LJ's Long and Winding Road to Healthy Eating

[ljmusicmom]

Okay, so I said I'd start a journal as one of my 5-week challenge goals, so here I am. Ta-da!!! This could get ugly, but I said I'd do it (in print, where many people could see it), so, here goes ...

I am 36, a wife of nearly 12 years and mom to 3 amazing kids - a son, 9, and boy/girl twins, 3. We live in an old house in SW Michigan, and I teach music at 2 elementary schols in the area. My husband's a band director and teaches private lessons in the evenings, so our lives our crowded with music, people, and constant activity.

I've used food as an emotional solace since way before high school, though I didn't dive fully into binging as a lifestyle until college. I gave up chocolate during high school in an attempt to control my out-of-control habits, and it did help - some (and yes, I still keep that up!). Unfortunately, I kept eating like a kid whose parents were out of town for the weekend, married someone who had no problem with that lifestyle, and off we went.

Three kids later and still 30-ish pounds heavier than is healthy for me, I am truly trying to make a new start. I originally started SBD in January of '06 - did a clean P1, lost a good bit of weight, then jumped into P2 based on the book's menus and have been struggling ever since. Many family issues (illnesses, deaths, divorces) have made it a stressful year, and I often dealt with the stress by diving into those comfort foods - for me, anything baked is my "drug" of choice, and we have some amazingly good bakeries and such around here. Also a Hostess outlet store directly between my two buildings.

I had done so well since doing a clean P1 about 4 weeks ago, but dove off big-time this past week and a half. I'm back on, and hoping this challenge will help keep me accountable and pointing the right way! I know I can do this, it's just the unlearning of a lifetime of crappy habits surrounding food that's taking me a while to learn. No excuses here, just plain old BIG learning curve on my part.

So, that's me in a nutshell, sort-of. I'm sure other things will surface (um, I'm often to be found on the game threads?), but feel free to post, give me a hard time, or just say hello. I've had fun being a semi-lurker, but now I'm in it for real.


Okay, I'm ditching my ticker because after last week's fun and games, it is FAR from accurate. Also, I need something not so cutesy. Perhaps a person crawling across the desert toward an oasis. Will have to search.

B - 2 sausage-eggbeaters mini-quiches, 1 light babybel, 1 c. V8
S - forgot it at home, but drank lots of water
L - enormous salad (4 cups or so) with chicken and 2 sticks of string cheese cut up, raspberry vinaigrette
S - not there yet (didn't have one)
D - little sirloins on the grill, roasted asparagus, green beans
S - 2 c. milk, warm, with vanilla Sf syrup; 2 "bean-ana" muffins w/ NPB

All is not lost ... I am currently wearing shorts from last summer that are actually a little big, the daffodils have popped into bloom, and TOM showed up right on schedule ... we're off to a great start! Thanks for reading, and attempt a pleasant Monday. Or don't. Entirely up to you.

Laura

[ladybugnessa]

oh goodie another journal to play in!

goal one ... down! and the challenge doesn't start till tomorrow LOL!

[ljmusicmom]

Oh, and I've already had 104.9 oz. of water! Only 24 of the old brown and bubbly, so I'm feeling pretty good about that, too.

I'm usually the one flying in at the last second, so being early is a novelty! New habits!

[ljmusicmom]

Okay, first official day of the Beagle Bug Challenge - woohoo!

Not a great start to the day - DS#2 got up at 3:45am, then 5am, so my chance to work out this morning was replaced by a kiddo in need of a cuddle. S'okay, I'll just have to do it tonight instead. BAD allergies, but the headache seems to be receding, battling with some pretty impressive cramps. But hey - down to 163 for the official weigh-in ... gotta love TOM!Luckily had quick breakfast stuff on hand, so grabbed and ran. Here's the plan thus far for food:

B: 2 "bean-ana" muffins, toasted, w/NPB; V8, 1 babybel

S: celery and RF ranch dip

L: salad w/leftover steak, not sure what dressing

S: haven't thought that far yet

D: some large amount of steamed broccoli or cauliflower, protein as yet unnamed

S: 2 c. skim milk, warm, w/SF vanilla syrup

[ljmusicmom]

