Last week, I started a seven day cleanse. Some of you may have followed along with my results on Facebook... I've received a lot of questions about my experience and thought it may be useful to put them in a post for you.
First off, I've been asked why I decided to do this? Well, Grace started school last week so I'm trying to get back into the routine of getting to the gym regularly. I thought the cleanse would be a good jump-start to working out 4-5 times a week.
Here's the guide that I used for last week - What do you think of the GM diet? The link has the food schedule for Sunday - Saturday with a recipe for a special soup and then some other guidelines and things to consider.
So, onto my daily diet:
Sunday - all fruits except bananas
I loved the first day! I ate a ton of melon, some grapes and two fruit smoothies - I love the Naked smoothies. This day I drank over 90 ounces of water.
By the end of day one I was down exactly 3 pounds.
Monday - all vegetables
This was a hard day for me. I started out with the recommended baked potato for breakfast - I put a tiny bit of butter and salt and pepper on top. For lunch I grilled a mix of onions, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes - a batch I ate throughout the day. By about 4:00 I was extremely weak. So I went out and got the ingredients for spaghetti squash marinara and felt much better after dinner. I drank about 80 ounces of water and 2 cups of black coffee.
Tuesday - all fruits and vegetables
I had 2 more of the Naked fruit smoothies, and the leftovers of the spaghetti squash marinara and the grilled vegetables. I drank about 80 ounces of water and 2 cups of black coffee.
Wednesday - bananas and milk
I started the day with 2 cups of coffee with a splash of 1% milk. During the day I drank 3 glasses of 1% milk and ate about 4 large bananas. I drank about 80 ounces of water and had 2 cups of black coffee. Surprisingly I felt full and satisfied and noticed my cravings for salt and sweets start to fade.
Thursday - feast day - beef, tomatoes and lots of water
They call this feast day. I think I would give it a different name! By day four, I was ready for some protein, although I could not eat the amount of beef they recommended. I made three hamburger patties made from ground sirloin, a little salt and pepper and some sun-dried tomatoes. I ate 2 bowls of vegetable soup. I had about 3 tomatoes with some onion salt on them and drank over 90 ounces of water. I also had a glass of unsweetened iced green tea.
Friday - beef and vegetables
Again, not my favorite day. Although I felt full, I remember wanting fruit on day 5. On day 6 I sauteed some beef tips with salt and pepper and a tad of oil. As for vegetables, I ate some more tomatoes, corn and green beans and also had a bowl of vegetable soup. I drank over 90 ounces of water and had 1 cup of black coffee.
Saturday - brown rice, fruit juices and vegetables
I was excited about the last day! On day 7 I made a batch of brown rice and had peas, carrots, mushroom, green beans and tomatoes. I also had one Naked fruit smoothie. I drank about 80 ounces of water and had 2 cups of black coffee. That night, I slipped and had a McDonald's cheeseburger for dinner.
By Sunday morning, day 8, I was down a total of 8.6 pounds!
Some things I've noticed this week is that my cravings for sweets has really gone down. I'm also drinking a whole lot more water than normal - trying to maintain about 80 ounces a day. I may consider doing the cleanse again, but most likely will choose a few days a month to just eat fruits and vegetables.
On the link above, it gives a recipe for "special soup". Nothing about it sounded good to me and I heard that it tasted horrible. So my special soup consisted of vegetable broth, onions, carrots and tomatoes. I put in some salt and pepper and a few bay leaves and let it come together for about 45 minutes.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 13
Happy Sunshiny Wednesday! We have lots to discuss...
First of all, the bad news - I did not lose weight... But I have some good news..
I went in yesterday to see my doctor - and Praise the Lord, my thyroid levels are 100% A-OK. I always get nervous going in, but I've now lived for over 9 years with only half a thyroid that is kicking-booty and doing it's job well. During my appointment, I talked with the doctor about my struggles to lose weight over the past 13 weeks. We discussed my workouts and my eating routine. She told me, first off, that I'm perfectly healthy and that I didn't need to lose weight. But she also said that she doesn't quite understand why with my workouts and limiting my calories to about 1,590/day why I'm still not losing weight.
