DAILY AFFRIMATIONS

I woke up this morning with one circulating thought in mind.  " I must embody the woman I wish myself to be."  "I must embody the woman I wish myself to be."  "I must embody the woman I wish myself to be."  "I MUST EMBODY THE WOMAN I WISH MYSELF TO BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

I don't know where it came from but it definitely holds meaning for me.  I ended up writing this down on a post-it and taping it to my computer screen.  A few hours later it was hanging from my bathroom mirror, then the refrigerator, and eventually my body-fat scale.  I'm thinking about plastering this message all over my house!  I may have inadvertently stumbled upon a daily affirmation.

This discovery comes not a moment too soon as I believe I'm about to embark on another phase of failure.  Like you Tera, I am feeling like the teeny tiny penguin steps are about to disappear as I about face in the wrong direction.  It has been three weeks since I had a weight loss, and history tells me the frustration of that will eventually lead to a weight gain.

So before that happens I need to get my head right, accept responsibility for the situation, and empower myself to fix this!  I am capable of being whatever I want to be.  I simply must ask myself, "who is it I want to be??"  Then, like the affirmation suggests, I must embrace it!

Life is about choices, and for the life of me I can't figure out why I've made this choice.  What a waste!  When I think about how much of my life I've wasted being overweight it sickens me!  All those years spent yo-yo dieting; depriving myself of every good experience life has to offer!  Too embarrassed to put on a swimsuit, too out of shape to join the race, too large to fit the outfit, to embarrassed to have a photo taken, too ashamed to step on the scale at a doctor's appointment, too engorged to comfortably fit in an amusement park ride, too heavy to be carried over the threshold.  Think of all the moments being overweight has robbed you of! 

So starting today I am not only going to begin each morning reminding myself to embrace the woman I wish to be, but I am also prepared to ask myself a very important question.  "Is this what I want to be doing?"  Every time I reach my hand into the cookie jar, every time I sit in front of the TV, every time I chose a behavior that is counterproductive to my weight loss goals I will ask myself, "is this what I want to be doing?"  The writers at O magazine say, "this very moment is, always, the only moment in which you can make changes. Ask yourself many times every day if you like what you're doing.  If the answer is no, start making some changes."

Tera, I empathize with your situation and I too struggle with priorities versus my own needs.  Life is a balancing act, but at the end of the day we owe ourselves more than just a cupcake.  Find a way to value your own needs as much as you value your family's.  If it means asking grandma to keep the kids an hour later while you go workout, or asking hubby to be in charge of certain chores on certain days, it is imperative that you find time enough for yourself to be healthy and set a lifestyle example for your boys.

"Usually when we are stuck it is because we are clinging to a situation that has outlived its usefulness or we are unwilling to explore a new risk that we sense we must take." -Julia Cameron

