjoyable.
Then September rolled around and the HHHM ladies kept sending emails about a new program called Balance 365 and to be honest I didn't even read through the first few. I didn't want to be a part of another "program". Then a few things began to catch my eye -- "not a diet", "food freedom", "establishing lifelong habits for your health" and then I started reading the emails. Finally on the day before the program was about to close, I read through the entire email and thought, "Maybe I should do this." I felt like I had come to the end of my own personal ideas of habits I could come up with myself. I did write out a few and tried to even come up with 12 habits of my own, but couldn't come up with 12 new ones. The concept intrigued me, so the next day, the last day to sign-up, I spoke with Jeremiah and having decided that during the Fall, one of my four focuses would be my health, I signed up, with a bit of trepidation. As soon as I sealed the deal, there was the immediate worry of, "Agh! I shouldn't have spent that money. What if this doesn't help? What if this was a waste of time/money?" But I waited until I had access to my new account and then began reading.
I won't bog you down with all the details of what the program is because it belongs to the founders and if you'd like to learn more you can check it out at the link I'll leave you below. But let me tell you a little about what I've discovered over the past 4 months --

My Thanksgiving pie buddy --I barely captured the picture because she was leaning in for more ;) 

-- Food Freedom. This is no small thing for me. But even after 2 months I realized my food obsession was coming to an end. Meaning, I wasn't constantly thinking about what I was eating, what I'd be eating at my next meal, guilt over what I had eaten previously. Nope. It was dissipating and in its place was... freedom! I eat. I enjoy what I'm eating. Sometimes I eat too much. But the obsession with the quantities, the timing, what I'm eating, is very nearly gone. And it feel awesome!

--Consistency. This one is more difficult to describe. But I feel regular, normal. I realized how much I love this feeling, just this morning. I woke up and was hungry. I eat with my family. I don't walk into the kitchen and wonder, "Hmm, maybe I should have a snack. I don't know. I guess I'll just eat something." Sure, there are days I am hungry, and do want a snack, so I eat one. But for the most part, my body has regulated to eating at normal intervals and not feeling snack-y in between. Even the fact that I don't sip on coffee all morning long has contributed to the good feeling I have, most of the day, now. I'm learning what it feels like to be hungry before meals and embracing it instead of being afraid.

-- I'm listening to my body. This one may sound silly, but it's completely relevant and definitely worth the mention. Many diet programs, especially geared toward women, tell you what to eat, when, how much and you stop listening to your body and its cues. Do you know how brilliant your body is? It knows when you're hungry, it knows when you're full, but many of us have taught ourselves for years how to override those feelings/cues so that we -- don't eat more than 1500 calories a day; eat only a certain number of points; keep eating that cookie dough because it's 'against the rules' so we eat and eat until we feel sick because tomorrow it will be on the restricted list again. It's totally messed up, but the diet industry wants us to fail and keep coming back to them and paying them money to 'fix us' when what we really need to learn is how to listen to our body and eat when we're hungry and feed it good, quality, healthful foods. Do you know what happens when you realize no foods are off limits? You eat them when it sounds good and you can stop when you're full knowing that you will, in fact, get to eat them again. Doesn't that sound like a good, satisfying life? I think so, and I get more and more excited the more I find myself self-regulating and listening to my body instead of weighing foods or counting points or feeling guilt over "bad" foods.

I'm only 4 months in to this B365 world, but it has been life-changing for me. And that's the best part, these habits I'm learning are going to serve me and support me for the rest of my life. It's been hard work working through the fear of whether or not I can do the next habit or sustain it for the rest of my life. I just do it and when I feel ready to move on, I do. There's no race. There's no failing. There's only me, letting go of the fear and beginning to live a life with more confidence and food freedom!

If any of this strikes you as something you'd like to start or consider for your life, I'm about to give a shameless plug. I share all of this from a vulnerable place of how I'm taking steps to live the life I dream of and hope to help others do the same. But the founders of the B365 program are so awesome that they're letting the members of their group have a chance to earn some money back by sharing this program with our friends and family. So if you want to learn more or if you do, in fact, want to sign up for the program, they are accepting new people starting today! If you would be ever so kind, you can use my link to sign up.  https://www.hhhmprograms.com/a/2541/r3BLLxZu

I truly appreciate it!