She suggested that one reason could be that I'm not taking in enough calories for the amount that I'm working out. She is weaning me off a medication this month - a prescription that can prevent weight-loss. So, we are going to re-visit this in 6 weeks and go from there. At that point, she may refer me to a dietitian. Have any of you seen a dietitian while on Tricare?
A friend of mine offered to sit down with me and go over my diet and see if there are tweaks that can be made. I'm going to take her up on that. Another friend contacted me this week and gave me some great suggestions about boosting my metabolism by adding in more strength training and limiting my carbohydrates. I've changed both of those things this week. I'm still struggling with saying adios to my beloved carbs, but I've started eating lots more fresh fruits and vegetables and eating a lot more lean-protein and good fats. So, many thanks to my great friends!
Here are my workouts this week
First of all, the bad news - I did not lose weight... But I have some good news..
I went in yesterday to see my doctor - and Praise the Lord, my thyroid levels are 100% A-OK. I always get nervous going in, but I've now lived for over 9 years with only half a thyroid that is kicking-booty and doing it's job well. During my appointment, I talked with the doctor about my struggles to lose weight over the past 13 weeks. We discussed my workouts and my eating routine. She told me, first off, that I'm perfectly healthy and that I didn't need to lose weight. But she also said that she doesn't quite understand why with my workouts and limiting my calories to about 1,590/day why I'm still not losing weight.
She suggested that one reason could be that I'm not taking in enough calories for the amount that I'm working out. She is weaning me off a medication this month - a prescription that can prevent weight-loss. So, we are going to re-visit this in 6 weeks and go from there. At that point, she may refer me to a dietitian. Have any of you seen a dietitian while on Tricare?
A friend of mine offered to sit down with me and go over my diet and see if there are tweaks that can be made. I'm going to take her up on that. Another friend contacted me this week and gave me some great suggestions about boosting my metabolism by adding in more strength training and limiting my carbohydrates. I've changed both of those things this week. I'm still struggling with saying adios to my beloved carbs, but I've started eating lots more fresh fruits and vegetables and eating a lot more lean-protein and good fats. So, many thanks to my great friends!
Here are my workouts this week
Friday -
60 minutes of cardio including the Arc Trainer and walking
30 minutes of strength training
Monday -
30 minutes of cardio on the Elliptical Machine
35 minutes of strength training
Tuesday -
30 minutes of walking (non-gym day)
Wednesday -
60 minutes of walking (non-gym day)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 12
Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you guys are all having a good week.
This week was a tough week... we had a lot going on and some extra unwanted drama. So that with some icy roads made it a difficult week for me to get to the gym. I did make it twice, and I can honestly say that those two workouts were some of my best. I was focused and pushed myself 100% both days.
I went in yesterday and got some blood work done. One of the labs was for my thyroid, which I get tested every 6 months. I'm now going on 9 years with only half of my thyroid... so I'm anxious to see next week when I see my doctor, what my thyroid levels are like. That could be a link to why I haven't seen much weight-loss in 12 weeks. I'll keep you posted.
No weight gain or loss this week.
Here are my workouts:
This week was a tough week... we had a lot going on and some extra unwanted drama. So that with some icy roads made it a difficult week for me to get to the gym. I did make it twice, and I can honestly say that those two workouts were some of my best. I was focused and pushed myself 100% both days.
I went in yesterday and got some blood work done. One of the labs was for my thyroid, which I get tested every 6 months. I'm now going on 9 years with only half of my thyroid... so I'm anxious to see next week when I see my doctor, what my thyroid levels are like. That could be a link to why I haven't seen much weight-loss in 12 weeks. I'll keep you posted.
No weight gain or loss this week.