Day 149 and counting

Jennifer, I LOVE your egg muffin recipe. I know what I'm making tonight for breakfast tomorrow! = ) Not really sure how I feel about the asparagus though. That's one veggie that I begrudgingly consume when the hubby is hungry for it. I don't think its the taste but rather the smell. The soup sounds good though. = D That's something that is really tough for me with my schedule. EATING BREAKFAST. I am often up late at night getting just basic chores and child rearing before I can even think about going to bed. Come morning, I am so tired that I sleep until the last minute, tuck a child under each arm while trying to slip my shoes on and scoot off out the door. The kids eat breakfast at Grandma's house, but I am left with fast food or no food option until lunch. By then, I am starving and seeking something fast and filling...its a ruthless cycle that requires a ton of planning ahead of time to try and break. I am a little irritated with myself, actually. I am on day 149 of my diet, and my baby steps forward are now feeling like giant elephant steps back. I am unfocused and trying to find my footing. I am trying to find balance in being a good mom and being good to myself. Being a working mom of preschoolers is difficult when everything is going well. This last month has basically been a wash, diet wise, having gone on vacation, then come home to nurse a sick family. First Ean was sick with a cold and ear infection, then Elijah came down with a double ear infection, then Ean had skin fungus on his behind, then I was sick, then John was sick, and now Ean is sick AGAIN, ear infection, double pinkeye, and respiratory infection. In addition to nursing the infirm members of my family, I have been shuttling to doctor's appointments, picking and administering prescriptions at their required intervals and cleaning/disinfecting like crazy to try to erradicate the offending germs in the house-- bleaching floors, sinks, countertops, door handles, washing sheets and airing out the house. I have been preparing meals for the "quick" factor, but quick doesn't always mean good for you. I am going to look into some new crock-pot meals to get some better dinner options going. I am completely open to suggestions. I have chicken noodle, beef stew and chili down in the crock pot, but past that point I get stuck. I am trying to get my kids more interested in different vegetables. Ean I usually don't have a problem with, in fact, on some mornings he will come to me with a can of veggies under one arm, asking for peas please! Elijah doesn't touch veggies uness you make him. I had them plant some veggie seeds in some little peat-pots: green beans, peas, tomatoes, and pumpkins. Elijah got so excited when they started to sprout! We'll put them in their little raised bed this weekend. = ) I am also committing to 10 minutes 2 x a day on my elliptical, starting tomorrow morning! My plan is to add 5 minutes per session per week, until I work up to 45 minutes per. That will put me on a slow, 6 week ramp up to build my stamina.

EASY ASPARAGUS SOUP

Canned asparagus...bluh!  Fresh asparagus...YUM!  I am on a roll with the healthy cooking this week!  I found this great recipe for asparagus soup in an old copy of Cook's Country magazine.  It was delicious!  I wish I had a photo to share, but that's how quickly this meal got gobbled up!  This recipe has a hearty helping of vegetables and hardly any fat; only a 1/4 cup of heavy cream (which I increased to a 1/2 cup for added flavor) stretched across six servings.

I've never known anybody to get fat from eating soup!  Eat up!  This soup is low on calories and a great way to meet your daily requirement of vegetables.  While this recipe is a little more involved than the Egg Muffins, it was still a snap to make!  I hope you will all give it a try!  Especially you Aunt TT!  Enjoy!

Creamy Asparagus Soup
 
Ingredients:
2 pounds asparagus, stem ends trimmed
3 tablespoons butter
2 small leeks, white & light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
3 ½ cups (32-ounce carton) low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Salt

Method:
1.) Cut asparagus stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add asparagus, leeks, and black pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2.) Add broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas and Parmesan.

3.) Puree soup using immersion or standard blender until smooth. Stir in cream and lemon juice and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Serve.

EGG MUFFINS

Having enjoyed reading The Primal Blueprint, I decided to check out the companion cookbook.

There are definitely some intriguing recipes, but I would say the average person is not likely to cook this way everyday.  If you are suffering from an insulin problem like me, you definitely might find the motivation to cook like this more often, but even I am not able to make every meal a primal one.  If you recall, the primal way of eating is largely dependent on meat and vegetables and is absent of carbohydrates.  It limits dairy as well.  Check out my earlier post, The Primal Blueprint, if you need a refresher on primal eating.  

This being said, I have started to try out some recipes.  This one I found particularly easy and helpful, especially on busy mornings when you don't have time to cook a proper breakfast.  It is called "Egg Muffins."

Basically, you beat six eggs along with a 1/4 pound of cooked ground beef or sausage, a diced red bell pepper (or other vegetables of your choosing), seasoning, and an optional 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.  You pour the mixture into a muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees until they puff like a muffin (about 20 minutes).  Voilá!  You have six pre-made individual egg servings. 

I put mine in cupcake papers for easy release.  Now when my husband is running late for work in the morning, he can pop one of these bad boys in the microwave or take it on the run.  It's a perfect serving of protein that was cooked in no fats.  Check 'em out!

