I was debating on whether or not I should blog this since I try to keep some aspects of my life personal and private, but it's obviously a HUGE part of my life and consuming my thoughts. I'd much rather just get it out instead of sit and stew on it.
I chart my cycles. My friend got me hooked on fertilityfriend.com and I've been using it for a good 2-3 years. Through this I've noticed that I have cycles that are like CLOCKWORK and I've come to love how in-tune with my body I am. I know I spot 2-3 days prior, I know that I ovulate early and have a 14 day luteal phase, and I know that my cycle is not the average 28 days, rather it's anywhere from 24-26 - usually resting on 25.
As of today, I'm running on a 40 day cycle. Yes, you read that right. 40 days.
Here's my chart:
My Ovulation Chart
The line in the middle is me playing around with my estimated date of ovulation, but to be honest...I'm thinking that isn't correct. As you can see, I've taken multiple tests - all negative - and so I'm at a loss. The whole thing has consumed my thoughts, from pregnancy to PCOS to ...
I will be heading into the good ol docs next week should I not get a visit from the period fairy and, yes, I will update.
Suggestions or thoughts are encouraged below.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
From the ashes
So what has happened since I last posted? A lot. So much so that I feel like I should split up the next few blog posts to tackle each subject: work, my personal health, our adoption, etc.
Part of the reason, though, I stopped blogging was time. I felt I was dedicating my time to everything except what I needed to and so I thought I should take a break. Another reason is I felt that I may put way too much out there into the universe. Truth is, regardless of whether it was too much or not, it was my therapy and since I stopped I've felt the weight of everything being bottled up.
It's amazing how many feelings one can go through in a short amount of time. It really is.
The events in Japan have rocked me to my core and I cry a lot. Our family in Tokyo is safe, but very shaken and scared. I thank God daily that they are safe. The numbers of dead and missing continue to rise and stories that warm your heart and break them at the same time keep surfacing. The people of Japan continue to show integrity and compassion towards one another and it makes me realize there is still good in this world.
And yes, the events in Japan have definitely affected our adoption.
Speaking of adoption, much has happened. On NYE, as I previously blogged, we were told that the program grew, it was now closed, and that there were only 9 placements in 2010. Then, we were told in February that there has only been one placement, inferring that it was slow. Our last update in the beginning of March finally had some good news! A placement had occurred.
Then the bomb was dropped: The US Embassy in Tokyo added an extra mandatory step to the adoption process. Bio moms are now required to make a trip to Tokyo to meet with an older, American male with a translator, to go through an interview process.
Why is this bad? You have to understand Japanese culture - the Japanese are very quiet and reserved people. They are very closed and do not like talking about personal issues. Many of the bio mothers are ashamed of their pregnancy (it came about through infidelity or unwed) and don't want to really acknowledge it. So having to sit in front of not one, but 2 people, and air out their dirty laundry, so to speak, is very shameful. Additionally, the bio mothers come from all areas of Japan. Many have not been out of their town and are scared to head to Tokyo - a city that reminds me of New York City.
After talking with our agency, it seems that having this requirement is necessary, however the execution is something we need to see about getting changed - maybe have a Japanese representative of the US Embassy head to the towns of the bio mothers and get a statement that way? I wish I knew where to begin.
With everything that has happened, I've crawled into a shell. I've been lucky to have befriended a group of amazing women that has allowed me to be as open and honest about everything in my life as possible and haven't passed any judgement. It's because of them, I realized I have consistently swallowed my emotions since this whole thing started.
And by whole thing I mean since S. and I decided to start a family together.
I don't think I've cried my eyes out or yelled or screamed or event threw a massive pity party. I've had down times, but nothing that went to my core uprooted everything I've compacted down in the past 3 years and let it out. The whole time I've been wondering why should I? I can't change anything, I can't make it better or worse, so why should I wallow. Instead, I swallowed it and carried on - taking on the nurturing role to my friends who were going through what I felt was worse than what I was: divorces, pregnancy loss, trying to conceive issues, identity crisis, etc.
All of this has definitely been affecting my mental and physical health. I took a pregnancy test a couple weeks ago, stupid, silly me, and it was negative. Except this time I cried, I cried but good. I was so upset - not at the fact it was negative - but the fact I continued to get my hopes up and it always comes crashing down. I was yelling at myself for feeling something, but why? Why don't I have the right to feel?
I've packed on a good amount of weight through all of this. Something that is completely opposite of what my goal was. I wanted to lose all of this excess weight by the time we traveled to Japan, as last time I felt like the fat American, and I wasn't doing any of that. I found comfort in food and alcohol and it was starting to show.
I finally decided to do something about it.
I now have a personal trainer and I use my stationary bike (my Christmas gift from S.) every day. The exercise gives me an endorphin rush that feels like an emotional cleanse. We have also cut back on a lot of indulgences.
I wish I could say in this few months time that everything is amazing and back to normal - it isn't. I do long for Baby G. to be in our arms, I know my husband and I need a vacation from work, and I still am trying to find the internal release button that will allow myself to feel and mourn completely, but I feel like better days are ahead and am glad to be back.
Part of the reason, though, I stopped blogging was time. I felt I was dedicating my time to everything except what I needed to and so I thought I should take a break. Another reason is I felt that I may put way too much out there into the universe. Truth is, regardless of whether it was too much or not, it was my therapy and since I stopped I've felt the weight of everything being bottled up.
It's amazing how many feelings one can go through in a short amount of time. It really is.
The events in Japan have rocked me to my core and I cry a lot. Our family in Tokyo is safe, but very shaken and scared. I thank God daily that they are safe. The numbers of dead and missing continue to rise and stories that warm your heart and break them at the same time keep surfacing. The people of Japan continue to show integrity and compassion towards one another and it makes me realize there is still good in this world.
And yes, the events in Japan have definitely affected our adoption.
Speaking of adoption, much has happened. On NYE, as I previously blogged, we were told that the program grew, it was now closed, and that there were only 9 placements in 2010. Then, we were told in February that there has only been one placement, inferring that it was slow. Our last update in the beginning of March finally had some good news! A placement had occurred.
Then the bomb was dropped: The US Embassy in Tokyo added an extra mandatory step to the adoption process. Bio moms are now required to make a trip to Tokyo to meet with an older, American male with a translator, to go through an interview process.
Why is this bad? You have to understand Japanese culture - the Japanese are very quiet and reserved people. They are very closed and do not like talking about personal issues. Many of the bio mothers are ashamed of their pregnancy (it came about through infidelity or unwed) and don't want to really acknowledge it. So having to sit in front of not one, but 2 people, and air out their dirty laundry, so to speak, is very shameful. Additionally, the bio mothers come from all areas of Japan. Many have not been out of their town and are scared to head to Tokyo - a city that reminds me of New York City.
After talking with our agency, it seems that having this requirement is necessary, however the execution is something we need to see about getting changed - maybe have a Japanese representative of the US Embassy head to the towns of the bio mothers and get a statement that way? I wish I knew where to begin.