Here are my workouts:
Monday -
75 minutes of cardio including the Elliptical machine and stationary bike
Tuesday -
60 minutes of cardio including the Elliptical machine and stationary bike
My goals this week are to get to the gym at least 4 times and start eating more fruits and vegetables during the day.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 11
I'll keep this short and simple... This week I did great with my eating (except for those pesky Thin Mints), I was completely lacking motivation to get to the gym and stay at the gym, and I didn't gain or lose this week.
Here are my workouts:
Here are my workouts:
Friday -
45 minutes of cardio including the ARC Trainer and Stationary bike
20 minutes of strength training
Monday -
40 minutes of cardio including the Elliptical Trainer and Stationary bike
Wednesday -
60 minutes of cardio including the Elliptical Trainer and Stationary bike
My goal for this next week is to get to the gym at least 4 times and workout out for a minimum of 60 minutes each time. Cross your fingers!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 4
Boo. Hiss. This is getting old. Guess what? I didn't lose an ounce this week.
Now I have gotten a lot of comments from people like muscle weighs more than fat and it's more about how I feel and how my clothes fit rather than what the scale says. And they are right and it's been good for me to keep that in perspective. Honestly, I can totally tell a difference in how my clothes fit. My muffin top is now a mini-muffin top so my pants fit a lot better around the waste. My arms are totally toned-up - they have always been my easiest body part to tone. My legs are firmer and I have a lot more definition in my calves than I've probably ever had. So, with all of that said - I know my body is in better shape, even without much weight lost this month. And most of all, in less than a month, I've doubled the amount of cardio that I can do in one session.
Another thing I'm considering are the types of foods that I'm eating. I'm using an app on my phone to record my calories-in and calories-out. The app also gives me a report about how much fat, sodium, cholesterol, carbs and vitamins I'm getting from my food. It also gives me a breakdown of what percentage of my foods come from carbs, fat and protein. My percentage of protein is pretty low in comparison to my carbs, so I'm working to balance that out with lean protein.
My workouts:
Now I have gotten a lot of comments from people like muscle weighs more than fat and it's more about how I feel and how my clothes fit rather than what the scale says. And they are right and it's been good for me to keep that in perspective. Honestly, I can totally tell a difference in how my clothes fit. My muffin top is now a mini-muffin top so my pants fit a lot better around the waste. My arms are totally toned-up - they have always been my easiest body part to tone. My legs are firmer and I have a lot more definition in my calves than I've probably ever had. So, with all of that said - I know my body is in better shape, even without much weight lost this month. And most of all, in less than a month, I've doubled the amount of cardio that I can do in one session.
Another thing I'm considering are the types of foods that I'm eating. I'm using an app on my phone to record my calories-in and calories-out. The app also gives me a report about how much fat, sodium, cholesterol, carbs and vitamins I'm getting from my food. It also gives me a breakdown of what percentage of my foods come from carbs, fat and protein. My percentage of protein is pretty low in comparison to my carbs, so I'm working to balance that out with lean protein.
My workouts:
Friday -
70 minutes of cardio including the stationary bike and elliptical
30 minutes of strength training
Monday -
55 minutes of cardio including the stationary bike and the ARC trainer
(Note: the ARC trainer is new for me and probably the most torturous piece of equipment I've ever used.)
20 minutes of strength training
Wednesday -
45 minutes of cardio including the elliptical and stationary bike
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 3
Ok. So a wee bit of good news this week. I've lost .6 of a pound. Part of me is happy to have finally lost something, but I'm still kinda frustrated that after 3 weeks of being dedicated to the gym and a reasonably healthy diet, that I've hardly lost weight. But I'm going to keep at it with hopefully an hour of cardio tomorrow. We shall see.
My Workouts:
My Workouts:
Friday -
65 minutes of cardio including the elliptical machine and stationary bike
Saturday -
20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical (non-gym day)
Monday -
45 minutes of walking (non-gym day)
Tuesday -
45 minutes of cardio including the elliptical and stationary bike
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 2
Happy Wednesday everyone!