Y'know, if I'm going to bother posting a journal, it'd be nice if someone other than me read and posted ... It just seems a little sad, like writing to my imaginary friend. Dear invisible pal(s) - hey, if I'm gonna invent a pal, I might as well be popular:

Today was a good day for the start of the challenge. I've checked off

- Drink at least equal (and preferably double) amounts of water to Diet Coke (I'm at 100.9 oz., but my DH just brought a fountain Diet Coke from his snack run - darn it! If I drink the whole thing I'll be meeting this, but barely)
- Eat clean and in appropriate amounts (no cans of FF whipped cream ) So far, so good ... only at a little over 1000 cals, and yet to have snack
- Get my butt moving every day for at least 30 minutes ... walking, step, yoga, whatever, but at least 30 minutes (kids will be in bed shortly, then I'm off to the basement for some sort of activity)
- Get brave enough to start a journal and post daily Done and done!

Hope everybody's doing well. We've had temps in the 70's and sun for two days, which will drop back to the 50's tonight and lower the rest of the week. It was nice to wear sandals! Three more days of school 'til spring break, which will be spent attempting to reduce the mountain ranges of laundry into rolling hills, or maybe even flatlands if I get really, REALLY motivated. I'd feel so much better mentally if the house were clean and semi-organized, but time is so very short, I barely get the "absolutely have-to" things done. Need to check out this Fly-Lady thing!

Good night to everyone! Might check back in, might not ... we'll see if I make it back up the basement steps.

[ljmusicmom]

Woohoo ... go, me ... I did my yoga ... before midnight ... so it counts for today!

(Acknowledges applause) Thank you, thank you.

C'mon, if I can't entertain myself, who will?

(Crickets chirping)

All right. Good night!

[ljmusicmom]

Another shout-out to my invisible pals!

It's only 9:15 am, and I have already worked out, had a beachy breakfast, and drank 32.9 oz. of water - go, me!

Anyway, busy day with school, picking up DS#1 from school (he has a half day) and dropping him at the sitter's house, eating lunch on the road, then parent-teacher conference and a church council meeting tonight. Whew! Glad I got the hard stuff out of the way early.

E: medicine ball workout (30-ish minutes ... gotta ease into this)

B: 2 Morningstar Farms sausage links, 1 c. FF NSA yogurt, 1 Babybel light

S: 2 "bean-ana" muffins w/NPB

L: grilled chicken caesar salad

S: not sure ... maybe some soy nuts?

D: spaghetti squash (LOTS!) with spaghetti sauce and FF mozzarella

S: ???

Again, so grateful for the challenge - I needed some accountability, and the desire to avoid shaming myself publicly is pretty good incentive to stick with it! Have a beautiful day, wherever you may be!

[Catkar]

Hi Laura~ Saw your journal and thought I would give it a read, and to my surprise we are both in Michigan .. good job on the workout and water intake today!! Sounds like your doing GREAT!! I know it's hard with kids and such.. tho I only started the beach on March 19th.. so far so good! Well have a great day! and keep up the great work!!

Take Care,
Cathleen

[ljmusicmom]

Welcome, Cathleen! Drop in anytime!

Slight change of plans ... DS#1 attends school in a different district, and they had a half day today. He's only 9, so I had to go pick him up at his school across town, drop him at the sitter's on the OTHER side of town, then get to my other school (about 10 minutes fom there) ... due to traffic, I couldn't stop and get my salad and get back in time to teach, so I was panicking. Enter 7-11, a place I haven't entered in about a year. And what in the world remotely beachy did I get? Actually, I did pretty well ...

1 bottle of V8 (12 oz. regular sodium - ick, I'm bloated already!)
1 part-skim mozzarella stick
1 mega smoked turkey & cheese sandwich, cheese and turkey ONLY
1 very large Diet Coke BUT only half was caffeinated - I'm workin' the system!