With everything that has happened, I've crawled into a shell. I've been lucky to have befriended a group of amazing women that has allowed me to be as open and honest about everything in my life as possible and haven't passed any judgement. It's because of them, I realized I have consistently swallowed my emotions since this whole thing started.
And by whole thing I mean since S. and I decided to start a family together.
I don't think I've cried my eyes out or yelled or screamed or event threw a massive pity party. I've had down times, but nothing that went to my core uprooted everything I've compacted down in the past 3 years and let it out. The whole time I've been wondering why should I? I can't change anything, I can't make it better or worse, so why should I wallow. Instead, I swallowed it and carried on - taking on the nurturing role to my friends who were going through what I felt was worse than what I was: divorces, pregnancy loss, trying to conceive issues, identity crisis, etc.
All of this has definitely been affecting my mental and physical health. I took a pregnancy test a couple weeks ago, stupid, silly me, and it was negative. Except this time I cried, I cried but good. I was so upset - not at the fact it was negative - but the fact I continued to get my hopes up and it always comes crashing down. I was yelling at myself for feeling something, but why? Why don't I have the right to feel?
I've packed on a good amount of weight through all of this. Something that is completely opposite of what my goal was. I wanted to lose all of this excess weight by the time we traveled to Japan, as last time I felt like the fat American, and I wasn't doing any of that. I found comfort in food and alcohol and it was starting to show.
I finally decided to do something about it.
I now have a personal trainer and I use my stationary bike (my Christmas gift from S.) every day. The exercise gives me an endorphin rush that feels like an emotional cleanse. We have also cut back on a lot of indulgences.
I wish I could say in this few months time that everything is amazing and back to normal - it isn't. I do long for Baby G. to be in our arms, I know my husband and I need a vacation from work, and I still am trying to find the internal release button that will allow myself to feel and mourn completely, but I feel like better days are ahead and am glad to be back.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Holidays are HERE!
Since it's been a while since I last blogged, I figure I'll use this post as a general update. A lot has been going on - business is doing very well, all thanks to God - and that has been taking up our time.
I got a crafty bug up my rear and decided to make ornament Christmas cards to send out. I don't have any kind of pattern, so I apologize in advance if you get it and don't put it on the tree. :( I'll be working on them this whole weekend and should have them out by next week. (If they end up nice, though, I'll take pics and make a craft blog post.)
If you didn't already have a chance to see it, my father and lovely husband worked through Thanksgiving weekend to paint Baby G.'s room. It is adorable! We're just getting the finishing touches (a little rug, a fold out bed chair, and perhaps some shelves) and it should be done and ready for Baby G.'s arrival. I already sent the pics I took to our coordinator in Japan - hopefully it will tug at our Bio Mom's heart.
S. and I go through ups and downs in terms of our battle with food/healthy living/exercise. We hate the downs. We happen to be in one currently. Long story short (for now, as this will indeed be its own blog post later) we have been trying to find something that fit what we knew in our hearts to be the right way to health. Last night I began reading through all of the blogs I subscribe to and came to my Penniless Parenting blog. Anyway, we watched the documentary and we both said that this is what we were looking for. I'm just beginning research, but will report back with our progress. Here's to thriving for us and for BABY!
I got a crafty bug up my rear and decided to make ornament Christmas cards to send out. I don't have any kind of pattern, so I apologize in advance if you get it and don't put it on the tree. :( I'll be working on them this whole weekend and should have them out by next week. (If they end up nice, though, I'll take pics and make a craft blog post.)
If you didn't already have a chance to see it, my father and lovely husband worked through Thanksgiving weekend to paint Baby G.'s room. It is adorable! We're just getting the finishing touches (a little rug, a fold out bed chair, and perhaps some shelves) and it should be done and ready for Baby G.'s arrival. I already sent the pics I took to our coordinator in Japan - hopefully it will tug at our Bio Mom's heart.
S. and I go through ups and downs in terms of our battle with food/healthy living/exercise. We hate the downs. We happen to be in one currently. Long story short (for now, as this will indeed be its own blog post later) we have been trying to find something that fit what we knew in our hearts to be the right way to health. Last night I began reading through all of the blogs I subscribe to and came to my Penniless Parenting blog. Anyway, we watched the documentary and we both said that this is what we were looking for. I'm just beginning research, but will report back with our progress. Here's to thriving for us and for BABY!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Acne be-gone!
About 3 years ago I got hit with adult acne. I thought I had missed the high school/teenaged acne bus and was home free. Ha! So I tried different creams, masks, cleansers and nothing worked. It felt like it was getting worse. I also started charting my cycles and noticed that when I got to my luteal phase I'd have even more acne.
So to a dermatologist I went. She ended up prescribing a low dose of antibiotics, a prescription-only cream, and then asked me to wash with La Roche Posay (2 different cleansers, one for night and one for morning). Just about $100 later, I noticed things were getting better.
Then we start trying for Baby G. Thankfully I had a follow up with my dermatologist as she yanks me off the pills and cream - not suitable for a growing baby in the womb. So within a month or two, the acne was back. Now I'm even more worried about getting pregnant because progesterone seems to have an ill-effect on my face and when pregnant your body surges with that hormone - oy vey!
Well, a year and a half passes and I'm at the end of my rope. I'm tired of masking the acne with layers of make-up; tired of not wanting to wash the make-up off my face as I'm too embarrassed even to let S. see my face; tired of walking around feeling so insecure with myself.
I finally decided to try the oil cleansing method. The oil cleansing method is easy - you take caster oil and sunflower oil, mix it together (proportions are in the link provided), rub it on your face, steam your face, and done! You only do this at night, no need to clean in the morning.
I wish I had taken before and after photos for your viewing pleasure, however the thought of having my acne-filled face on the internet forever makes me cringe. But take my word for it, I am SO SO SO happy with the results. S. even notices a HUGE difference. He's excited for me just because he knew how much it bothered me. He's even started cleansing his face with the mix and LOVES it. The cost is also amazing - $4 for sunflower oil and $6ish for caster oil and it LASTS! I love that it's all-natural, too.
So here I am, a week and change later, feeling like a new woman. I can go out of the house with just powder and blush and feel confident about my face.
So to a dermatologist I went. She ended up prescribing a low dose of antibiotics, a prescription-only cream, and then asked me to wash with La Roche Posay (2 different cleansers, one for night and one for morning). Just about $100 later, I noticed things were getting better.
Then we start trying for Baby G. Thankfully I had a follow up with my dermatologist as she yanks me off the pills and cream - not suitable for a growing baby in the womb. So within a month or two, the acne was back. Now I'm even more worried about getting pregnant because progesterone seems to have an ill-effect on my face and when pregnant your body surges with that hormone - oy vey!
Well, a year and a half passes and I'm at the end of my rope. I'm tired of masking the acne with layers of make-up; tired of not wanting to wash the make-up off my face as I'm too embarrassed even to let S. see my face; tired of walking around feeling so insecure with myself.
I finally decided to try the oil cleansing method. The oil cleansing method is easy - you take caster oil and sunflower oil, mix it together (proportions are in the link provided), rub it on your face, steam your face, and done! You only do this at night, no need to clean in the morning.