I'm finished with my second week of workouts and better eating habits. It was a frustrating week for me - mostly because a flare-up of hives kept me from getting to the gym twice. But, I can say that the time I was at the gym was worth it. My endurance is already picking up pretty significantly and I've noticed I'm not as exhausted as I was when I started this two weeks ago.
Week 2: So that's the good news, the bad news is I still haven't lost any weight. It's a major bummer and a slight blow to my enthusiasm. But I'm going to keep going and I know my efforts will pay off down the line nonetheless.
My Workouts:
I'm finished with my second week of workouts and better eating habits. It was a frustrating week for me - mostly because a flare-up of hives kept me from getting to the gym twice. But, I can say that the time I was at the gym was worth it. My endurance is already picking up pretty significantly and I've noticed I'm not as exhausted as I was when I started this two weeks ago.
Week 2: So that's the good news, the bad news is I still haven't lost any weight. It's a major bummer and a slight blow to my enthusiasm. But I'm going to keep going and I know my efforts will pay off down the line nonetheless.
My Workouts:
Thursday -
60 minutes of cardio including the treadmill and the stationary bike
Friday -
40 minutes of walking (non-gym day)
Saturday -
20 minutes of walking (non-gym day)
Monday -
60 minutes of cardio including the treadmill, the stationary bike and the elliptical
15 minutes of weight training
Tuesday -
30 minutes of walking (non-gym day)
Wednesday -
30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical
30 minutes of weight training
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Wednesday Weigh-In
Hello everyone! Hope you guys are having a great week.
Well, I've been a faithful little patron to the Y this week. I'm really surprised by how quickly I'm becoming addicted to the gym. I've never been a gym person, but there's something about having 1 1/2 hours with a friend while child-free that makes working-out a bit less painful.
As you may remember, I tracked my weight loss while Joel was in Iraq last year, but I didn't give too many specifics in my weekly posts. But this time around, I'm hoping to share more of what I've been doing - a way for me to keep accountable for my workouts but also, I hope that it'll help those of you who are losing weight, too.
One thing that I've found incredibly helpful is to track my workouts and calories/nutrients. I'm using the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone and it's really easy to use. I entered my current weight, my goal weight and how much I want to lose each week - it then determines, based on my activity level, what my calorie intake should be per day. It's a great tool and is helping me to keep on track. Oh, and it's free!
Week 1: No weight loss to report. Sad, but true. However, I feel more energetic than I've felt in a long time. To me, that makes the fact that I haven't lost weight kinda okay.
My workouts:
Well, I've been a faithful little patron to the Y this week. I'm really surprised by how quickly I'm becoming addicted to the gym. I've never been a gym person, but there's something about having 1 1/2 hours with a friend while child-free that makes working-out a bit less painful.
As you may remember, I tracked my weight loss while Joel was in Iraq last year, but I didn't give too many specifics in my weekly posts. But this time around, I'm hoping to share more of what I've been doing - a way for me to keep accountable for my workouts but also, I hope that it'll help those of you who are losing weight, too.
One thing that I've found incredibly helpful is to track my workouts and calories/nutrients. I'm using the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone and it's really easy to use. I entered my current weight, my goal weight and how much I want to lose each week - it then determines, based on my activity level, what my calorie intake should be per day. It's a great tool and is helping me to keep on track. Oh, and it's free!
Week 1: No weight loss to report. Sad, but true. However, I feel more energetic than I've felt in a long time. To me, that makes the fact that I haven't lost weight kinda okay.
My workouts:
Friday -
30 minutes of cardio on the stationary bike
25 minutes of weight training
Saturday -
45 minutes of cardio, including walking and stationary bike
Monday -
76 minutes of cardio, including jogging, stationary bike and walking
25 minutes of weight training
I have a 5:30 date at the gym tomorrow morning. Hopefully Joel can motivate me (*ahem* push me out of bed) when the alarm goes off.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday Weigh-In
Just wanted to quickly update you all on... nothing. I'm still staying steady - with 3 pounds to go to meet my 25 pound weight loss goal. I'm embracing the fact that unless I start exercising Biggest Loser-style that I'm not going to meet my goal before Joel gets home.