(Yield is 6.  I doubled the recipe for the pan you see below.)
 


"An egg a day keeps the doctor away!"

38 GOING ON 45

I didn't fare too well on my Real Age Quiz  The results came back that I am seven years older than my calendar age...blah...and I feel that way too!  I can recall taking this quiz when it first came out and I fared much better so clearly I am going downhill.  Obviously a huge impact on that number is my weight.  I think if I could get that under control as well as all the associated factors (BMI, Cholesterol, Triglycerides, etc.) I would be great!


To give you some further insight, the areas that contributed to my advanced age were as follows:


1.) Weight/BMI
2.) Slightly elevated cholesterol/triglycerides
3.) Sleep patterns
4.) Inconsistency with breakfast habits
5.) Not enough orgasms (laughter)
6.) Financial/job stress
7.) Inadequate stretching/flexibility training


I would agree with all of that.  Though with regard to number five, are most women having orgasms every single time they have sex?!?  Maybe in Europe, but not here...blhah haahahahha ha!  Perhaps I'm in the dark on this one.  Please comment if so.


Some of the things I am doing correctly are as follows:

1.) Taking vitamin supplements (which I recently updated to include cinnamon)
2.) Taking daily Aspirin 
3.) Eating nuts
4.) Drinking lots of water
5.) Engaging in regular exercise
6.) Balanced eating (limiting red meat consumption to fruits/veg intake)
7.) Happily married/good social circle

I agree with these findings too, exception being, I could do even better on my exercise routine, eating, and I feel my social circle is not as strong as it once was.  I guess I should be grateful for the results considering I have a body-fat scale at home that places me at age 50!


In youth we learn; in age we understand." -Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

YOUTH IN REVOLT

Time to go over the homework assignment from two weeks ago ("BEST IS YET TO COME" Post) Having gathered some feedback, I thought it might be fun to share some insight.  I was sitting in my living room last night thinking about my younger days.  Immediately a rush of thoughts came into my head about what was great and what was not so great.  Having compiled a list of pros and cons, I quickly began to weed through feelings and behaviors that were best left behind versus those that I'd love to see make a comeback.

What do I remember about my younger days?

#1 Music ruled my life!  Whether you were a child of the eighties like me, or a child of the sixties, seventies, or late nineties, do you remember how important music was to your teenage life?!  My entire life was defined by music and a better a soundtrack you could not find.  I grew up on the carefree dance beats of seventies Disco while sharing a bedroom with my older brother.  Later I danced through my pre-teen years listening to Madonna tunes.  Eventually I began to broaden my horizons to include the rap music of the early nineties.  To this day, I still love music and listen to everything from Country to Jazz to Hip-hop.  I do miss the central role music played in my everyday life.  Every feeling I had, every breakup I went through, and every aspiration I dreamed was set to a song.  Bottom line, it lifted my spirits and got me through whatever drama I was experiencing at the time.  I think it's time to turn up the music in my life again!  Stress will prematurely age you, and I forgot how quickly music can set you free!

#2 Movies told my story!  If music was the soundtrack to my life than movies were definitely the visual.  Do you remember how important certain films were to your experience??  No one could articulate the feelings and emotions of youth the way that John Hughes did.  He defined an entire generation with his movies because in the immortal words of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, "Parents Just Don't Understand!"  I can recall seeing a Christina Slater movie called Pump Up the Volume that had me so worked up I was ready to lead my own youth revolt!  Movies have the power to inspire passion and make you think, but I'm not sure the movies of this generation are quite as controversial or thought provoking.  When I get the blues, I still love to pop in a favorite 80's movie like Sixteen Candles or St. Elmo's Fire.   It instantly lifts my mood and brings a smile to my face.

