This weekend, I was feeling frustrated with myself for a few reasons. I've started to watch a lot of TV, have been lazy in my scripture reading and prayers, and was giving in to a lot of temptation to eat Halloween candy all week. I was feeling weak spiritually, mentally, and physically. Yesterday, I decided to focus my fast on a fresh start, a re-commitment to doing the things that I know are the most important for my happiness (most importantly, the spiritual aspects).
I feel like the "Feel Great in 8" challenge issued to me by Celeste was a response from Heavenly Father to my sincere desires.
Founded by an LDS mother, this is a program to help you improve your life mentally, physically, and spiritually. Basically, I pay $18 and part of that money goes in to a pot for prizes. If I refer people, I get $2 off for each friend I refer. Then, the host, Tiffany, sends a bunch of information.
For 8 weeks, you keep track of your points. You get points for reading uplifting material, for avoiding temptations that beset you (for me, that would be watching a bunch of TV), for prayer/meditation, for eating a balanced diet, for exercise and for spending time with family. You also set a goal for yourself at the beginning and get bonus points for reaching that goal by the end. Winners get prizes, but more importantly, it's a chance feel good about yourself in all aspects of your life.
I know I sound like an ad, but I already paid and don't know that I'd get a referral discount anyway. I just think this is an answer to my prayers and it seems like a great thing for anyone to try. So if you're interested, go to this link to read more about it and email greatin8challenge@gmail.com to sign up. It starts today so it's not too late to do it. For me, it's a lifesaver because of the holidays where I am going to be constantly challenged. If you're going to do it, let me know so we can support each other.
Also, whether or not you do the challenge and you're a "myfitnesspal" user and want support (I always need it), be my friend (username: ktkarrots) and we can support each other. I do a lot better with my health goals when I have friends supporting me.
I'll let you know how this goes in case anyone wants to try it in the future!
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Monday, November 4, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Addendum
There are a couple things I need to add about weight loss. First, I remembered a couple tips that I left off yesterday.
31. Take the stairs whenever possible. It's a really simple thing, but take advantage of every opportunity to get in a little more exercise.
32. Whenever you weigh yourself, do it at the same time every time. BUT, don't weigh yourself every day! If you do, you'll become obsessive and unhappy because weight fluctuates.
Next, I need to clarify something on my "on food" post from a couple days ago. Today I had an anonymous reader make the comment, "You will die if you keep eating this way :-(." You have to remember, I was cataloging 30 years worth of some of the foods I've loved the most. I've had some pretty good treats in my 30 years. I'm sure that person found me to be a huge hypocrite after today's post. But I do not eat any of those foods on a regular basis. When I went back and read that post, I had to laugh because I can see now that I focused entirely on junk food, as though that's the only kind of food I've ever enjoyed in my life! I must have been feeling particularly hungry for sweets the day I wrote that (PMS, I'm pretty sure). So no, I no longer get hoho's and slurpies from the 7-11 after school every day like I did over 10 years ago when I was rehearsing for the school play. But it is still a fond memory. And no, I don't think you should eat croissant french toast with homemade syrup for breakfast every morning. But if you get a chance to try it once in your lifetime, I highly recommend it!
31. Take the stairs whenever possible. It's a really simple thing, but take advantage of every opportunity to get in a little more exercise.
32. Whenever you weigh yourself, do it at the same time every time. BUT, don't weigh yourself every day! If you do, you'll become obsessive and unhappy because weight fluctuates.
Next, I need to clarify something on my "on food" post from a couple days ago. Today I had an anonymous reader make the comment, "You will die if you keep eating this way :-(." You have to remember, I was cataloging 30 years worth of some of the foods I've loved the most. I've had some pretty good treats in my 30 years. I'm sure that person found me to be a huge hypocrite after today's post. But I do not eat any of those foods on a regular basis. When I went back and read that post, I had to laugh because I can see now that I focused entirely on junk food, as though that's the only kind of food I've ever enjoyed in my life! I must have been feeling particularly hungry for sweets the day I wrote that (PMS, I'm pretty sure). So no, I no longer get hoho's and slurpies from the 7-11 after school every day like I did over 10 years ago when I was rehearsing for the school play. But it is still a fond memory. And no, I don't think you should eat croissant french toast with homemade syrup for breakfast every morning. But if you get a chance to try it once in your lifetime, I highly recommend it!
On Losing Weight
On April 20, 2013, I posted the following statement on my blog:
So my thirtieth birthday is less than five months away. In anticipation of this blessed event, I have commenced work on a project that I've been wanting to complete for a very long time. It's something I've started countless times but I have never been able to finish.
At the end of the post, I said I would reveal the finished product on my birthday. I decided to do it today instead, because I certainly won't make any more progress between now and then. I also want to do a different kind of reflection tomorrow because I've spent enough time focused on this goal and I don't want to spend one second worrying about it on my birthday.
My goal was to reach the weight on my driver's license (do any of you longtime friends remember that forsaken goal from a blog post years ago?). It morphed in to "thirty by thirty" because I started at 32 pounds above the weight on my license. I gave myself about 5 months to do it. I didn't quite make it to either goal, but I think that's a good thing. It means this is an ongoing process that will continue after my birthday as I work on the last few pounds and then seek to maintain the habits I have established and the weight I have lost. I ultimately lost 27 pounds and am currently about 5 pounds above the weight on my driver's license.
Throughout this process, I have learned so many things that I'd love to share today, in hopes that something could be of value to someone else. I have tried dieting several times and this process has been the healthiest by far because I backed off on the obsession and exercised more patience than I ever have before. So, in no particular order, here are...
1. If you put snacks in the snack size ziploc baggies right when you buy them, it is so much easier to grab a healthy snack in a reasonable portion size when you're hungry. I stocked my cupboard with tons of baggies of the snacks I liked best. Trail mix was one my my favorites, and it was also very filling. I found that the serving size on the label, a fourth a cup (which seemed like so little when I began) was the perfect amount for a snack. It was 160 calories and contained lots of protein (and just a touch of chocolate, which I found vital). Another snack I liked were gluten free baked cheese puffs or gluten free pirate's booty. Again, just a small amount was satisfying. Other things I ate in the snack bags were gluten free pretzels and gluten free wafers.
2. Never let yourself go hungry. This was one of the most important rules I established for myself when I began this process. The minute I get hungry when trying to lose weight, I get angry and resentful. Therefore, no matter what, if I was hungry I resolved the issue. The trick was finding healthy ways to satisfy the hunger (grabbing a prepared snack from my cupboard, for example).
3. One day isn't going to ruin your whole diet. It just isn't. You have to internalize that fact or else it is impossible to get back on the horse when you fall off.
4. Never give up. One of the hardest battles you face as you diet is the temptation to throw in the towel when you slip up. You are human and might binge on everything in sight one day (speaking from personal experience) but that is not grounds for giving up on the diet entirely. It doesn't mean you're incapable of making a change. It also doesn't mean you'll binge every single day. It just means you had an off day and you are going to try to avoid that kind of response in the future.
5. Once you've been consistently maintaining a healthier lifestyle for several months, your desire to binge decreases dramatically. I never would have believed this had I not experienced it. When I dieted before, I lived for the days when I would allow myself to eat whatever I wanted all day every day. Now, that idea doesn't appeal to me. I would prefer to look forward to one delicious meal or treat, and do that more often, than picking a rare day to binge.
6. Exercise is more successful when combined with reading, dancing, and/or music. When I began this process in April, I started going to Zumba (a workout program based on Latin American dancing) once a week, which was a blast. I couldn't make it through the class without stopping several times the first week. After a few weeks, however, I was hardly stopping at all. It took time, but eventually I could do it. Over the summer, I kicked the exercise into high gear. While at the gym, I would read books while on the treadmill or elliptical and the time would go by much more quickly. I would also listen to music that motivated me, which I know many people do. When the school year started, however, I decided to quit my gym membership so I could afford a trip to Brazil and tuition. I also knew I wasn't going to be able to maintain my rigorous gym schedule with work and grad school. Thus began the issue of how I was going to keep exercising and not go on an eight month hiatus like I did last year. My friend Celeste, who is a health and fitness coach, lent me a workout video called "turbo jam." They had a 45 minute workout called "cardio party" which was quite fun and very doable in my home. I thought it was so fun and easy and wondered if I was really getting a good workout until the next day when I could hardly walk. It was obviously designed to work every muscle!
7. Even if you only have twenty minutes to spare, exercise makes a difference. On the turbo jam DVD, they have a 20 minute workout designed for days when we just can't carve out an hour for working out. It was fabulous and really helped me keep my morale up. Knowing I was concentrating on taking care of myself for even those twenty minutes made a difference.
8. Buy lots of fruits and vegetables and cut them up immediately when you get home and store them in your refrigerator. I realized half the reason I didn't eat a lot of the fruits and vegetables is that I was too lazy to prepare them at the time I wanted to eat them. If I spent an hour after grocery shopping getting them all prepared for the week, I was much more likely to pull the tupperware out of the fridge throughout the week and eat my fruits and vegetables for a snack.
9. Everyone's healthy lifestyle plan is unique to them. What really works for some people may not work for others. I really liked a calorie counting program where I could see exactly what I was consuming and what I was burning. It helped motivate me and kept me on track. I logged my food nearly every single day for probably about 4 months. I've weened myself off the journal a little bit now because I have a better grasp on how much I should eat and exercise each day.
10. Saying goodbye to treats or favorite high calorie foods forever is just not a good idea. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Food is an enjoyable part of life. The key is to find other things that make life joyful for you and make food only one of many things that fill up your time and happiness. Food needs to move from being the primary focus of your life to being a delightful addition.
11. A little of something can be just as satisfying as a lot of something. It may take a month or so to feel satisfied with a smaller portion, but it will happen.
12. Listen to your body. This is based off concepts taught in the book Intuitive Eating, which I have never read but have heard awesome things about. It has become a little joke to me. When I am deciding whether or not to continue eating, I repeat to myself out loud, "I am listening to my body." I try to detect whether or not I really am full or if I want to eat just because it tastes good. More often than not, I'm satisfied with what I've already eaten.
13. Freeze it. Whenever I make a treat (cookies, scotcharoos, rice chex treats, etc.) I'll freeze the leftovers individually in bags instead of leaving them out on the counter. That way, I can avoid casually eating the treats every time I walk in to the kitchen and I can have a small treat on another day when I'm really needing something sweet. Eating six cookies over a period of a day is really easy psychologically when they are just sitting out. Pulling six cookies out of the freezer with the intention of eating them all in one day is a lot more difficult for me to justify.
14. Walking is a great way to exercise. I really struggle with running outside. I would much prefer to take a long walk than a short run. When I was taking Symphonic Literature over the summer and had to memorize portions of countless symphonies, I went to a local park that had a walking loop and put on my headphones. I listened over and over again to the songs and looked at the titles and dates that I had entered into my phone. I walked for over an hour around that loop and got in some serious studying for my exam. I love exercise that kills two birds with one stone!
15. Unfortunately, happiness is not directly correlated with weight loss. I remember being miserable at my heaviest weight in April and picturing how incredibly happy I would be once I reached my goal of 160 pounds. I figured all my problems would be solved. I realized when I was 20 pounds lighter and still completely miserable about the 15 more pounds I wanted to lose that I wasn't getting any happier. Happiness comes from loving ourselves where we are, as cliche as that may sounds. Now, with 5 pounds to go, I have to struggle to remind myself to rejoice in the 27 pounds gone and not dwell on the 5 pounds I haven't yet conquered. It's an ongoing battle.