That's okay though. I'm really happy with 22 pounds and like I've said a hundred times already, this journey has really been about being healthy and feeling good. I still plan to get down to my goal weight, but it's just not going to happen before my hubby comes home.
That's okay though. I'm really happy with 22 pounds and like I've said a hundred times already, this journey has really been about being healthy and feeling good. I still plan to get down to my goal weight, but it's just not going to happen before my hubby comes home.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Wednesday Weigh-In
This week was just so-so with eating for me. I managed to share one brownie out of an entire pan with Grace and I think I've eaten my weight this week in hummus. Seriously, that stuff is good. But, I did manage to still lose one pound this week. That makes the total weight loss since Joel deployed (118 days ago) to 22 pounds and I have 3 more to go to make it to my goal weight. Woo-Hoo!
A few weeks back, I saw my doctor about another issue and asked her about what she think my ideal weight would be... Well, as of today, I'm at that weight! It feels great to know that I'm healthy and I do feel so much better about myself.
On my next Wednesday Weigh-In post, I want to share some about my own struggles with body image and how I try to keep that balanced now with my venture toward personal health. So, be on the look-out for that.
Happy Wednesday to you all... cute baby pictures are coming soon!
A few weeks back, I saw my doctor about another issue and asked her about what she think my ideal weight would be... Well, as of today, I'm at that weight! It feels great to know that I'm healthy and I do feel so much better about myself.
On my next Wednesday Weigh-In post, I want to share some about my own struggles with body image and how I try to keep that balanced now with my venture toward personal health. So, be on the look-out for that.
Happy Wednesday to you all... cute baby pictures are coming soon!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday Weigh-In
Happy Wednesday to all of you! I was pretty nervous about this morning's weigh in, but I'm happy to report that I'm down one pound this week. I'm thrilled that I lost the pound that I gained last week, so I'm where I was 2 weeks ago. 7 pounds to go!
I want to give some blog love today... first to my fellow MilSpouse blogger at Faith & Deployments. She just welcomed her husband home from overseas and it's been a trying wait for her - he kept calling her to tell her he was on his way, and then plans changed. I can't even imagine that kind of emotional roller coaster. Way to go, girl! And enjoy this unforgettable time with your soldier!
I also want to introduce you to a life-long friend of mine over at Lap-Band Momma. We've known each other all of our lives and I'm so proud of her journey to weight loss and health. If you've ever considered weight loss surgery or if you're just curious, please follow her story. She just started blogging last month, so it won't take long for you to catch up with her. So far she's chronicled her weight loss journey from when she started gaining weight back in high school until where she is today. I had so much fun with her when she came to visit me and my family last week. I hadn't seen her since she had the Lap-Band procedure 18 months ago. I have so much respect for her as I had no idea how much life changes once you have this type of surgery. She has a little boy who is just two weeks younger than my Autumn and she's an RN, so I think she offers a unique perspective.
I'm in the middle of writing the second part to my Home from War post. These have been so hard to write, but I've found it to be a therapeutic process. It'll be up tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that.
I want to give some blog love today... first to my fellow MilSpouse blogger at Faith & Deployments. She just welcomed her husband home from overseas and it's been a trying wait for her - he kept calling her to tell her he was on his way, and then plans changed. I can't even imagine that kind of emotional roller coaster. Way to go, girl! And enjoy this unforgettable time with your soldier!