#3 Friends were everything!  Holy crow, do you remember how much of your time was spent socializing?!  I used to talk to my best friend fifty times a day!  We'd go to school together, hang out together, and talk on the phone every night.  Every family crisis, social crisis, and beauty crisis could be solved by a good friend.  I still think that is true!  Sadly, you are in a very lucky minority if you still spend that much time with friends.  Most of my social time revolves around my husband and family.  I think we all need to find a way to grow our social circles to include more time with close friends.

#4 Boys were all that mattered!  Hours upon hours spent kissing.  When is the last time you made out!?  Not had sex, but made out?!  Nuff said.  I think I need to revamp a few things in my love life ;-)

#5 Personal time was abundant!  OMG do I long for the days where I would lay in the sun with freshly painted toenails flipping through the pages of fashion magazines!  Getting that kind of personal time now is a near impossibility, but I do think being neglectful of one's self is something that we can no more afford in adult life than we could in our youth.  Do you remember how much time you would spend getting ready for a date?!?  Sometimes outfits and makeup were being planned days in advance!  Now even on special occasions I'm likely to head to my closet less than an hour before departure hoping something suitable to wear can be found.  When's the last time you truly put that much effort into yourself or your appearance?  Wow, I really need to work some pockets of time back into my week so that I may pamper myself.

#6 Spontaneity was not a foreign word!  Truth be told, I was never a fan of spontaneous decisions.  I was a planner even in my younger days.  But I was sure willing to put down homework or skip a day of work to go out and have some fun.  If the call rang through, I was changing outfits and quickly pulling myself together for an unexpected evening of fun.  I was fearless in my youth.  Riding roller coasters, driving to unknown destinations, meeting up with groups of people I barely knew, standing in a crowd of thousands during a rain storm at a rock concert, jumping off bridges into the water below; I would do anything once!  What the heck happened?!  LOL.  Maybe the reason we have trouble making friends as adults is because we are less willing to give complete strangers a try!  So maybe we can't be that irresponsible today, but we can certainly learn to embrace the feelings that come with dropping everything to go outside and play.  More time outdoors, more time in the sun, doing more athletic and less sedentary activities, including friends, and remembering to challenge yourself every once in awhile is a compromise we should all being willing to make.

So what don't I miss about my youth...??  I don't miss being absolutely wrecked by love.  I don't miss the social prison- the turmoil that accommodated being locked in a classroom for twelve years with a group of my peers.  I am so glad that I have matured and developed into a person that can better manage my feelings when people disappoint me.   I don't miss feeling powerless when I was forced to answer to parents and teachers and clergy about my every move.  And I don't miss the inability to be able to see past the moment.  Everything is so catastrophic when you are young!  I miss the drinking but NOT the hangovers!  I miss the worship that comes with owning your own car, but NOT begging for rides.  I miss having a teen idol, but life is better with a real-life husband.  I miss being able to look flawless with little to no effort, but I wouldn't exchange the wisdom of my old age for the beauty of that time.  I think happiness and feeling young is about embracing the good things of your youth while leaving behind some of the harder lessons.  Reflecting in this, I hope to make each future birthday a blessing rather than a curse.  Tune in tomorrow for the results of my Real Age quiz.

"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age." -Sophia Loren

Peek-a-boo

Greetings and salutations, still here folks and getting back from *vacation* which moreover translates to an extended weekend stay 4 hours away from home at my brother in law's house, followed by 5 days of screaming children with fevers and ear infections because mommy was too retarded and HAD to take them to the zoo on a windy day full of other snotty nosed kids who were probably contageous. Blah. Typing this at 3:44 am CST, monitoring a fever. AND now my nose is stopped up.

Will give you the fat and the skinny on my munching habits this week and some money saving coupon cutting tips that I've recently been introduced to. Couponing as a sport? Yes please. Better than playing soccer with the "twins."

Jennifer, hang in there girl! I know exactly what you mean with the "where's my bail out' I will try to give you a jingle tomorrow at a decent hour as long as I can hear out of my ears well enough so I don't make you deaf from overly loud vocal compensation!