I wish I had taken before and after photos for your viewing pleasure, however the thought of having my acne-filled face on the internet forever makes me cringe. But take my word for it, I am SO SO SO happy with the results. S. even notices a HUGE difference. He's excited for me just because he knew how much it bothered me. He's even started cleansing his face with the mix and LOVES it. The cost is also amazing - $4 for sunflower oil and $6ish for caster oil and it LASTS! I love that it's all-natural, too.
So here I am, a week and change later, feeling like a new woman. I can go out of the house with just powder and blush and feel confident about my face.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Our food and what it means to our health
S. and I started our journey to eating better and more wisely about a year ago. Then, we watched Food Inc. (click for my review) and we really started to question things.
Our food is no longer food and it's disgusting.
A while back ago S. read an article (that we couldn't find, but I found others) stating that apples in a supermarket are normally kept in cold storage for up to a year. These apples are disgusting, grainy, mushy, and sealed with a waxy buildup so it looks pretty to the consumer. EW. Perfect Apple Pushed Growers Into DebtNY Times, Nov. 2000.
Today he found another article that discussed how "fresh squeezed OJ" from the store is no different than the cheap concentrated stuff. And more than realizing there isn't a difference (ew) this article, from Cook's Illustrated, goes into detail about how these juices are made. It's enough to make me make my own, thankyouverymuch. High-end orange juices claim to taste better and fresher than ordinary not-from-concentrates. At twice the price, are they a sweet deal?Cooks Illustrated, March 1, 2008.
Our food is no longer food and it's disgusting.
A while back ago S. read an article (that we couldn't find, but I found others) stating that apples in a supermarket are normally kept in cold storage for up to a year. These apples are disgusting, grainy, mushy, and sealed with a waxy buildup so it looks pretty to the consumer. EW. Perfect Apple Pushed Growers Into DebtNY Times, Nov. 2000.
Today he found another article that discussed how "fresh squeezed OJ" from the store is no different than the cheap concentrated stuff. And more than realizing there isn't a difference (ew) this article, from Cook's Illustrated, goes into detail about how these juices are made. It's enough to make me make my own, thankyouverymuch. High-end orange juices claim to taste better and fresher than ordinary not-from-concentrates. At twice the price, are they a sweet deal?Cooks Illustrated, March 1, 2008.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Disney freak
It started out innocent enough, we had an annual pass and enjoyed meeting friends at the park from time to time. Then we thought it would be fun to get married there. People thought we were crazy Disney fans, but really we weren't. But then, as time passed, the addiction started. I found myself in the Disney store buying all sorts of chotzkies and collectibles. I couldn't stop.
We then reunited with a friend of mine from High School whose passion and love for Disney are just out of this world awesome. His house didn't frighten us - it inspired us and from there there was no turning back.
Last summer Disney became our gym. When we needed motivation to work out and walk, we'd rush home for dinner (and eat a healthy meal to boot), then we'd book it over to the park where we'd walk for miles and miles. We never took the tram, either. I think we were at the park at least 3-4 times a week. It was therapeutic and effective! That summer we lost about 30 pounds each!
So CA residents know not to go near Disney when it's Christmas and New Years, so sad to say the last time I played in the park was a few months ago. I miss it, I love it, I crave it.
I think it's time we started back up our amazing Disney workout and visited the mouse.
We then reunited with a friend of mine from High School whose passion and love for Disney are just out of this world awesome. His house didn't frighten us - it inspired us and from there there was no turning back.
Last summer Disney became our gym. When we needed motivation to work out and walk, we'd rush home for dinner (and eat a healthy meal to boot), then we'd book it over to the park where we'd walk for miles and miles. We never took the tram, either. I think we were at the park at least 3-4 times a week. It was therapeutic and effective! That summer we lost about 30 pounds each!
So CA residents know not to go near Disney when it's Christmas and New Years, so sad to say the last time I played in the park was a few months ago. I miss it, I love it, I crave it.
I think it's time we started back up our amazing Disney workout and visited the mouse.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Week 1 of planning our meals
I felt like a broken record every time S. went shopping for groceries: "can you please plan meals out in advance so we don't waste money buying stuff we won't use and things we don't need?"
My pleas went unheard and every week we found ourselves throwing out produce and dairy and leftovers because we just weren't planning. Not to mention the gobs of money spent on eating out due to the fact that we got lazy.
After doc's bomb dropped on me a couple weeks ago, we decided we really needed to watch more of what went into our mouths. So I sat down and took matters into my own hands and I planned.
Last week I went through recipes on line using the search "healthy dinners" or "vegetarian recipes"(among the likes) and came up with a handful that piqued my interest. So I went through the lists and made a shopping list for the farmer's market and Henry's.
This is how our meals went:
Sunday, March 7: S. improvised and made this sweet potato and walnut ravioli that was yum!
(here's were I stepped in)
Monday, March 8: Szechuan Vegetable and Tofu Stir Fry.
I took the recipe from vegetariantimes.com and made a few tweaks. I should have gone with my better judgment because this recipe felt like something my Wisconsin-born grandmother would prefer rather than my China-born friend. The veggies weren't crisp and juicy, rather soggy and wilted. However, the taste was good. Next time, I'll go with my instincts.
Tuesday, March 9: Chili Sin Carne (but not really because instead of veggie crumbles, I used ground turkey).
Again, this recipe came from vegetariantimes.com, but I decided to make some changes. First, I sub'd the veggie crumbles (what the hell is that anyway?) and used lean ground turkey. I also didn't add nearly as much water as they suggested (thank GOD, too, because mine was perfect!) and I used canned corn instead of frozen. This was a super yummy meal. Steven was floored and we brought the leftovers to the office where our new agent basically gobbled this up. So good.
Wednesday, March 10: Chipotle Shrimp with Avocado Salsa Verde.
Also known as the night we sent ALL of our smoke detectors off, freaked out the animals, and realized that we shouldn't grill shrimp inside.
S. helped me a lot with this one because I wanted homemade tortillas and he's amazing at that. And because the smoke detectors were on full blast, I had to tend to the windows, fans, and making sure my animals didn't go psycho crazy. So he ended up grilling the shrimp. Everything else, though, was me and that avocado/tomatillo salsa verde rocked my socks.
Thursday, March 11: Eggplant Parmesan
S. didn't help one little bit with this one and I'm super proud of it. I made my own marinara sauce from scratch (that was probably the best I've ever done!) and I didn't use the skimpy grated mozzarella the recipe called for - no, I used the premium, whole milk mozzarella, which totally made a HUGE difference. Am I still patting myself on the back for this? Heck yes.
Friday, March 12: Our "one day out a week if we so chose to" night.
We ended up having steamed crab, shrimp, corn, and potatoes. YUM!
Saturday, March 13: Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries.
Now before I get to the dinner, let me start with lunch. We had been working in the garage trying to clean that sucker out and we both got super hungry. Enchilada House and Bonellos Pizza were on our "dude, we so should totally get that for lunch" menu. S. thought we were getting pizza until I went back inside and heard our fridge yelling at me to use food that was already in there.