16. Heavenly Father will help us meet our righteous goals. I spent a lot of time praying to Heavenly Father to help me have the willpower to follow-through with my weight goals. I knew in April that I was on a very unhealthy track. I was eating enormous shakes from down the street multiple times a week and going out for fast food several times a week as well. I wasn't exercising. I needed to make a change, but getting started is always so incredibly difficult. It feels like an insurmountable challenge. Heavenly Father helped give me the strength to persist in what I deeply wanted, especially because I wasn't going the quasi starvation route like I've tried in the past.
17. Watermelon is a precious gift to mankind. How could something so delicious be so healthy? I am in agony knowing that watermelon season is leaving us. What will I do until next summer?
18. I learned that Weight watchers 100 calories English toffee crunch ice-cream bars ROCK.
19 . Eating gluten-free makes the whole weight reduction process a lot easier, especially when at parties where there are lots of baked goods provided.
20. It's not called a diet, it's a "healthy lifestyle plan."
21. Chelsey, my little sister's best friend, gave me some really wise advice when I hit a plateau while going through this process. She said sometimes our body needs to spend some time at the new weight we've reach (for example, after losing 20 pounds) before we can lose more. She suggested trying to maintain for 6 months before working to lose the rest of the weight.
22. She also told me I should try to eat from three different food groups at every meal.
23. One thing I enjoyed was making 2 mini pizzas with spaghetti sauce, grated cheese, onions and ground beef on gluten free bread and sticking them in the oven for about ten minutes. They were filling and delicious.
24. I learned to cook a meal at the beginning of the week (gluten free lasagna or enchilada casserole, for example) and eat leftovers throughout the week. This kept me from eating out as often and therefore eating healthier.
25. If dieting is miserable, there is a better way. It shouldn't be something you're suffering through. It should be a gradual process that grows in to a way of life that feels natural and good.
26. Slow and steady, steady and slow. Time passes so quickly, anyway. Why kill yourself trying to lose all the weight in a month (which you will gain back because you haven't established new, long-term habits) when you can gradually change your lifestyle and habits over several months to something that will last?
27. Cutting soda from dinner when you go out to eat is a simple thing that will cut thousands of calories out of your diet over a period of months and will also save you lots of money.
28. Yogurtland is a great place to get a treat because it has fat free and sugar free options and you can get exactly how much yogurt you want because it's self-serve. You also control how many toppings and how much of each one you put on top. Be cautious, however, because your eyes are always bigger than your stomach in places like that! Get less than you think you'll want and you'll probably be spot on.
29. A great way to save calories at a restaurant is to order salad dressing on the side. Instead of pouring the dressing over your salad, dip your fork in the dressing before you pick up a lettuce leaf. You will probably use less than half of what you would have.
30. When you do take a break and eat something fun that is high in calories, just enjoy it and move on. Don't obsess over it. (Okay, so I'm still learning this one, but I know this principle is correct in theory. What's the point of delicious food it you can't enjoy it every once in awhile?)
So my thirtieth birthday is less than five months away. In anticipation of this blessed event, I have commenced work on a project that I've been wanting to complete for a very long time. It's something I've started countless times but I have never been able to finish.
At the end of the post, I said I would reveal the finished product on my birthday. I decided to do it today instead, because I certainly won't make any more progress between now and then. I also want to do a different kind of reflection tomorrow because I've spent enough time focused on this goal and I don't want to spend one second worrying about it on my birthday.
My goal was to reach the weight on my driver's license (do any of you longtime friends remember that forsaken goal from a blog post years ago?). It morphed in to "thirty by thirty" because I started at 32 pounds above the weight on my license. I gave myself about 5 months to do it. I didn't quite make it to either goal, but I think that's a good thing. It means this is an ongoing process that will continue after my birthday as I work on the last few pounds and then seek to maintain the habits I have established and the weight I have lost. I ultimately lost 27 pounds and am currently about 5 pounds above the weight on my driver's license.
Throughout this process, I have learned so many things that I'd love to share today, in hopes that something could be of value to someone else. I have tried dieting several times and this process has been the healthiest by far because I backed off on the obsession and exercised more patience than I ever have before. So, in no particular order, here are...
30 things I have learned about losing weight.
1. If you put snacks in the snack size ziploc baggies right when you buy them, it is so much easier to grab a healthy snack in a reasonable portion size when you're hungry. I stocked my cupboard with tons of baggies of the snacks I liked best. Trail mix was one my my favorites, and it was also very filling. I found that the serving size on the label, a fourth a cup (which seemed like so little when I began) was the perfect amount for a snack. It was 160 calories and contained lots of protein (and just a touch of chocolate, which I found vital). Another snack I liked were gluten free baked cheese puffs or gluten free pirate's booty. Again, just a small amount was satisfying. Other things I ate in the snack bags were gluten free pretzels and gluten free wafers.
2. Never let yourself go hungry. This was one of the most important rules I established for myself when I began this process. The minute I get hungry when trying to lose weight, I get angry and resentful. Therefore, no matter what, if I was hungry I resolved the issue. The trick was finding healthy ways to satisfy the hunger (grabbing a prepared snack from my cupboard, for example).
3. One day isn't going to ruin your whole diet. It just isn't. You have to internalize that fact or else it is impossible to get back on the horse when you fall off.
4. Never give up. One of the hardest battles you face as you diet is the temptation to throw in the towel when you slip up. You are human and might binge on everything in sight one day (speaking from personal experience) but that is not grounds for giving up on the diet entirely. It doesn't mean you're incapable of making a change. It also doesn't mean you'll binge every single day. It just means you had an off day and you are going to try to avoid that kind of response in the future.
5. Once you've been consistently maintaining a healthier lifestyle for several months, your desire to binge decreases dramatically. I never would have believed this had I not experienced it. When I dieted before, I lived for the days when I would allow myself to eat whatever I wanted all day every day. Now, that idea doesn't appeal to me. I would prefer to look forward to one delicious meal or treat, and do that more often, than picking a rare day to binge.
6. Exercise is more successful when combined with reading, dancing, and/or music. When I began this process in April, I started going to Zumba (a workout program based on Latin American dancing) once a week, which was a blast. I couldn't make it through the class without stopping several times the first week. After a few weeks, however, I was hardly stopping at all. It took time, but eventually I could do it. Over the summer, I kicked the exercise into high gear. While at the gym, I would read books while on the treadmill or elliptical and the time would go by much more quickly. I would also listen to music that motivated me, which I know many people do. When the school year started, however, I decided to quit my gym membership so I could afford a trip to Brazil and tuition. I also knew I wasn't going to be able to maintain my rigorous gym schedule with work and grad school. Thus began the issue of how I was going to keep exercising and not go on an eight month hiatus like I did last year. My friend Celeste, who is a health and fitness coach, lent me a workout video called "turbo jam." They had a 45 minute workout called "cardio party" which was quite fun and very doable in my home. I thought it was so fun and easy and wondered if I was really getting a good workout until the next day when I could hardly walk. It was obviously designed to work every muscle!
7. Even if you only have twenty minutes to spare, exercise makes a difference. On the turbo jam DVD, they have a 20 minute workout designed for days when we just can't carve out an hour for working out. It was fabulous and really helped me keep my morale up. Knowing I was concentrating on taking care of myself for even those twenty minutes made a difference.
8. Buy lots of fruits and vegetables and cut them up immediately when you get home and store them in your refrigerator. I realized half the reason I didn't eat a lot of the fruits and vegetables is that I was too lazy to prepare them at the time I wanted to eat them. If I spent an hour after grocery shopping getting them all prepared for the week, I was much more likely to pull the tupperware out of the fridge throughout the week and eat my fruits and vegetables for a snack.
8. Keeping a food journal helps you remain accountable for what you eat. I used "My Fitness Pal" and it saw me through every pound of the weight loss. But this leads me to number 9...
10. Saying goodbye to treats or favorite high calorie foods forever is just not a good idea. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Food is an enjoyable part of life. The key is to find other things that make life joyful for you and make food only one of many things that fill up your time and happiness. Food needs to move from being the primary focus of your life to being a delightful addition.
11. A little of something can be just as satisfying as a lot of something. It may take a month or so to feel satisfied with a smaller portion, but it will happen.
12. Listen to your body. This is based off concepts taught in the book Intuitive Eating, which I have never read but have heard awesome things about. It has become a little joke to me. When I am deciding whether or not to continue eating, I repeat to myself out loud, "I am listening to my body." I try to detect whether or not I really am full or if I want to eat just because it tastes good. More often than not, I'm satisfied with what I've already eaten.
13. Freeze it. Whenever I make a treat (cookies, scotcharoos, rice chex treats, etc.) I'll freeze the leftovers individually in bags instead of leaving them out on the counter. That way, I can avoid casually eating the treats every time I walk in to the kitchen and I can have a small treat on another day when I'm really needing something sweet. Eating six cookies over a period of a day is really easy psychologically when they are just sitting out. Pulling six cookies out of the freezer with the intention of eating them all in one day is a lot more difficult for me to justify.
14. Walking is a great way to exercise. I really struggle with running outside. I would much prefer to take a long walk than a short run. When I was taking Symphonic Literature over the summer and had to memorize portions of countless symphonies, I went to a local park that had a walking loop and put on my headphones. I listened over and over again to the songs and looked at the titles and dates that I had entered into my phone. I walked for over an hour around that loop and got in some serious studying for my exam. I love exercise that kills two birds with one stone!
15. Unfortunately, happiness is not directly correlated with weight loss. I remember being miserable at my heaviest weight in April and picturing how incredibly happy I would be once I reached my goal of 160 pounds. I figured all my problems would be solved. I realized when I was 20 pounds lighter and still completely miserable about the 15 more pounds I wanted to lose that I wasn't getting any happier. Happiness comes from loving ourselves where we are, as cliche as that may sounds. Now, with 5 pounds to go, I have to struggle to remind myself to rejoice in the 27 pounds gone and not dwell on the 5 pounds I haven't yet conquered. It's an ongoing battle.
16. Heavenly Father will help us meet our righteous goals. I spent a lot of time praying to Heavenly Father to help me have the willpower to follow-through with my weight goals. I knew in April that I was on a very unhealthy track. I was eating enormous shakes from down the street multiple times a week and going out for fast food several times a week as well. I wasn't exercising. I needed to make a change, but getting started is always so incredibly difficult. It feels like an insurmountable challenge. Heavenly Father helped give me the strength to persist in what I deeply wanted, especially because I wasn't going the quasi starvation route like I've tried in the past.
17. Watermelon is a precious gift to mankind. How could something so delicious be so healthy? I am in agony knowing that watermelon season is leaving us. What will I do until next summer?
18. I learned that Weight watchers 100 calories English toffee crunch ice-cream bars ROCK.
19 . Eating gluten-free makes the whole weight reduction process a lot easier, especially when at parties where there are lots of baked goods provided.
20. It's not called a diet, it's a "healthy lifestyle plan."
21. Chelsey, my little sister's best friend, gave me some really wise advice when I hit a plateau while going through this process. She said sometimes our body needs to spend some time at the new weight we've reach (for example, after losing 20 pounds) before we can lose more. She suggested trying to maintain for 6 months before working to lose the rest of the weight.
22. She also told me I should try to eat from three different food groups at every meal.
23. One thing I enjoyed was making 2 mini pizzas with spaghetti sauce, grated cheese, onions and ground beef on gluten free bread and sticking them in the oven for about ten minutes. They were filling and delicious.
24. I learned to cook a meal at the beginning of the week (gluten free lasagna or enchilada casserole, for example) and eat leftovers throughout the week. This kept me from eating out as often and therefore eating healthier.
25. If dieting is miserable, there is a better way. It shouldn't be something you're suffering through. It should be a gradual process that grows in to a way of life that feels natural and good.
26. Slow and steady, steady and slow. Time passes so quickly, anyway. Why kill yourself trying to lose all the weight in a month (which you will gain back because you haven't established new, long-term habits) when you can gradually change your lifestyle and habits over several months to something that will last?
