Day 19 of 100--One Step at a time

No matter where you are in your journey, remember that it is each step you take that matters.

Every moment you are in, you can ask yourself this question:  What can I do to help me reach my goal.  Then do something.   If it is getting a glass of water, eating a vegetable, planning a menu. 5 jumping jacks.  :)  Any small step is better than none and the small steps add up to large leaps which add up to get you to where you want to be.  A misstep is just that, correct your course and keep going.  That's why small steps work better, small missteps, small corrections.   Don't give up.  Keep going, every small step is what matters! 

Day 18 of 100

Choose exercise that is fun for you.  Don't do something just because everyone else is.  Exercise is anything that gets your heart rate up more than sitting on the couch.   So it could be walking, running up the stairs, punching a pillow.  Dancing to some great music.  Anything you desire!   Don't get caught up in the "standard" exercises.  Pick something that speaks to you and love it!  Then you will do it more often.  :)

Healthy Journey Day 56

Intentions for the day:
A successful primary music time.   Decide on a game plan for nutrition.  Enjoy a restful day with the family.

Morning Blood Sugar: 101  apparently the roast didn't counter act the sugar....or I waited too long.  I slept in and Checked it at almost 9

Weigh in:  196.6  Have to say I was a little disappointed.   I was expecting some results today because I have been eating more veggies.   But then I also cut back on exercise.   I am still frustrated that I injured myself.  However instead of feeling bad I am putting on my investigator cap and looking to figure out what I can do differently.   If I am not exercising, an emphasis is to be put on my nutrition.  Hmmm... How can I see results on the scale and enjoy the process?

Exercise:  Rest day

HAd a hard time tracking my food today.  Don't know why.  
I didn't eat until almost 11...some ningxia red and WLT (3gtts) 
Tried a protein, veggie shake...just didn't work for me
One pretzel
Fruit salad (with lots of cool whip and marshmallows, not exactly healthy)
Personal pizza  A couple bites of a cookie, and some fudge

Water intake:  24 oz

Daily Wins:  Successful singing time.  Had lots of fun with the jr primary today.  Felt really in the zone.  Attended the baptism preview with my son even though he doesn't turn 8 until December. Made a good dinner. 

Health Challenge Tally:

Eat a Healthy Breakfast (1)

Drink 64 oz water (2 pt)

Eat 2 fruits (1)

Eat 3 Veg (2)

30 min of cardio(2)

No Treats (1)

Health Supplement (1)   Check!

Post a Health Tip (2)

2015 Goals:

1.  Post a total of 365 days on the blog

2.  Run a 10 min mile
3.  Squat 95 lbs

4.  Complete morning and evening routines on a daily basis. (100 days straight!)

5.  Weekly meal planning

6.  Run a Half Marathon in October

**Hunger Scale is from 0-10 with zero being absolutely empty, ravenous and 10 being so stuffed that you are absolutely sick.
0--Empty
1--Ravenous
3--Set
4--Pangs
5--Neutral
6.5--Satisfied
8--Full
9--Stuffed
10--Sick
"Every time you start to eat, check your hunger level.  Ideally, aim for around a level of 3 to begin eating.  If you are at a 5 or above, you are not biologically hungry.  If you are at 2 or lower, you're likely over hungry and at risk for overeating."  Scale and comments taken from the book "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. 

Healthy Journey Day 55

Intentions for the day:
Clean bedroom more, buy a bedspread, plan for primary tomorrow.

Morning Blood Sugar:  99  Not bad!

Exercise:  lifted a few weights...showed off how much I could curl...25 lbs, once. While we were at the sporting goods store.  Hubby asked.  :)  

Breakfast:
Time:  8:30 am
Hunger  Level *:  3
Ate:  Pancakes and orange syrup with lemonade.
Comments:  My daughter woke up early and made us breakfast in bed.   She is so silly, I think she started planning it Thursday night, she had the cookbook out and wouldn't let me see what she was doing.   I heard her alarm go off in the 6 o clock hour this morning...She was up and dressed and cooking.   It was a very nice surprise.   Now to get her to clean up the dishes...  ;)

Snack:
Time: 9:30
Hunger Level*:  3
Ate:finished off a pancake from earlier
Comments:

