FIRST & LAST INSTRUCTIONS

I often get confused at all the advice given by experts. When this happens, I go to the great rule maker who is the divine expert, who gave "... a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all". He has "ordained every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof" to be used "with prudence." Also, "flesh of beasts" (red meat) and "fowls of the air" (poultry), to be used sparingly; ..."all grain... to be the staff of life". Also the "fruit of the vine (vegetables and fruit) ...in and above the ground." If we want to receive health and wisdom and and energy, we need to just follow these directions. D&C 89 (italics added)

Butternut Squash Recipe

So....after all this talking about being more healthy Adam and I went to the store and bought some veggies that were on sale. Right now squash was the item to be had. I usually cook it with lots of butter and brown sugar but I wanted to try something more healthy this time. I found a recipe in the internet and then I made it a little more healthy. We LOVED it....AND is smells good. We even had it for a treat last night. Here you go:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise as shown above. Discard the seeds. Spray with Pam spray across the top (lightly).

Mix in a small bowl:
1/4 t. Salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/8 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg

Sprinkle these over the squash. Then take 1 t of brown sugar and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 400 for 35-40 min. (until a fork goes in easily)

Sugar ...

My friend is a palates instructor and HUGE on natural healing for the body therefore her eating habits are incredible. We were at the park the other day and she mentioned she was trying to give up sugar, I laughed and said "tell me about it I feel horrible when I eat a brownie or jolly ranchers." gulp what she meant by that was giving up sugary fruits, ugh ... now I don't suggest giving up fruits One: they are awesome and two: you need something fun in your diet and that is the healthiest fun you can have. Her game plan was this ... to eliminate sugary fruits for two - three weeks so that she can get use to eating veggies more often instead of grabbing fruits. It is true that sugar makes you crave more sweets so it only makes sense. So my challenge to myself and all you bloggers is to eliminate fruits for two weeks, instead of grabbing an apple or strawberries try broccoli, carrots, spinach, cucumbers, cauliflower, bell peppers (yummy), tomatoes the list goes on. See if you can curb you craving and after two or three weeks reintroduce fruits in moderation. Let me know if it helps your cravings.

Things to Eliminate from your diet

The NRC (National Research Council) recommends that you avoid (or consume in moderation) these foods:

• Added fat: Butter, margerine, salad dressing, mayo, oil, lard, skin on meat, whole milk, olives, avocado, bacon.
• High Fat Foods: Sausage, luncheon meats, chips, whole milk, cream, cream cheese, fried foods, most cheeses, cookies, cakes.
• Added sugar: Jam, jelly, honey, syrup, table sugar, sprinkles, glazes.
• Sugary Foods: Pies, cakes, cookies, sweet rolls, sugar-sweetened drinks (Kool-Aid, sports drinks), candy, Sugar-sweetened cereals
• Added Salt: Added table salt, soy sauce, worchestershire sauce, teriyaki sauce, steak sauce, bbq sauce, catsup, chili sauce, boullion, msg.
  
• Salty foods: Luncheon Meats, chips, dill pickles, pickle relish, olives, fast foods, salad dressings, cheeses, sausage, salted nuts, canned soups, bacon, salted crackers.

So...basically anything with flavor! Really though, the more I learn about bad foods to eat: butter/oil can be substituted in so many different ways like: Flax seed, applesauce, yogurt, pam spray. Also, so many people think they are getting their protein with lunch meats....SICK! They are SOOOO bad for you!! And chips are in thier own bad realm. LBH..these are yummy foods but we can find ways of substituting them. I am gonna work on that this week.

Every one of these sugest fresh food and whole grains anyway. Who needs all the fake flavor right?

• NRC
• American Cancer Society
• American Heart Association
• American Acadamy of Pediatrics

I am sure there are many more. Lets try to eat fresh and right....dont forget to forgo the butter.