27. Cutting soda from dinner when you go out to eat is a simple thing that will cut thousands of calories out of your diet over a period of months and will also save you lots of money.
28. Yogurtland is a great place to get a treat because it has fat free and sugar free options and you can get exactly how much yogurt you want because it's self-serve. You also control how many toppings and how much of each one you put on top. Be cautious, however, because your eyes are always bigger than your stomach in places like that! Get less than you think you'll want and you'll probably be spot on.
29. A great way to save calories at a restaurant is to order salad dressing on the side. Instead of pouring the dressing over your salad, dip your fork in the dressing before you pick up a lettuce leaf. You will probably use less than half of what you would have.
30. When you do take a break and eat something fun that is high in calories, just enjoy it and move on. Don't obsess over it. (Okay, so I'm still learning this one, but I know this principle is correct in theory. What's the point of delicious food it you can't enjoy it every once in awhile?)
BEFORE:
 |
| This may have been the single most motivating picture for me to make a change (which ended up in the yearbook, by the way, just not cropped quite this close). |
AFTER:
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
A Different Bag of Tricks
My mom always says she uses a different bag of tricks for each child. I feel like it's the same way for people who are trying to lose weight. No weight-loss program works universally. I've learned I really have to find what works best for me and run with it. What works for other people doesn't always suit me, but I can take a piece of their ideas and incorporate it into my own plan.
For some who have read my blog for the past couple years, you may recall this post. It seems as though I forgot all about that goal and never followed through, doesn't it?
Not so.
Okay, maybe it is so. But I didn't forget it forever. I'm back on track and more determined than ever to reach my goal. I've collected some tricks in my metaphorical weight loss bag that have really worked for me. I don't think it's a one size fits all kind of thing that will work for everyone; however, if even one person can get one idea, it will be worth exposing my perpetual battles with food.
1) Replace soda and juice with water
This really is something very simple that doesn't feel like a huge sacrifice. Water is good for your body, so not only does this trick help cut excess calories from your diet, it helps you become more healthy.
2) Power walk with friends
I'm a talker, so power walking is perfect because I can catch up with my sister or dad or friends while getting some good exercise. Today, my sister and I wanted to go look at some clothes, so we walked to the store which was just over 2 miles. Afterward, we walked to Jamba Juice where they were having buy one get one free smoothies. Then, we walked back to my house.
3) Keep a journal of food consumed each day and amount of exercise done
I've been doing this now for just over 4 weeks. My goal is to keep it regularly for 12 weeks. It has helped me become much more informed about what I am eating, as I've chosen to track my calories as well. As I look up the caloric values for certain foods, it helps me make better decisions in the future. Hopefully by the end of 12 weeks, I'll be educated about how much I can eat of what.
4) Try cooking light recipes
I've had the chance to sample and even cook some recipes with my sisters and friends from fat free or cooking light cookbooks. I've been amazed at the quality of food one can produce by making easy changes (turkey sausage instead of beef, for example).
5) It's not called a diet-- it's a life style change or health and fitness program or anything BUT a diet!
Just hearing the word diet makes me ill. I hate everything it implies. To me, it is synonymous with restriction and misery and it's temporary. Thinking of it as a healthy lifestyle change makes me feel good about what I'm doing, not embarrassed that I have excess pounds on that I want to get rid of.
6) Reduce portion sizes
I like this one because it allows me to eat the things I love without feeling guilty. For example, HAVE chocolate cake with ice-cream that everyone is sharing at a restaurant...just have a couple of spoonfuls instead of working on it until it's all gone. HAVE an ice-cream treat with friends...just trade a huge Oreo cookie shake for a plain vanilla cone. Have firsts of everything you want; just don't have seconds. Your body will adjust to the point where you won't be hungry for more after a few weeks. Don't starve yourself; eat until you're satisfied. We are satisfied a lot sooner than we quit eating because we love how food tastes. There is a whole book about this idea of intuitive eating. I think it's a wonderfully healthy concept that I've tried to incorporate into my life.
7) Smoothies are very filling
My sister has been making green smoothies lately with fruits and vegetables mixed together. They're good and very filling! It's difficult to taste the vegetables. They also help reduce digestive problems and migraines, which is why my mom initially suggested them to us. Tina mentioned that her desire for sweets has also reduced significantly.
Costco also sells healthy yogurt smoothie mixes. They are delicious and very quick and easy. You mix the frozen packet with milk and then you've got yourself a nice lunch. I've been stopping by Jamba Juice a couple times a week and ordering one of their lite smoothies which, quite frankly, taste the same to me as the high calorie ones. They are great for a light lunch or breakfast.
8) Let go of anything that isn't really important to you (so you CAN have the stuff that IS important to you!)
Candy from an M&M bowl at a bridal shower? Not important. Peach cobbler with ice-cream at a place that's famous for it? Very important. So, I sacrifice the little things throughout the week (like treats where I wasn't expecting them) so that when something like the famous peach cobbler crosses my path, I can have some without feeling guilty.
9) Find healthy snacks that YOU think taste good!
Why should we suffer while eating healthy? If you don't like a particular healthy snack, don't eat it. Today, I tried something that made me want to gag. I decided I'd never eat that again, but I found something equally healthy that I DO like. A few snacks I've found that taste good to me are almonds, special K 100 calorie bars, and salad with fat free dressing.
10) Find a low-calorie treat that quenches your desire for sweets
This sounds dumb, but almost every day I really crave a taste of sugar. I don't need a lot, but I hate feeling like I can't have it all the time. I found that fruit flavored tic tacs do the trick. Each one is less than 2 calories. I'll pop 2 or 3 in my mouth and I'm good for hours.
Okay, that's about it for today. As I continue discovering what works best for me, I may add a few tricks here and there to the ole' blog. If YOU have any that work for you, PLEASE leave them for me in the comments! I'd love some new ideas.
For some who have read my blog for the past couple years, you may recall this post. It seems as though I forgot all about that goal and never followed through, doesn't it?
Not so.
Okay, maybe it is so. But I didn't forget it forever. I'm back on track and more determined than ever to reach my goal. I've collected some tricks in my metaphorical weight loss bag that have really worked for me. I don't think it's a one size fits all kind of thing that will work for everyone; however, if even one person can get one idea, it will be worth exposing my perpetual battles with food.
Katie's Bag of Tricks
(that work for her...and maybe one or two might work for someone else, too)
(that work for her...and maybe one or two might work for someone else, too)
1) Replace soda and juice with water
This really is something very simple that doesn't feel like a huge sacrifice. Water is good for your body, so not only does this trick help cut excess calories from your diet, it helps you become more healthy.
2) Power walk with friends
I'm a talker, so power walking is perfect because I can catch up with my sister or dad or friends while getting some good exercise. Today, my sister and I wanted to go look at some clothes, so we walked to the store which was just over 2 miles. Afterward, we walked to Jamba Juice where they were having buy one get one free smoothies. Then, we walked back to my house.
3) Keep a journal of food consumed each day and amount of exercise done
I've been doing this now for just over 4 weeks. My goal is to keep it regularly for 12 weeks. It has helped me become much more informed about what I am eating, as I've chosen to track my calories as well. As I look up the caloric values for certain foods, it helps me make better decisions in the future. Hopefully by the end of 12 weeks, I'll be educated about how much I can eat of what.
4) Try cooking light recipes
I've had the chance to sample and even cook some recipes with my sisters and friends from fat free or cooking light cookbooks. I've been amazed at the quality of food one can produce by making easy changes (turkey sausage instead of beef, for example).
5) It's not called a diet-- it's a life style change or health and fitness program or anything BUT a diet!
Just hearing the word diet makes me ill. I hate everything it implies. To me, it is synonymous with restriction and misery and it's temporary. Thinking of it as a healthy lifestyle change makes me feel good about what I'm doing, not embarrassed that I have excess pounds on that I want to get rid of.
6) Reduce portion sizes
I like this one because it allows me to eat the things I love without feeling guilty. For example, HAVE chocolate cake with ice-cream that everyone is sharing at a restaurant...just have a couple of spoonfuls instead of working on it until it's all gone. HAVE an ice-cream treat with friends...just trade a huge Oreo cookie shake for a plain vanilla cone. Have firsts of everything you want; just don't have seconds. Your body will adjust to the point where you won't be hungry for more after a few weeks. Don't starve yourself; eat until you're satisfied. We are satisfied a lot sooner than we quit eating because we love how food tastes. There is a whole book about this idea of intuitive eating. I think it's a wonderfully healthy concept that I've tried to incorporate into my life.
7) Smoothies are very filling
My sister has been making green smoothies lately with fruits and vegetables mixed together. They're good and very filling! It's difficult to taste the vegetables. They also help reduce digestive problems and migraines, which is why my mom initially suggested them to us. Tina mentioned that her desire for sweets has also reduced significantly.
Costco also sells healthy yogurt smoothie mixes. They are delicious and very quick and easy. You mix the frozen packet with milk and then you've got yourself a nice lunch. I've been stopping by Jamba Juice a couple times a week and ordering one of their lite smoothies which, quite frankly, taste the same to me as the high calorie ones. They are great for a light lunch or breakfast.
8) Let go of anything that isn't really important to you (so you CAN have the stuff that IS important to you!)
Candy from an M&M bowl at a bridal shower? Not important. Peach cobbler with ice-cream at a place that's famous for it? Very important. So, I sacrifice the little things throughout the week (like treats where I wasn't expecting them) so that when something like the famous peach cobbler crosses my path, I can have some without feeling guilty.
9) Find healthy snacks that YOU think taste good!
Why should we suffer while eating healthy? If you don't like a particular healthy snack, don't eat it. Today, I tried something that made me want to gag. I decided I'd never eat that again, but I found something equally healthy that I DO like. A few snacks I've found that taste good to me are almonds, special K 100 calorie bars, and salad with fat free dressing.
10) Find a low-calorie treat that quenches your desire for sweets
This sounds dumb, but almost every day I really crave a taste of sugar. I don't need a lot, but I hate feeling like I can't have it all the time. I found that fruit flavored tic tacs do the trick. Each one is less than 2 calories. I'll pop 2 or 3 in my mouth and I'm good for hours.
Okay, that's about it for today. As I continue discovering what works best for me, I may add a few tricks here and there to the ole' blog. If YOU have any that work for you, PLEASE leave them for me in the comments! I'd love some new ideas.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Choice
I've been thinking lately about choice and what kind of role it plays in my life.
For example, last night I chose to go to bed at 8:15 p.m. I didn't have anything to do for the rest of the evening and I wasn't quite sure how to handle that. So, I figured I could be really well rested for school the next day, even though I knew in the back of my mind that this was not logical. I determined that if I woke up early due to going to bed early, I could figure out what to do with my time in the morning. It was easier to put off making a decision. I guess one could say I made the choice to not choose. So here I am, 6 hours later, wide awake at 2:45 a.m. I am right now dealing with the consequences of my choice (or would it be a non-choice?). The decision I made isn't of great significance to anyone else, nor will it affect my eternal progression. It has, however, affected my current mood. I am frustrated and not as happy as I could be, because I messed with my body's sleep schedule, I'm wide awake, and I know I'll end up being tired later. I have so much control over my own happiness based on the choices I do or do not make.