Discovering Self-Care

Much to my surprise, when I was reflecting upon which habit I want to focus on for the month of December, I decided it should be self-care. Personally, when I hear the phrase 'self-care' the first words that come to mind are lazy, selfish. Those tapes have played in my head my entire life and it is going to take intentional work to rid myself of those dishonest thoughts. It's hard for me to choose a habit that benefits my emotional well-being because I'm a driven and I-want-to-see-results person. I'd much prefer to keep focusing on my dietary habits so I can lose weight/fat/fit in my clothes better. But, as I've been a part of the Balance 365 community for a couple of months, I'm realizing how important a holistic approach is to my health. Stress can have so many negative effects on my health, so instead of adding something that would require more brainpower, will power, mind-work, I chose something that would be life-giving to me. Which, at first, was hard to accept. And then as I thought about it, I got more and more excited. Something to make me feel better, more whole, more like a human being and less stressed, less likely to get upset with my family? This is genius!

I have already written up my "plan" for December and posted it on my door to see every day. But I thought I might share it with you in case you, like me, need a boost of confidence to take care of yourself or even 'permission' to not feel guilty when you say no to another holiday party, to not do another pinterest project, to just be instead of striving to be more. I think it's ok for all of us to scale things WAY back and even more so during the Christmas season.

So here's my game plan:

1. Slow down.
It might sound too easy. But as I am a highly efficient person (or at least I like to be!) having 3 small children gives me the efficiency of a slug working it's way through mud. Many mornings look like: "wash one dish, go break up a fight, walk back to the kitchen, return to the living room to stop the screaming, go back and wash a fork and spoon, return to living room to find pictures knocked off the wall..." I think you get the idea. And this is not a stretch, it's just actual fact. And then I get so frustrated with my children because, hey, they're being children and it's annoying because it's slowing down my productivity and then we get into a cycle of upset and tears. So, yes, I'm going to slow down and worry less about efficiency and more about taking one step at a time.

2. Do the bare minimum.
Agh! This one ^^ is going to be tough. I hate doing the bare minimum. I would rather do everything really well and if I can't do it well, I don't want to do it at all. But I'm going to give myself the grace to do the bare minimum, which might mean I clean one toilet and that's it. But for the sake of my sanity, for the relationship I want to build with my children during this season, to keep the focus on Jesus and not the neatness of the house or the "presentation" of my family, I'm giving myself the permission to do the bare minimum.

3. Be kind to myself.
I am my biggest critic. And I've found that the more I critique myself and degrade my abilities and my lack of this or that or what I'm not accomplishing, the easier it is for me to do the same towards others. I hold myself to such a standard that neither I nor anyone else can ever measure up. And it is exhausting. So in being kind to myself, I believe it will trickle over into being kind to others as well. If I can accept that I did not clean the bathroom -- again-- I can also accept that my husband did not pick up his shoes -- again. Because isn't a peaceful household another great goal for the season? I think so!

4. Pick 1 self-care activity every day.
I've been doing pretty well at practicing some self-care each week, but this month I'm going to kick it up a notch and pick something every single day. I've held the belief that I have to get out of the house or spend money or do something big to 'accomplish' self-care. But it's not true. So I picked a few things that I can do both at home as well as out of the house. I think one of the things I'll truly have to work on is not feeling guilty for my self-care habit, especially when I choose to stay home. Often, when I'm home, if I choose a self-care activity, it's hard for me to not be thinking in the back of my mind, "I should be doing something else, like the dishes, or folding laundry, or tidying up, I don't deserve to sit here and relax." Working on relaxing without guilt is going to be a big step forward for me. Here are some of my personal suggestions:
- Read for 30 minutes
- Play the piano
- Meet a friend for coffee, without kids
- Watch a movie
- Dance/stretch/do some yoga
- Go for a hike

- Zumba

- Workout at the Chilson center

- Take a nap

- Go to the Coffee Tree
- Eat a doughnut. That's right. I love me a good doughnut, and to be able to enjoy it without guilt? Definitely an act of self-care ;)

And lastly, my new mantra, is to remind myself of this: "I'm doing the best I can." Because not only am I allowing myself to believe the best about myself, it pushes me to believe it of others. Maybe that other person isn't actually frowning at me, but thinking about their mom being in the hospital. Maybe that driver didn't cut me off in traffic because they're rude, maybe they are rushing to pick up a child from school. Maybe we're all just doing the best we can.

 I hope that those of you who read today's post are encouraged to reflect on how you might take care of yourself this December. Let's spur each other on in treating ourselves, and one another, with more care and grace and acceptance, not just in December, but all year long!

