My boys.

Today my youngest son turns one. It has been a long year and I can not believe it has ONLY been a year. Now if only he would sleep through the night and until 7 or 8 in the morning and get off the bottles we will be fine! LOL


Him and his brothers' birthday are soo close together. Now the holidays are just around the corner and I am soo not ready for them! My boys are amazing and growing everyday but it seems that their list of wants gets longer too! LOL


I am thinking about creating a list that the boys change once a month. Obviously you would have to be able to talk or write for this so the baby would not be involved yet. But this list could be revisited each month ( and after birthdays ) to see what they really want ( maybe a top 5) and what other things that they want.

Then send the lists to family who are buying for the kiddos. The one thing that bothers me is when family/friends do not want to follow the list. Granted if you find something of better quality or something - then by all means go ahead. Then you have these family members that buy something from the list but say -oh hey, we are keeping it at our house for when the kids come over here......  PLEASE tell me I am not the only one who has this problem!


I was very scared that because there was such a gap in their ages that they would not develop the bond that they have. They are 6 years apart and I am so proud of them. My oldest tries very hard to be such a great big brother and he shines when he does something with him. It is great! I am glad that I did not have them closer together. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to be able to raise these boys like this. Between my 7 year olds homework and learning chores to when he gets in trouble his little brother laughs at him and says "bad" and I can nto help but laugh. I know it will get easier with them and I need to enjoy these times now as they happen.


What about your kids? I have friends that have kids back to back. I am talking 11-15 months apart. That would drive me insane! I do not know how they are able to keep up with that! I am very happy for those ladies and gentlemen who can do that though!

Cravings!!! We all get them!

Oh man! We all get that craving.. Mine? Chocolate and a Coke! Oh yes! Don't forget twinkies! LOL!!!


What is your craving?? Do you always get that craving for red meat? Never able to satisfy your craving for pizza? There may be a real reason for the craving! Not just because you are used to it and you want it - but maybe because you lack something that your body needs!

Here is some good information:

Sweets

If you crave sweets of almost any kind, you may be experiencing blood sugar fluctuations. Giving in to pie, candy, cake, or other goodies only makes the problem worse by causing blood sugar roller coasters that lead to more cravings.

Instead, choose a piece of fruit—preferably one that's not loaded with natural sugars when you're craving sweets. And, in general, choose more high-fiber foods like beans and legumes and complex carbohydrates like whole grains that keep your blood sugar stable.

Chocolate

Cravings for chocolate often indicate that your body may be deficient in magnesium. Many nutritionists estimate that more than 80 percent of the population is lacking in dietary magnesium, which may explain why so many of us reach for chocolate.

While chocolate can contain beneficial antioxidants, they usually come alongside plentiful amounts of sugar. If you eat chocolate, be sure to reach for dark chocolate—about 75 percent cacao or higher—which is usually lower in sugar and higher in antioxidants. Additionally, eat foods high in magnesium, such as nuts, seeds, fish, and leafy greens.

Salty Foods

Cravings for salty foods like potato chips or popcorn often mean chronic stress may be taking a toll on your adrenal glands—the two triangular glands that sit atop the kidneys and give us energy and help us to cope with stress of all kinds.

Getting on top of the stress in your life is essential. Try meditation, breathing exercises, or other stress management techniques. Research at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City showed that people who take a break to breathe deeply or meditate before reaching for salty snacks reduced their stress hormones by 25 percent and cut the bingeing in half.

Red Meat

Not surprisingly, cravings for red meat usually indicate an iron deficiency. Often people crave burgers or steaks. Menstruating women are especially vulnerable to iron deficiencies. Beans and legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs, and other dried fruits are high in iron. However, eat dried fruits in moderation, since they are high in sugar and are acid-forming foods. Too many of these foods will counteract your best weight-loss efforts.

Cheese

Cravings for cheese or pizza often indicate a fatty acid deficiency, which is common since few people get enough omega-3 fatty acids. Reach for raw walnuts, wild salmon, and flaxseed oil, and add ground flaxseeds to your diet.