Another aspect of choice I've been considering relates to diets. I HATE THE WORD DIET. The word diet is restrictive and binding. It makes me angry. I hate the idea that I am not allowed to eat more than a set number of calories a day or that I cannot have dessert. I want to throw up my hands and give up on dieting permanently when I feel so controlled. After years of trying to find that perfect "fitness program" (as I like to call it, since the word diet makes me want to throw something), I finally figured out that for me, it all boils down to being able to choose. It's really all quite psychological. I do best when I tell myself the following:
"I am choosing to eat less junk food and avoid sweets for awhile in order to slim down and improve my overall health. I am choosing to go to the gym in order to help me accomplish this goal and feel better about myself. If I so desire, I can eat junk food at any moment I feel like it. If I don't want to go to the gym on a particular day because I am exhausted, I wont. I will choose, knowing that I will have to deal with the consequences of my choices later."
This has made such a difference in my life. More often than not, I choose the gym. I choose to avoid the junk food. I choose to control my portions. When I know it's 100% up to me and I determine my own fate, I am more motivated to eat healthier. Now, this is all quite silly, because whether or not I call it a "diet" or a "fitness program," it's all within my control anyway. But in my mind, I want to be in charge of my own personal fitness program, and not let the diet be in charge of me.
Free agency is a beautiful thing. I remember saying in frustration to my roommate Shelley once, "I just want an arranged marriage. I want someone to choose for me and make it happen." I'll never forget what she said to me after that: "The adversary wanted to choose for us. He wanted to force us to do what he wanted. Our ability to choose for ourselves is a beautiful gift." I agree completely. I'm starting to understand this concept better.
It's liberating to feel this way; however, as I've pondered choice even further, I realize that there are some things many define as a choice that I do not agree with. I say this knowing there are many out there who won't agree with my line of thought, but it is part of my personal core beliefs and makes sense to me as I consider the definition of choice and how it permeates all aspects of my life. I say this not to spark debate or argument; I simply want to articulate what choice means to me in every sense of the word.
For every choice, there is a result of some kind. If I choose to go to bed on time and get the right amount of sleep, the consequence will most likely be energy and physical happiness throughout the day. If I choose to kick a dog, the consequence could very well be getting bitten. This is a not so happy consequence. Whether good or bad, the consequence is mine to live with. That's why agency is such an important gift. It allows us to control our own destiny. If we were able to change the consequences of our choices, what's the point of being able to make choices in the first place? Sometimes, however, even when we make a choice with the best of intentions, we cannot control the end result, however much we'd like to. I can choose to apply for a program and do my very best work to get in, but if the school chooses to reject my application, I have to live with those results, whether or not they were the ones I intended.
I think the power of procreation is a sacred power bestowed upon a husband and wife by a loving Heavenly Father. It has other divine purposes; but ultimately, its design is to create children in a family. If you don't agree with me on this point, the rest will not make sense. It is my choice to exercise this power of procreation or not to exercise it. The results of this decision, however, are not my choice.
For example, I have some dear friends who have chosen to exercise pro-creative powers with the intent of having children and they cannot conceive. This is not their choice. Their choice was to try; the end result, however, they could not control. They were forced to live with the consequences and determine what to do from there. Some seek medical help, some choose to adopt, others choose to live a happy life, despite the fact they are childless. I have had many friends suffer miscarriages when their greatest desire was to have children. They made the decision to try for a baby, but they could not control whether or not their baby would live. As much as they would love to alter it, the end result is not theirs to change.
In the same vein, when a couple decides to exercise procreative powers without the intent of having children, they cannot ultimately control the end result. It is possible to become pregnant even after taking precautions to avoid it. Some things we cannot control, despite our efforts to do so. Pregnancy is a always a possibility when the decision is made to exercise procreative powers, whether or not the purpose is to procreate. If I learn I am expecting a child, those are results of my choice. Just as others have to live with consequences of infertility, I must live with the consequences of pregnancy, either happily or unhappily. But I do have a few more choices now. I can choose to raise the child as my own happily or unhappily, or I can give him/her to loving parents.
At this point in my life, I choose not to exercise procreative powers, because I do not want to be faced with the consequences of procreation without a husband. Some might not mind that, but it's important to me. I have also made the choice at this point that I want to get married and have kids, but I cannot ultimately control whether or not that will happen. I can, however, learn to live happily or unhappily with the consequences.
It's now 4:00 a.m. I've gotten to know myself a little better in the past hour and fifteen minutes. Maybe you know me better now, too. Whether or not you like what you know now about me is your choice!
For example, last night I chose to go to bed at 8:15 p.m. I didn't have anything to do for the rest of the evening and I wasn't quite sure how to handle that. So, I figured I could be really well rested for school the next day, even though I knew in the back of my mind that this was not logical. I determined that if I woke up early due to going to bed early, I could figure out what to do with my time in the morning. It was easier to put off making a decision. I guess one could say I made the choice to not choose. So here I am, 6 hours later, wide awake at 2:45 a.m. I am right now dealing with the consequences of my choice (or would it be a non-choice?). The decision I made isn't of great significance to anyone else, nor will it affect my eternal progression. It has, however, affected my current mood. I am frustrated and not as happy as I could be, because I messed with my body's sleep schedule, I'm wide awake, and I know I'll end up being tired later. I have so much control over my own happiness based on the choices I do or do not make.
Another aspect of choice I've been considering relates to diets. I HATE THE WORD DIET. The word diet is restrictive and binding. It makes me angry. I hate the idea that I am not allowed to eat more than a set number of calories a day or that I cannot have dessert. I want to throw up my hands and give up on dieting permanently when I feel so controlled. After years of trying to find that perfect "fitness program" (as I like to call it, since the word diet makes me want to throw something), I finally figured out that for me, it all boils down to being able to choose. It's really all quite psychological. I do best when I tell myself the following:
"I am choosing to eat less junk food and avoid sweets for awhile in order to slim down and improve my overall health. I am choosing to go to the gym in order to help me accomplish this goal and feel better about myself. If I so desire, I can eat junk food at any moment I feel like it. If I don't want to go to the gym on a particular day because I am exhausted, I wont. I will choose, knowing that I will have to deal with the consequences of my choices later."
This has made such a difference in my life. More often than not, I choose the gym. I choose to avoid the junk food. I choose to control my portions. When I know it's 100% up to me and I determine my own fate, I am more motivated to eat healthier. Now, this is all quite silly, because whether or not I call it a "diet" or a "fitness program," it's all within my control anyway. But in my mind, I want to be in charge of my own personal fitness program, and not let the diet be in charge of me.
Free agency is a beautiful thing. I remember saying in frustration to my roommate Shelley once, "I just want an arranged marriage. I want someone to choose for me and make it happen." I'll never forget what she said to me after that: "The adversary wanted to choose for us. He wanted to force us to do what he wanted. Our ability to choose for ourselves is a beautiful gift." I agree completely. I'm starting to understand this concept better.
It's liberating to feel this way; however, as I've pondered choice even further, I realize that there are some things many define as a choice that I do not agree with. I say this knowing there are many out there who won't agree with my line of thought, but it is part of my personal core beliefs and makes sense to me as I consider the definition of choice and how it permeates all aspects of my life. I say this not to spark debate or argument; I simply want to articulate what choice means to me in every sense of the word.
For every choice, there is a result of some kind. If I choose to go to bed on time and get the right amount of sleep, the consequence will most likely be energy and physical happiness throughout the day. If I choose to kick a dog, the consequence could very well be getting bitten. This is a not so happy consequence. Whether good or bad, the consequence is mine to live with. That's why agency is such an important gift. It allows us to control our own destiny. If we were able to change the consequences of our choices, what's the point of being able to make choices in the first place? Sometimes, however, even when we make a choice with the best of intentions, we cannot control the end result, however much we'd like to. I can choose to apply for a program and do my very best work to get in, but if the school chooses to reject my application, I have to live with those results, whether or not they were the ones I intended.
I think the power of procreation is a sacred power bestowed upon a husband and wife by a loving Heavenly Father. It has other divine purposes; but ultimately, its design is to create children in a family. If you don't agree with me on this point, the rest will not make sense. It is my choice to exercise this power of procreation or not to exercise it. The results of this decision, however, are not my choice.
For example, I have some dear friends who have chosen to exercise pro-creative powers with the intent of having children and they cannot conceive. This is not their choice. Their choice was to try; the end result, however, they could not control. They were forced to live with the consequences and determine what to do from there. Some seek medical help, some choose to adopt, others choose to live a happy life, despite the fact they are childless. I have had many friends suffer miscarriages when their greatest desire was to have children. They made the decision to try for a baby, but they could not control whether or not their baby would live. As much as they would love to alter it, the end result is not theirs to change.
In the same vein, when a couple decides to exercise procreative powers without the intent of having children, they cannot ultimately control the end result. It is possible to become pregnant even after taking precautions to avoid it. Some things we cannot control, despite our efforts to do so. Pregnancy is a always a possibility when the decision is made to exercise procreative powers, whether or not the purpose is to procreate. If I learn I am expecting a child, those are results of my choice. Just as others have to live with consequences of infertility, I must live with the consequences of pregnancy, either happily or unhappily. But I do have a few more choices now. I can choose to raise the child as my own happily or unhappily, or I can give him/her to loving parents.
At this point in my life, I choose not to exercise procreative powers, because I do not want to be faced with the consequences of procreation without a husband. Some might not mind that, but it's important to me. I have also made the choice at this point that I want to get married and have kids, but I cannot ultimately control whether or not that will happen. I can, however, learn to live happily or unhappily with the consequences.
It's now 4:00 a.m. I've gotten to know myself a little better in the past hour and fifteen minutes. Maybe you know me better now, too. Whether or not you like what you know now about me is your choice!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thoughts
As a teacher, I think in terms of school years (September-May) instead of calendar years.
This year has been a hard one for me.
There hasn't been any one big trial that I've had to work through; rather, it has been little challenges that have caused me to struggle a little.
I think my third year teaching has been harder than my first. Maybe it's like when you go on a mission. You're more spiritual then than at any other time in your life. You feel, however, like you're the dust of the earth because you can see your weaknesses more clearly.
Many days this year I have felt hopeless as a teacher. But I hope it's because I'm so immersed in it that my weaknesses are much more evident to me. Hopefully I'm a better teacher now than I was before. Regardless, this year hasn't been easy. In fact, it has been very, very hard.
I've been remembering today what my mentor teacher told me when I student taught. She made me promise I'd give it at least three years. I never thought I'd get to three years, but I'm almost there. Probably not a good year to decide whether or not to continue teaching as my career! But in the spirit of what she said, I'm not giving up.
The health problems I've been experiencing have been frustrating, only because there is no clear cut answer as to what is causing a lot of the pain I've been having in my abdomen. It's hard not to have control over when you feel well and when you don't! They know there is something going on based on results of tests they've run, but they can't pinpoint the cause. I have been getting every x-ray on the planet (including an ultrasound...it felt so weird to get one with no baby inside!) but with no answers.
I've had my fair share of heart breaks this year. I'd like to have no more, thank you.
I started out this year so optimistic, but it has been a little harder than I thought to keep my chin up! It'll be okay, I know it will. It just takes a minute :-).
Writing helps clear my mind. So thanks for listening!
This year has been a hard one for me.
There hasn't been any one big trial that I've had to work through; rather, it has been little challenges that have caused me to struggle a little.
I think my third year teaching has been harder than my first. Maybe it's like when you go on a mission. You're more spiritual then than at any other time in your life. You feel, however, like you're the dust of the earth because you can see your weaknesses more clearly.
Many days this year I have felt hopeless as a teacher. But I hope it's because I'm so immersed in it that my weaknesses are much more evident to me. Hopefully I'm a better teacher now than I was before. Regardless, this year hasn't been easy. In fact, it has been very, very hard.
I've been remembering today what my mentor teacher told me when I student taught. She made me promise I'd give it at least three years. I never thought I'd get to three years, but I'm almost there. Probably not a good year to decide whether or not to continue teaching as my career! But in the spirit of what she said, I'm not giving up.