Jen's Week Three

Weekly Goals:
1. Exercise 4 times---try out new yoga video, never done yoga, always wanted to.
2. Do at least a few sit-ups every night
3. Read my patriarticle blessing


October 26th, Sunday:
Food---
Breakfast: muti-grain cheerios
Lunch: 1/2 chicken salad sammy, string cheese, 100 cal. pack chips ahoy
Dinner: chicken roll-ups, rice, jello, butternut squash
Exercise---
Day of rest

Monday, October 27th:
Food---
Breakfast: multigrain cheerios
Lunch: tortilla, string cheese, half a yogurt
Snack: 100 cal pack of Lorna Doones, granola bar
Dinner: two chicken roll-ups, squash and small bowl of corn chex.
***I was SO hungry today. I don't know what was up with me. I STRUGGLED so much. Especially since I had a half eaten pan of brownies that Dan made for his family yesterday. Man, I wanted one so bad. Then, at about 6:30 this evening, my neighbor brought me a warm plate of chocolate brownies. They smelt deee-vine! But, alas----I stayed strong and didn't even eat one! Yeah for me. But, the craving is still there.
Exercise---
Wam bam, yes ma-am. I went for a four mile walk with Kate. But, it felt like much more. The wind was so strong today and no matter what way I turned it felt like it was going against me. It felt like I was pushing Kate up a mountain.

Tuesday, the 28th
Today has been a difficult day. Kate is sick AGAIN!!!! She started all of the sudden throwing up last night and now is totally stuffed up, has a fever, her nose keeps running, she won't eat, coughing and just miserable. Which, makes me miserable. She hardly slept at all last night and has been so grumpy; just wants to be held. Needless to say, I haven't really had any "meals" today and the food I have eaten has been at random times. But, I have stuck to my "diet" and I am still walking past the plate of brownies. I think I may be coming down with a little something, too. -----Anyway, I didn't exercise either. Some days are better than others, eh?

Wednesday, the 29th
So things got even harder today. I caught whatever Kate has and is is kickin' my butt! I feel like crap and my throat kills. Thus, my food today consisted of toast, hot chocolate, and some ice cream (just a little to try to help my throat, it didn't even really have taste because my nose is clogged). I also didn't exercise. Looks like I won't meet my goal this week with exercising. I don't feel too bad about it, because this was something that was out of my control. You should only feel guilty about the things that you have control over and choose to do something that you shouldn't. Right? Right.

I am frustrated that Kate and I keep getting sick. I swear we catch everything that is going around and being shut in all day can really get to you. Also, getting no sleep and being sick do not make for one happy mother. This is one of those days when you wish you had your mom here to help.

Thursday, October 30th:
And the sickness continues and worsens. Seriously ticked off---but oh well. My fever has spiked and I can barely walk around and pick up Kate rather than exercise. Again, oh well. What can you do?
Food--
Water, pretzels, a small chocolate shake (I wish I could say it was the best, but I actually couldn't really taste it, but it sure felt good on my throat.), chicken noodle soup and a low fat smoothie---thanks to my loving husband. Man, he is a good guy.
Exercise---
Ha! You kiddin' me? Thankfully, my sweetie got home at about 2:30 from school and took over watching Kate for the rest of the night while I sat my butt in bed.

HALLOWEEN! Friday, October 31st:
Today was a little better than yesterday. I actually had strength to walk around the house and such. I'm thinking it will continue to get even better and by the first of next week I will be able to continue on as normal! That's the hope, at least.
Food---
Not so good. Lots of liquids---water, milk, apple juice and some root beer, some pizza (thanks to my loving husband, who provided din din) and some crackers. NO Halloween candy.
Exercise---
None. We'll start over again next week.

Week Two Review

First of all, I have been keeping up on my posts. I just update my weekly blog daily, so if you want to track my progress, just look under the title of what ever week I am on. For example, "Jen's Week Two". Next week it will be under "Jen's Week Three"

Did I meet my goals? YES! All three! I am proud of myself and I believe that I truly do have more energy this week. However, I am not sick or on my period, so I am sure that that helps. I also had a lot of fun working out this week. My favorite thing was rowing on Town Lake, a river that runs right through the city, for about 4 miles. My back was sore the next day, but it was a good sore. Did I mention it was 85 degrees and sunny skies?

The only thing that I really struggled with this week was making sure I ate good foods. You see, my in laws came to visit and we ended up eating out a lot. I tried to stick to eating healthier foods, but you know how it is when you go out. For example, tonight we went to the Cheesecake Factory. BUT---instead of indulging in cheesecake, I only took 3, very slow, delicious bites of my very favorite Dolce De Leche Cheesecake. Also, every night they went out for drinks and treats and I passed every time! So, despite the temptations and eating out, I still am proud of myself for the progress that I have made.

I looked up power food and basically found out the things that my mom had posted. The only other food I read about that wasn't on my mom's list was peanut butter. I read that its a great thing to have a spoon full before you exercise because it can give you energy and doesn't necessarily "fill" you so you don't get side cramps or whatever.