So, I ended up making a thai-inspired chicken salad from my left over chicken and brown rice from Yard House (last weekend), snap peas, bean sprouts, cucumbers, and carrots. With a little help from S. we made this peanut butter dressing that just made this salad killer! Steve was bummed about the no pizza at first, but ended up devouring the salad and we both felt SO much better knowing we didn't blow it.
Ok, so back to dinner, the original recipe I had was from Food Network and it was actually a Jerk Turkey Burger with Mango Slaw dish. We couldn't find this mango chutney that it called for, so I improvised. I kinda read through the recipe and decided to just push it aside and "wing it." I ended up seasoning the turkey meat with salt, pepper, minced onions, and balsamic vinegar. I then took carrots and a green apple and julienned them into a bowl. Then I chopped up some green cabbage and cut up a couple green onions and put them in the bowl. I added some mayo and some apple cider vinegar and mixed it up. That coleslaw kicked butt. Seriously.
I then asked S. to cut up my sweet potatoes to look like fries and I baked them. S.is a master griller so he cooked the burgers. I put the coleslaw on the burger and tada! M.'s Turkey Burger. (I'll actually think of how to write up the recipe later because most of it was just eyeballin' and guesstimates.)
.....
We just went through the fridge and already have dinners for the next week planned AND didn't have to throw anything out this week - saving us TONS of cash. Highly recommend this and really wish we had started this sooner.
My pleas went unheard and every week we found ourselves throwing out produce and dairy and leftovers because we just weren't planning. Not to mention the gobs of money spent on eating out due to the fact that we got lazy.
After doc's bomb dropped on me a couple weeks ago, we decided we really needed to watch more of what went into our mouths. So I sat down and took matters into my own hands and I planned.
Last week I went through recipes on line using the search "healthy dinners" or "vegetarian recipes"(among the likes) and came up with a handful that piqued my interest. So I went through the lists and made a shopping list for the farmer's market and Henry's.
This is how our meals went:
Sunday, March 7: S. improvised and made this sweet potato and walnut ravioli that was yum!
(here's were I stepped in)
Monday, March 8: Szechuan Vegetable and Tofu Stir Fry.
I took the recipe from vegetariantimes.com and made a few tweaks. I should have gone with my better judgment because this recipe felt like something my Wisconsin-born grandmother would prefer rather than my China-born friend. The veggies weren't crisp and juicy, rather soggy and wilted. However, the taste was good. Next time, I'll go with my instincts.
Tuesday, March 9: Chili Sin Carne (but not really because instead of veggie crumbles, I used ground turkey).
Again, this recipe came from vegetariantimes.com, but I decided to make some changes. First, I sub'd the veggie crumbles (what the hell is that anyway?) and used lean ground turkey. I also didn't add nearly as much water as they suggested (thank GOD, too, because mine was perfect!) and I used canned corn instead of frozen. This was a super yummy meal. Steven was floored and we brought the leftovers to the office where our new agent basically gobbled this up. So good.
Wednesday, March 10: Chipotle Shrimp with Avocado Salsa Verde.
Also known as the night we sent ALL of our smoke detectors off, freaked out the animals, and realized that we shouldn't grill shrimp inside.
S. helped me a lot with this one because I wanted homemade tortillas and he's amazing at that. And because the smoke detectors were on full blast, I had to tend to the windows, fans, and making sure my animals didn't go psycho crazy. So he ended up grilling the shrimp. Everything else, though, was me and that avocado/tomatillo salsa verde rocked my socks.
Thursday, March 11: Eggplant Parmesan
S. didn't help one little bit with this one and I'm super proud of it. I made my own marinara sauce from scratch (that was probably the best I've ever done!) and I didn't use the skimpy grated mozzarella the recipe called for - no, I used the premium, whole milk mozzarella, which totally made a HUGE difference. Am I still patting myself on the back for this? Heck yes.
Friday, March 12: Our "one day out a week if we so chose to" night.
We ended up having steamed crab, shrimp, corn, and potatoes. YUM!
Saturday, March 13: Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries.
Now before I get to the dinner, let me start with lunch. We had been working in the garage trying to clean that sucker out and we both got super hungry. Enchilada House and Bonellos Pizza were on our "dude, we so should totally get that for lunch" menu. S. thought we were getting pizza until I went back inside and heard our fridge yelling at me to use food that was already in there.
So, I ended up making a thai-inspired chicken salad from my left over chicken and brown rice from Yard House (last weekend), snap peas, bean sprouts, cucumbers, and carrots. With a little help from S. we made this peanut butter dressing that just made this salad killer! Steve was bummed about the no pizza at first, but ended up devouring the salad and we both felt SO much better knowing we didn't blow it.
Ok, so back to dinner, the original recipe I had was from Food Network and it was actually a Jerk Turkey Burger with Mango Slaw dish. We couldn't find this mango chutney that it called for, so I improvised. I kinda read through the recipe and decided to just push it aside and "wing it." I ended up seasoning the turkey meat with salt, pepper, minced onions, and balsamic vinegar. I then took carrots and a green apple and julienned them into a bowl. Then I chopped up some green cabbage and cut up a couple green onions and put them in the bowl. I added some mayo and some apple cider vinegar and mixed it up. That coleslaw kicked butt. Seriously.
I then asked S. to cut up my sweet potatoes to look like fries and I baked them. S.is a master griller so he cooked the burgers. I put the coleslaw on the burger and tada! M.'s Turkey Burger. (I'll actually think of how to write up the recipe later because most of it was just eyeballin' and guesstimates.)
.....
We just went through the fridge and already have dinners for the next week planned AND didn't have to throw anything out this week - saving us TONS of cash. Highly recommend this and really wish we had started this sooner.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Unplugging from the technology leashes...
Within the past 3 months life has gone from a calm 70 mph to insane autobahn speeds of 160 mph. A lot of it stems from good things like a severe influx of business and our adoption, but these 5 classes I'm taking this semester are seriously harder than I anticipated. If I am gone for one class period I feel lost and behind.
At any rate, S. and I found ourselves overwhelmed and stressed to the max. Our relationship hasn't been 100% and we're feeling the effects.
Our whole goal in life is to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle that will positively impact our children and we needed to figure out how to wrangle our whirlwind life back to calm serenity before we completely lost it.
After a lot of thought, I realized that I was too "plugged in": I visited a few sites MULTIPLE times a day, which compromised my productivity at work and at school. So I asked S. to change my passwords (so I wouldn't be tempted to have a 'quick look') and am now on a month long (or perhaps longer if I wish) break. That being said, I already have found way more time during the day then I know what to do with. Homework here I come.
In addition, we realized we were unwinding at the end of the day with copious amounts of TV. We were using so much of our brain during the day that TV felt good as it offered a chance to completely veg. But one show turned into two, turned into 5. And before we knew it, we were up until 11:30-12 and not waking up at a decent time. It was a vicious cycle.