So, not too bad, considering the enormous amounts of utter crap surrounding me! I've also had 80.9 oz. of water, NOT INCLUDING the caffeine-free Diet Coke. Yay!!!

[ladybugnessa]

hey i'm here... just not vocal

you're very cute you know... love that applause

and you are doing so well!

[LegalBeagle]

Reading your journal made me smile! Hope you are having a great Beachy day! Bean-ana muffins, indeed!

My DD plays the flute in the concert band at her Arts Academy high school. Next year she is going to take up the sax in beginning jazz band. She really loves the band director at her school!

[ljmusicmom]

Glad your daughter enjoys band, LB! My hubby's a great band director, but his school is 45 minutes from our house AND he teaches privately M-Th. nights in our living room - we need the income, but it's a whole lifestyle, not just a job! I got out of MS/HS choir for that very reason ... I'm happy teaching K-5. Lots of fun, and you get to be the kooky/creative/weird one. They never know quite what to expect. And thank you, Nessa, for your kind words. A warning - don't encourage performers, they'll just keep doing stuff. I FEEL good, and am looking forward to making a great dinner and hopefully staying awake through a busy evening.

(Hee hee, finally got to use that emoticon! Such a nerd am I. Sigh.)

Thanks for stopping by ... I have fun cruising other journals, but it can really become a full-time thing to try to keep up! I usually read a bunch if I get online after the kids are in bed.

Very sad ... the chiropractor I adore cancelled on me for Friday, and the soonest I can get in again is April 16th. Maybe I'll be seeing some real differences by then. Heck, maybe I'll be in less pain by then! That would be nice!

Happy thoughts as I go pee out another 40 ounces! Sorry if TMI, but ...

"It's my journal, I'll be gross if I want to, post if I want to, boast if I want to ... you can try to, in a journal for yoooooouuuuuu"

Good Lord, tell me it's time to go home.

[ljmusicmom]

Day two done, and the challenge has been met thus far. Tired and starting to hurt all over, which I expected after doing 2 workouts (yoga and a medicine ball cardio thing) only 6 hours apart - DUH. Actually, I've discovered it's best if I just jump right in to the next workout rather than wait a few days - soreness goes away faster as my body adjusts to the increased activity.

Wow, I'm even boring myself! Time to sign off and get my butt in bed if I think I'm going to get up at 5am to exercise. G'night, all!

[ljmusicmom]

Um, yeah ... 5am workout? Not today!

I was up by 5:45am, though, so I got myself all ready and made breakfast for the 3 kids. Got to take my time and goof around while waking them up, which was nice - too often it's "Hurry! We're late!" and a rushed flurry to get out the door. I'm trying REALLY hard to be better about organizing the night before, etc., but ...

Okay, food for the day!

B - lovely mushrrom, cheese and eggbeaters omelette, V8

S - 2 "bean-ana" muffins and NPB (last ones - must make more!)

L - salad w/grilled chicken, rasp. vin. dressing

S - babybel cheese and, um, something else

D - ??? Maybe leftovers, maybe dig out some fish from the freezer, asparagus

S - yogurt w/Sf syrup OR milk w/same, or maybe 1 c. each

Can I just say, it SUCKS the first few workouts? My muscles (especially quads on my already well-covered legs) swell up, clothes don't fit, and I, personally, feel as if someone got creative with the rubber hose and new beating techniques while I slept. I know it'll get better, and the water intake will help, and I'm doing the right things, but D*MN! I feel very puffy today.

Oh, and Nessa, I'm going to try not to weigh in again until next Tuesday .. I'm generally a daily weigh-er, but it's an exercise in discipline. Plus, between TOM, adding weight-training, wacky salt intake from yesterday, etc., I'd be all over the place and pissed off. I'm giving it a week and then we'll see.

Beautiful sunrise this morning, chirpy little birdies all around - dawn, courtesy of Disney. Have a great day, all! Word out, invisible peeps o' mine! Be strong.

Laura

[ladybugnessa]

I HATE THE SCALE... i wish I could stay off of it...