Most cravings are actually signals from our bodies that we are dehydrated, but we misinterpret them as hunger pangs. By drinking a tall glass of water first, you may be giving your body exactly what it wants and alleviate the craving altogether. By some estimates, 80 percent of people are chronically dehydrated. So before you reach for food to nix your cravings, quench them with some water. Then wait half an hour. More often than not, they'll be gone.



We live in a very toxic world and we are tempted at every turn we make. We must try our best to make better choices. Lower calorie choices. Try something new each week. Remember that we crave because that is who we are. We have lived so long listening to our bodies and giving into temptation but we must not give in anymore! Remember that everything we crave is for a reason and when you start to live healthier then your body will be healthy!!

 

Here are some good thigns to do when you are getting that craving! :

Keep a journal

of date/time, what you are craving and how you are feeling. Get a little emotional if you want to!

Drink water!!!

Stay Hydrated!!! This is very important!!!

Check it off

On a 3x5 index card, write a check every time you successfully say no to a craving. You need to do this 15 times in a row before you’ll be able to conquer any craving. On the reverse side of the card, write down some affirmations to remind yourself why you should resist.

Have I been eating less than usual?

If you're eating fewer than 1,000 calories a day or restricting an entire food group (like carbs), you're putting your body in prime craving mode. Make sure that you are eatign the right amount of calories ( 1200 and up) and give yourself a treat here and there. You do not always have to keep everything out and in all good diets - everything is okay in moderation!

Sleep!!!

Make sure you are getting enough sleep. This is essential for the body!








Needless to say - do your research! There is support everywhere you turn! Let me know how you are doing, if your struggling and let me know what you have been doing good! It is HARD to do this alone and even the best of people fail once in a while! It is natural!

 

Take a look at this chart that I found online!

Stay Motivated!

Ya know. Today I was speaking with someone. Very proud of my beginning accomplishments with what is going on and how I am making sure that I am doing what needs to be done to get my life together. I told this person about how bad my knees are achy because of the squats and that instead of me increasing my squats like the challenge calls for, I feel I need to stay at 50 until I am comfortable with it. This person looked right at me and said " In my best day i could not do 50 squats so there is no way in hell you are doing it " and did a snarky little laugh and kept walking. I am trying very hard to do what it is going to take to get to my goal weight. I am doing this diet (as much as I would like to sit down with a 2 liter of coke and a bag of chips with a Hershey bar ) I am doing what it takes. I will stay motivated. It is people like this that bring everyone else down. It is people like this that do not believe in what we are doing!!!

Now a days it is hard to find moral support. This is someone who is very close to me that is saying these things to me. So I just want to make everyone aware that you need to find inner strength to be able to pursue this goal of yours. Whether it is 10 pounds, 50 pounds, or over 100 (like myself) it is hard to do but YOU CAN DO IT! Do not let these negative Nancy's stand in your way. Even if it is someone close to you!

10 healthy tips!

Here are 10 ways to make meals healthier.. I got this out of a magazine and I wanted to share it with everyone. These are some great tips and if you need help with any of them let me know!

1. Add veggies to premade spaghetti sauce - I do NOT recommend you use pasta sauce forma  can or jar but if you do ( because we all need to sometimes ) toss some chopped veggies in.
2. Substitute brown rice for white rice. - Brown rice has a little taste difference but it is very good!
3. Toss fresh spinach into a fruit smoothie. - when you stick everything in the blender stick some spinach in there and you will never taste it.
4. Serve fruit for dessert. -  be careful which fruits because some of them have very high sugar counts.
5. Eat a side of veggies with frozen meals. - this is easy, pop open a can and measure your serving!
6. Use low-fat dairy products in recipes. - I use low fat milk all the time anyways. Makes things taste better.
7. Drink water with meals. - you should be working toward making water your main drink already and this is a great place to start.
8. Top baked potatoes with salsa instead of butter. - this adds flavor to the potato and there are many types of different salsa.
9. Serve dinner on smaller plates.  - people always want to fill their plate so if you have a smaller plate there is less room to fill in. 
10. Remove chicken skin after cooking. - Yes, we all enjoy the crispy skin but it is not good for us. Cook it for the flavor and then remove it. ^_^ 

These are some great tips that will help start and ease you into your diet!

The laughs.

I used to think that family was supposed to be the most supportive people in your life. I used to think that no matter what - there was always those family members who would be there when you fell and needed a lift back up. I guess I was wrong. 

