Trying to do better

I have been trying to do better with eating and exercising. I am working more veggies into my diet. If you remember, last year I struggled big time with my lunches. I have been packing a salad every day . A good salad. I like beets, onions, cukes, peppers and chick peas in my salad. I make a fresh one every night.

To make it easier to eat healthy and not make getting lunches ready such a chore, I have created a shortcut. I took one of our larger mixing bowls and I store all of my salad ingredients for my salads in that bowl. SO every night when I go to pack lunch. I just have to pull that one bowl out and everything is all together. I only have to slice things. This has been so much easier than looking for all of the individual items all over the refrigerator. I know I could cut down more time by pre-cutting all the veggies but they get limp so fast that way.

The funny thing is when I am enjoying my lunch in the teacher's lounge, all the other teachers are envious.

My other big secret is pickles. I have been eating a lot of pickles, Claussen to be exact. I get the crisp and the salt of snack foods with none of the fat.

Anyone have other suggestions that they would like to share that may help me?

My body, My soul....

The Lord has been working on my heart and mind about my body and its state of being at the moment. I have been trying to adjust my eating to lower my blood sugar. I do good most days and sometimes I think I am ok then check it and it is high. I have cut out my sodas. I may  have one a week which is better than one a day. I have tried diet, don't like, wont drink it. I would rather have water.

In the mean time, I have just been burdened with my weight. Is it really a reflection of God and how he wants me to be? A book reappeared beside my recliner. It is called Fat, Fit and Fabulous. I have had it for a few years but never read it. I have been reading it but wont tell you that it has wowed me into eating and exercising. It has however given me food for thought, no pun intended. God did not intend for us not use our bodies. They were not created to sit. Why would we need all that muscle? We were meant to move. The book is a hard read because it is written by an Scottish doctor and is written sometimes with the Scottish dialect, it is not American simple English. She weighed over 230 pounds and is short. She started going to the gym and decided she wanted to run a marathon and later moved onto wanting to compete the Iron Man. She never became skinny. She realized it wasn't about the weight but about keeping our bodies fit.

This book really has had me thinking and reflecting. I did start walking again this past week but them we had one rainy week. I tried one day to do my Leslie Sansone Walk Away DVD but couldn't find my new one and gave up that day. I tried the next day and only found her Firming DVD. I did it anyway and was sore the next day. On Saturday I decided I would find one of her regular walking DVDs and I did and walked a mile. I am sore now too. It feels great when you finish. So why am I so lazy about getting started? Just the thought of it , really.

My new goal is to walk 4 out of 7 days the next few weeks. In a few weeks I want to start swimming again at the Y a few nights a week. I can do this, God wants me to. I need to put aside my own concerns and realize I am being faithful to God by taking care of my body which he has given to me.

As for two other books that have crossed my path and popped out to me which I will begin this week: PrayFit by Jimmy Pena and Bible Cure for Weight Loss. These two books have been placed in my path. I have not looked for them. The PrayFit is like a 60 day devotional that concentrates on making your body God's Temple. It also gives suggestions on new exercises each day. I am going to start that one on October 1. I made it a goal and October 1 is Saturday so not too far off.

If you are interested in any of these books, I think you can order them from our website  www.agapechristianbookstore.com

I will end this with.... Remember ,,, our bodies are a reflection of God. Treat them that way.

Disappointed...

I walked more this week. I cut out my high sugar sodas. I was really psyched for a loss but unfortunately it was a .4 gain. I was upset but not going to let it bother me. I am trekking on and hoping for better results next week.

A loss....

I went to the doctor today for a blood pressure check-up. I was excited to find out that I have lost 11 pounds. I was very happy. Unfortunately my BP was borderline again today but then again I have caught a virus. Right now I am pouring with sweat. In about an hour, I will have chills. My head hurts off and on and I did not sleep much last night.

What have I been doing because I have not been exercising at all? I do not eat out but once a week now. Occasionally it may be twice if we have a busy day. I pack my own lunch to school most days. I also have cut back my sodas to one can a day. I eat chips sometimes but in pre-portioned bags. See , if I open a big bag of chips. I will eat the entire bag without realizing it. Has it been hard? Really it has not.

Even when we cook at home, it does not mean I am cooking 100% healthy but cooking unhealthy occasionally at home is still less calories and fat than eating out most places. I used to eat lunch out everyday. Today was the first time I have been to Chick-Fil-A in months and then I only bought a sandwich. Nothing else.

So I am happy. Happy enough that when I feel better I am going to slowly incorporate some more exercise again.

AHHHH!

I just saw a picture of myself on facebook from a birthday party I attended today. AHHHH! It was scary! I don't see myself being that huge but I am huge. Oh My Goodness ! It was scary!

Need to get my mind back set to my health and not everything else.

Damage Control... Holiday Stress

This evening the last thing I wanted to do was go to the Y and workout. You see I had let one bad choice today control my thoughts. The bad choice was a whole meatball sub. The thoughts were rapid. The first one, you already blew it today with the meatball sub so just keep going. It is Thanksgiving week , you know you will blow it Thursday so keep going. The third, well its the holidays, you might as well just forget your lifestyle change and have fun. Oh the devil was having fun in my head. What did I do? Well I came home, ate dinner and went to the Y. Oh boy, I did not want to go to the Y but I did . I had some serious thoughts during my 25 minute elliptical workout and 25 minute circuit training. What were those thoughts, you ask? Ok , here goes. I am proud of me for being here, first off I know this is a bad week with Thanksgiving celebrations but I am not going to let that control my whole week. I am here now and performing damage control. If I over indulge on Thursday, it is ok, it is only one day. I will just have to get my booty up and out at the Y as much as possible this week. I can and I will. I was also thinking about a conversation today about seeing people who you don't see often and will know you have gained weight. We all dread this. I had the same situation this Saturday for a baby shower. It was for a friend I have known all of my life. I had not seen him or his wife nor his family in awhile, nor some mutual workmates from years ago. I did not want to go but I put on my big girl panties and went. Luckily, only one former workmate was there and she was nice. My friends and their family embraced me like I had just seen them yesterday. They were friendly. In fact I received an email from one today stating that she thought I looked great and could tell I had lost weight. Well that day totally went the opposite of what I thought it would. It was actually encouraging. My next thought was on stress eating, yep that includes holiday stress. I need to take control of my eating and not my emotions. I can not blame situations. I have to blame me. The situation did not make me eat the taco, chips, soda, whipped cream, cookie, the whole pizza or the whole sub. I chose to , I chose to let the emotions control me and not me control the emotions. I need to remember this and use it as mental training in the midst of this economy, work stress, home stress and holiday stress. It is hard but I can take control. I can choose to journal, walk, exercise, read, pray, etc. If I am insistent on eating , I can make healthier choices, instead of chips, choose a crisp salad, instead of chips, choose pretzels, popcorn, etc. I need the control not the food. It is my prayer to remember these thoughts and revelations each day when faced with the stress of life, work, family and the holidays. As for the holidays, I can control my choices before the big day and I will . I will continue to go to the Y even when I don't want to because when I come home I feel great and I love that feeling. ( By the way, off the subject, I cant get the paragraphs on blogger again, so sorry this is one big thought)