So, we have severely limited our TV and put ourselves on a strict bedtime policy. The past few night have been amazing. We were in bed by 10p and awoke naturally between 7-7:30a. We have also decided to let the sun wake us so we have been keeping the blinds cracked. It has been awesome and refreshing.
And this leads me to my blog - this will be my last active post for a month or so, as I really need this disconnect. I know many of you are actively following this to see what's going on with the adoption, so don't fret. This is actually a great time for a break because we're in a waiting period with not much going on.
Can't wait to come back with news and a refreshed soul. Much love and happiness.
At any rate, S. and I found ourselves overwhelmed and stressed to the max. Our relationship hasn't been 100% and we're feeling the effects.
Our whole goal in life is to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle that will positively impact our children and we needed to figure out how to wrangle our whirlwind life back to calm serenity before we completely lost it.
After a lot of thought, I realized that I was too "plugged in": I visited a few sites MULTIPLE times a day, which compromised my productivity at work and at school. So I asked S. to change my passwords (so I wouldn't be tempted to have a 'quick look') and am now on a month long (or perhaps longer if I wish) break. That being said, I already have found way more time during the day then I know what to do with. Homework here I come.
In addition, we realized we were unwinding at the end of the day with copious amounts of TV. We were using so much of our brain during the day that TV felt good as it offered a chance to completely veg. But one show turned into two, turned into 5. And before we knew it, we were up until 11:30-12 and not waking up at a decent time. It was a vicious cycle.
So, we have severely limited our TV and put ourselves on a strict bedtime policy. The past few night have been amazing. We were in bed by 10p and awoke naturally between 7-7:30a. We have also decided to let the sun wake us so we have been keeping the blinds cracked. It has been awesome and refreshing.
And this leads me to my blog - this will be my last active post for a month or so, as I really need this disconnect. I know many of you are actively following this to see what's going on with the adoption, so don't fret. This is actually a great time for a break because we're in a waiting period with not much going on.
Can't wait to come back with news and a refreshed soul. Much love and happiness.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Smacked in the face by the truth
S. and I, as many of you know, went on a mainstream diet back in June of last year. It was great, we lost a lot of weight, learned portion control and re-tuned our bodies to crave healthy things instead of french fries and cheeseburgers. We felt so good that we came off it early and did pretty well for the next month and change. Then the holidays hit and our schedules changed drastically - leaving us little time to prepare meals and snacks.
We fell.
We both have gained weight back - depending on the day I'm anywhere from 8-13 lbs heavier.
Then we go to our family doctor for our physical in mid February. We get our blood work done and S. passes everything with flying colors. Mine not so great. I have high bad cholesterol and apparently they tested my blood and I get a paper back saying "mixed hyperlipidemia." He wants to see if we can manage this with simple dietary changes: little to no red meat, use cheeses sparingly (or omit if possible), watch milk intake - only fat free (eww), and eat certain fish sparingly. He also mentioned eating more oatmeal in the morning.
Doc says we both are in desperate need to shed some weight. He wants S. to lose about 30 more pounds and for me to lose about 15-20. So he wants us to be active for 20-40 min 5-6 times per week and to make sure that there's a puddle under us (sweating a lot).
He also advised us on some personal life changes to try to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for a baby. The advice he gave wasn't remarkable, it wasn't something you've never heard, but it made sense and came right at a time we needed it. Basically he said to start getting these healthy eating, exercising, and living habits down pat now. We should also get healthier sleeping habits down to prepare ourselves for an early riser.
We've slowly started changing. I wish I could say we perked up and are doing everything to a T. We've started eating oatmeal (almost) every morning. It's yum! And I've cut wayyyyyy down on my red meat intake, which is really hard for a gal like me whose family raised her on meat and potatoes.
I'm glad that we had our physical because it really smacked us in the face with the need to make changes NOW rather than later.
We fell.
We both have gained weight back - depending on the day I'm anywhere from 8-13 lbs heavier.
Then we go to our family doctor for our physical in mid February. We get our blood work done and S. passes everything with flying colors. Mine not so great. I have high bad cholesterol and apparently they tested my blood and I get a paper back saying "mixed hyperlipidemia." He wants to see if we can manage this with simple dietary changes: little to no red meat, use cheeses sparingly (or omit if possible), watch milk intake - only fat free (eww), and eat certain fish sparingly. He also mentioned eating more oatmeal in the morning.
Doc says we both are in desperate need to shed some weight. He wants S. to lose about 30 more pounds and for me to lose about 15-20. So he wants us to be active for 20-40 min 5-6 times per week and to make sure that there's a puddle under us (sweating a lot).
He also advised us on some personal life changes to try to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for a baby. The advice he gave wasn't remarkable, it wasn't something you've never heard, but it made sense and came right at a time we needed it. Basically he said to start getting these healthy eating, exercising, and living habits down pat now. We should also get healthier sleeping habits down to prepare ourselves for an early riser.
We've slowly started changing. I wish I could say we perked up and are doing everything to a T. We've started eating oatmeal (almost) every morning. It's yum! And I've cut wayyyyyy down on my red meat intake, which is really hard for a gal like me whose family raised her on meat and potatoes.
I'm glad that we had our physical because it really smacked us in the face with the need to make changes NOW rather than later.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
So what's this about health and being healthy??
Well. It happened.
S. and I started our journey to eating better and making healthier choices the beginning of last year. Wait, scratch that. We SAID that's what we wanted to do, but really didn't change a thing until June.
We began medifast and that's where our change began. We detoxed from our food-centered life and were beginning to crave earth-given goodness (fruits and veggies were on our super desired list). We took ourselves off the packaged diet early (after we lost about 30 pounds each) thinking that we should ride the craving train. Instead of gradually reintroducing foods we couldn't have on the diet back into our lives, we jumped right in.
We did very well the first couple months off. We ate whole grains sparingly, fresh homemade pasta (sparingly), loads of fruits and veggies, tons of snacks like almonds and other nuts, and were very happy with our transition back in.
Then the holidays hit.
It all seemed to unravel from there.
One cheat turned into two turned into three turned into a full on revisit of our former life.
It isn't nearly as bad as it was before hand - we still have not stepped inside a fast food restaurant, we're not eating the large portions that we used to - but we stopped burning calories, we have eaten more than supposed to, we stopped eating smaller meals in between, and we've added some not so good choices in food to the mix.
I so desire to get back to that euphoric state in my life where all I wanted to do was move, where I had amazing energy and a healthy glow, and where I craved the good, wholesome foods given to us from mother nature.
It's time to stop fluttering back and forth. It's time to once again get healthy and STAY healthy.
S. and I started our journey to eating better and making healthier choices the beginning of last year. Wait, scratch that. We SAID that's what we wanted to do, but really didn't change a thing until June.
We began medifast and that's where our change began. We detoxed from our food-centered life and were beginning to crave earth-given goodness (fruits and veggies were on our super desired list). We took ourselves off the packaged diet early (after we lost about 30 pounds each) thinking that we should ride the craving train. Instead of gradually reintroducing foods we couldn't have on the diet back into our lives, we jumped right in.
