Daniel Plan...Day 10

It’s day 10 of the Daniel Plan and I’m having a hard time. For 8 straight days the scale went down…sometimes no more than .2 lbs but .2 lbs down is still .2 lbs not on my body, right? Well, yesterday and today my weight is back up. I know I should base my self-worth on my weight and in my head, I’m mentally smacking myself for even giving into this feeling, but…I’m trying to be honest with myself and I honestly feel like a failure.

So, trying to be honest AND logical about the whole deal, I know I didn’t drink enough water this weekend and I know that yesterday’s meal at Don Tellos was a total bust. But to know that I would eat nasty, awful, bad/bad/bad/bad/bad stuff all the time and my weight would s-l-o-w-l-y creep up and then I have two days where I don’t drink water and have ONE bad meal and I pork on almost 2 pounds? The bad angel is screaming at me “give up.” I’m not going to because my good angel also has a chorus with the names of Kim and Barbie telling me to hang in there. All the same…

So during yesterday’s Bible study, we took on the Essential of Food. So timely because we were all feeling pretty badly about lunch. I also need to keep my eye on the Fitness Essential because I’m not doing well with that at all. And that frustrates me to no end. Yesterday, my brother-in-law posted a picture of my sisters and I from two summers ago on Facebook. That’s when I’d lost almost 30 lbs and was walking 2-3 miles a day and loving (well, putting up with) exercise. You would think it would spur me on to trying to be better, but it doesn’t. I’m sitting here trying not to cry because I’m so frustrated with myself.

So what’s the best thing to do when you are feeling down? Help someone else and find something to make you smile. I just came back from helping someone and that did nothing for me. (I’m such a putz.)  Laughter next: I’m trying to remember the Bible study yesterday and Kim’s little sweetie grunting out her BM. Jo was sitting next to her and suddenly blurted out, “It that smell all Gloria?!” So much for teaching my child manners and the fine art of subtlety. The room dissolved into laughter, we paused the Bible study DVD, Kim took the baby to change her and Jo went to find some Lysol. As Meg, Barbie and I are sitting around giggling about what took place, the next thing you know, Kim’s in the doorway. I don’t even listen to what she’s saying because she’s got Gloria with her feet in one hand and raised up and her other hand holding the baby up. We can see that she’s oozed out one of the legholes. Then she turns and walks in the other room. I’m dying laughing and remember other instances of baby blow-outs I’ve experienced when Barbie says, “I think she needs to some help.” (which is what Kim had said, but I was too busy laughing to process.) Off we go to the rescue. That child had it all over. We laughed until we cried. I still dissolve into giggles when I think about Kim coming to the door with Gloria hanging upside down (and Gloria with the biggest grin on her face).

And that reminds me why I’m doing this thing with my girls and with my friends. Because they can make me laugh and bring me out of the doldrums even when they aren’t around!

And, to top it all off, Kenny’s taking the dogs out for their morning walk for another week for me!!! Score!

So now that I’m back to my happier self, let me report in on Day 7’s dinner and Day 8 & Day 9 (if I can remember that far!)

Day 7’s Chicken Walnut Pesto dinner was fabulous! I mean, really nummy. I will make that again in a heartbeat. We had brown rice and roasted yellow squash for the sides.

Day 8 I made a blueberry/banana/flax seed smoothie for breakfast and had leftover Chicken Walnut Pesto and sides for lunch. For dinner we went to Applebees and I ordered the grilled Oriental Salad without the crunchy noodles. I asked for the oriental vinaigrette on the side and good thing because that thing wasn’t clear…it was opague and when I tasted it, lots of sugar there! I enjoyed the salad anyhow.