I also want to introduce you to a life-long friend of mine over at Lap-Band Momma. We've known each other all of our lives and I'm so proud of her journey to weight loss and health. If you've ever considered weight loss surgery or if you're just curious, please follow her story. She just started blogging last month, so it won't take long for you to catch up with her. So far she's chronicled her weight loss journey from when she started gaining weight back in high school until where she is today. I had so much fun with her when she came to visit me and my family last week. I hadn't seen her since she had the Lap-Band procedure 18 months ago. I have so much respect for her as I had no idea how much life changes once you have this type of surgery. She has a little boy who is just two weeks younger than my Autumn and she's an RN, so I think she offers a unique perspective.
I'm in the middle of writing the second part to my Home from War post. These have been so hard to write, but I've found it to be a therapeutic process. It'll be up tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Homecoming Driven
Grace was born at the end of the winter in 2006. I had just quit working a job I loved and Joel was working full-time for the Guard and also going to school full-time. Now after finally establishing our relationship and our roles in it, things turned a bit upside down with parenthood added to the mix.
No one tells you that parenthood is going to completely transform your marriage. No one tells you, as a woman, that taking care of your baby and your post-pregnancy body is going to leave you without any strength left. Becoming a mom completely rocked my world.
Joel and I once again transitioned after Grace was born. I was trying to be the best momma to my new little mini-me and was having a hard time emotionally giving up the working-girl Jill. Joel felt like I wasn't giving him enough attention and I honestly, at the time, didn't feel like I had any more to give. We had some crazy fights during this time. I was still completely emotional from just having a baby, so I know I didn't always act rationally when Joel wanted to discuss things. But because I was so irrational, I was convinced Joel was the irrational one. Honestly, there was a whole lot of irrationality in our household during that time.
It took us a few months to get in the groove of having a new little person become a part of our family. But by the fall, we were working hard to make it work. It was during that time that we found out that Joel would be deployed soon to Iraq. We let that news just sit with us for a while before we told family. I wasn't handling the news well and the anticipation of him leaving was killing me.
In February 2007 Joel left for Iraq. He walked out the door with all his bags and I collapsed on the floor. I knew the next 6 months were going to be tough and suddenly I was thrown into single parenthood.
Joel's Iraq deployment was hard on me. Grace was 11 months when he left, and still not sleeping through the night well. I was trying to figure out how to manage the household without Joel's help or advice. I was completely anxiety-ridden over Joel's safety and was an emotional wreck. I cried myself to sleep more nights than I'd care to remember and I was worn-out from being Grace's mom and dad. At night, I would sit in bed with the calendar and just stare at the days, weeks and months that had gone by and look to the weeks ahead wondering what it would feel like for Joel to come home.
So, Joel's homecoming was what I was fixed upon. It was all I could think and dream about - the sight of him coming through the glass door at the airport with his arms wide-open.
A few weeks before he came home, the base's Family Readiness offered a briefing for family. The briefing was basically useless. I was most excited to hear from a psychologist they brought in to talk about post-deployment transitions and PTSD. She was a non-military psychologist, but had worked closely with many war veterans. She basically told us that our soldier's best bet, if they were experiencing problems, was to find a counselor/psychologist who would accept cash payment so there wouldn't be a paper trail. She said that if our soldier saw a counselor and the military knew about it, that it would create too many career problems, so it was just best to do everything hush-hush. I couldn't believe it! I still can't and it makes me sick... but that's for another time.
I was excited yet totally stressed over the thought that Joel would be home soon. I was having a hard time sleeping and developed TMJ, to the point that for about 5 days, I wasn't able to close my jaw. All I wanted was a date. THE date.
I wanted him home. I wanted his homecoming. I wanted for our family of three to be together and for us to leave the deployment, war, loneliness and hard times behind.
Little did I know that the hardest time was about to come.
No one tells you that parenthood is going to completely transform your marriage. No one tells you, as a woman, that taking care of your baby and your post-pregnancy body is going to leave you without any strength left. Becoming a mom completely rocked my world.