Small habits. Small changes. Small encouragements. 

Change Takes Time

I don't know about you, but guilt has never motivated me to change. I don't look at a picture of a model in a magazine and think, "Hey that's awesome! Today I'm going to lose weight so I can look like her!" Nope. Usually it just makes me want to walk into the kitchen, bake a box of brownies, and start eating right from the middle, with a spoon, and some vanilla ice cream, and maybe some caramel sauce... but I digress. For me, I have to change from the inside. I've lost weight in the past because I wanted to LOOK different. But last year, as I was on bed rest, I got real with myself. I realized if I'm losing my weight to look a certain way, I'll just keep yo-yoing like I have since I was 17 years old. If I want to change the way I look, I feel like crap when I "mess up" or eat a "cheat food" or don't workout. If I want to change the way I look, once I achieve my goal, what's motivating me to keep working? I realized it had to be more. Here's a link to that post if you want to read about my change of mind.
http://shortcakessweettooth.blogspot.com/2015/08/bed-rest-to-5k.html

I started slow last September, and as far as weight goes, I gained and lost the same 5 pounds over and over for 5 months. I wasn't too worried about the weight though because I felt myself getting stronger and my measurements were slowly going down. {I record my measurements once a season and typically weigh myself on just the 1st of each month. This is freeing for me and allows me to focus on healthy habits and sustainable lifestyle choices, instead of giving myself anxiety and guilt by seeing value only in the numbers on a scale.} September through December I focused on drinking lots of water and walking. After the new year, I slowly added in some jogging, increasing my fruit and vegetable intake, decreasing my sugar and dairy intake, and finally worked up to a 5K in June! I've tried to make one positive change at a time. At the end of December I read the book, "It Starts with Food" and watched a documentary on Netflix about plant-based eating. Then I purchased the book, "42 Days to Fit" on our Kindle. On February 15, I started reading and following along with her weekly suggestions. If it tells you how addicted I was to sugar, in the first week when she has you cut out desserts and sugary drinks, I lost 4 lbs. I have never in my life lost that much weight in just one week. And I haven't done it again since then, but was just trying to give you an idea of my serious sweet tooth. I found a lot of success with her book. She helps you focus on making just one change each week and she even includes workouts and exercises to help amplify the results, but I chose not to complete those the first time around because I knew my downfall was diet. I would so much rather workout then make good food choices, so that's what I knew I needed to focus on. The changes and steps she takes you through make so much sense and seem attainable to me. They are things I can easily continue as a lifestyle choice. It doesn't feel like I'm depriving myself of certain things, it feels like I'm focusing on eating foods that are beneficial for my body to live. Even now, I continue to pick one or two of her suggestions to work on each week.

 Just as a point of reference, here are a few "stats" from my life during the 'before' picture:
- I had given birth to my 3rd child just 6 weeks before.
- I ate dessert whenever I felt like it, usually after lunch and after dinner.

- My morning coffee consisted of coffee + milk + coffee creamer + sugar.
- I took 1 mile walks a few times each week, at an average pace of about 22 minutes per mile.
- I didn't feel in control of my eating habits. Thinking about not having dessert for an entire week, even one day, felt "impossible".
- My BMI was in the 'obese' category.

One year later:
- I only have dessert a few times a week.
- Typically my morning coffee consists of coffee + honey and sometimes half and half {or this summer when I made iced coffee I just added natural bliss coffee creamer (no additives or soybean oil, you know, weird stuff that shouldn't be classified as 'cream')}.
- I walk almost every day (I took a Walk this Way challenge in May and fell in love with taking daily walks. Some days I go to zumba or run, but I'm usually out and moving 6 days out of the week) for about 1.5 miles and my average pace is 19 minutes per mile.
- I feel more in control of my eating habits. I still struggle with sugar and it is something I have to make concerted effort to overcome. But I saw what I could do over the past year and realized I'm stronger than I thought, which is empowering to me and another benefit of this lifestyle change.
- I've lost about 20 lbs. and my BMI has gone down to the 'overweight' category. 

You know those before and after pictures that you look at over and over again and think, "Is that really the same person? It can't be. And sometimes it's not!" Well here's mine, and it's pretty obvious it's me :) I did my best to have Jeremiah get a shot from the same angle and wore the same shirt for the best comparison possible.