Lunch:
Time:12:00
Hunger Level*:  3
Ate: polish sandwich from wienerschitzel  while we were out for a drive, carrots once we got home and a chili cheese dog too.
Comments:

Snack:
Time:3:00
Hunger Level*:2
Ate:carrots...a little bit of a chocolate brownie/fudge we were given a grapefruit. 
Comments:  Snacked on carrots on and off through the afternoon

Dinner:
Time: 6:30
Hunger Level*:3
Ate: Roast and a sweet potato a couple spoonfuls of a fruit/marshmellow salad that my daughter wanted us to make
Comments:  It's been a long time since I cooked a roast.  Boy it was yummy!  I didn't have much room for the sweet potato...:)

Water intake:64

Daily Wins:  A little bit of self care.  Boy that feels good.  

Made dinner.   Vacuumed my bedroom floor.  Can't remember the last time I did that. 

Health Challenge Tally:

Eat a Healthy Breakfast (1) Check

Drink 64 oz water (2 pt)  Check

Eat 2 fruits (1) 

Eat 3 Veg (2)  Check

30 min of cardio(2)

No Treats (1)

Health Supplement (1)  Check

Post a Health Tip (2)  Check

2015 Goals:

1.  Post a total of 365 days on the blog

2.  Run a 10 min mile
3.  Squat 95 lbs

4.  Complete morning and evening routines on a daily basis. (100 days straight!)

5.  Weekly meal planning

6.  Run a Half Marathon in October

**Hunger Scale is from 0-10 with zero being absolutely empty, ravenous and 10 being so stuffed that you are absolutely sick.
0--Empty
1--Ravenous
3--Set
4--Pangs
5--Neutral
6.5--Satisfied
8--Full
9--Stuffed
10--Sick
"Every time you start to eat, check your hunger level.  Ideally, aim for around a level of 3 to begin eating.  If you are at a 5 or above, you are not biologically hungry.  If you are at 2 or lower, you're likely over hungry and at risk for overeating."  Scale and comments taken from the book "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. 

Day 17 of 100 There is no good or bad food

There is no good or bad food.   This principle of intuitive eating really hit me at an important time.   I was trying to cut out parts of my diet and finding that the more I tried the more restricted and deprived I felt.   This became more cyclical until I would binge eat on everything saying that I would change my diet tomorrow...then do it again the next day.   Mentally I was in a horrible spot.  Extremely mad at myself for not being able to follow through, but partly not wanting to follow through because I really was feeling deprived.  

Enter intuitive eating.    There are a couple of laws they follow.  First off the law of habituation.   Habituation is when you eat something often enough that it no longer tastes good.  For instance when you have the same lunch every day for a week.  By day 5 or 6 it is boring, has no flavor, is difficult to eat and just isn't pleasant to the taste buds anymore.   That is habituation.   Some foods you can eat for weeks, other foods just a couple of times and you are done.   

The other is biological eating.   When the body is deprived of a certain nutrient for long enough, it starts to crave foods that will give it that nutrient.   IF it is still deprived you end up in uncontrollable eating.  This isn't that you do not have will power.  IT is that your body is in dire need of a certain nutrient and so is attempting to get it no matter the cost.   Will power really is a fallacy.   It is telling you to fight against the signals of your body.  In actual fact, if you trust your body it will tell you what it is you need, how much and when.   We just need to listen!  

So what I am getting at here, is that food...all kinds of food.  Even Processed Cheese food is ok to eat.   You are not bad for eating desserts, or candy as you are not good for eating only celery.   There is a balance to things.   The next time you start to say "I have been bad today" in regards to your eating, catch yourself.   Did you steal it?   Did you hold it up with a gun?   It is ok to eat all kinds of foods.  Nothing is off limits.   If you want something eat it.  Really taste it.  I mean really!   Savor that food.   The texture, the smell, the taste.   Figure out if you really like it or not.   Sometimes something we think we want ends up not being nearly as tasty as we imagine it would be.   For more info check out the Intuitive Eating book.  :)

Let me know how this works for you!