Joel and I once again transitioned after Grace was born. I was trying to be the best momma to my new little mini-me and was having a hard time emotionally giving up the working-girl Jill. Joel felt like I wasn't giving him enough attention and I honestly, at the time, didn't feel like I had any more to give. We had some crazy fights during this time. I was still completely emotional from just having a baby, so I know I didn't always act rationally when Joel wanted to discuss things. But because I was so irrational, I was convinced Joel was the irrational one. Honestly, there was a whole lot of irrationality in our household during that time.
It took us a few months to get in the groove of having a new little person become a part of our family. But by the fall, we were working hard to make it work. It was during that time that we found out that Joel would be deployed soon to Iraq. We let that news just sit with us for a while before we told family. I wasn't handling the news well and the anticipation of him leaving was killing me.
In February 2007 Joel left for Iraq. He walked out the door with all his bags and I collapsed on the floor. I knew the next 6 months were going to be tough and suddenly I was thrown into single parenthood.
Joel's Iraq deployment was hard on me. Grace was 11 months when he left, and still not sleeping through the night well. I was trying to figure out how to manage the household without Joel's help or advice. I was completely anxiety-ridden over Joel's safety and was an emotional wreck. I cried myself to sleep more nights than I'd care to remember and I was worn-out from being Grace's mom and dad. At night, I would sit in bed with the calendar and just stare at the days, weeks and months that had gone by and look to the weeks ahead wondering what it would feel like for Joel to come home.
So, Joel's homecoming was what I was fixed upon. It was all I could think and dream about - the sight of him coming through the glass door at the airport with his arms wide-open.
A few weeks before he came home, the base's Family Readiness offered a briefing for family. The briefing was basically useless. I was most excited to hear from a psychologist they brought in to talk about post-deployment transitions and PTSD. She was a non-military psychologist, but had worked closely with many war veterans. She basically told us that our soldier's best bet, if they were experiencing problems, was to find a counselor/psychologist who would accept cash payment so there wouldn't be a paper trail. She said that if our soldier saw a counselor and the military knew about it, that it would create too many career problems, so it was just best to do everything hush-hush. I couldn't believe it! I still can't and it makes me sick... but that's for another time.
I was excited yet totally stressed over the thought that Joel would be home soon. I was having a hard time sleeping and developed TMJ, to the point that for about 5 days, I wasn't able to close my jaw. All I wanted was a date. THE date.
I wanted him home. I wanted his homecoming. I wanted for our family of three to be together and for us to leave the deployment, war, loneliness and hard times behind.
Little did I know that the hardest time was about to come.
"Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!"
Psalm 61:1-4
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday Weigh-In
I lost 2 pounds this week!
So, I've lost 18 since this deployment started and I have 7 more to meet my 2nd weight-loss goal of 25 pounds. I feel really good about this week - I ate well, and tried to sneak-in workouts around taking care of my girls. I don't know how it is for you, but I find it difficult to schedule 20-30 minutes for myself to workout when I have the girls to take care of. So, I started working out randomly throughout the day. I'll do squats while I'm waiting for dinner to finish on the stove, push-ups during commercials on TV and ab/back exercises while I'm holding the baby on the floor. Oh, and I count an hour walk at the mall as exercise!
I saw my doctor yesterday for something non-weight related, but asked her what she felt my ideal weight would be. So, we looked at the BMI chart together and talked some about it and she told me what she thought my healthiest weight would be. Right now, I'm 4 pounds from that. She told me to keep nursing, and it'll just fall off. She's right, it's hard to give up nursing when you know 1) how healthy it is for your baby and 2) that you're burning approximately 500 calories a day doing it without much effort. So, yes, nursing is part of my weight-loss strategy. I'm not too proud to admit that.
Thanks so much for your encouragement in all of this. It helps to know how many of you are cheering me on and how many of you look forward to my weekly weight updates.
So, I've lost 18 since this deployment started and I have 7 more to meet my 2nd weight-loss goal of 25 pounds. I feel really good about this week - I ate well, and tried to sneak-in workouts around taking care of my girls. I don't know how it is for you, but I find it difficult to schedule 20-30 minutes for myself to workout when I have the girls to take care of. So, I started working out randomly throughout the day. I'll do squats while I'm waiting for dinner to finish on the stove, push-ups during commercials on TV and ab/back exercises while I'm holding the baby on the floor. Oh, and I count an hour walk at the mall as exercise!