I decided not to weigh myself today. Mainly because I forgot this morning and didn't want to do it in the afternoon after I had eaten. But, I think I will wait until next week anyway. I don't want to get obsessed with the scale. By the way-----Dan has been really supportive of me trying to make some changed. In fact, he has said that we will stop drinking leisurely cokes (and just have one when we go out to dinner or something). For him that is HUGE! I am very proud of him. But, the frustrating thing is that even with his small changes (stop drinking coke and just eating the better food that I am making him) he has already lost about SIX pound! Can you believe that? Good for him, frustrating for me! It wish it was that easy, eh?

My Grandma's Bread Recipe

This isn't a picture of my bread, but I thought my post needed a picture. :)

Grandma Wintle's Bread

6 3/4 c. flour (my grandma uses half wheat/half white, but I use 100% whole wheat and we love it)

3 3/4 c. water (very warm water, but not too hot or you will kill the yeast)

1 1/2 Tbs. yeast

2/3 c. sugar

4 1/2 Tbs. oil

1 1/4 Tbs. salt

Mix 7 minutes. Let rise 30 minutes. Knead a little (my grandma's recipe doesn't say how much flour to add while kneading, but I have to add quite a bit more flour here to make it not so sticky). Form into loaves. Let rise until almost double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. (My oven tends to cook things faster so it is about 30 minutes for me.) Makes 3 medium loaves.

Not included in the recipe, but important information:

-grease your bread pans really well (metal pans work the best, $3.97 at WalMart)
-when letting dough rise cover with saran wrap that you have sprayed with cooking spray so it won't stick
-my grandma uses half white flour/half wheat but I use 100% whole wheat flour and we love it.

Here is a picture of the wheat that I buy at WalMart. It is the best. I want to say that it was around $6-$7 for the 10 lbs. bag. I'm sure that will vary from state to state. It may not even be available where you are, but I'm sure that there is something similar.

Happy bread making! Let me know how it turns out!

Lose weight instantly!

If only it was this simple in real life. I saw this somewhere, who knows where. Anyway, you submit a photo of yourself and specific how much weight you want to lose then they digitally alter your photo to reflect what you will look like once you have lost the desired weight. Haven't done it, but just thought it was interesting and thought I would share. Weight View

I could use some suggestions!

So, here's my dilemma. I totally agree with what Ann said about how eating healthy is more expensive, and then I read what Jo wrote about all those nasty ingredients that are in about everything. So, how do you feed a family healthy food when most of the things that are on sale are the not-so-healthy stuff (meaning foods with bleached or enriched flour, sugar, corn syrup, etc.)? More importantly, how do you feed them healthy food on a budget? Example: bread--does the good whole wheat (real whole wheat) bread ever go on sale? No! So, what do I do? Yes, I have weekly menus, and go to the store once a week. We eat a lot of produce, but also lots of crackers, etc. . .Any suggestions would be welcome!

Thanks,
Lisa

5 ingredients to avoid!

I heard about this from Dr. Oz probably 2 years ago, but it totally changed the way I eat. I used to have a lot of unhealthy snacks, quick frozen dinners, etc. etc. until I watched Oprah one afternoon and Dr. Oz was on. You should avoid eating anything with these ingredients:

1. Enriched flour
2. Bleached flour
3. Sugar
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup
5. Hyrdrogenated Oils

Now the frustrating thing is that if you go to the grocery store and look at ingredient lists, probably about 9 out of 10 foods have at least one of these things, if not all 5! Even those foods that claim to be "healthy," "good for you," or "whole wheat," often have these ingredients. It's gotten better in the last two years; when I started eating this way it was much more difficult to find healthy things. I remember standing in the bread aisle, looking at I swear 20 different types of bread, most of which said they were "whole wheat," when in reality they weren't! Also a lot of bread contains high fructose corn syrup. Another example is crackers. I was excited when Ritz came out with whole wheat crackers, until of course I checked the ingredients, and sure enough, it's enriched flour. Also things claim to be 100% whole grain on the front, yet when you look on the back it's enriched or bleached. So always, always check the ingredient list!

Now this can seem overwhelming, especially if you are like I was and never really paid attention to ingredients. I didn't think what I was eating was bad, or necessarily unhealthy, until I started paying more attention. Once you get used to checking ingredients and find replacements for the foods you eat often, it's not so bad. My husband lost about 10 pounds after we started eating this way.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional candy bar or treat every now and then, but for the most part the things I eat on a regular basis stick to these rules. I really encourage everyone to give it a try if you haven't already, I think you'll notice a difference! If you need ideas on certain foods, let me know!