The health problems I've been experiencing have been frustrating, only because there is no clear cut answer as to what is causing a lot of the pain I've been having in my abdomen. It's hard not to have control over when you feel well and when you don't! They know there is something going on based on results of tests they've run, but they can't pinpoint the cause. I have been getting every x-ray on the planet (including an ultrasound...it felt so weird to get one with no baby inside!) but with no answers.
I've had my fair share of heart breaks this year. I'd like to have no more, thank you.
I started out this year so optimistic, but it has been a little harder than I thought to keep my chin up! It'll be okay, I know it will. It just takes a minute :-).
Writing helps clear my mind. So thanks for listening!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
I feel crummy! Oh so crummy!
I feel crummy, and dummy and mad!!!!! Can anyone name the song I am parodying?
What is going on inside myself? I wish I knew. I've spent the past three days with a constant stomach ache. The gluten-free thing is not helping. It's hurting. I've been trying to get in touch with the doctor, but that's proving a lot more difficult than it should.
This is the worst possible time for this because
a) I am going to Seattle this weekend for the best trip ever with my former roommates Tessa, Melissa, and Kate
b) My students' concert is on Tuesday
c) My Wasatch chorale dress rehearsal and concert are on Wednesday and Thursday
d) One or both of my parents will be in town next week
Let's get this thing figured out! Dr. Jones, Jones, calling Dr. Jones, Dr. Jones, Dr. Jones wake up now (wake up now!). That was for you, Joe.
What is going on inside myself? I wish I knew. I've spent the past three days with a constant stomach ache. The gluten-free thing is not helping. It's hurting. I've been trying to get in touch with the doctor, but that's proving a lot more difficult than it should.
This is the worst possible time for this because
a) I am going to Seattle this weekend for the best trip ever with my former roommates Tessa, Melissa, and Kate
b) My students' concert is on Tuesday
c) My Wasatch chorale dress rehearsal and concert are on Wednesday and Thursday
d) One or both of my parents will be in town next week
Let's get this thing figured out! Dr. Jones, Jones, calling Dr. Jones, Dr. Jones, Dr. Jones wake up now (wake up now!). That was for you, Joe.
Friday, October 8, 2010
True Confessions
Tell us how you REALLY feel...
During talent day yesterday, I had a student bring in her medals from softball. She mentioned that a few girls in the class were also on her team. One of the girls she mentioned is extremely tall and thickly built. She is much bigger than any of the other kids her age. She doesn't look fat; she just looks very large for a 13 year old. One very outspoken boy piped in excitedly, as loud as he possibly can, "Well of COURSE she's on the team, too! Look at her! She is ginormously HUGE!" She quietly said, "That wasn't nice" and cast her eyes downward. I felt so bad! I said to the boy, "You need to take a lesson in the school of manners." I then turned to the girl and said, "You know, in his own, weird, twisted way, he meant that as a compliment." He really did. He was trying to imply that she made a really great athlete. But I can just imagine the emotional scars of being told by all the boys in school that you're enormous in junior high school!
There is a teacher at my school who is so fun. She is around 60 years old and the textbook definition of a southern belle! She has impeccable manners and talks with a slightly perceptible drawl. We have lunch at the same time this year. Yesterday, a couple teachers were talking about a girl they both have who has a really difficult time doing her work. They were feeling a bit exasperated and didn't know how to help her. This southern teacher friend of mine, who also has this student, says, full of compassion, "Bless her heart, she is just so weird." I burst out laughing right then and there. I don't know this girl, but it was the last thing I expected to come this teacher's mouth! And she wasn't being at all mean or petty. She was truly sorrowful that this little girl doesn't have social skills.
So you've heard the true confessions of a student of mine and a collegue. It's time for my own true confession:
I might actually be kind of, sort of, maybe a little bit enjoying this whole gluten free lifestyle change. It's like an exciting new challenge. I admit, that when I go on diets to lose weight, I am EXTREMELY resentful that I can't eat things like cookies and cake. But when I think that I might actually be allergic to it, I give it up quite cheerfully.
Yesterday, Christina and I went to Malawi's pizza in the Riverwood's mall because my doctor told me they have a gluten free pizza crust. Above, you can see the crust is a different shape than normal crust. And let's be honest, both Christina and I didn't like it very much. But, it's not unbearable, and it allows me to still eat delicious foods like pizza. Also, I imagine it must be healthier, which is a bonus.
This morning, I followed a piece of the advice found in my gluten-free packet and sorted through all my food, putting aside anything that I couldn't eat. Since I don't know for sure if I am allergic to wheat, I decided to box it all up and take it to my parents' condo where the other members of my family can use it in the meantime. As you can see, a lot of my food consisted of lots of wheat products like cereal, pasta, soup, tortillas, and cereal.
After checking all the labels, above is what I had left. Notice there are lots of canned fruits and vegetables, sugar, and spaghetti sauce. My cupboard is a bit bare now, so I plan on making a big shopping trip later today and stocking up on some of the foods I like that I can have like potatoes, rice based cold cereal, eggs, cottage cheese, sherbet, gluten free pasta, and more. Also, I am planning on making a gluten-free lasagna for a potluck my roommates and I are having tomorrow.
I told my roommates that maybe this is the beginning of the domestic me that has been trapped inside for so long. Now that convience is no longer as viable of an option as it once was, it might be forcing me to spend a little bit more time in food preparation. Maybe there is hope for me yet!
During talent day yesterday, I had a student bring in her medals from softball. She mentioned that a few girls in the class were also on her team. One of the girls she mentioned is extremely tall and thickly built. She is much bigger than any of the other kids her age. She doesn't look fat; she just looks very large for a 13 year old. One very outspoken boy piped in excitedly, as loud as he possibly can, "Well of COURSE she's on the team, too! Look at her! She is ginormously HUGE!" She quietly said, "That wasn't nice" and cast her eyes downward. I felt so bad! I said to the boy, "You need to take a lesson in the school of manners." I then turned to the girl and said, "You know, in his own, weird, twisted way, he meant that as a compliment." He really did. He was trying to imply that she made a really great athlete. But I can just imagine the emotional scars of being told by all the boys in school that you're enormous in junior high school!
There is a teacher at my school who is so fun. She is around 60 years old and the textbook definition of a southern belle! She has impeccable manners and talks with a slightly perceptible drawl. We have lunch at the same time this year. Yesterday, a couple teachers were talking about a girl they both have who has a really difficult time doing her work. They were feeling a bit exasperated and didn't know how to help her. This southern teacher friend of mine, who also has this student, says, full of compassion, "Bless her heart, she is just so weird." I burst out laughing right then and there. I don't know this girl, but it was the last thing I expected to come this teacher's mouth! And she wasn't being at all mean or petty. She was truly sorrowful that this little girl doesn't have social skills.
So you've heard the true confessions of a student of mine and a collegue. It's time for my own true confession:
I might actually be kind of, sort of, maybe a little bit enjoying this whole gluten free lifestyle change. It's like an exciting new challenge. I admit, that when I go on diets to lose weight, I am EXTREMELY resentful that I can't eat things like cookies and cake. But when I think that I might actually be allergic to it, I give it up quite cheerfully.
Yesterday, Christina and I went to Malawi's pizza in the Riverwood's mall because my doctor told me they have a gluten free pizza crust. Above, you can see the crust is a different shape than normal crust. And let's be honest, both Christina and I didn't like it very much. But, it's not unbearable, and it allows me to still eat delicious foods like pizza. Also, I imagine it must be healthier, which is a bonus.
This morning, I followed a piece of the advice found in my gluten-free packet and sorted through all my food, putting aside anything that I couldn't eat. Since I don't know for sure if I am allergic to wheat, I decided to box it all up and take it to my parents' condo where the other members of my family can use it in the meantime. As you can see, a lot of my food consisted of lots of wheat products like cereal, pasta, soup, tortillas, and cereal. 
After checking all the labels, above is what I had left. Notice there are lots of canned fruits and vegetables, sugar, and spaghetti sauce. My cupboard is a bit bare now, so I plan on making a big shopping trip later today and stocking up on some of the foods I like that I can have like potatoes, rice based cold cereal, eggs, cottage cheese, sherbet, gluten free pasta, and more. Also, I am planning on making a gluten-free lasagna for a potluck my roommates and I are having tomorrow.I told my roommates that maybe this is the beginning of the domestic me that has been trapped inside for so long. Now that convience is no longer as viable of an option as it once was, it might be forcing me to spend a little bit more time in food preparation. Maybe there is hope for me yet!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Gluten-free = happiness-free
I think I always mixed up the word "gluten" with "gelatin." I'm pretty sure I didn't think a gluten free diet was a big deal...until today.
On and off for about a year, I've been having really bad stomach cramps that I haven't been able to trace back to any particular source. I had blood work done back in August and they called back and said I tested weakly positive for celiac disease. I couldn't get an appointment with a specialist until today, about 2 months later.
While he's hesitant to actually diagnose me with celiac disease just yet (he has to stick a scope down my esophagus to know for sure), he asked me to do a 2 month trial of a gluten free diet to see. He said to follow it strictly for two months and celebrate at the end with a cake. If I'm sick when I eat the cake, I'll KNOW it's a wheat allergy. How's that for professional advice? I'm going back on December 9th for a check-up, which means I actually HAVE to do this, unless I want my $35.00 copays for each visit to be totally in vain.
He gave me a huge packet with gluten-free recipes, gluten-free friendly restaurants and grocery stores, and information about gluten free support groups and clubs. In all the material I've been reading, this is the kind of thing I've been reading that is giving me heartburn:
"The gluten-free diet requires a completely new approach to eating. Newly diagnosed people and their families may find support groups helpful as they learn to adjust to a new way of life. People with celiac disease must be cautious about what they buy for lunch at school or work, what they purchase at the grocery store, what they eat at restaurants or parties, and what they grab for a snack. Eating out can be a challenge. When in doubt about a menu item, a person with celiac disease should ask the waiter or chef about ingredients and preparation or if a gluten-free menu is available."
No candy, no flour and therefore no bread, no communion wafers (yes, that's on the list)...
Here we go! One day down, 59 to go...
On and off for about a year, I've been having really bad stomach cramps that I haven't been able to trace back to any particular source. I had blood work done back in August and they called back and said I tested weakly positive for celiac disease. I couldn't get an appointment with a specialist until today, about 2 months later.
While he's hesitant to actually diagnose me with celiac disease just yet (he has to stick a scope down my esophagus to know for sure), he asked me to do a 2 month trial of a gluten free diet to see. He said to follow it strictly for two months and celebrate at the end with a cake. If I'm sick when I eat the cake, I'll KNOW it's a wheat allergy. How's that for professional advice? I'm going back on December 9th for a check-up, which means I actually HAVE to do this, unless I want my $35.00 copays for each visit to be totally in vain.
He gave me a huge packet with gluten-free recipes, gluten-free friendly restaurants and grocery stores, and information about gluten free support groups and clubs. In all the material I've been reading, this is the kind of thing I've been reading that is giving me heartburn:
"The gluten-free diet requires a completely new approach to eating. Newly diagnosed people and their families may find support groups helpful as they learn to adjust to a new way of life. People with celiac disease must be cautious about what they buy for lunch at school or work, what they purchase at the grocery store, what they eat at restaurants or parties, and what they grab for a snack. Eating out can be a challenge. When in doubt about a menu item, a person with celiac disease should ask the waiter or chef about ingredients and preparation or if a gluten-free menu is available."
No candy, no flour and therefore no bread, no communion wafers (yes, that's on the list)...
Here we go! One day down, 59 to go...
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Driver's License Update
Some of you may be wondering if I've given up on my goal to reach the weight listed on my driver's license.
The answer is...
...no.