I saw my doctor yesterday for something non-weight related, but asked her what she felt my ideal weight would be. So, we looked at the BMI chart together and talked some about it and she told me what she thought my healthiest weight would be. Right now, I'm 4 pounds from that. She told me to keep nursing, and it'll just fall off. She's right, it's hard to give up nursing when you know 1) how healthy it is for your baby and 2) that you're burning approximately 500 calories a day doing it without much effort. So, yes, nursing is part of my weight-loss strategy. I'm not too proud to admit that.
Thanks so much for your encouragement in all of this. It helps to know how many of you are cheering me on and how many of you look forward to my weekly weight updates.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Wednesday Weigh-In
So, Wednesday's the day that I get up and hop on the scale to see how my good eating and workouts are paying off. My goal is to lose 15 pounds during Joel's deployment. As of this morning, I have lost 3. I'm pretty happy with that number.
I don't know how other military wives are when their spouse is away, but I always eat so much better when Joel's gone. (No offense, Honey.) I don't keep the junk food around that I do when he's home, and meals are a lot simpler, not as fatty, and well not nearly as tasty. With just Grace and I to cook for right now, I don't feel like I have to make a big 'ol dinner with all the fixings. And without the bread and desert, we're eating much healthier.
But I do get cravings. Usually around 9:00, when the kids are in bed, I really, really, really want a bowl of ice cream or a bowl of Oreos with milk. But without them in the house, I have no choice but to reach of the banana or string cheese. I usually sit down at the computer, with my healthy snack of choice and read a couple food blogs, and just pretend I'm eating all that beautiful, glorious food.
Note: I know the title's alliteration will drive some of my friends crazy, but I had to do it. It was too easy.
I don't know how other military wives are when their spouse is away, but I always eat so much better when Joel's gone. (No offense, Honey.) I don't keep the junk food around that I do when he's home, and meals are a lot simpler, not as fatty, and well not nearly as tasty. With just Grace and I to cook for right now, I don't feel like I have to make a big 'ol dinner with all the fixings. And without the bread and desert, we're eating much healthier.
But I do get cravings. Usually around 9:00, when the kids are in bed, I really, really, really want a bowl of ice cream or a bowl of Oreos with milk. But without them in the house, I have no choice but to reach of the banana or string cheese. I usually sit down at the computer, with my healthy snack of choice and read a couple food blogs, and just pretend I'm eating all that beautiful, glorious food.
Note: I know the title's alliteration will drive some of my friends crazy, but I had to do it. It was too easy.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Setting Goals
I've been slow going with this post. Mostly because I feel if I actually post my goals publicly, there will be accountability to fulfill them. Acountability. Blah.
So, here it goes. My goals for the next many months of this deployment:
So, here it goes. My goals for the next many months of this deployment:
- Read a book every day. I mean a real book with more than 10 words on a page. I love to read but have lost my drive to do so over the last few years.
- Spend one-on-one time with each of my girls each day. I spend so much time running around the house doing this and that. I need to be sure to sit, talk, play and participate in play that both Grace and Autumn need.
- Lose 15 pounds. I have lost every single last pound I gained with Autumn plus a few, but I want to get back to where I was before I got pregnant with Grace. This will mean getting back to working out at least four times a week and eating healthy.
- Make a plan for our basement. We have a finished basement with a bathroom, laundry area and a decent sized all-purpose room.. It's been completely under-utilized since we bought the house and I need to make the space work.
- Study Scripture every day. I have times in my life when I'm really good about setting aside quiet time for myself and other times I simply do not make this a priority. I need to set aside part of my day for just me and God - whether it be right before bed or before the kids wake up. I'm in the middle of studying Proverbs right now and I want to study Colossians after that.
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