Jo

SUPER FOODS!

The problem with eating healthy is that it is more expensive than eating poorly. Also, we have to find other foods to eat than we were originally raised on. Even finding an using a few of the foods on this list will be beneficial. This list of "Super Foods" might give you some ideas!

"These vitamin and nutrient-packed foods have been proven to extend health, energy, and longevity and help prevent diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, and Alzheimer's. Each Superfood also has a number of sidekicks (or substitutions) that have about the same healthy punch -- a few are listed in parentheses. Get as many of these foods in your family's diet as you can for a longer, healthier life!

BEANS (pinto, lima, lentils, green beans, peas)
BROCCOLI (brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower)
BLUEBERRIES (purple grapes, cherries, most other berries
OATS (brown rice, barley, wheat, rye, yellow corn)
ORANGES (lemons, grapefruit, tangerines, limes)
PUMPKIN (carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes)
SALMON (halibut, albaore tuna, trout, clams, sea bass)
SOY (tofu, soy nuts, soymilk edamame, miso)
SPINACH (kale, romaine lettuce, orange bell perppers)
TOMATOES (strawberries, watermelon, grapefruit, guava)
TURKEY (chicken)
WALNUTS (most other nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
YOGURT (kefir)

A quick, easy energy drink: blend one cup soymilk, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and 1 banana for a Super Smoothie!

(For more information, see "SuperFoods" by Steven Pratt, M.D.)
Ann Hymas

Eat Your Veggies!

This was on MSN health and fitness today. I thought it was eye-opening! Check out the amounts of veggies we should eat each week!

Numerous studies link a higher veggie intake to a reduced risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity. That's why the strongest recommendation from the USDA's report is a greater consumption of a wide variety of vegetables—advice that's mirrored by every major health organization, including the American Heart Association, American Institute for Cancer Research, and American Diabetes Association.

The ideal veggie schedule

Your goal: 14 cups a week

That might seem like a lot, but it's easier than it sounds. Researchers have divided the entire vegetable spectrum into five "groups" (yes, beans are a veggie!) and broken down your exact weekly needs.

Dark greens

You need: 2 cups per week

Spinach; broccoli; romaine; mesclun; collard, turnip and mustard greens

Payoff: Better lung health, stronger bones, a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation and a healthier brain.

Orange vegetables

You need: 1 ½ cups per week

Carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, pumpkin

Payoff: Better vision, blood sugar control, and lung health; high in cancer-fighting carotenoids.

Beans

You need: 2½ cups per week

Pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, lentils, edamame, chickpeas, tofu

Payoff: Lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, breast and colon cancers, and type 2 diabetes.

Starchy vegetables

You need: 2½ cups per week

White potatoes, corn, green peas

Payoff: The nutrients in this group range from vitamins A, C, B6, and folate to potassium and magnesium, and each vegetable is rich in unique antioxidants, such as cancer-fighting isoflavones in peas and blood pressure–lowering kukoamines in potatoes.

Wildcard

You need: 5½ cups per week

Artichokes, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, wax beans, zucchini

Payoff: This eclectic group ensures a broad spectrum of nutrients and antioxidants that protect every system in your body, including beta-carotene in bell peppers and quercetin, a natural anti-inflammatory, in onions.

Easy ways to sneak in veggies

• Swap noodle soup for bean or lentil
• Serve chicken or fish over a bed of corn or wilted greens instead of rice
• Use salsa or marinara sauce for dipping
• Add mashed beans or chopped mushrooms to lean ground beef or turkey
• Trade half your pasta portion for chopped veggies

Lisa Willey

Calculating Fattiness

Well, here I am folks. The obsessed health food hypocrite. I eat all kinds of things that I shouldn't but I am obsessed with trying. Therefore, I will share with you some of the things I have learned and hope it helps us all...including myself.

Here is how you calculate if something is High in fat, moderately high in fat or low fat:

# Calories from fat/total calories X 100 = % Calories from fat

Looks harder than it really is. Here is an example: my brownies say that there is 170 calories and 70 calories from fat. Here we go:

70/170 = .4116 so I times that by 100 and get 41.16

So now what does that mean:

High fat: > 35%
Moderately high fat: 25-35%
Low fat: <25%

That means my brownies are high in fat! I use this at the store EVERY time. It is easy once you try. All you really have to do is divide calories from fat into calories.