Katherine's Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

A recipe from my friend Katherine.  These are fantastic cookies!   Freeze the dough and have them whenever, or cook them all.  Maybe even eat the dough frozen.  It's yummy!   I buy the large bottle of Almond extract from penzeys. It lasts a lot longer than the little ones.  :)

1 lb butter--firm but not frozen
2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c white sugar
3 eggs
2 T vanilla extract
1 T almond extract
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda (increase to 2 if freezing the dough)
6 c flour
3 c chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar.  Blend in eggs and flavorings.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Bake at 350*F for 10-13 minutes.   We like soft cookies.  :)

Freeze on a cookie sheet and then bag in  a Ziplock bag.   

Day 16 of 100--maybe its time to grow up

Maybe it is time to grow up.   I can't tell you how hard it was to come to that conclusion.  Ever since we started the Family dodots system, I realized how hard it is for me to withhold gratification.   Clean my room?  No I'll play on facebook instead.  Work on the kitchen, organizing?   Naw, I'd rather read my email.   The list goes on and on.   There is the required work that the kids had to do: one room in the house, their bedroom, homework and practicing.  Then I am requiring myself to do what I am asking them to do.  Can't expect my kids to do something that I am not doing, right?   So I had a pity party.   A couple of days, complaining to myself about how I didn't want to do what I was asking myself to do.   Then I started realizing that I needed to be the adult.   Why wasn't I being the adult anyway.   Dave Ramsey has a quote that I have really liked...but it has really hit home more recently.   "Adults devise a plan and follow it.  Children do what feels good."  I stole the picture from Dave Ramsey's facebook page.  (Thanks Dave Ramsey!)   

I believe it really is true.   I have had a hard time living up to my goals because it has been easier to do what feels good in the moment.   Perhaps it is time that I grew up.  :)

Healthy journey day 54

Intentions for the day:
Clean, open the family store for the kids, restrain my negative voice...I'm getting up later and later...

Morning Blood Sugar:  107

Exercise: Jonathan's live workout, only upper body.  My arms are so tired!!  A total of 25 pushups as well.  

Breakfast:
Time:  8 am
Hunger  Level *:  3
Ate:  pancakes with berry sauce and some greek yogurt
Comments:  Only ate about half.  Wasn't feeling as hungry as I thought I was.   

Snack:
Time: 10:30
Hunger Level*: 2
Ate: a couple of oranges
Comments: they sure tasted good!

Lunch:
Time: 12:00
Hunger Level*: 2
Ate:  Turkey and Swiss wrap with bacon.   and some carrots Quite tasty
Comments:  Recipe from organize yourself skinny.  Found it on Plan to eat, yum.  

Snack:
Time: 2 pm
Hunger Level*:  2
Ate:  some baby carrots ningxia annd a little milk
Comments:  

Dinner:
Time: 6:30
Hunger Level*:  3
Ate:  Chicken and Broccoli Bake, some carrots
Comments: From the plan to eat blog.  Initially a freezer meal but I cut it down to make just one for tonight.  IT was yummy.  Hubby didn't care for it too much but I rather liked it.  Cheese and bread crumb topping...who wouldn't like it.  :)


Water intake:  64

Daily Wins:  Dishes done by 7:30.  I had the kids help me.   YAY!  Got in a workout,  Moved the computer out of my bedroom.  It now has a new place in the kitchen.   Started cleaning my room.  Made dinner.  :)

Health Challenge Tally:  12

Eat a Healthy Breakfast (1)  Check!

Drink 64 oz water (2 pt)  CHeck!

Eat 2 fruits (1)  Check!

Eat 3 Veg (2)  Check!

30 min of cardio(2)  Check!

No Treats (1)  Check!

Health Supplement (1)  Check!

Post a Health Tip (2)  CHeck!  

2015 Goals:

1.  Post a total of 365 days on the blog

2.  Run a 10 min mile
3.  Squat 95 lbs

4.  Complete morning and evening routines on a daily basis. (100 days straight!)

5.  Weekly meal planning

6.  Run a Half Marathon in October

**Hunger Scale is from 0-10 with zero being absolutely empty, ravenous and 10 being so stuffed that you are absolutely sick.
0--Empty
1--Ravenous
3--Set 
4--Pangs
5--Neutral
6.5--Satisfied
8--Full
9--Stuffed
10--Sick
"Every time you start to eat, check your hunger level.  Ideally, aim for around a level of 3 to begin eating.  If you are at a 5 or above, you are not biologically hungry.  If you are at 2 or lower, you're likely over hungry and at risk for overeating."  Scale and comments taken from the book "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. 