I am not going to say who, but this person, for the past few days has laughed in my face when talking to them about my goals and how I am planning on achieving them. Then to get laughed at? Guess what - results do NOT happen over night! I am so over all the laughs, the looks and the stares... I barely have the support that most people have. I was hoping that family would be the ones to support me the most.... UHG!

My family means the world to me but not having their support hurts. My hunny bought me my first bible today. I will be using this for inspiration and guidance in my journey. This is not going to be easy and this is going to take a lot of focus and drive for me to complete. I have taken to keeping a log of what I eat now to and I am working on changing my recipes to be healthier and better for our bodies.

My rant is going on and on and I know this but to everyone out there - please stop pointing, staring. laughing and talking about overweight people. You do not know that persons situation. Some people have medical issues where it is hard for them to even maintain the weight they are at much less loose it. They need support. They need positive reinforcement. Do not tell an overweight person that something is bad for them - trust me because they already know. Do not tell them that they need to do something for their health - trust me because they already know.  There is so much that an overweight person knows that you will not believe. We hear all your laughs and whispers. We see your points and coaching your kids not to stare. There is soo much we can do as a community to be more supportive of overweight people instead of classifying us! Weight-loss products are expensive and damnit a cheeseburger is cheaper than the salad that we need!

We need to step up together and help each other achieve our goals. It hurts some of us to do our workouts. It makes it hard to walk sometimes. Sure - in the end the pain is SSOOOO worth it but it can be such a deterrent for us overweight people.

All in all - family reach out to your overweight family members who are talking to you about their goals and SUPPORT them. Do not put in your two cents unless asked for it. Offer to do a class with them or go for a walk with them if they are talking about it. You would be amazed at how much that will change a person point of view and feel more empowered to do what they need to do to get on the right track! I am in this position and would just like to have that one person come out of no where and walk with me and the kids one night, or do a zumba workout with me, or even help me with stretches or yoga.. i mean there is sooo much a person can do - even a simple text to say " Hey, you can do it! I am right there with you!". Someone who will just help me with what I need to do! Support is an amazing thing and can help people accomplish things they did not think they could accomplish!

Okay I am done for now. There will be more on this. I want to bring awareness for everyone and try and get more support and compassion. Weight-loss is very expensive and sometimes it is out of reach for sooooo many people - so the little things mean so very much to people! I did not start this to become an inspiration figure to anyone, but I think I should. I will offer support and help guide you because I know how it feels! I understand the pain and the hurt! It is hard but YOU CAN DO IT!

This government shutdown. . . . .

This government shutdown. . . . .

It is so unsettling to me. My mom is on disability because she is disabled and has not been able to get her check yet... Veterans are not getting their benefits at all. The Congress still gets paid but all the other government workers have to go without pay - ya know, the ones who make SIGNIFICANTLY less than the Congress....


Oh but we have new heathcare! ....


I am so upset about this crap. We used to be a world powerhouse and now we are a laughing stock. I do not claim to be a full fledged Democrat or Republican because I am not but uhg.. This is getting completely out of control. We need control of our government and stop allowing people to choose how we are going to live. We can afford to feed all the homeless and hungry in the world while the people of America have to suffer every day to try and make ends meet and put food on the table - but not the Congress, Senate or the President. If they all went one month without a paycheck that would help. If they all got paid like we do and we work our butts off - things would change!

It infuriates me sooooo much that the price of everything is going up while there is less jobs and now with the new 'Affordable Care Act' there are NO full time positions. How are people supposed to be able to pay their bills - much less an insurance paymetn the cost of their rent note? Seriously, think about it. No matter what 'party' you are part of - this is tearing the country apart.

That is enough of my rant for now. I will put up more later - just keep your eyes open!

Kitchen items

So I have found in order to do that I need to do to better myself health wise I need a couple things for my kitchen :

1. A blender
2. A set of measuring cups and spoons
3. A scale to weigh my food
4. A juicer
5. A way to steam veggies and such
6. A chopper/dicer thingy


That is just the start of the list. I am sure that there is more but that is the basics. That would make my life A LOT easier to be able to do what I need to do. However, until I do get those items I will just follow the basics. ^_^ Something is better than nothing!