September 12, 2015 

September 12, 2016

Can I tell you something? This didn't happen in a few short weeks for me. I didn't read some article about how to "lose 10 pounds in just 2 weeks!". I was realistic with myself. I set goals -- some of them I crushed, others had to be readjusted and evaluated. Guys, it's hard to change. So hard. You know what worked for me? Making one small change at a time. Then taking those changes and making them habits in my life.

What's a goal you have for your life? A change you'd like to make? Does it seem too big or overwhelming to attempt it? Try breaking it down into bite size pieces. Trust me, at this time last year, I just wanted to be where I am now and I wanted to get here faster than I did. I still have about 21 pounds I'd like to lose, and once again, I'm struggling with wanting to get it done fast. But as I've found success over the past year by making these small, consistent changes, it urges me to keep taking one step forward. I'm living my life right now. I'm trying to overcome the mindset of, "Well, when I {lose this much weight} or {make this much money} or {insert some goal here} then I can really enjoy my life. No, I've been missing out and I'm done. My life is happening now and I can't keep being afraid to change or fail just because something looks too big. One day at a time. One meal at a time. One positive change at a time. They all add up to this life I'm living; to the one you're living. Maybe you don't have a weight loss goal, maybe the list of books you want to read is a mile long. Go to the library, check out the book and read the preface. Instead of being on your phone in the waiting room, stick your book in your bag and read while you wait. Just start. Don't keep putting it off for tomorrow. Do something today to boost your self-confidence. I think we're all stronger than we think we are; let's punch life in the face!!

Applesauce Making

Summertime Snackin'

Fruit had been on sale and we've got our fridge and counter stocked with cherries, watermelon, peaches, pears, grapes, pluots (trying them for the first time this week after reading about them in my Real Simple magazine), and strawberries besides the usual bananas and apples we keep stocked. Snack times have been delicious! 

Summer is awesome! 

10% and a Review

It's Monday morning and my day is starting off great! Why? I weighed myself this morning and I have lost 10% of my body weight from my highest, last October. I am following along with the book "42 Days to Fit" for the second time and am on the final week, which I never completed the first time through. Actually the last 2 weeks of her suggestions I didn't follow because we were in the middle of moving and then we all ended up getting sick. Nevertheless, I ended up losing 9 lbs. in those first 6 weeks! I was thrilled with those results because I have never before lost that much weight and felt so good while doing so. A big part of that loss happened in week one when I lost 4 lbs after the first week! I was shocked when I stepped on the scale and saw it had gone down so quickly. What a difference eliminating sugar makes! Each week she has you change one thing about your diet so you don't have too many things to focus on; it also feels like you can actually change one thing at a time without being too overwhelmed. As a quick summary, here are each week's rules:
Week 1 -- No desserts. No special drinks.
Week 2 -- Eat a healthy breakfast, which comprises of 1 whole grain + 1 protein + 1 fruit
Week 3 -- Kitchen curfew, no eating 3 hours before bedtime. (She includes that you may eat 1 dessert a week at this point if you feel you are able/want to.)
Week 4 -- Eat a health lunch and dinner; fill half your plate with fruits and veggies, no fast food.
Week 5 -- Carb control, if you eat a sandwich fine, use the bread. But if you're having rolls for dinner, eat 1 instead of 2; choose a piece of fruit or smoothie for a snack instead of a granola bar or such. Eliminate extra carbs when it makes sense to do so.
Week 6 -- Whole Foods only; eat the foods God created and that have been processed as little as possible. This is the week I am on and the first time around I felt intimidated. This time though I'm feeling more confident and it doesn't feel nearly as drastic as before I had started this whole shebang back in February. These whole foods are delicious and I'm learning more ways to prepare them so they really don't get boring. 13 weeks ago if you had told me that I'd be eating this way and actually enjoying it I'd have thought you were out of your mind. I was completely addicted to sugar and was eating plenty of starches and enjoying them :)