Day 15 of 100 Become an investigator

No one knows you as well as you know yourself.   Being your own coach, your own best advocate is paramount in your journey!   So I offer that you begin to be an investigator.  When something doesn't go as well as you would expect, ask yourself why.  Figure it out and then try something different.  If that doesn't work repeat the process.   Soon you will find that you know what works and what doesn't.  Chances are it won't be a certain "diet"  I suspect you will find that you use moderation and common sense when it comes to being active and eating.   You can investigate by just paying attention, or you can make big graphs and pie charts.   I suggest you just start somewhere and notice, how you feel with your last meal lets say.   Mine was full of carbs, and I can feel that little bit of tired behind my eyes that I always get when I eat a lot of carbs.  Doesn't mean they are bad, it just means I ate more than my body needed.

Please note in this journey, there is no failure.   If you fall off the proverbial wagon it does not mean that you failed.  You just have not learned how to hold on yet.   Everyone has a different method.  Just like you will too.   My personal definition of success is that I never give up.  There is no failure, only learning experiences.  My success is found in my daily learning and growing and continuing on even when it seems so not worth it.

Figure out your definitions of success and failure.   Then begin to investigate your life.  You may be surprised as to what you find!  :)

Healthy journey day 53

Intentions for the day:
Clean.  Heal some more. Stretch

Morning Blood Sugar:  108

Exercise:  In full honesty I skipped it today.  I slept in and even though I could have done arm work, I didn't exercise at all.  My leg feels a bit better tonight though.  

Breakfast:
Time: 9 am
Hunger  Level *: 2
Ate: Pancakes and scrambled eggs.  Berries
Comments:  I made a sauce out of the berries.  Yummy

Snack:
Time: 11:00
Hunger Level*: 3
Ate: Yogurt and the rest of the berry sauce  some cheese chips as well.
Comments:  Yummo!

Lunch:
Time:  1
Hunger Level*:4
Ate: nigxia red
Comments: 

Snack:
Time:3:50
Hunger Level*:  3
Ate:  Cheese toast and a few bites of soup.
Comments:  Thought I was more hungry and tried to get in some veg...not that hungry.

Dinner:
Time: 6:30
Hunger Level*:3
Ate: Garlic Bread, macaroni and cheese, and a yiggi yogurt. 
Comments:  Not very sugar friendly....we will see in the morning


Water intake:  64 oz  The apple cinnamon water certainly helped.  

Daily Wins:

Kids in bed before 9, they are still awake, but got in bed earlier.   Dishes were done earlier too.  Cleaned the great room.   Got the give away stuff given away. 

Health Challenge Tally:  8

Eat a Healthy Breakfast (1)  CHECK!

Drink 64 oz water (2 pt)  CHECK!

Eat 2 fruits (1) CHECK!

Eat 3 Veg (2)  nope

30 min of cardio(2)  nope

No Treats (1)  CHECK!

Health Supplement (1)  CHECK!

Post a Health Tip (2)  CHECK!

2015 Goals:

1.  Post a total of 365 days on the blog

2.  Run a 10 min mile
3.  Squat 95 lbs

4.  Complete morning and evening routines on a daily basis. (100 days straight!)

5.  Weekly meal planning

6.  Run a Half Marathon in October

**Hunger Scale is from 0-10 with zero being absolutely empty, ravenous and 10 being so stuffed that you are absolutely sick.
0--Empty
1--Ravenous
3--Set
4--Pangs
5--Neutral
6.5--Satisfied
8--Full
9--Stuffed
10--Sick
"Every time you start to eat, check your hunger level.  Ideally, aim for around a level of 3 to begin eating.  If you are at a 5 or above, you are not biologically hungry.  If you are at 2 or lower, you're likely over hungry and at risk for overeating."  Scale and comments taken from the book "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. 