I learned this from my nutrition class in college. I didn't just make it up I promise.

Melanie Smoot

Tex-Mex Rice

This is a yummy recipe--I got it from a lady on my mission. It's got some good veggies and protein with little fat (if you use lean meat and low-fat dairy products). You can vary the spiciness by using mild or hot salsa.

Tex-Mex Rice

1 lb. hamburger
1 med. onion
1 green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups picante sauce or salsa
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 small can black olives
1 1/2 cups dry rice

Brown and drain meat, add chopped onion, chopped green pepper, salsa, tomato sauce, bouillon, and sliced olives. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Serve over rice (prepare as directed) or mix it all together. Top with cheese, sour cream and spoon up with tortilla chips. Serves 4-6 people.

Jen's Week Two

Weekly Goals:
1. Exercise 4 times this week
2. Research power/energy foods
3. Buy new exercise ball

October 18th, Saturday
Food--
Breakfast: oatmeal
Snack: string cheese, dried apples
Lunch: leftovers from Thursday, leftover beans from last night
Snack: fruit snacks, 100 cal. pack-oreos
Dinner: chicken and rice
Drinks: milk and water
Exercise---
I cleaned the house today. When I say clean, I mean deep clean. So yes, that is quite the workout.

October 19th, Sunday
Food---
Breakfast: Alphabits, yum
Lunch: Missed it due to the bishopric calling and needed us to come early, total chaos
Dinner: Thanks to our good friends, The Smoots, we had a wonderful dinner. Pork Roast, potatoes, carrots, and peaches. It was so good!
Treat: Popcorn Balls. I treated myself and it tasted good. I have to let myself have treats every now and then or there is NO WAY I can stick to this. Oh, and I had 5 candy corns too.
Exercise---
Nope, a day of rest.
Feelings---
Well, I look forward to a new week. I am excited and grateful I am feeling better and I look forward to exercising. I'm also trying to take better care of myself by taking more time to get ready in the morning (actually putting on make-up and doing my hair) so that I feel better about myself throughout the day. That seems to be helping too.

October 20th, Monday:
Food---
Breakfast: wheat chexs
Lunch: Dan and I went out to Pei Wei. I had two lettuce wraps and half a entree of sweet and sour chicken with brown rice, and two fortune cookies
Snack: dry cereal
Dinner: chicken cordon bleu and green salad, apple slices, milk
Exercise---
Yup. Went running/speed walking with Kate. It was warm when I went. Maybe around 84 degrees. It is starting to get cooler, though. That makes it easier for me to exercise outside.

Tuesday, October 21st:
Food---
Brunch: the one and only cheerios
Dinner: bean and bacon soup, tuna sandwhich, small side salad
Snacks: dry cereal, string cheese
Exercise---
Yes. I went for a long walk/run with Kate. We went around Lake Pflugerville
Goal Update---
I bought a new exercise ball today. It came with a couple of other things that I am anxious to use; two two pound balls, a smaller exercise ball, resistance bands, and dvds. I am excited!

Wednesday, October 22nd:
Food---
Breakfast: banana
Lunch: Peanut Butter and honey sandwhich
Dinner: homemade hamburger with fresh fixins, frog-eye-salad, baked beans, celery and carrots with dip
Exercise---
Not today. My inlaws got here today, I got the house ready for them to come.

Thursday, Oct. 23rd:
I hate blogging about this every day. Maybe I should just do a weekly review. Eh?
Food---
Breakfast: cereal and half of a banana
Lunch: chicken burrito and cinnamon rice twists
Dinner: Mel's Tex-Mex over rice, broccoli, frog-eye-salad, milk
Snack: frog-eye-salad (I made a lot and need to eat it)
Exercise---
We went shopping to day and walked around the outlets for a good two hours. Better than sitting on your butt and I am counting it because my feet are sore.

Friday, Oct. 24th--Happy B-day Russ!
Food---
Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: left-overs from last night's dinner
Dinner: RUDY'S BBQ, so good! Everything I ate is probably not too bad for you, except for the creamed corn and some chocolate pudding. But, I had to treat myself. I have been so good while family is visiting right now. They are going out for ice cream and drinks, and I have been faithful. It has been hard, so I let myself have a little bit of a reward. I didn't over-indulged, however. That's the key.