Day 9 I made another blueberry/banana smoothie (didn’t do the flax seed cuz I didn’t want to burp my way through church). Here’s where it fell apart. We went to Don Tellos for lunch and we convinced ourselves that the corn tortilla chips and salsa were okay to eat. And then I bulldozed my way through a couple baskets of it. I ordered Nachos Grande without the cheese or sour cream. Then we went to Bible study and we all agreed that the chips were probably not Daniel Plan okay. We were all feeling sluggish and guilty (except, perhaps, Johanna. I think she was okay with the slip.) So…oops! Anyhow, I was so full that I didn’t eat any dinner except munch on some nuts.

Day 10 started out with no ripe bananas so I made a tropical smoothie with some frozen pineapple, strawberry, mango fruit, coconut milk and protein powder. It was okay. It was kind of flavorless, to tell the truth. I think it suffered for not having the banana. Anyhow, since I need to stock up on groceries but waited since TODAY’S THE LAST DAY OF THE DETOX!!!, I have a weird lunch. I have leftover yellow squash and rice, some blackberries, and celery with natural peanut butter (9 g of protein in 2 tbs, no sugar). Tonight I’m going to marinate beef chunks in the balsamic vinaigrette and sauté them, and more brown rice and roast more zucchini. Gotta do it quick when I get home because I have a meeting at 5:30 and one following it at 6:30. Gack! Hoping to have enough leftovers for Meg, Jo and I for Tuesday lunch!!

Also, I’m down 5 lbs and my waist dropped a half inch over the past 10 days.

The start of something new...almost

This is actually the freakout BEFORE the start of something new. I’m a nervous wreck. In full disclosure, I’m munching on a fun-size Twix from a Valentine baggie I found on my desk this morning. What am I so nervous about? Well, the Daniel Plan. We’re going to do it. Me, in all my “wisdom” bought the book and read it and then opened my big mouth to my family. Kenny is wavering but Meagan is all for it. I’m making Jo do it. She’s not happy but not as stinky about it as I thought. Course, we haven’t even started yet. Then, to make matters worse, I invited a couple friends along for the ride. AND THEY SAID YES! We will start the eating part on March 1^st and end on April 9^th (40 days). We are going to do the Bible Study together and meet on Sundays to watch the DVD and go over the study part together. Oh. My. Word. What have I done?

Now, I can see what I look like in the mirror and I know what the scale and what the tape measure says, so it’s not like this is NOT needed. I also know how badly I feel and am 99.99999999% sure it has a lot to do with the junk that I put in my body.

In the meantime, I’m not doing myself any favors with how I’m eating (I finished off the fun-size Twixs and am mowing my way through the SweetTarts). I’m too cheap not to try to eat up the junk that I’ve already purchased that’s in my house. We’re going to start working this week on the kitchen. We’ll pull everything that is not Daniel Plan friendly and put in a box and then stuff that is not Daniel Plan Detox-worthy (10 days of no sugar, no processed food, no dairy, no gluten and no…I’m missing something)

In the meantime, I’m getting back on my water. For awhile there I was drinking half my weight in ounces every day but with all the snow/ice days, I got myself off track. Plus, now that I’m back at work, I’m planning on doing a school loop once an hour. I already screwed that up for today as I didn’t do a loop at 8 or 10, but I did get in one at 9 and just did my one for the 11 o’clock hour. Not sure how I’ll do that with the other school…I’ll have to figure that one out. But one of the things that the trainer from the Daniel Plan Rally video Meg and I watched said was for people with sedentary jobs to get up once an hour and do something. I’m thinking at the other school since I have an office with no way of people seeing in (unlike my office where I am now…totally open to anyone and also a cut-through the teachers get from the back hall to the media center), maybe I can do push-ups/sit-ups/that sort of thing. That’s a thought.

Anyhow back to what I started on. I’m a nervous wreck. It’s a whole new way of eating. Plus, I really don’t want to screw it up. I guess it’s actually a good thing that I do have the girls and my friends along for the ride. They’ll give me the additional impetus to actually see this through.

I hope.

Ugh...