We did very well the first couple months off. We ate whole grains sparingly, fresh homemade pasta (sparingly), loads of fruits and veggies, tons of snacks like almonds and other nuts, and were very happy with our transition back in.
Then the holidays hit.
It all seemed to unravel from there.
One cheat turned into two turned into three turned into a full on revisit of our former life.
It isn't nearly as bad as it was before hand - we still have not stepped inside a fast food restaurant, we're not eating the large portions that we used to - but we stopped burning calories, we have eaten more than supposed to, we stopped eating smaller meals in between, and we've added some not so good choices in food to the mix.
I so desire to get back to that euphoric state in my life where all I wanted to do was move, where I had amazing energy and a healthy glow, and where I craved the good, wholesome foods given to us from mother nature.
It's time to stop fluttering back and forth. It's time to once again get healthy and STAY healthy.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
7 Days of Thanks, Day 5
Today I am very thankful for my health. In a world riddled with disease, famine, cancer, and other health deficiencies, I am lucky to be healthy and happy. This past year has been focused on eating right and exercising - something we neglected - and have seen positive effects.
I pray that our world changes for the better as health seems to have fallen to the wayside where health care has become more important. People don't realize the importance of staying healthy, not over indulging, and exercising. Many of the issues faced today: obesity, heart failure, diabetes; can all be alleviated if you take care of yourself.
Here's to our health and our healthy future!
I pray that our world changes for the better as health seems to have fallen to the wayside where health care has become more important. People don't realize the importance of staying healthy, not over indulging, and exercising. Many of the issues faced today: obesity, heart failure, diabetes; can all be alleviated if you take care of yourself.
Here's to our health and our healthy future!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Neglected health
We worked so hard to learn to eat right, add exercise and take care of ourselves. What we didn't learn is how to manage this in incredibly busy and stressful times.
We started our journey in the summer, where everyone was on vacation so sales/business was a little less rushed, I only had 2 classes (one was done in 3 weeks and the other was online) so I had extra time, and the sun was out later so even if we got home at 6:30, we could still go for a walk.
S. and I are working until 7 or 8 most nights, our eating schedule is chaotic, stress levels are higher since work is really pouring in (thank you, Jesus) and I'm taking 4 classes this semester (3 at school and 1 internet). Thankfully, we have NOT touched fast food, which is something we swore off for as long as humanly possible - if not forever. But the thing I miss the most is the exercising and the energy. I'm finding myself to be very lethargic and tired all the time.
I'm happy to feel like I'm not near the place we were before with our health, but I'm definitely not happy with myself now. So I have made 3 goals for myself:
1.) Eat my big meal at lunch. It seems easy, but we are normally "too busy" and end up grabbing a small sandwich or a salad, and then are starving for dinner, which leads to us going out since it's too late to cook.
2.) Remember the small snacks in between. The one thing Medifast taught us was to never let yourself get to be "starving." We bought nuts, some high-fiber cereal, and a bunch of other good snack items for the office, but we usually get too busy to remember to eat. I really want to reincorporate this back into our life as I know it will help keep the unwanted pounds off.
3.) Go to bed earlier. When we were on Medifast, Steven and I would be out by 9:30 (10 was usually our 'late' time) and we woke up around 6:30-6:45 and felt great. We had plenty of energy. I also think we could use the time in the morning to go for our walks then and get back to exercising. I know the pups would enjoy a good, long stretch in the morning.
I love challenging myself and seeing what I can accomplish.
We started our journey in the summer, where everyone was on vacation so sales/business was a little less rushed, I only had 2 classes (one was done in 3 weeks and the other was online) so I had extra time, and the sun was out later so even if we got home at 6:30, we could still go for a walk.
S. and I are working until 7 or 8 most nights, our eating schedule is chaotic, stress levels are higher since work is really pouring in (thank you, Jesus) and I'm taking 4 classes this semester (3 at school and 1 internet). Thankfully, we have NOT touched fast food, which is something we swore off for as long as humanly possible - if not forever. But the thing I miss the most is the exercising and the energy. I'm finding myself to be very lethargic and tired all the time.
I'm happy to feel like I'm not near the place we were before with our health, but I'm definitely not happy with myself now. So I have made 3 goals for myself:
1.) Eat my big meal at lunch. It seems easy, but we are normally "too busy" and end up grabbing a small sandwich or a salad, and then are starving for dinner, which leads to us going out since it's too late to cook.
2.) Remember the small snacks in between. The one thing Medifast taught us was to never let yourself get to be "starving." We bought nuts, some high-fiber cereal, and a bunch of other good snack items for the office, but we usually get too busy to remember to eat. I really want to reincorporate this back into our life as I know it will help keep the unwanted pounds off.
3.) Go to bed earlier. When we were on Medifast, Steven and I would be out by 9:30 (10 was usually our 'late' time) and we woke up around 6:30-6:45 and felt great. We had plenty of energy. I also think we could use the time in the morning to go for our walks then and get back to exercising. I know the pups would enjoy a good, long stretch in the morning.
I love challenging myself and seeing what I can accomplish.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Happy Windsday!
After a delightful and last minute evening trip to Disneyland last night, I'm feeling refreshed and amazingly lighter. Although I was craving a churro or some other delightful Disneyland treat, I stayed away and much to my amazement actually lost weight this morning (even after a couple cocktails).
I am very proud of our decisions, though. Before Medifast we wouldn't have hesitated to get a churro AND an ice cream AND a corn dog AND whatever else our tastebuds yelled for.
I just can't believe how time has flown and 2009 is in the later half of the year. Christmas will be here soon enough and I get more and more excited about the holidays. Hope everyone is having a great week.
I am very proud of our decisions, though. Before Medifast we wouldn't have hesitated to get a churro AND an ice cream AND a corn dog AND whatever else our tastebuds yelled for.
I just can't believe how time has flown and 2009 is in the later half of the year. Christmas will be here soon enough and I get more and more excited about the holidays. Hope everyone is having a great week.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Energy Shields Are At Maximum Capacity, Captain!
I admit, I came into MediFast thinking I would eventually find out that I had been duped and the whole direct selling thing is a sham preying on the weak and the fat. I convinced my husband to just give it a try anyway as we were out of control and if we didn't get a hold of ourselves right then and there, we'd be on the Discovery channel talking about how we're both 800lbs and eating a billion calories a day.
But I admit I was wrong. I was very wrong about you, MediFast.
You have somehow retooled our way of thinking, of eating, and how I feel about myself. Maybe it's a drug in the food, but whatever it is I like it.
I go out to eat and make SMART choices (ok, so the 2 glasses of red wine aren't smart, BUT I do realize that I need to add about 10 extra minutes of exercise the day before and after to make up for that choice).
AND I have a LOT of energy. I love going out for out walks and if it's getting close to 2 days since I last walked, I get antsy and irritable. My body now craves movement. Once I get started I can't stop. If I come home after a walk and still have energy to burn, I'm running up and down our stairs, or doing lunges, or dancing to good ol MJ.