Exercise---
Yup, and today's was very different and fun. We went rowing on Town Lake for a couple of hours. I'll tell you, my arms are going to be very sore tomorrow! It was a beautiful day, however. In the mid 80's and clear skies.

Saturday, October 25th:
Food---
Breakfast: dry cereal and water on my way down to San Antonio
Lunch: PB and honey sandwhich, fruit snacks, celery and carrots, 100 cal. pack
Snacks: pretzels, and fruit snacks, dried asian pears
Dinner: Cheesecake Factory. One avacado wrap (they are small), one thai wrap, soup and 1/2 sandwhich. And, three bits of the best cheesecake ever!!!!!

Exercise---
Nothing official, however---I chased little kids around, literally, all day. Great workout. I am exhausted.

Week One Review

Did I meet my goals?
1. Get to bed at a decent time. Yes, I did this. All except last night (Friday night) when I went to bed at 11:30. I have to admit it was nice to get to bed a a good time, I'll try to keep this one up.
2. Exercise 4 times this week. Nope, I didn't. And, I feel really guilty about it but I am not going to let it get me down. I'm just going to set this goal again for next week and press forward. I can do it.
3. Try a new recipe. Yup! And it was good. Healthy Baked Beans, yum.

How do I feel about things?
Well, it's honestly not been the easiest week. Especially with not feeling well, but I do feel like I have intentionally tried to make some positive changes and I don't feel discouraged about things. I want this change in my life and I look forward with going forward! I feel really blessed to have received the support I have, because without it I KNOW I wouldn't want to do this. Thank you everyone, really. Thank you.

Energy Level?
Still about the same. But, getting to bed a decent time did help.

Weight loss?
Hum, well I know this isn't all about "losing pounds" but yes, I lost almost 2 pounds. Go me!

And here we go! Week One!

Weekly Goals:
1. Get to bed at a decent time(For me that means before 11:oo)
2. Exercise 4 times this week
3. Try one new recipe

Saturday, October 11th:
Well, mother-nature threw me a wicked curve ball today, of course. Aunt Flow came to visit with all her baggage, and then some. Let's just say I have been lying on the couch all day pumping myself with 800 mg. of IBProf. and Mydol, wishing I had some leftover Oxycodone (sp?). Too much info? Sorry. Point--no workout. I've done okay with food, however. Except, I drank a Coke. Totally for medicinal purposes though. Promise. I feel guilty with every sip, but felt better afterwards.
Food---
Breakfast: Dry cereal (Quaker Oatmeal Squares), and water
Lunch: Chicken (from Costco, yum!), two rolls, Apple Wedge Crisps (new find, and so good)
Dinner: Coke, dry cereal again (Alphabits)
Snacks: 3 Tootsie Rolls, 100 Cal pack of Chips Ahoy
***See, not a healthy day. Trust me, I don't feel so good about my first day, but I really couldn't help it today. At least I didn't binge or anything. Just had to eat dry carbs all day to settle my stomach. I did drink more water than I usually would have, though. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Workout---
None. (Except getting up and down from the couch. Does that count?)
Last Night's Bedtime---
Um, about 1:30 am. Good thing I started my goals today, not last night, eh? (Movie night with my honey!)

Sunday, October 12th:
Today I am still feeling quite sick. I'm calling the doctor tomorrow.
Food---
Breakfast: none
Lunch: two rolls
Snack: dry cereal, again
Dinner: homemade hamburger, Thanks Dan! (However, it didn't stay down too long.)
Lots of water, and some apple juice.
Exercise---
None. Thankfully, a day of rest.
Yesterday's Bedtime---
Proud to say, 10:30.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13th
Food---
Breakfast: 2 banana breakfast muffins and milk
Lunch: scrambled eggs
Dinner: BBQ chicken salad
Snacks: string cheese, dried apples, dry cereal
Exercise---
Just my normal walking. I was going to go running, but still am not feeling quite up to par. I go to the doctor on Wednesday. I'm beginning to realize this is more than just my period.
Yesterday's bedtime---
9:30! Can you believe it? I took some drugs and was out! Kate even slept in 'til 8:00! It was GREAT!