A few of the changes I've made that I plan to continue because I feel really good about making them a lifestyle (this is not a short term diet for me; this is the way I want to continue eating for the rest of my life because it's healthy for my body {yes, there will be some variation, some weeks I'll eat 2 desserts, drink a caramel frappuccino with extra caramel and whipped cream,  or I'll go out late for an ice cream, spontaneity is part of what makes life fun, an adventure! But for the most part...})
- Eat just one dessert each week
- Continue to use honey + organic half and half in my coffee (this is a huge change/win for me as I was used to filling my mug halfway with milk, heating it in the microwave, adding coffee, then a spoonful of sugar AND coffee creamer.
- No eating after 8 pm (I used to hate feeling {what I thought was} hungry before bed. So I'd eat something and then my stomach would actually feel upset before bed. Now I feel just slightly hungry and it actually feels better than a churning stomach before bed. Plus, making a super healthy choice right before bedtime is hard for me, it was usually ice cream or popcorn with M&Ms or chocolate of some sort. Now if I'm hungry at 7:30 I almost always eat an apple with some peanut butter. I'm awake enough to make a good choice and not be desperate for sugar! And I wake up ready to eat a good breakfast too!) Big Win!
- Eat a healthy breakfast. Most of my breakfasts in the past have included cereal, muffins, pancakes, sometimes oatmeal. Now? I'm actually enjoying eggs nearly every morning. I often add mushrooms and bell peppers and top with salsa. I usually have an English muffin and sometimes bacon or sausage, but not every day.

- Fill half my lunch and dinner plates with fruits and vegetables. Today I had roasted corn salad (a new recipe!) on some salad greens, grilled chicken, and I shared a pear and some red raspberries with the kids.

The reason I continue to talk about the changes I've made is to hopefully encourage and inspire others who might want to do the same. Truly and honestly, if anyone thought I couldn't change, it was me! I never, ever thought I could skip desserts several days a week and still be happy. I never thought I'd get used to honey in my coffee instead of sugar. There are many areas in eating I thought I was just weak willed and it turns out I am strong. I can follow through. I've now lost 10% of my body weight and hope to lose about 15% more. Now that I'm this far there's no way I'm giving up! My clothes are fitting better (today I tried on my 3 pairs of shorts for the summer and they ALL fit!), I'm getting stronger, and I feel more in control over my food choices. I'm excited to see how I'm feeling when I hit my next goal, no matter how long it takes! 

Phase II

Losing weight while I'm breastfeeding is next to impossible. It seems my body thinks I must cling to everything in order to make milk for my babies! But it doesn't mean I'm going to stop taking steps toward being healthier! While frustrating that the number barely budges, I'm focusing on non-scale victories. Since last September, I now have jeans in my "to wear" pile that zip and button! I've lost 3" from my waist and almost 1" from my thighs. I can run a mile without stopping. And maybe the most shocking change, how much I've been enjoying the whole foods I'm eating, namely vegetables! For example, my lunch today was a big bowl of chicken curry which included green beans, mushrooms, onions, and zucchini. Followed by an apple. For me, this is progress.  

My first phase has included small changes -- walking 1 mile, now jogging 2 miles; focusing on increasing my water intake, now decreasing my sugar and dairy intake. Now I'm ready to begin phase 2 on Monday. I'm going to complete the book "42 Days to Fit." While I will not be able to achieve my goal weight in just 6 wks. (I have a little over 40 lbs. to lose) I think it's going to be a great kick in the pants! And will hopefully start me on the downward trajectory I'm hoping for! 

I'll include the link below so you can join in with me and get the book as well, if you'd like. And I will check back at the end of March and let you know how I did!

42 Days to Fit link

To life... full of vegetables! 

Eating Well

I have just recently finished reading the book "It Starts with Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. They have a website called Whole 9 and are the founders of the Whole30 which, in a very skeleton of a nutshell, promotes eating all whole foods (mostly meaning things with 1 ingredient, ie. beef, squash, coconut milk, almonds, lettuce... you get the idea) and avoiding grains, sugar, dairy, and processed foods. It is very informative and explains the science behind why you should or should not eat those foods. 

While I am not completing a Whole30 at this time (many of my friends are during this month of January) I have begun to incorporate more whole foods and meals. I figured that even though I don't feel ready for the Whole30 at this time, there's no reason to not start eating better immediately. Last week a couple of meals I tried were chicken chowder and pork chops that I put in the crockpot with apples, onions, and some spices. They were both delicious. This week I will be making chicken curry and sweet potato hash. 

As I was doing my grocery shopping today I looked at my cart and thought how different it looks compared to what I purchased regularly a few years ago, and even a year ago.

 For some reason I used to always think fruits and vegetables were so expensive I couldn't afford to get many. Now I've learned the price is worth my (and my family's) health and well-being; I can't afford not to get them. 

