Hiatus

Hello Friends,

I have been gone for a while, welcoming child #4 into the world etc. I am taking a temporary hiatus from this blog while doing daily entries about becoming fit and fabulous on a blog called twosassylasses which I am doing with my sister-in-law. I wasn't sure this was the right venue for that, so I am taking a temporary hiatus. Good Luck all!

~Bethany

And a Child Shall Lead Them

I have a friend whose five year old son is completely off sugar.  By sugar I mean cookies, candy, popsicles, cake etc.  The week before Easter, he had eaten a big slice of cake and gotten a tummy ache.  He asked his mom why that was and she explained that sometimes sugar can make us sick.  He declared that he never wanted to feel like that again and he never wanted to eat sugar again.  It has been over a month and that kid is treat free.  Is he a paragon of an all-natural, aboriginal diet?  No, but he listened to his body and is choosing what feels good for him.


I, who have had more problems from food than a tummy-ache and am still choosing what tastes good over what feels good, could stand to learn a few lessons from this kid.


If I want to feel a certain way, I need to eat certain things.  I cannot find health in sugary foods.  I cannot find happiness in over eating.  I will not find the woman I want to be at the bottom of an ice-cream carton.  So much to learn. . . .

Newsworthy

There is a great article and video clip on hidden sugars in food on ksl.com.  The link is on the home page. There is a picture of packaged applesauce and a doughnut with the caption "How hidden sugars are hijacking your health."

Eye opening.

My sugar-free treats so far this morning are sleeping in late while snuggling my children and filling my house with Mozart while I get a few things done.

Cupcakes

I want to enjoy cupcakes not look like a cupcake.

Chats

I love doing this with a friend.  Today we commiserated on the caloric wreckage of the week.  I fell prey to the siren song of granola bars and cheese quesadillas.  The point system is keeping us honest, but honestly we were both feeling a little broken.  What happened to the amazing women of will-power we were becomming?  Mine got hit with pregnancy hormones ... or at least that's what I'm going with.  


Shyla and I are working toward goals at the end of every week.  This week we are going to make cute clip-boards that we can hang in the bathroom and write inspirational and random thoughts on to keep ourselves focused.  Also, this week's point winner gets taken out for a Starbuck's steamer.


Oh and right now the kids and I are having stove-popped popcorn and apples.  Much better than the granola bar/M&M trail mix combo I've been reaching for about this time.  So ... there's hope.

Extremes

I must love to ride that pendulum.  My past two days have swung higher than high and lower than low, but I must say, keeping track of points has been most illuminating.  Afternoons submarine me.  For the past two days I have made 0 point breakfasts, 0 point dinners and have racked up 11 points in afternoon snacks.  I am determined to work on the crazy mid-day binging.  Here are my great meals.

Breakfast:
-Old Fashioned oats topped with fresh strawberries
-Whole grain bread with a kefir shake (kefir, spinach, pineapple cores, flax, chia, banana, orange)

Dinner:
-Yam fries, seasoned brown rice, kidney beans, pineapple
-Baked potatoes, chili, cottage cheese, sliced green onions, salad  (oops, I guess I did earn one point on that dinner - still pretty good.)

New Beginnings

At the center of your being you have the answer; 

you know who you are 

and you know what you want.

~Lao Tzu

This post represents a new beginning for this blog.  Lately I have been caught up in the worry of what "should" I be writing about.  I worry that no-one wants to hear about me falling off the band-wagon and struggling to figure things out again.  Then I thought - wait a sec, this is not Chicken Soup for the Dieter's Soul where everything gets resolved in 2.5 pages.  This is my life.  This is a tool to help me and I have lost sight of that.  Plus there are probably people out there reading this (if anyone is reading this) who are going through the exact same thing.


So, Shyla and I started a new point program which we are really excited about (details in the next paragraph) and as part of it, we are going to be posting short, daily (0r almost daily) thoughts on our road to our healthier, more energized more glorious selves.  Fair warning, it may be a bumpy ride.  And I hereby claim it as my privilege to try on as many theories and mind-sets as it takes to make one stick.  I also reserve the right to fail abismally and try again as often as I need to.


So, here are the rules of the point system.  It's like golf - you don't want points.  This is loosely based on Weight Watchers, only there is no calorie counting (that drives me batty) and this is more about health than calories.  I never could support a program that rewards you for eating Wonder bread over whole wheat bread.  So here it is:


All fruits and vegetables are free.  Even if you put some butter and salt on top.  Salad dressing is at your discretion, but basically, all fruits and veggies are no-point foods.


All whole grains are basically free.  This means brown rice, whole oats (not quick oats), whole wheat, quinoah, chia, etc.  Shyla and I have decided that we can have one serving (serving size being determined by us) per meal or snack.  That way, a sandwich on w.w. bread doesn't give us any points, but finishing off all of our children's sandwiches would give us points.  One bowl of oatmeal would not count, but eating an extra half bowl just so we don't have leftovers would count.


White/Refined grains are a point per serving.


You get three free bites of anything.  If you are at a wedding and eat three bites of cake, then there are no points.  This is to encourage portion control while allowing us to experience anything we want to.  Now this does not mean that at a chocolate fountain you get three bites of every dish on the smorgasbord.  These are guidelines for people with a modicum of self control or at least a healthy dose of honesty.  If you need a pharasaical point police, this may not be for you.


Meat.  We're steering clear of this one.  Do what feels right for you and your family.  I once knew a cowboy whose grandfather figured that a little steak three times a day was moderation because he was exercising the will to eat something more than just steak.  He lived to a very healthy 85 by the way.  My family eats red meat about once or twice a month and chicken about once a week and fish any time I can find a good sale.  You know when you've eaten to excess, so give points accordingly.


Dairy.  Basically one serving per meal is free.  I do a lot of homemade kefir shakes.  Those are free for me.  I don't like all the sugars and artificial stuff in commercial yogurt, so a cup of Yoplait would be a point for me.  Any milk on my morning oatmeal is free, but a cup of low fat chocolate milk would be a point.  So basically, figure out what feels right for you.


One point per serving of treats.


Homemade Goodies.  We believe there is a big difference in home-made treats and in store-bought treats.  Not only in food quality, cleanliness and nutritional value, but also in the family memories and experiences making treats can provide.  That is why, once a week, we can have three servings of a home-made treat, point free.  That means that if you make cookies with your kids on Sunday, you can have one spoon of cookie dough, one cookie warm out of the oven and one on Monday night for Family Home Evening.


Bottom Line:  Listen to your body and tally up points accordingly.


Erasing Points:  20 minutes of exercise erases one point.  Five posts on the blog (or comments on the blog or entries in a health journal etc.) erases a point.


Good Luck!