I'm still at it. My eating habits aren't perfect, but much improved from before. I have been attending the gym every weekday for 1/2 hour-40 minutes each time. I've been at this now for five and a half weeks. For the first four weeks, my weight remained constant. I was very frustrated. Recently, however, the pounds started slipping away, hopefully because the muscle I've gained is helping me burn fat faster. I am down about 7 pounds from my heaviest weight this year and about 15 pounds away from the weight I submitted for my driver's license.
It has been a really slow process this time around, because I've chosen to go the anti-starvation route. In the past, I'd eat almost nothing and the weight would go quickly. That hasn't happened this time. I've been striving to eat healthier, but still eating. I have increased the amount I exercise from no days a week to five. This is a much happier, healthier way to live, and I recommend it.
Here's a fun snack tip from my mom. Pickles are a healthy snack. They are even more tasty, however, when you purchase thinly shaved turkey or roast beef and wrap the meat around the pickle. I'm very excited to try this out.
The answer is...
...no.
I'm still at it. My eating habits aren't perfect, but much improved from before. I have been attending the gym every weekday for 1/2 hour-40 minutes each time. I've been at this now for five and a half weeks. For the first four weeks, my weight remained constant. I was very frustrated. Recently, however, the pounds started slipping away, hopefully because the muscle I've gained is helping me burn fat faster. I am down about 7 pounds from my heaviest weight this year and about 15 pounds away from the weight I submitted for my driver's license.
It has been a really slow process this time around, because I've chosen to go the anti-starvation route. In the past, I'd eat almost nothing and the weight would go quickly. That hasn't happened this time. I've been striving to eat healthier, but still eating. I have increased the amount I exercise from no days a week to five. This is a much happier, healthier way to live, and I recommend it.
Here's a fun snack tip from my mom. Pickles are a healthy snack. They are even more tasty, however, when you purchase thinly shaved turkey or roast beef and wrap the meat around the pickle. I'm very excited to try this out.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Driver's Lisence Update
All throughout my life, I've been terrified of making mistakes because I have an extremely difficult time forgiving myself. I taught about the atonement of Jesus Christ on my mission; yet, I have a difficult time applying it in my own life. I know intellectually that when we make a mistake, we can become totally clean again through the mercy of the Savior if we sincerely repent. I still worry unnecessarily, however, that if I mess up, I will be eternally scarred. I don't see how anything I do could possibly compensate for my error.
I've realized that this negative habit carries over into many aspects of my life, including fitness. I tend to be extreme in my goals because I am terrified of messing up. I know that once I give in and make a tiny mistake, I will want to give up all together.
Tonight is the perfect example. I have been very moderate in eating sweets for nearly four weeks now. I chose to get an ice-cream treat at the Dairy Queen tonight and I ate the whole thing without thought for whether or not I was hungry for it. It has been bothering me significantly. It is tempting for me to throw in the towel and say, "Man, I blew it. I ruined everything I did. The work just isn't worth it."
The truth is that while progress has been slow, it has been consistent. I've probably lost about 5 pounds from my heaviest weight this semester. I've never exercised so much in my life. I simply can't obsess over the choice I made tonight because it's done. I have to forgive myself and try better tomorrow. I haven't been successful with losing weight before because I don't cut myself any breaks when things get hard and I lose my way.
It's amazing how analogous my weight loss journey is to sin, repentance, and forgiveness. If we don't forgive ourselves, it can lead to more and more sin as despondency grows. If I can't forgive a tiny slip-up in my weight loss program, it could cause me to give up and eat and eat.
Moral of the story, "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it."
And, I'm not giving up, despite the Dairy Queen fiasco.
I've realized that this negative habit carries over into many aspects of my life, including fitness. I tend to be extreme in my goals because I am terrified of messing up. I know that once I give in and make a tiny mistake, I will want to give up all together.
Tonight is the perfect example. I have been very moderate in eating sweets for nearly four weeks now. I chose to get an ice-cream treat at the Dairy Queen tonight and I ate the whole thing without thought for whether or not I was hungry for it. It has been bothering me significantly. It is tempting for me to throw in the towel and say, "Man, I blew it. I ruined everything I did. The work just isn't worth it."
The truth is that while progress has been slow, it has been consistent. I've probably lost about 5 pounds from my heaviest weight this semester. I've never exercised so much in my life. I simply can't obsess over the choice I made tonight because it's done. I have to forgive myself and try better tomorrow. I haven't been successful with losing weight before because I don't cut myself any breaks when things get hard and I lose my way.
It's amazing how analogous my weight loss journey is to sin, repentance, and forgiveness. If we don't forgive ourselves, it can lead to more and more sin as despondency grows. If I can't forgive a tiny slip-up in my weight loss program, it could cause me to give up and eat and eat.
Moral of the story, "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it."
And, I'm not giving up, despite the Dairy Queen fiasco.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Driver's Lisence Update
My latest Costco food miracle is the Yoplait Triple Berry Smoothie Pouch. Costco sells them in five two serving pouches. You throw a pouch in a blender, add milk, blend, and you have an incredible breakfast smoothie. The smoothie includes strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and frozen yogurt pieces. My sister also adds banana and almonds. YUM! They are made with natural fruit.
The fiber-one bars that I mentioned earlier are DELICIOUS and so filling, but beware: they have made me quite ill the past few times I've eaten them. I guess I'm not used to quite so much fiber at once. Sigh. I'm pretty bummed about it.
Things are going along...I've never worked so hard in my life and seen so little result in my weight. I feel like every scale I step on MUST be broken. I have drastically changed my eating habits. I am working out every day. My clothes fit better, and I feel more comfortable in my own skin. I think I just pictured that three weeks into it, I would be down fifteen pounds or something. I keep waiting for the moment when the pounds will just start melting away...
I keep telling myself that I've just gained a lot of muscle and it's replacing the fat. But can't I have my cake and eat it, too? Can't I have muscle AND get down to the weight on my driver's license?
P.S. I barely ever eat cake anymore. Only bites here and there.
The fiber-one bars that I mentioned earlier are DELICIOUS and so filling, but beware: they have made me quite ill the past few times I've eaten them. I guess I'm not used to quite so much fiber at once. Sigh. I'm pretty bummed about it.
Things are going along...I've never worked so hard in my life and seen so little result in my weight. I feel like every scale I step on MUST be broken. I have drastically changed my eating habits. I am working out every day. My clothes fit better, and I feel more comfortable in my own skin. I think I just pictured that three weeks into it, I would be down fifteen pounds or something. I keep waiting for the moment when the pounds will just start melting away...
I keep telling myself that I've just gained a lot of muscle and it's replacing the fat. But can't I have my cake and eat it, too? Can't I have muscle AND get down to the weight on my driver's license?
P.S. I barely ever eat cake anymore. Only bites here and there.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Driver's Lisence Update
It has been two weeks since I began my new healthy lifestyle program. I'm excited to share some discoveries I've made.
My roommates and I are reading the following book together:
This book encourages you to completely cast off any and all diet plans you have been following over the years. It tells you not to count calories, not to restrict certain kinds of food from your diet, not to starve yourself to save up calories for a treat, not to cut out sweets, and more. Sounds too good to be true, right? It's not as easy to do as I thought it would be! When I'm in weight loss mode, I totally revert back to the idea that sweets are taboo. I have a REALLY hard time breaking away from that mentality.
The whole idea, from what I understand, is to really be aware of what your body needs. If you're hungry, eat until you are satisfied and full, NOT until your plate is clean, or when you feel like stopping. Since I'm still learning how this works, I've over calculated and had to pour stuff down the sink as I've realized I'm satisfied before I've finished. It's a very cool concept, and I've been enjoying it a lot.
The book talks about how toddlers are intuitive eaters. They eat until they are satisfied and then they are done. Parents often make the mistake of trying to force them to eat more than what they need because they are concerned about the child getting the proper nutrition. Basically, as always, becoming like a little child and relying on our intuition is the way to find our healthy weight.
I'm still working out almost every day. Progress is slow, but I can definitely feel and see change. I'm not giving up! Thanks to all of you for giving me motivation to keep on keeping on.
My roommates and I are reading the following book together:
This book encourages you to completely cast off any and all diet plans you have been following over the years. It tells you not to count calories, not to restrict certain kinds of food from your diet, not to starve yourself to save up calories for a treat, not to cut out sweets, and more. Sounds too good to be true, right? It's not as easy to do as I thought it would be! When I'm in weight loss mode, I totally revert back to the idea that sweets are taboo. I have a REALLY hard time breaking away from that mentality. The whole idea, from what I understand, is to really be aware of what your body needs. If you're hungry, eat until you are satisfied and full, NOT until your plate is clean, or when you feel like stopping. Since I'm still learning how this works, I've over calculated and had to pour stuff down the sink as I've realized I'm satisfied before I've finished. It's a very cool concept, and I've been enjoying it a lot.
The book talks about how toddlers are intuitive eaters. They eat until they are satisfied and then they are done. Parents often make the mistake of trying to force them to eat more than what they need because they are concerned about the child getting the proper nutrition. Basically, as always, becoming like a little child and relying on our intuition is the way to find our healthy weight.
I'm still working out almost every day. Progress is slow, but I can definitely feel and see change. I'm not giving up! Thanks to all of you for giving me motivation to keep on keeping on.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Driver's Lisence Update #3
I know you're all waiting with BAITED BREATH to get the update on how my diet is going (ha ha), so I thought I'd appease you this morning. I hope I don't lose readers because my life is so boring right now :-).
In years past, I've done lots of crash-practically-starvation diets that are really hard and not very possible to continue long term. This time around, I'm finally figuring out a smarter way to do it.
It's all about reduction, not elimination:
My sister, mom (she's here in Utah for a few days!) and I did some Costco shopping together yesterday and I spent this morning cutting up and divvying up the fruit and vegetables between us. That's a great way to go. We split watermelon, yogurt, strawberries, pineapple, cucumbers, corn, high fiber cereal, clementines, and strawberries.
I've decided if I want a snack, I will go to my beautiful containers of fresh, cut-up fruit rather than fill up on fruit snacks or something else less healthy. I will also eat the high fiber granola bars that are filling, but tasty.
I've started my gym routine now that I'm back in Utah and it's feeling great. Come rain or shine, I'm going to try to go every day. :-/
As far as weight, I think I've lost a couple pounds! I feel better about myself and my clothes fit better. Although it's not a drastic difference (patience...) that's enough motivation to keep me going for now!
In years past, I've done lots of crash-practically-starvation diets that are really hard and not very possible to continue long term. This time around, I'm finally figuring out a smarter way to do it.
It's all about reduction, not elimination:
- 1 piece of bread instead of three.
- Sharing a few bites of dessert instead of an entire serving to myself.
- Seconds on vegetables and fruits only.
- Ordering a sandwich I want, but not getting french fries or soda to accompany it.
My sister, mom (she's here in Utah for a few days!) and I did some Costco shopping together yesterday and I spent this morning cutting up and divvying up the fruit and vegetables between us. That's a great way to go. We split watermelon, yogurt, strawberries, pineapple, cucumbers, corn, high fiber cereal, clementines, and strawberries.
I've decided if I want a snack, I will go to my beautiful containers of fresh, cut-up fruit rather than fill up on fruit snacks or something else less healthy. I will also eat the high fiber granola bars that are filling, but tasty.
I've started my gym routine now that I'm back in Utah and it's feeling great. Come rain or shine, I'm going to try to go every day. :-/
As far as weight, I think I've lost a couple pounds! I feel better about myself and my clothes fit better. Although it's not a drastic difference (patience...) that's enough motivation to keep me going for now!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Driver's Lisence Update #2 and some Book Talk
The biggest enemy in trying to lose weight and retain a healthy lifestyle is discouragement.