That's about what I think about when I think about today. I didn't have plans for today and ended up being a lump most of the day. I'd kicked around taking the girls to the mall today so they could spend Christmas money from the grandparents and Aunts (Thanks, Grandmommie, Popops, Neena, Grandpa, SuSu, Auntie Annie, Uncle Greg, Auntie Lori and Uncle Wayne...know it's not fun to send gift cards/checks but the kids eyes are alight in anticipation of shopping!). But then Meg didn't get up until 12:30 (gonna be hard come Tuesday and she has to be at school by 7:45!). I never did know when Jo got up. She did end up cleaning her room and going through her closet, so I'm okay with it.

So...me. I had a thing of yogurt for breakfast (still taking the antibiotic). I got hungry again and then realized that *ding* it was lunch time. Hooray. My fridge is full - FULL, I tell you- of leftovers, so instead of making the potato soup I had on the menu, I did the leftover thing. I'm doing good with my water. I have no issue getting at least 64 oz in me daily. But now I'm trying to get half my body weight in water in me. I've done it the past 3 days and I'm on track for today. I'm on my 3rd 32 oz bottle. Go, me!

Dinner tonight is spaghetti, so high carb. Eh...I'll just watch my portion. I hope. Anyway, that's the plan.

Exercise has been non-existent except for walking the dogs around the house. I'm hoping to get my rear off the bed and at least walk in place for 15 minutes. We'll see how that goes. I'm a wonderful planner, but not so good in the follow-through.

Organizing...I got to a couple more of the kitchen cabinets. I have 5 more to go...the worst 5. I'm not happy about this. I guess I will be once I'm done. But my mojo has bleched out on me. Plus, I really, REALLY, need to wash down the cabinet/drawer fronts. It's a little gnarly.

Tomorrow I've promised to take the girls to the mall. Jo has her piano lesson at 10:30 so Lorie and I can hit some place Jo doesn't want to go. Then we'll shop at the stores by Music & Arts and then drive down to the mall. Meg is going to her friend's house (and to the mall with her tomorrow). I also hope get Kenny 3 out from behind the computer. Course going to "girl stores" probably isn't high on his list.

But on the plus side...I did take a shower today. I read my Bible reading. My bed is made. I did get a little more done on my kitchen project and I know what I'm making for dinner. I pretty much way far ahead of the game (my game).

Okay, so time to post and then get off this bed and walk in place. 15 min. I can do this. I can do this!!

Weighing in Jan 2014

Oh crap! I'm really not wanting to do this. But I do know that what you put down on paper (or on a blog) provides the accountability that is necessary to push ya over the edge. At least I hope so!

So...the numbers from this morning:
Weight: 182.6 lbs
Chest: 34 in
Bust: 38 in
Waist: 35.5 in
Hip: 45 in (ouch!)
Butt: 47 in (double ouch!

And here are the pictures from yesterday...triple ouch!

I'm thinking that I need to get the girls to take the photos since I'm a little fuzzy. I also need to work on better jeans. Yikes! And last, these don't make me look as big as I actually think I am but I am not about to take pictures of myself in my bathing suit, or some such, and post it.

So for breakfast I had a thing of yogurt to combat the antibiotic I'm taking for my sinus infection. I also had two pieces of toasted white bread with margarine. Sorry, gotta eat what I got, people.

For lunch I made roast beef "sandwiches" where I took roast beef deli meat and swiss cheese and wrapped it in a croissant and baked it. I used some French onion soup as the au jus. I warmed up some leftover corn and had some chips. Don't judge. I'm going to eat normally (for me) until the kids go back to college because 1) I need to have normal food in the house for them and if it's in the house I'll eat it and 2) I have a buttload of food that I bought with them being home and I'm not about to throw it away.

I have been pretty active (for me) this morning. I took the dogs on their walk and have done 2 loads of laundry plus I decluttered all the drawers in the kitchen and half the cabinets (okay, so two drawers and two cabinets were already done. What's the point of lying on my own blog?)