Yummlicious Hamburgers

My hubby and I looked all over for the best hamburger recipe.  We think we finally found it!   We initially started with changing where we bought our beef.   We now buy a locally grown cow that is butchered. We find the ground beef is so much tastier.   My sister in law has hooked us up with one that her parents grow on their farm in Idaho.  But you can also check out utahnaturalmeats.com.  Their meat is really good as well.  I highly suggest you get grass fed local meat to cook with.  The benefits are far greater than taste.   There is less fat and the fat is a healthier fat when they are grass fed.

This recipe originally came from the America's Test Kitchen book.  It is an amazing book with great recipes!!

Yummlicious Hamburgers.   

1 slice bread, remove crust and discard.  Break bread up into small pieces.

2 T whole milk

2 tsp.  A-1

1 tsp crushed garlic (I buy the pre-minced garlic, love the stuff!)

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

In a large bowl add bread and milk.  Using a fork break bread up in milk until it is all moist and well mixed.  Add A-1 garlic, salt, and pepper and then ground beef.   Use a fork or your hands and mix all ingredients together until beef and bread are well incorporated.   Divide the meat into portions.  The original recipe suggests 4 servings.  We like ours a little thinner so do 5-6.   Form a loose ball with 1/5 of the mixture and then press between your hands turning it in a little circle to make a patty.  Press down in the center to make it a little thinner, repeat with the rest of the meat.  

Preheat the gas grill turning the burners on to high and allowing it to heat with the lid down.   Brush the grate clean and after it is hot place the burgers on the grill.   Cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side, top with cheese if desired and the burger sauce that follows.  

Burger Sauce  (also from America's test kitchen)

3/4 cup mayo

2 T  soy sauce

1 T brown sugar

1 T worcestershire sauce

1 tsp garlic minced

3/4 tsp black pepper

Wisk all ingredients in a bowl serve on burgers.  You want a lot of sauce on each, I usually do a large spoonful on the bottom and another on the top.  It oozes out and you can dip the burger in the extra.  Oh so good!!

ENJOY!!

  

Healthy Journey Day 52

Intentions for the day:   Heal.  This leg of mine must heal.  I want to be back in the game.   Stretch.  Clean.

My sweet hubby sent me flowers!  It has been years since he has done that for no particular reason. I'm feeling loved today.  :). They smell heavenly!

Morning Blood Sugar:  101

Exercise:  Rode the bike for a little while.   My leg isn't so happy.  Going to take it easy today.  

Breakfast:
Time: 7:30
Hunger  Level *:  3
Ate:  lemon water and oatmeal
Comments:

Snack:
Time:10:00
Hunger Level*:  3
Ate: Cheese Chips and Cookies
Comments:  I took my brother nachos yesterday, have been wanting some since.   Melted Cheddar cheese over corn chips is a close second...but it is what I have.  :)  I've also realized I have a stubborn streak.   I read something about not eating treats...ate a cookie to prove that I can.  :)

Lunch:
Time:  1:00
Hunger Level*:  3
Ate: Soup and cheese toast
Comments:  

Snack:
Time: 4:00
Hunger Level*:  3
Ate:  Cookies, a piece of an apple
Comments:

Dinner:
Time:  6:30
Hunger Level*:  3
Ate:  hamburgers (see other post from today)

Comments:  YUM!


Water intake:  32 oz, had a really hard time with this one today.  Filled my glass pitcher with apple slices and cinnamon with water, hopefully that will help.

Daily Wins:  My leg is feeling a lot better tonight.  Made dinner.  Called into the radio show.   

2015 Goals:

1.  Post a total of 365 days on the blog

2.  Run a 10 min mile
3.  Squat 95 lbs

4.  Complete morning and evening routines on a daily basis. (100 days straight!)

5.  Weekly meal planning

6.  Run a Half Marathon in October

**Hunger Scale is from 0-10 with zero being absolutely empty, ravenous and 10 being so stuffed that you are absolutely sick.
0--Empty
1--Ravenous
3--Set 
4--Pangs
5--Neutral
6.5--Satisfied
8--Full
9--Stuffed
10--Sick
"Every time you start to eat, check your hunger level.  Ideally, aim for around a level of 3 to begin eating.  If you are at a 5 or above, you are not biologically hungry.  If you are at 2 or lower, you're likely over hungry and at risk for overeating."  Scale and comments taken from the book "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.