I made the mistake today of stepping on the scale after only about 3 days of last weighing myself and finding that my weight fluctuated slightly, but not in my favor. How could this be possible? I've cut my portions in half and I eat tons of fruit. I feel like I've changed my lifestyle significantly since I started this plan. It has been fairly easy until today...I started thinking, "This is so not worth it" and started wondering if I could really last. If I'm going to be honest about it, I really have about 35 pounds to go before I am at an appropriately thin yet healthy weight. How on earth can I keep going if I don't see immediate results? I rely so much on consistent success for encouragement.
I have realized over the years that one of the divine attributes I lack most is patience. And I've discovered, my friends, that patience happens to be the attribute I most need to develop in order to see this weight loss program through. Rain or shine, I'm going to weigh SOMETHING 3 months from now and it's a safer bet that it will be LESS if I keep on chugging with my plan of healthier eating and more exercise. As much as I hate to think about it, it may take three or four weeks to see any substantial progress at all. But if I give up, then I'll be sitting there three months from now thinking, "So what if I hadn't dropped the plan?" I may as well give it a shot, right? Right.
I've found something that grooves for me in terms of exercise. I enjoy going on vigorous walks. I am a huge talker and it is wonderful way to get some exercise, get outside, enjoy the weather, and develop relationships in the meantime. This week, I've gone on walks with both parents separately and I find that I become much more open with my thoughts and feelings as the walks progress. I'm able to discuss issues that trouble me and seek their advice for resolution. It is the same way when I go on walks with my roommates. Together, we can problem solve and share fears and concerns and become better friends.
I don't know why walking outside makes me feel so much more willing to express my true sentiments, but I think it must have something to do with being so near to what God has created for me. I look forward to someday being able to walk with the person I'll marry. I can anticipate it being a beautiful way to solve concerns and to escape from the troubles of our lives.
In addition, it's a fun way to stay healthy and see the world. My mom and I went and walked on a trail near the UCSB beach on Monday. It was so fun to be somewhere I don't usually go. Today, my dad and I walked on the trail behind Tucker's Grove park.
Walking outside is easier for me than running. Breathing is more difficult when I run outside, and thus my stamina decreases. I can usually only run for about 20 minutes before collapsing, while I can walk at a brisk pace for an hour. Besides, I can walk and talk but running and talking is pretty much out of the question.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a stanch believer in regular gym attendance. I love going to the gym. It makes me feel powerful to achieve my goals. I feel like a stronger woman and someone who can be successful. It relieves stress and makes me feel better about myself. But I don't think there's anything wrong with two exercise plans to change it up a bit, do you?
I read Enna Burning and River Secrets, the Shannon Hale books that follow The Goose Girl. I enjoyed them immensely. I probably liked River Secrets better than the one before it, but my sister Anna absolutely adores Enna Burning. I recommend all three books highly for my female friends especially. I love how they each contain somewhat of a mystery that unravels itself throughout the novel. Hale is very clever at keeping you guessing until close to the end of the book...and, she never fails me with the right touches of romance. These books are hard to put down!
I finished her Newberry award winning book, Princess Academy, today. What a fun book! I wish she had more to follow in the same series. It is very similar to the first three books I read; therefore, if you're looking for a change of pace, you won't find it in this book. However, for those of you who absolutely adore her novels like I did, this one absolutely will not disappoint.
I have a link to her blog below if anyone is interested in checking it out. Or visit her website at www.shannonhale.com. I found the mini bios about her life very inspiring and I like hearing the way she talks about her characters.
I made the mistake today of stepping on the scale after only about 3 days of last weighing myself and finding that my weight fluctuated slightly, but not in my favor. How could this be possible? I've cut my portions in half and I eat tons of fruit. I feel like I've changed my lifestyle significantly since I started this plan. It has been fairly easy until today...I started thinking, "This is so not worth it" and started wondering if I could really last. If I'm going to be honest about it, I really have about 35 pounds to go before I am at an appropriately thin yet healthy weight. How on earth can I keep going if I don't see immediate results? I rely so much on consistent success for encouragement.
I have realized over the years that one of the divine attributes I lack most is patience. And I've discovered, my friends, that patience happens to be the attribute I most need to develop in order to see this weight loss program through. Rain or shine, I'm going to weigh SOMETHING 3 months from now and it's a safer bet that it will be LESS if I keep on chugging with my plan of healthier eating and more exercise. As much as I hate to think about it, it may take three or four weeks to see any substantial progress at all. But if I give up, then I'll be sitting there three months from now thinking, "So what if I hadn't dropped the plan?" I may as well give it a shot, right? Right.
I've found something that grooves for me in terms of exercise. I enjoy going on vigorous walks. I am a huge talker and it is wonderful way to get some exercise, get outside, enjoy the weather, and develop relationships in the meantime. This week, I've gone on walks with both parents separately and I find that I become much more open with my thoughts and feelings as the walks progress. I'm able to discuss issues that trouble me and seek their advice for resolution. It is the same way when I go on walks with my roommates. Together, we can problem solve and share fears and concerns and become better friends.
I don't know why walking outside makes me feel so much more willing to express my true sentiments, but I think it must have something to do with being so near to what God has created for me. I look forward to someday being able to walk with the person I'll marry. I can anticipate it being a beautiful way to solve concerns and to escape from the troubles of our lives.
In addition, it's a fun way to stay healthy and see the world. My mom and I went and walked on a trail near the UCSB beach on Monday. It was so fun to be somewhere I don't usually go. Today, my dad and I walked on the trail behind Tucker's Grove park.
Walking outside is easier for me than running. Breathing is more difficult when I run outside, and thus my stamina decreases. I can usually only run for about 20 minutes before collapsing, while I can walk at a brisk pace for an hour. Besides, I can walk and talk but running and talking is pretty much out of the question.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a stanch believer in regular gym attendance. I love going to the gym. It makes me feel powerful to achieve my goals. I feel like a stronger woman and someone who can be successful. It relieves stress and makes me feel better about myself. But I don't think there's anything wrong with two exercise plans to change it up a bit, do you?
I read Enna Burning and River Secrets, the Shannon Hale books that follow The Goose Girl. I enjoyed them immensely. I probably liked River Secrets better than the one before it, but my sister Anna absolutely adores Enna Burning. I recommend all three books highly for my female friends especially. I love how they each contain somewhat of a mystery that unravels itself throughout the novel. Hale is very clever at keeping you guessing until close to the end of the book...and, she never fails me with the right touches of romance. These books are hard to put down!
I finished her Newberry award winning book, Princess Academy, today. What a fun book! I wish she had more to follow in the same series. It is very similar to the first three books I read; therefore, if you're looking for a change of pace, you won't find it in this book. However, for those of you who absolutely adore her novels like I did, this one absolutely will not disappoint.
I have a link to her blog below if anyone is interested in checking it out. Or visit her website at www.shannonhale.com. I found the mini bios about her life very inspiring and I like hearing the way she talks about her characters.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Drivers Lisence Update #1
Well, I haven't backed down. I know it has been a long time...5 days, to be exact...but I haven't given in to temptation. Aren't you impressed? :-)
Yesterday, in Hollywood, my mom and I both decided against sharing a dessert crepe and quickly passed by glass cases full of fudge, baked goods, and other delectable sweets.
So how do we get by without any treats at all in a world full of such sugary goodness? Allow me to introduce my new best friend, available at Costco:
NEW! GIANT Chocolate Cookies & Cream Bar (from Weight Watchers)
POINTS® value 2
Crunchy, chocolate-y cookie goodness. Low-fat chocolate ice cream is covered in delicious cookie crunch coating. Offered in a six-pack, each GIANT Chocolate Cookies & Cream Bar contains 140 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber.
They are so delicious that you honestly can't believe what you're eating is low fat!
We also went to Costco and bought an enormous watermelon, which I spent a good amount of time dicing last night while rocking out to some of my middle school students' favorite tunes. Our entire family relishes the taste of chunks of ice cold watermelon. It's a perfect snack, suitable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
I love cold cereal. I always have. At the beginning of the week, I refilled my bowl of honey nut cheerios about three times before I was finished. By the end of this week, however, I've learned a great trick. I pile fresh raspberries on top of my bowl of cereal; then, when I get to the leftover milk with no cereal, instead of filling it up with more, I put more raspberries in the remaining milk and finish it off that way. Delicious!
Another filling food item that has helped me when the desire to snack comes along is this:
http://www.fiberone.com/Product/bars.aspx
Yesterday, in Hollywood, my mom and I both decided against sharing a dessert crepe and quickly passed by glass cases full of fudge, baked goods, and other delectable sweets.
So how do we get by without any treats at all in a world full of such sugary goodness? Allow me to introduce my new best friend, available at Costco:
NEW! GIANT Chocolate Cookies & Cream Bar (from Weight Watchers)
POINTS® value 2
Crunchy, chocolate-y cookie goodness. Low-fat chocolate ice cream is covered in delicious cookie crunch coating. Offered in a six-pack, each GIANT Chocolate Cookies & Cream Bar contains 140 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/shop/productList.aspx?gcmspid=1010551&gcmscid=1010601&navid=moreww
They are so delicious that you honestly can't believe what you're eating is low fat!
We also went to Costco and bought an enormous watermelon, which I spent a good amount of time dicing last night while rocking out to some of my middle school students' favorite tunes. Our entire family relishes the taste of chunks of ice cold watermelon. It's a perfect snack, suitable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
I love cold cereal. I always have. At the beginning of the week, I refilled my bowl of honey nut cheerios about three times before I was finished. By the end of this week, however, I've learned a great trick. I pile fresh raspberries on top of my bowl of cereal; then, when I get to the leftover milk with no cereal, instead of filling it up with more, I put more raspberries in the remaining milk and finish it off that way. Delicious!
Another filling food item that has helped me when the desire to snack comes along is this:
http://www.fiberone.com/Product/bars.aspxThey are very tasty and filling. They really helped me through the first couple days of reducing the amount I ate.
So, that's the update so far! This is an adventure, and it is easier than I remembered it before. I think that's because of my last tip...PRAYER. I really believe that when we set worthy goals and work towards them (such as keeping our bodies healthy and thus keeping our self-esteem healthy), the Lord will meet us more than halfway in helping us achieve the things we desire.
So, that's the update so far! This is an adventure, and it is easier than I remembered it before. I think that's because of my last tip...PRAYER. I really believe that when we set worthy goals and work towards them (such as keeping our bodies healthy and thus keeping our self-esteem healthy), the Lord will meet us more than halfway in helping us achieve the things we desire.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Accountability
There are two things about me that those closest to me are well aware of. First, my constant need to divulge information about myself. My friends often laugh because I'll say to one of them in confidence, "Now, I just want to keep this quiet, so please don't tell anyone..." and then an hour later, when a few more friends arrive, I'll say, "Okay, I really have to tell you something!!" I wear my heart on my sleeve. No one need guess how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking.
Now, as I've gotten older, I've discovered the root of my urgent need to confess. I owe it all to a one little word: accountability. When I was little, I would tattle often to my parents, not so much to get another kid in trouble, but to relieve the gnawing guilt I felt knowing I held a secret piece of information my parents did not. I needed to make an accounting to someone of everything I heard and saw, or else I felt guilty. Strange as it seems, it has been a familiar "mode of operation" to me for some time now.
In light of this discovery, I have decided to put this interesting habit to good use. I want it to work for me, rather than against me. Which is why, ladies and gentlemen reading this blog, I am initiating a plan of action that I would like to make you a part of, for those of you so willing. I would like to make myself accountable to you. You don't have to do anything, except perhaps check in once in awhile to see how I'm doing on my "driver's license plan." I figure if I can make myself accountable to someone, I will be far less likely to falter in my conviction to achieve the following goal:
I am currently approximately 20 lbs above the weight listed on my driver's license. This goal is serious business, because how many of YOU told the honest truth about the weight you listed on your license? I got a new license when I came home from my mission, so the weight gain has been gradual since then. I have decided that I want to be the weight on my driver's license by the time school begins at the end of August. This will require cutting out junk food almost entirely and exercising daily. Because I don't have to work this summer, I plan to focus a lot of attention on restoring my body to a healthy weight. I'm on my third day currently of this new plan.