I really want to finish the cabinets in the kitchen and desperately need to scrub the cabinet fronts because, frankly, they are really disgusting. I also need to work on my office because I've put our new insurance cards and the new Medflex card in a "safe place" i.e. my office, and I need to use them to get my birth control pills from Walgreens. Plus, the office is really disgusting!

I also thought I would go and get the girls Christmas checks cashed but it's raining outside, so...no.

Okay, so I don't forget it, here's what the character Amy said on The Big Bang Theory episode I'm watching, "Whenever I'm around Sheldon I feel like my loins are on fire. In the good way, not the urinary tract infection way." Bahahaha!

Throwing down the gauntlet

My older sister threw down the gauntlet today, which ticks me off because I should be the gauntlet-thrower, thank you very much. She texted my younger sister and I and told us her goals of losing 25 lbs by her birthday (12/22) next year, decluttering 15 minutes a day, and starting her Couch-to-5K plan (I guess to run a 5K this year?). She's going to check in monthly with her weight and measurements with us.

So I can't, CAN'T, let my big sister get one up on me so I'm going to go BOLD and do it in public (that's right, Annie, I'm going PUBLIC with my fat butt!). I took a front and side photo of myself today and will post them tomorrow along with my weight (gulp) and measurements (double gulp). On the first of each month I will post an new set of pictures and numbers.

I'm also signed up to read the Bible through chronologically and I've encouraged my kids to do it with me. Hoping they will. I need some accountability there.

I don't want to commit to declutter for 15 minutes a day because my days are so whackadoodle in the first place and I'm not sure what Jo's soccer schedule will be adding to my schedule for the second place. I'm going to set goals on decluttering certain areas of my home during certain months. I really wanted to get into my laundry room over the break but that's not happening. However, I've done pretty ding-dong-dang well decluttering the cabinets in the kitchen. I've only done one drawer and a couple cabinets so far, but that's further than I've gotten in the laundry room, so I'm going to stick with the kitchen for January. Besides, I really need to get that kitchen under control.

I do like Nony from A Slob Comes Clean's way of decluttering and reorganizing things. She asks two questions: 1) If I needed this item, where would I look for it? and 2) If I needed this item, would it even occur to me that I had this item? I have so many weird and whacky things that I'm keeping  for "just in case" that I really should just get rid of. Luckily, I have the children's ministry resource closet to donate the plethora of stickers, stamps, and other crafty things to.

The other thing that I've pulled from Nony is "delusions of craftiness." That I totally understand. I keep thinking that I'll make something (darn you, Pinterest!) but most of my craft projects end up looking like a 3 year old made it so it's a little bizarre that I have so much craft crap in my house. Yes, there are certain craft items I need to have on hand so the kids can do basic stuff for school projects and for their own craft projects (my sister, Lori's, genes must have jumped sideways on the family tree), but the reality is that I would more likely than not go out and buy the stuff they need instead of thinking that I actually have it on hand. I need to use the craft drawers I have to container-ize (a la Nony...by the way, you can find her at www.aslobcomesclean.com and on Twitter and Facebook)  those craft items and donate the rest. And I probably should make a list of what I actually do have once I've containerized what I'm going to keep so maybe I can check the list before going to buy something? That might be more organized than I could ever hope to be.

But I digress, so tomorrow I need to weigh, measure and post (blech, that already makes me a little nauseated). I guess I need to decide whether I'll do the Daniel Plan or not. I certainly don't eat that way and not sure if I could get the household to go in on it with me. I think it would be too difficult to do it on my own. But that could be an excuse, too. I'm good at excuses. Maybe THAT needs to be my 2014 major goal: no more excuses!

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Dec 31, 2013

Well, this is it! The last day of 2013. I can't put off making New Year's Resolutions much longer...tomorrow is January 1st!

