journaling...and strategy

So my healthy goal for the past 3 weeks has been to keep a journal of what I am eating.  Like all goals this is hard to keep for the first few days.  Or some goals are exciting for the first few days and then...blah.  Well...this falls into the first category.  I really didn't want to do it but since my jeans were a little too snug I knew it was time(i have been wanting to do this goal but excuses are always plentiful!).  It would be a good indicator of what I was eating and how my portions were looking.  (i don't count calories or measure...just write down what I eat...i know when my portions are too large and I will jot that down too )

Week one was pretty much a hit and miss.  Week 2 I started out by weighing myself(something I don't do on purpose.)  It was a nice motivator to really get serious about this goal.  Around Wednesday I wanted to stop but kept going.  THis past week(week 3) was easier and I actually wanted to record what I was eating.  I also jotted down a few emotions I was dealing with surrounding my food which helped tremendously.  If I can acknowledge my emotions on paper then they don't come screaming out in the form of donuts.

This weekend I had a couple of meals where I was a little anxious about what I was going to eat and the company I would have.  In the book I got for Christmas-The Total Female Body Breakthrough by Rachel Cosgrove-she says to have a strategy for when you are going to be out of your comfort zone or for when obstacles arise..  So I wrote down my strategy in my journal. I also wrote down a plan of what I wanted to eat.  Nothing is ever set in stone and I can change my mind(i hate being told what to do...can you tell?)...but it was so nice to have a plan in place to fall back on...it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.  It helped put my emotions at ease and then I could enjoy my company and the food!

Another great benefit from journaling is to see which foods are causing my intestinal distress:)  I felt so good this morning when I got up to workout.  no bloating.  ahhhhh.  so nice.  Which means I had a good week food wise and I believe I know now which foods are safe.  "If Mama's intestines ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"...isn't that how that saying goes?

Happiness List

A very talented graphic artist -and new mommy- Aarean has a very insightful post on her blog now about happiness. What makes us happy. Apparently there is 40% unaccounted potential happiness in our lives. 50% of our happiness is biological(which I found interesting...so if our family is typically "doom and gloom" we tend to be that way half of the time?) 10% is based on life circumstances(like if you are uniquely talented or attractive...well we all know I am both of those...hardee har har) which leaves the
 40% that we create for ourselves.

So what brings me happiness? (besides those 2 munchkins above?)

*freshly mopped floors

*using my steam mop to get those clean floors

*fuzzy socks

*the tight feeling I get after teaching Body PUmp...love it!

*hearing babies laugh

*looking through baby pictures

*talking with my Mom. She has the unique talent of listening to whatever

 I want to babble about and sounding so interested. love you Mom!

*a visit to my brother and sister

*hearing the funny jokes from my Dad

*taking a nap.

*taking naps with snuggly babies

*taking naps with my snuggly dog

*when my children LOVE what I cook and compliment me on my cooking skills

*the look of excitement and longing my dog gives me when he hasn't seen me in a while. wouldn't' it be nice if everyone greeted you that way!

*loading my dishwasher and knowing I won't have to do that work.

*having children old enough to unload the dishwasher and knowing I won't have to do that work.

*stuffing my XL washer with dirty clothes and knowing they will come out smelling clean!

*having Sunday off

*a husband who supports me in my hobbies

*watching movies with that cool husband

*lunch with good friends

*when i turn my keys and my car starts

*when we get to sleep in

*a productive day

*payday

*Family Home Evenings that don't have too much fighting:) rare but possible!

Shrinking dryer...

My friend Chris posted about her weight loss journey so I decided to write about what I am doing to get me motivated to think about starting on a weight loss journey...how is that for committed? I debated about writing about it because I know if I say I am going to do something must follow through...so i guess if I write this I must follow through:)

So last weekend i pulled on a pair of pants that had obviously shrunk in the dryer...i mean they were hard to get over my hips! What else could explain this problem?

What? Maybe I am eating too much? nonsense.

Ok...probably so. I have fought this for too long, made excuses about why I can't change my eating habits...no more! Time to do something small. I weighed myself last week. It wasn't as bad as I thought thankfully. And it is actually what I weighed last year when I was training for my triathlons. And weighing didn't carry the same negative emotions that the scale use to carry for me(which is wonderful). So I decided to set a small goal of writing down everything i ate. It is very eye-opening to see just how much I put into my pie-hole. When I weighed myself this morning I was a little shocked that it was up a little...why? Because when I do write down what I eat it makes me eat less...makes me aware that I am eating mindlessly. Plus I taught so many classes last week(10!)...but that just supports the theory that more exercise doesn't equal weight loss.
So. It didn't get me down. I just started paying closer attention to my portions this week. I also calculated the calories of one of my favorite breakfasts this morning. Oatmeal with 2 T peanut butter. This morning I also had a banana and added 1/2 cup of wheat berries for extra protein... before I knew it I was up to 600 calories. What? Really. Oh well. It was filling and yummy. There is also tomorrow, right? I had taught Body Pump this morning and was teaching RPM later so I did need to give my body some good food. I am a protein-type and really need to get a lot of protein at mealtime to feel satisfied and last until the next meal/snack. So i bulk up my oats for that reason...but am going to rethink my PB oatmeal tomorrow. My body isn't digesting dairy(which includes eggs) or soy or beans so that seriously limits my protein choices!!! yuck. Which makes me want to write a nasty letter to my digestive system...but I refrain. I am very thankful for my body. It does many amazing things and will figure this whole problem soon enough!
I love to read health and fitness books and blogs to get inspired. For Christmas I ordered this book. Love it and will read it again. I also visit Trainermomma.com for great motivation...but I have to be careful not to compare myself to these women. I can get there if I can just keep that motivation past...ummmm...past the time I get out off the couch. ha. I mean what is my excuse?

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