Here is the "before" picture (aka where I'm at right now). I will post maybe once a week an update on how I'm doing on my journey, making myself accountable to one and all.
Now, as I've gotten older, I've discovered the root of my urgent need to confess. I owe it all to a one little word: accountability. When I was little, I would tattle often to my parents, not so much to get another kid in trouble, but to relieve the gnawing guilt I felt knowing I held a secret piece of information my parents did not. I needed to make an accounting to someone of everything I heard and saw, or else I felt guilty. Strange as it seems, it has been a familiar "mode of operation" to me for some time now.
In light of this discovery, I have decided to put this interesting habit to good use. I want it to work for me, rather than against me. Which is why, ladies and gentlemen reading this blog, I am initiating a plan of action that I would like to make you a part of, for those of you so willing. I would like to make myself accountable to you. You don't have to do anything, except perhaps check in once in awhile to see how I'm doing on my "driver's license plan." I figure if I can make myself accountable to someone, I will be far less likely to falter in my conviction to achieve the following goal:
I am currently approximately 20 lbs above the weight listed on my driver's license. This goal is serious business, because how many of YOU told the honest truth about the weight you listed on your license? I got a new license when I came home from my mission, so the weight gain has been gradual since then. I have decided that I want to be the weight on my driver's license by the time school begins at the end of August. This will require cutting out junk food almost entirely and exercising daily. Because I don't have to work this summer, I plan to focus a lot of attention on restoring my body to a healthy weight. I'm on my third day currently of this new plan.
Here is the "before" picture (aka where I'm at right now). I will post maybe once a week an update on how I'm doing on my journey, making myself accountable to one and all.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
I'm back...
I think I hit somewhat of a wall right before Thanksgiving time. Everything felt hard. I felt like I was running out of patience and love. I started wondering if I could really keep being a choir teacher.
What was I thinking?!
Happily, I have come to my senses. Over Thanksgiving break, my sweet dad helped me buy a bunch of equipment for the choir room. New teachers get a nice big check to help update their rooms. I got an IPOD and a detachable recording device so the kids could hear themselves perform. I also got an IPOD cradle. I got a pair of headphones for the electric pianos and my dad and brother helped me move some things around so there is less craziness in my room each day (i.e. several people pounding on different pianos all at the same time). I've had to start being a better enforcer of rules. My classroom discipline plan is really under-developed. I'm anxious to have my first year over with so I can start really learning from my mistakes.
Emily Hawkes gave me a great idea last year when I did pre-student teaching for her. It is almost concert time. I've been spending the past couple days discussing the importance of being quiet during the concert. Emily did skits with her classes last year about proper concert etiquette. That's what we did yesterday. It was a short schedule because we had an assembly with Brandon Mull, the author of Fablehaven. It was the perfect amount of time to do the skits. It ended up being a lot of fun...I had five scenarios on slips of paper that the kids did in groups of 4-5. They said things like, "You walk in to the concert 5 minute late." The kids acted out the misbehavior and the rest of the class guessed what they were doing wrong. Then, we talked about why that is so distracting. It was really fun and my kids got creative, which I appreciated. One class got a little too creative and started kicking over chairs, which really stressed me out and confirmed to me once again that I just can't do activities like this with that class. Sigh. I really don't know what to do with that class.
I had parent/teacher conferences from 2-7 p.m. on Thursday. LONG HOURS. One parent gave me a really great idea, however, that I shared with my classes on Friday. I told them that if they were acting up during the concert, I would simply go to the microphone between numbers and say, "Hi, are Michael's parents in the audience? Oh, yes, there you are, hi. Michael is having a hard time sitting still and paying attention while we're singing. Do you think you can come sit by him?" When I told them that, I got comments like, "Over the MICROPHONE?!" and "My dad would kill me!" I told them, "Don't test me. I will do it." And I most certainly will.
But guess what? My show choir girls all got their dresses hemmed and altered. Almost all the boys have their pants hemmed or are at least in the process. ROCK ON! We sing at the mall on Monday. That's our first performance of the season! Wednesday is our concert and Friday we sing at the Christmas party for the Latino families in the school. It's going to be a scary, busy week, but I'm actually getting excited/freaked out.
During play practice on Wednesday, I decided that I didn't want to do play practice that day. I remember being in theater and playing fun group games to help get to know each other as a cast. So, we ended up playing Big Booty. I was hesitant to call it that until I realized all the kids knew what it was anyway. We played with names instead of numbers (because numbers got a litle too complicated) and it ended up being a great way to learn names. I've created a monster, however, because now the kids want to play big booty during choir and other play practices and that's not going to happen. They are an incredible group of kids. They are learning their music so quickly and they sing it so well. I have a BYU student named Nina who is going to block and help the kids choreograph. I am SO GRATEFUL for that. I was pretty much freaking out about that because I have no production experience whatsoever.
Have I told you that I'm the team captain of S.H.E.? I don't know how I got to be captain. I was just assigned. And I'm definitely not the right person for the job. What is S.H.E., you might ask? Well, it stands for Sexy Hot Educators (thanks for the acronym idea, Mr. Kanno) and it is our team name for the "Maintain Don't Gain" campaign that the Provo school district is doing with the faculty. I have a team of five. We had to weigh ourselves before the holidays and combine our weights as a team. You could lie as long as you give an accurate report of the difference between the first weigh in and the second. Isn't that hilarious? Anyway, to give you an idea at what kind of a team captain I am, I'm going to cut and paste the motivational email I wrote them this past week.
Hello ladies,
I'm supposed to be inspirational as your team captain. Here it goes.
I hate diets.
I hate having to refrain from food I like. It's like the worst kind of torture on earth.
So here's how I do it, folks. Here's how I'm going to prevent myself from gaining weight.
I'm cheap.
I have this beautiful dress that I bought three years ago for a voice concert.
I got invited to a formal party on December 13th at the Grand America hotel by a friend of a friend and I have to dress up.
I can't bring myself to buy a new dress, but the one I have is about 5 pounds too tight.
So, in the name of saving money, I am spending the next two weeks on a no sugar diet. I'm also putting in major exercise. I went to the store today and bought whole wheat bread, yogurt, apples, fat free cottage cheese, salad and fat free salad dressing, and other things (like Special K cereal). But you know what? Healthy food is more expensive. So I blew $40 on groceries so I can slim down to fit in my dress so I don't have to buy a new one. Go figure.
So, that is my contribution to S.H.E. I will lose 5-10 pounds in the next two weeks so I can gain it all back during Christmas and thus maintain and not gain above my starting weight. Phew.
Sincerely,
Katie Houston
Some leader I am.
What was I thinking?!
Happily, I have come to my senses. Over Thanksgiving break, my sweet dad helped me buy a bunch of equipment for the choir room. New teachers get a nice big check to help update their rooms. I got an IPOD and a detachable recording device so the kids could hear themselves perform. I also got an IPOD cradle. I got a pair of headphones for the electric pianos and my dad and brother helped me move some things around so there is less craziness in my room each day (i.e. several people pounding on different pianos all at the same time). I've had to start being a better enforcer of rules. My classroom discipline plan is really under-developed. I'm anxious to have my first year over with so I can start really learning from my mistakes.
Emily Hawkes gave me a great idea last year when I did pre-student teaching for her. It is almost concert time. I've been spending the past couple days discussing the importance of being quiet during the concert. Emily did skits with her classes last year about proper concert etiquette. That's what we did yesterday. It was a short schedule because we had an assembly with Brandon Mull, the author of Fablehaven. It was the perfect amount of time to do the skits. It ended up being a lot of fun...I had five scenarios on slips of paper that the kids did in groups of 4-5. They said things like, "You walk in to the concert 5 minute late." The kids acted out the misbehavior and the rest of the class guessed what they were doing wrong. Then, we talked about why that is so distracting. It was really fun and my kids got creative, which I appreciated. One class got a little too creative and started kicking over chairs, which really stressed me out and confirmed to me once again that I just can't do activities like this with that class. Sigh. I really don't know what to do with that class.
I had parent/teacher conferences from 2-7 p.m. on Thursday. LONG HOURS. One parent gave me a really great idea, however, that I shared with my classes on Friday. I told them that if they were acting up during the concert, I would simply go to the microphone between numbers and say, "Hi, are Michael's parents in the audience? Oh, yes, there you are, hi. Michael is having a hard time sitting still and paying attention while we're singing. Do you think you can come sit by him?" When I told them that, I got comments like, "Over the MICROPHONE?!" and "My dad would kill me!" I told them, "Don't test me. I will do it." And I most certainly will.
But guess what? My show choir girls all got their dresses hemmed and altered. Almost all the boys have their pants hemmed or are at least in the process. ROCK ON! We sing at the mall on Monday. That's our first performance of the season! Wednesday is our concert and Friday we sing at the Christmas party for the Latino families in the school. It's going to be a scary, busy week, but I'm actually getting excited/freaked out.
During play practice on Wednesday, I decided that I didn't want to do play practice that day. I remember being in theater and playing fun group games to help get to know each other as a cast. So, we ended up playing Big Booty. I was hesitant to call it that until I realized all the kids knew what it was anyway. We played with names instead of numbers (because numbers got a litle too complicated) and it ended up being a great way to learn names. I've created a monster, however, because now the kids want to play big booty during choir and other play practices and that's not going to happen. They are an incredible group of kids. They are learning their music so quickly and they sing it so well. I have a BYU student named Nina who is going to block and help the kids choreograph. I am SO GRATEFUL for that. I was pretty much freaking out about that because I have no production experience whatsoever.
Have I told you that I'm the team captain of S.H.E.? I don't know how I got to be captain. I was just assigned. And I'm definitely not the right person for the job. What is S.H.E., you might ask? Well, it stands for Sexy Hot Educators (thanks for the acronym idea, Mr. Kanno) and it is our team name for the "Maintain Don't Gain" campaign that the Provo school district is doing with the faculty. I have a team of five. We had to weigh ourselves before the holidays and combine our weights as a team. You could lie as long as you give an accurate report of the difference between the first weigh in and the second. Isn't that hilarious? Anyway, to give you an idea at what kind of a team captain I am, I'm going to cut and paste the motivational email I wrote them this past week.
Hello ladies,
I'm supposed to be inspirational as your team captain. Here it goes.
I hate diets.
I hate having to refrain from food I like. It's like the worst kind of torture on earth.
So here's how I do it, folks. Here's how I'm going to prevent myself from gaining weight.
I'm cheap.
I have this beautiful dress that I bought three years ago for a voice concert.
I got invited to a formal party on December 13th at the Grand America hotel by a friend of a friend and I have to dress up.
I can't bring myself to buy a new dress, but the one I have is about 5 pounds too tight.
So, in the name of saving money, I am spending the next two weeks on a no sugar diet. I'm also putting in major exercise. I went to the store today and bought whole wheat bread, yogurt, apples, fat free cottage cheese, salad and fat free salad dressing, and other things (like Special K cereal). But you know what? Healthy food is more expensive. So I blew $40 on groceries so I can slim down to fit in my dress so I don't have to buy a new one. Go figure.
So, that is my contribution to S.H.E. I will lose 5-10 pounds in the next two weeks so I can gain it all back during Christmas and thus maintain and not gain above my starting weight. Phew.
Sincerely,
Katie Houston
Some leader I am.
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