Thinking about this last year, I'm a little discouraged. How have I grown as a person? As a wife? As a mom? As a woman? I did get out of my comfort zone and go back to school...which is something I've only thought about doing until this past August. But other than that, I just don't feel like I grew much, which is pretty sad. Over the past 364 days I've not changed much. Maybe instead of resolutions, I need to make goals for this year? Then when the inevitable happens and I slope backwards, I'll pick myself up and move forward again. Goals are very fluid, to me. Maybe not so rigid as "resolutions". Maybe I'm just kidding myself. But then I have such an issue with being a procrastinator and having a WHOLE YEAR to accomplish a goal seems like I could procrastinate a lot!

Some goals to consider: becoming more healthy. That includes how I eat and how I spend my time which means...a more active lifestyle. Yes, I'm rolling my eyes at myself. That also includes changing how I eat, how I clean, my whole outlook on life. Right now, comfort and ease is the key to my life. I do like to be comfortable and I don't like to have to work too hard. Geez, I sound like a teenager. Another goal I'd like to have is to work on my relationship with the Lord. That's a fluid thing. Sometimes I feel so close to Him and sometimes I feel like I'm just going through the motions, kinda a bad thing for someone on staff at church. Another goal I feel drawn to is being a better wife. Poor Ken. He puts up with so much from me. I'm not the best support or helpmate for him. Last, the kids. I'm really feeling the years passing and that there isn't much time left as Mom with a capital "M". They are preparing to start lives of their own where my opinion isn't that big a deal to them.

I'm sure there's more kicking around in my head and heart but those are the top things that pop in my head when I think of things I need to work on. Yes, temper, time management and my mouth are also top things...but I think those will all get worked on with the other goals I've mentioned.

2014...just seems so, well FUTURE-y.

Oh, what a day!

I'm still sick, but I think I'm on the other side of the mountain. I gathered up the energy to go to the movies with the girls so I didn't disappoint. I  hate the number of times I've screwed up something because I was sick. We went to see, "Frozen." Cute movie and so sweet that the love part of the movie was the bond between sisters. Aw! Lorie took us out to Don Tellos which was strange since I'm not very hungry and I can't taste much. :)

We came home and I stayed out in the living room with the girls instead of holing up in my room. I tried to make Forgotten Chicken but put it in the crockpot on low like a moron since I only had 4 hours before dinner. Guess what? The chicken wasn't done so I had to put it in the oven which dried it out. Ah well, the rest of them liked it.

I bought "The Daniel Plan" and oh, my, Kenny is never going to go for that! I'm not sure I'm up for it, to be honest. I know in my mind that eating clean is better for me but is a whole lot of thinking to do in order to eat stuff I don't like and don't wanna learn to like. Maybe I can do it for 40 days like the book touts. If I do, I'll wait until Kenny and Lorie go back to school. In the meantime, I can at least pay attention more to what I'm eating. Guess I should not push Meg to finish making those cookies and desserts I bought the stuff for!

I also found www.aslobcomesclean.com . I wish I could remember where but I don't. Maybe via Bloggy Moms? That sounds about right. I posted a comment on her Facebook page which Anne saw and the next thing ya know, she's joined and posted a comment, too! I love my sisters. I did manage to declutter a couple things: one of the junk drawers in the kitchen (the small one), my drawers and cabinet under the sink in the bathroom and my nightstand drawer. Yeah me!

So here's my goals for this next week: 1) get healthy already! 2) add 15 minutes of exercise (even just walking in place in front of the tube) every day, 3) wash face and brush teeth each night (I know, I should already do that but I'm a slob, okay?!), 4) take vitamins every day. So, #1 is kind of up to You Know Who but I'm drinking my water and laying low as much as possible. House-wise I'd like to get the cabinets and appliances in the kitchen wiped down, get the Christmas stuff put up, and get the girls hallway painted.

Maybe putting it in print will help keep me accountable. Not betting on it, though. I know me too well.