I also used to spend HOURS in front of the TV or the computer. And now I get antsy if I'm there for too long. I need to get up, to move, to DO SOMETHING. (As a matter of fact I'm running to my room to change into my walking gear as soon as I'm done with this blog!)
I love how bright the future looks for my husband and I and I really feel that in these short 7 weeks on the plan we have been taught a valuable lesson on eating wisely. You can have a cheat meal once in a blue moon - BUT do something to counter act that choice and add in a few extra crunches and 15 min extra on the cardio. And don't beat yourself up. Feel great about that choice. It's a wise one.
But I admit I was wrong. I was very wrong about you, MediFast.
You have somehow retooled our way of thinking, of eating, and how I feel about myself. Maybe it's a drug in the food, but whatever it is I like it.
I go out to eat and make SMART choices (ok, so the 2 glasses of red wine aren't smart, BUT I do realize that I need to add about 10 extra minutes of exercise the day before and after to make up for that choice).
AND I have a LOT of energy. I love going out for out walks and if it's getting close to 2 days since I last walked, I get antsy and irritable. My body now craves movement. Once I get started I can't stop. If I come home after a walk and still have energy to burn, I'm running up and down our stairs, or doing lunges, or dancing to good ol MJ.
I also used to spend HOURS in front of the TV or the computer. And now I get antsy if I'm there for too long. I need to get up, to move, to DO SOMETHING. (As a matter of fact I'm running to my room to change into my walking gear as soon as I'm done with this blog!)
I love how bright the future looks for my husband and I and I really feel that in these short 7 weeks on the plan we have been taught a valuable lesson on eating wisely. You can have a cheat meal once in a blue moon - BUT do something to counter act that choice and add in a few extra crunches and 15 min extra on the cardio. And don't beat yourself up. Feel great about that choice. It's a wise one.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Still Alive and Doing Well
We're almost and the end of 7 weeks on MediFast and we're feeling AMAZING. We have more energy, we exercise at least 3 times a week, and DRUM ROLL........
S. has lost 25 lbs and I have lost 21 lbs!
I'll get a great pic of us after we get back from our vacation so you can see the half way point transformation of us. (Well S. is over his half-way point, I've got about 25 more to go.)
One of my greatest milestones on this weight loss journey has been being able to fit back into my wedding ring without having the horrible skin irritations that forcing it on caused.
We're looking forward to the day when we step on the scale and see numbers we haven't seen since before we met each other and can feel great about how we look. And since starting MediFast, we're realizing that day is actually not too far away and completely attainable.
S. has lost 25 lbs and I have lost 21 lbs!
I'll get a great pic of us after we get back from our vacation so you can see the half way point transformation of us. (Well S. is over his half-way point, I've got about 25 more to go.)
One of my greatest milestones on this weight loss journey has been being able to fit back into my wedding ring without having the horrible skin irritations that forcing it on caused.
We're looking forward to the day when we step on the scale and see numbers we haven't seen since before we met each other and can feel great about how we look. And since starting MediFast, we're realizing that day is actually not too far away and completely attainable.
Monday, June 1, 2009
"It doesn't taste that bad"
We found ourselves saying this a few times today (except for a couple of things we both kind of had issues with). You see the plan is to eat every couple hours or so, we we eat 5 of their meals and 1 of ours since we wake up.
As I mentioned earlier, we started off with a bowl of oatmeal (off plan) and didn't get our food around noon. So we were a little on the famished side and dug right in.
S. had a strawberry crunch bar - "surprisingly not rancid" (his words) and would eat again!
I had a bowl of wild rice and chicken soup. It was decent, although I think it would move up a notch on the yumm scale if a) I didn't overcook it and b) I added salt, and a lot of it.
We then moved on to our mid afternoon snack around 2 where S. partook in the chicken noodle soup, which he likened to the Lipton soup and gave that a two diet thumbs up. I had the strawberry cream shake.
Now I forgot to mention that we decided to mix in a lot of the food we wouldn't normally go for or really dislike, and eat it in the beginning. We were told that the first few days were the worst, so why not make it super bad and give us something to look forward to when we're feeling better?
I bring this up because I hate strawberry shakes, strawberry ice cream, and a bunch of other strawberry items that aren't either real strawberries or jam.
The shake I had was not a hit with either of us (Steven decided to sample what little I had remaininig) and I was bummed he didn't like it as I wanted to trade my strawberry for his orangscicle. :-/
Anyway, then we had our 4p snack and it consisted of the orange cream shake (the orangscicle) for S. (who was not a fan but I thought it was super yummy) and then a lemon merengue bar for me, which was "eh".
The best meal of the day is the lean and green (where you cook for yourself) by far. We had 5 and 6 oz of roasted chicken - no skin - (I had 5 because it was dark meat), 3/4 cup of cucumbers, and 3/4 cup of green beans. Steven poured a tiny bit of rice vinegar on my cucumbers and a pinch of sea salt for the beans. His meal was a little more crazy. I think it was the same thing, except he also added truffle salt to his beans, and paprika and chipotle powder to his chicken. We also took a long time to eat, drinking plenty of water during the meal, and are pleasantly full.
We have one more Medifast meal for dessert tonight and then it's on to day 2.
So far, we've decided that it's not the diet that will kill us, it's each other. Our irritability is through the roof. Thank goodness we can make each other laugh after we've yelled at each other and we realize what the other is going through.
At any rate, we're still trucking on with a positive outlook and can't wait to get to our goal.
As I mentioned earlier, we started off with a bowl of oatmeal (off plan) and didn't get our food around noon. So we were a little on the famished side and dug right in.
S. had a strawberry crunch bar - "surprisingly not rancid" (his words) and would eat again!
I had a bowl of wild rice and chicken soup. It was decent, although I think it would move up a notch on the yumm scale if a) I didn't overcook it and b) I added salt, and a lot of it.
We then moved on to our mid afternoon snack around 2 where S. partook in the chicken noodle soup, which he likened to the Lipton soup and gave that a two diet thumbs up. I had the strawberry cream shake.
Now I forgot to mention that we decided to mix in a lot of the food we wouldn't normally go for or really dislike, and eat it in the beginning. We were told that the first few days were the worst, so why not make it super bad and give us something to look forward to when we're feeling better?
I bring this up because I hate strawberry shakes, strawberry ice cream, and a bunch of other strawberry items that aren't either real strawberries or jam.
The shake I had was not a hit with either of us (Steven decided to sample what little I had remaininig) and I was bummed he didn't like it as I wanted to trade my strawberry for his orangscicle. :-/
Anyway, then we had our 4p snack and it consisted of the orange cream shake (the orangscicle) for S. (who was not a fan but I thought it was super yummy) and then a lemon merengue bar for me, which was "eh".
The best meal of the day is the lean and green (where you cook for yourself) by far. We had 5 and 6 oz of roasted chicken - no skin - (I had 5 because it was dark meat), 3/4 cup of cucumbers, and 3/4 cup of green beans. Steven poured a tiny bit of rice vinegar on my cucumbers and a pinch of sea salt for the beans. His meal was a little more crazy. I think it was the same thing, except he also added truffle salt to his beans, and paprika and chipotle powder to his chicken. We also took a long time to eat, drinking plenty of water during the meal, and are pleasantly full.