Two of my goals in January are to eat less dairy and less sugar. I think eating more whole foods leaves less room to eat the other less healthy foods. My hope is to make lasting change to my family's diet. I want to teach my children to enjoy foods that are good for them. Already after making vegetable soup weekly for the past 3 months they are eating it better! For me, that is a win! 

To life...and 2016 and whole foods! 

Biggest Loser: Power Sculpt

Another video to review! I put several on hold at the library and they all decided to come in at once! But this one was first, so here I'll start. The Biggest Loser: Power Sculpt. 

While I do hope to lose weight, my focus has changed over the past year from wanting to be lean to striving to be strong! I still want to take walks/jogs/runs, but it won't be my only focus like it was before. I am including circuit and strength training. This video was more advanced than the previous one (power walk). But it was doable. My only dumbbells are 8 lbs. each which I could only use on a couple of the exercises. I have a ways to go to build back my strength. I grabbed a couple of bags of beans so I could have at least a little resistance. The moves were straightforward and fairly easy to perform and I felt like I had worked out my muscles. I did choose the easier, modified versions on some of the exercises. Since I typically only have these videos for a week (since they're loaners from the library) I only made it through the warm-up and first 20 minute section. I think I would like to get a little stronger with other beginner videos and then get this one again in a few months. 

If you want to gain some strength, I think this video would be a beneficial one! 

To life... and getting stronger! 

Biggest Loser: Power Walk, A Review

I really enjoyed this workout video! First of all, the participants are all average sized to overweight. For me, this gives me more confidence as I watch and workout. On other videos it's often very thin, already fit, people working out. I can see the benefit of the "leader" looking this way because you want to see it works, but for the rest it's nice to not feel like you're the only one who is trying to lose weight or get fit. 

My favorite, and the most challenging, miles were #1 and #3 led by Bob Harper. I liked the miles led by the Biggest Loser contestants as well, it made it very relatable, but I preferred the others, so I ended up doing each of those twice in the time I had the video. I did a total of 6 miles plus the cool down video. I could see enjoying this video for a good month. It was perfect for me to get started back into working out again. They have a 3 week suggested workout where you complete a total of 27 miles, just over a marathon. If I had been able to keep the video longer, I might have followed the suggestions and tried to complete it myself. 

On the water front, I still haven't finished a gallon --agh! So today I measured out to the 100 oz. mark on my gallon jug. Since I wanted to try to drink 100-128 oz. these next few months, I thought I'd try the smaller amount first and then work my way up after that becomes easier.

I'll let you know how it goes!

The Best Time is Right Now

Today is the 6 week mark of giving birth to Zoë. I've taken it easy so far, trying to get rest. When I do get out to walk, I usually go 1 mile. It may not seem like much, but I feel it is a good start. Considering I've been in the hospital, on bed rest, or post-partum for nearly 3 months, I feel slow and easy is best for my body right now. Plus, I've walked and recorded 10 miles on RunKeeper since I've been home. Which I'm reminding myself is better than 0 miles!

Hard to beat this view! -- On one of my recent walks -- Do you see the moon up there? 

Tomorrow is my check up, so I've placed a hold on my first workout video from the library--The Biggest Loser: Power Walk. I'll be happy to give a review once I've used it. I thought it would be a good starter video because from what I read, it's broken down into 1 mile segments, so I've already started doing that at a slow pace, now to see what they add to make it more of a workout. I'm looking forward to trying a new video every week for the next several weeks! I think I've picked out over 20 already so I should stay busy :)  

As I was thinking about how I might encourage myself and others to make small, healthful changes, I thought of 2 things. My 2 tips for this week are:

1) Having and Wearing workout/comfortable clothing.  

I think it's important (and I like) to dress nicely and feel good about yourself and I plan to keep doing so. But sometimes it's equally important to make exercise as easy as possible and that might mean wearing workout clothes for most of (or all) day. For me, sometimes I'll have a chance to workout, but knowing I'll have to take extra time to go change my clothes makes me reconsider my time and what I want to do with it. Maybe for me, right now, that means I'll wear workout clothes 3 days a week so I can achieve my goal of working out 3 times a week for the next 3 months. Another benefit of doing this is that I tend to be willing to play with my kids more when I'm not 'dressed up' because I'm not worried about ruining my clothes; this helps to burn a few more calories as well, rather than taking the sideline approach. Plus, what kids don't like their parents to interact more? 