TUESDAY , October 14th:
Food---
Breakfast: 2 muffins and a glass of milk
Lunch: cheese and apple
Dinner: spaghetti, pears, garlic bread and corn (not the healthiest meal, pretty starchy, but I already had the things to make it and didn't want to waste it--besides, it tasted good!)
Snack: 100 cal. oreo pack
***I feel pretty good about my good today anyway. I have been keeping my portions down on the things I shouldn't be eating a lot of, and trying to eat more of the things that I usually wouldn't.
Exercise---
YES! I went jogging tonight. It was SO hard! I really am still not feeling well, but I wanted to meet my goals for this week so I went. I had to wait until our rain storm passed (it was huge!) and when I went out, it was SOOOOO humid. I had a really hard time running, but I did it. It got dark by the time I was done and I got a little scared as I saw little creatures starting to emerge. I almost stepped on a bullfrog the size of a softball. But, I did it. Sit ups and such too.
Yesterday's Bedtime---
9:30, again. Still not feeling so hot. But, I go to the dr in the morning.


October 15th, Wednesday
Food---
Breakfast: 2 muffins, again
Lunch: tortilla, cheese, black beans, corn and salsa
Dinner: two chicken tacos, small piece of chocolate pie (It was our friend's birthday, we went out to dinner and then had pie at his house afterwards. I took the smallest piece I could, really.)
Exercise---
Nope. Sadly, I don't think I will make my goal for the week. I went to the doctor today and it looks like I have ovarian cysts again. Painful. I shouldn't be exercising until I get them taken care of.
Yesterday's Bedtime---
10:30

Thursday, October 16th:
Food---
Breakfast: cold cereal
Lunch: lean pocket
Dinner: corn tamale crock-pot casserole with rice, pears, milk
Snack: bowl of cold cereal, dried apples
Exercise---
Went for a walk with Dan and Kate. It was in the high 70's here and felt so nice and cool! It was great.
Yesterday's Bedtime---
11:00.
***Today was a hard day. I went to the doctor to get an ultrasound and they couldn't diagnose what I had. They said is was not cysts, but that they didn't know what was going on. More tests-----and now it makes me feel even worse about things because I don't feel like I have gotten off to a good start for this whole thing. I'm frustrated.

Friday, October 17th:
Food---
Breakfast: quaker oatmeal squares
Snack: welch's fruit snacks, string cheese
Lunch: leftovers from last night
Snack: Dried apples, pretzels
Dinner: Elder's Quorum Party. We had brisquet, chicken, potato salad and beans. I even passed up dessert WHICH WAS SUPER HARD FOR ME----it was TEXAS SHEET CAKE! My favorite! I am so proud of myself. I was just going to have a bit of Dan's, but I knew that I would just want more so I just said no. I also tried my new recipe for the week. I made a batch of baked beans, that are actually pretty good for you and they were yummy. I have been reading up on beans lately and they have a lot of good benefits. I have been striving to eat more of them.
Exercise:
Um, not really. I feel really guilty about this, but I am going to sit down and plan out an exercise rountine. I don't know what is wrong with me (physically) but screw the doctors and how crappy I am feeling. I am not in "pain" anymore so I will continue on with this escapade. Thanks for all the feedback and help. I would have given before I had even started if it wasn't for y'all.
Yesterday's Bedtime:
10:30. Man, I am good.
I will do a weekly review tomorrow.

Sending Out An SOS

• Hey everyone, I need your help. Ever since I got pregnant and had Kate I have had trouble losing weight. I am not happy with myself and my pride keeps getting in the way of actually doing something about it. I know that I will never stick with anything unless I have some kind of accountability. SO----I've invented this blog in hopes that you will tune in OFTEN to keep tabs on me. Please! I need your help and advice. I've listed my goals on the side, however, I haven't set up a "diet plan" or "exercise routine" quite yet. I would like your advice on what you think would be good before I do so.
• I will report daily on my progress (more for me, than for you) and will also do a weekly, more detailed report with weight loss and such.
• This may seem really weird for some of you, but I really do need help and cheers to aid me along. Otherwise, I will just do it for a week and then pig-out on chocolate! Any advice, websites, or recipes or whatever would be great! Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you!

****Friday update! Thanks for all the comments, you have NO IDEA how much it means to me to have your support. So, this is what I have decided thus far, thanks to y'all: I plan on doing a weekly blog, and will update it daily with what I have done and eaten that day. My friend Jill gave me a great idea of setting weekly goals in order to achieve my larger goals. I can't put a timeline on my "big goals", so it will be good to have weekly goals to strive for. Oh, and by the way....if anyone wants to join in on the fun.....please do!