We have one more Medifast meal for dessert tonight and then it's on to day 2.
So far, we've decided that it's not the diet that will kill us, it's each other. Our irritability is through the roof. Thank goodness we can make each other laugh after we've yelled at each other and we realize what the other is going through.
At any rate, we're still trucking on with a positive outlook and can't wait to get to our goal.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Monday is coming up fast!
"I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me."
This has been our mantra for the past few days and it's been working.
I love that we are doing this together because as one person is having doubts creep in, the other comes right in and reminds us why we're doing this and why we NEED to do this.
We are finding that the more we realize how bad we're eating, the more things that used to sound yummy are now beginning to make us queasy. Monday can't come soon enough.
Here's our plan:
We get shipped to us 4 weeks of food that includes:
Considering we have a very low caloric intake, we are told to hold off on the strenuous activities until the 2nd or 3rd month. We can take 20 minute walks, though! :)
We are grateful for your support and would love encouragement along the way to help make this easy! :)
This has been our mantra for the past few days and it's been working.
I love that we are doing this together because as one person is having doubts creep in, the other comes right in and reminds us why we're doing this and why we NEED to do this.
We are finding that the more we realize how bad we're eating, the more things that used to sound yummy are now beginning to make us queasy. Monday can't come soon enough.
Here's our plan:
We get shipped to us 4 weeks of food that includes:
- 42 Bars (Chocolate Mint Crunch, Peanut Butter Crunch, Oatmeal Raisin Crunch, Caramel Crunch, Fruit & Nut Crunch, Strawberry Crunch)
- 14 Oatmeals (Apple Cinnamon, Maple & Brown Sugar)
- 7 Scrambled Eggs
- 14 Soups (Chicken Noodle, Chicken & Wild Rice)
- 7 Chocolate Puddings
- 7 Cappuccinos
Considering we have a very low caloric intake, we are told to hold off on the strenuous activities until the 2nd or 3rd month. We can take 20 minute walks, though! :)
We are grateful for your support and would love encouragement along the way to help make this easy! :)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Back on the wagon, we go!
So we all pretty much didn't do a thing the past few months and our bodies show that and more.
To top things off, we pretty much just raced to the finish line where we were supposed to start trying to conceive AFTER we got healthy, but didn't. And, of course, the Lord basically told us what we already knew and that was "not yet." So after 5 months and 6 cycles of nothing, we're back at square 1 and feeling much better about this.
After some feedback from family and friends, we decided to try the Medifast diet and low exercise to start for June and July. Then September, October, and November, we add a lot more exercise and do half the Medifast plan and half on our own. And then go from there. We would love your prayers for our success that we can stay on track and always remember that God is in control.
So, starting in exactly 6 days, we will be on our new plan and new life. We're both excited to drop the weight - especially after this picture was taken (this passed Friday). NOT cool.
To top things off, we pretty much just raced to the finish line where we were supposed to start trying to conceive AFTER we got healthy, but didn't. And, of course, the Lord basically told us what we already knew and that was "not yet." So after 5 months and 6 cycles of nothing, we're back at square 1 and feeling much better about this.
After some feedback from family and friends, we decided to try the Medifast diet and low exercise to start for June and July. Then September, October, and November, we add a lot more exercise and do half the Medifast plan and half on our own. And then go from there. We would love your prayers for our success that we can stay on track and always remember that God is in control.
So, starting in exactly 6 days, we will be on our new plan and new life. We're both excited to drop the weight - especially after this picture was taken (this passed Friday). NOT cool.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thumbs up from Doc!
I prepare for everything. Probably a little more than normal. But anyway, a few weeks ago was my yearly trip to the lady doctor. S. and I decided it would be best to do the "baby talk" (no, not goo goo and gah gah) but the talk that includes, "what are my next steps", "what should we start doing/not doing", "etc." Most everything we discussed I had already knew about from my overachieving preparedness. So she sent me to a blood lab to get my blood drawn to test for:
1. Liver
2. Diabetes
3. Rubella Vaccine
4. Thyroid
5. Blood pressure
Oh, and I'm blanking, but they also want to know your blood type as there is a condition in which the mom's body will attack the baby - yay wiki for helping me out (3rd paragraph down): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type.
But I got the call Friday afternoon from the doc and I passed with flying colors! YAY!!!
S. and I are excited and are thinking about starting our little family, or at least trying for it, around June or July of this year. So please keep us in your prayers that this is what God wants for us.
1. Liver
2. Diabetes
3. Rubella Vaccine
4. Thyroid
5. Blood pressure
Oh, and I'm blanking, but they also want to know your blood type as there is a condition in which the mom's body will attack the baby - yay wiki for helping me out (3rd paragraph down): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type.
But I got the call Friday afternoon from the doc and I passed with flying colors! YAY!!!
S. and I are excited and are thinking about starting our little family, or at least trying for it, around June or July of this year. So please keep us in your prayers that this is what God wants for us.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
And so it begins
I re-joined sparkpeople and am hoping to have S. and the parents join, as well. Sparkpeople really helps you track your food intake and your exercise. You can either follow their meal and exercise plan or make your own. They even have an online community where you can join with other people, who share similar stories, and get encouragement and help. The best thing about this site is that it's absolutely FREE. On occasion you may get an ad that pops up, but I don't mind as that's what keeps it free.
I had a great day yesterday with the food I ate, even when I thought we had messed up for dinner. I tracked everything and was on the low side of my daily allowance! YAY. S. then hooked up with Wii and we started the Wii fit again. I took the fitness test and according to the Wii my BMI is 28 and change and my wii fit age is 44!!! I went through just about everything and really like the yoga part. S.'s BMI is 30 and change and his wii fit age went up to 50 something! (I think it was 52)
We both realized how incredibly out of shape and sedentary we are. And just reinforced why we're doing this.
We are also going to start the "Couch to 5K" run.
It basically starts you off walking and sprinkles in a few light 90 second jogs, by the end of the plan (week 9) you're running 5K.
I look forward to March 28th and to a bright, healthy future with my husband, my family, and the little ones to come!
I had a great day yesterday with the food I ate, even when I thought we had messed up for dinner. I tracked everything and was on the low side of my daily allowance! YAY. S. then hooked up with Wii and we started the Wii fit again. I took the fitness test and according to the Wii my BMI is 28 and change and my wii fit age is 44!!! I went through just about everything and really like the yoga part. S.'s BMI is 30 and change and his wii fit age went up to 50 something! (I think it was 52)
We both realized how incredibly out of shape and sedentary we are. And just reinforced why we're doing this.
We are also going to start the "Couch to 5K" run.
It basically starts you off walking and sprinkles in a few light 90 second jogs, by the end of the plan (week 9) you're running 5K.
I look forward to March 28th and to a bright, healthy future with my husband, my family, and the little ones to come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)