2) Drinking water-- I admit, I have been struggling to reach my goal of drinking 1 gallon of water per day. In fact, I have not done it yet. I'm usually finishing my gallon in more like 30-36 hours. I don't feel completely defeated, but I really would like to do better. One of the things I'm going to try is adding a drop of essential oils to one of my glasses (in an actual glass, not a plastic cup) each day. Changing up the taste might give me just a little boost to drink more water and get closer to my goal. The oils I like to use are orange and grapefruit. And a great perk of grapefruit is that it helps to boost your metabolism!! Woot!

I'm hopeful that by implementing these couple of things starting this week, I might be more likely to achieve the 2 goals I've set for myself between now and the end of the year. What healthy living goal(s) might you set for yourself for the next 3.5 months? The year is not over. You can achieve your goals at any time, whether they were your New Year resolutions or brand new September goals.

To life... full of setting goals all year, not just in January!  

Bed Rest to 5K

Once upon a time, in my life before children, I use to write posts from time to time with the label "Healthy Living." I spent a good portion of my time devoted to running/exercising on a regular basis. I encouraged other people to join in with me. I even taught a Zumba class for a semester! I was at the lowest weight of my married life and feeling pretty good about myself. I had just bought quite a slew of smaller-sized summer clothes at an Old Navy sale before I discovered I was pregnant with Zeke.

Zoo Run 10K, Fort Worth, TX; April 2010

Marathon Relay into Colorado Springs, CO; September 2010  

Turning 25, at work; May 2011 

The thing is, I was 24 years old, and sure, I was working my butt off, but I was missing at least half of the whole "healthy life" point -- my diet. I justified I could eat whatever I wanted, as long as my calories going in were still less than the calories I was expending. Now that I've grown older and wiser (maybe ;)) I've come to realize a couple of things.
     #1. While exercise is an excellent thing to do for your body and health, it alone does not make you healthy. You must follow up with excellent foods -- fruits, vegetables, protein, nuts; perhaps whole foods as much as possible. Eating in moderation, definitely. For 29 years I would not categorize my eating habits as "self-controlled" or "disciplined." It's hard, but making a change will be worth it. Which leads me to my second point.
     #2. I need to find a reason to do this that exceeds the "I want to be a certain weight" goal. After having children, my body is different. I've read articles about loving your body all the time, not just when you reach a certain weight; appreciating it for what it can do. So... what is my "Why?" Why do I want to make healthy decisions and really change my life for the better?
 - To avoid diabetes, heart disease, cancer, hypertension; diseases than are often onset due to being overweight or obese.
 - To live a longer, healthier life!
 - To be a good example to my family; showing my children first-hand how a healthy lifestyle can be fun and is worth it!
 - To be more confident with how I look and feel about myself.
 - To see if by making healthier food choices I can eliminate my eczema and acne.

I do not have illusions that 6 months from now I'll be a different person, I'll be making consistently healthy choices and my body will look totally different. Change takes time. It takes focus. It take self-control and determination. Like erosion, it is a sculpting, shaping, gradual process.

... I began this post on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 2, having no clue I'd be giving birth just hours later. So I'm finally back, here on August 14, to continue.

What I'd like to do is begin writing again on a more regular basis about the topic of "Healthy Living." It is important to me and I feel that writing out my thoughts and sharing my activities might help me to press on when I want to give up. But also, maybe I will encourage others to make small changes for the better in their lives as well. As I've just had child #3, I don't intend to push myself too hard in these first few months. We'll have to adjust to life as a family of 5 and I feel that it's best to not put too many expectations on myself in the first few months. Otherwise I might end up disappointed in myself or getting frustrated more easily. My 2 goals for September - December are:

#1. Drink 100 - 128 oz. of water daily. (128 oz. is a gallon and that is my goal for health as well as promoting a good milk supply.)

#2. Once I'm cleared to do so, exercise for 20 min. per day, 3 times a week. I'm planning to get some workout videos from the library. As I was on bed rest for almost 5 1/2 weeks and am now recovering from a c-section, it's going to take me some time to get my strength back. I'll need to start slow with walking and beginner videos, but I'd rather take it slow and not injure myself and actually enjoy myself, than jump in too hard and give up.

The reason for the title of this post is that several weeks ago, Jeremiah had mentioned that if I do another 5K and followed the popular "Couch to 5K" plan it would be quite a literal interpretation in my case! And it sparked in me the idea to share my journey of getting back into shape while making better food choices and see what benefits I can provide to my health and well-being. I would like to do a 5K, but as I said, I am starting slow and will probably not take on that endeavor until either next spring or summer. But I hope you will enjoy following along with me as I work on these two goals over the next few months.

To life... full of healthy (and sometimes difficult) choices!

So You Think You Can Paleo?

Last year my sister and her family started buying cookbooks about and eating a Paleo diet. Then earlier this year, I had a friend on Facebook talk about switching to a whole food diet. In June, I had another friend and her husband do the Whole30 challenge. So I began to get interested. What is this Paleo thing all about? What exactly are whole foods? So while I was visiting my sister this summer, I began reading her cookbooks about the whats and whys of paleo. To simplify (very much so) it's eating like a dinosaur -- fruits, vegetables, and meat. Some people do it because they can't have gluten and dairy; others do it to lose weight. But overall it looked like everyone felt better and was healthier because of it.

Before I continue, I want to make a few sweeping declarations. When I refer to "diet" I just mean: what I eat. Not as in, "I'm on a diet"; just, "Her diet consists of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and grains." Next, eating healthy doesn't really come natural to me. I have a sweet tooth. And when I say that, I mean, I could eat a cookie (or two) after every meal and think nothing of it. Things that people consider, "too rich" usually don't even phase me. I remember in college, I would occasionally wonder, "When was the last time I had a fruit or vegetable?" Yikes! I do not miss those days! How did I not feel crummy all the time? All that to say, I'm not someone writing about this topic because it comes easy to me, I want to make a change and I'm going to have to work at it. Maybe like you will too.

Overall, our diet has improved greatly over the last few years. We are eating a significant amount of fruits and vegetables each day. When Zeke started eating with us, I particularly wanted to be a good example to him. At 2 1/2 years old, he still chooses fruit over dessert on a regular basis. I found myself thinking, why not change my way of thinking now when I don't have to try to convince my kids too. I'm not really an all or nothing kind of gal, that's too frustrating and overwhelming to me! So I have decided to try eating paleo one day a week, on Tuesdays.

I've done it for the past three Tuesdays. Today will be the fourth. It's not the easiest thing, and I'm still not far from perfect, but my motto since having kids is, "Progress is progress." For example (this is a little embarrassing, but in an effort to be encouraging to others) I drink coffee in the morning with sugar, milk, and *gulp* coffee creamer. Yes, it looks more like milk than coffee when I drink it, but it's the way I've found I like it. So on paleo days, I eliminate one of those things, usually the creamer. Now before you yell at me, "Hey! You can't have sugar and milk on a paleo diet!"... I know, I know. I promise, I know. But like I said, for me, it's making these small changes at a time. So eliminating one of those things to start with, feels like a doable change. And it is. I don't feel defeated by 9 am because I hate the coffee I'm drinking. Then I usually have eggs, meat, and vegetables for breakfast. It tastes better than I expected. And you know what? I actually don't feel {as} hungry by 10:30 am as I do on the days I have cereal or muffins for breakfast. Really that should tell me something right? Protein! I've heard it before and now I'm saying it, it really does help you feel fuller for longer. Then for lunch I have some meat, veggies, and fruit. An iced coffee and some fruit in the afternoon. And I've found I really like taco salad for dinner (which I plan to make for the month of August.) I can put so much on it that I can have and it tastes good and I don't need my usual ranch dressing (like I usually prefer for salads). I use lettuce, chicken or ground beef, corn, pico de galo, black beans, and some salsa. I even took a picture. Doesn't it look good?

It was already half gone when I decided to snap the picture. 

Last Tuesday I calculated how many servings of fruits and veggies I had eaten, and I think it was 10! 10 servings of fruits and veggies! Do you realize how good that is for your body? And the crazy thing is, unlike most days of the week where I'm deciding if I can have 1 or 2 cookies to stay within my allotted calories for the day, I actually texted my sister of more ideas of what to eat because I was under for the day! That pretty much never happens!

I have no idea if this is something I will every completely switch to. I plan to continue doing it one day a week through the end of the year and then deciding in January if I'd like to switch to two. From what I've experienced these past few weeks, I see no drawbacks to trying this. Yes, some days will be (and have been) difficult. Around 2 pm I usually have a pretty good hankering for some chocolate/cookies/grains! But, once again, when I know it's only for the day, I can usually push through. So here we are, Tuesday again, my fridge is full of fruits and vegetables, ready to be eaten and enjoyed!

To life... eating healthier one day at a time!