Ups and Downs

So funny how quickly motivation can go the wayside.  I was feeling pumped and ready for the change.  And then regular, everyday stressors took hold and I faced some struggles.  I did mostly well, in my opinion.  I have said all along that making these changes includes having regular meals, not limiting myself from foods and not being too hard on myself.  So all in all, I have done well.  When I consumed sugary junk (in moderation), I was sure to get a good walk in that day.

Yesterday was not so good.  I was just not feeling it.  I really wanted french fries.  And ice cream.  So I had both.  Not together.  They did truly taste delicious.  My weight was up today, of course.  But more noticeable was the bloat.  I could tell that my body had been filled with salty, no good foods.

Today, I'm drinking my water, eating good, healthy foods.  I had the kids down for a nap and threw on Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.  I bought this years ago and did do it a bit, but never for 30 days.  I put it on today just to "see".  Is this something I could do?

Well I will say, for the little amount of time it takes to do, it's perfect for my very full days.  Everyone stayed asleep for the time I needed to shred.  I did the level one workout and am a bit embarrassed to admit that I struggled through portions of it.  I did take breathers here and there when I should have kept pushing.  It reminded me that I need to work harder!

I plan to get out for a nice brisk walk tonight.  I find the evening walks are so good for me.  Not only for the exercise, but so good to relax my mind, focus my energy, and prepare for down time in the evening.  I'm continuing to push through!

I'm on this time

There have been other times when I think to myself, "I'm ready to lose this weight.  I'm ready to get healthy."  But it tends to be a fleeting thought.  No sooner than I thought it, I'm reaching for chocolate, ordering a fatty meal out and enjoying late night snacks.

This time, I'm "on".  In the past week I've lost 6 lbs.  I have had good filling breakfasts that help take me to lunch.  My lunch and dinners have had lots of veggies.  I've found snacks that I enjoy that are more reasonable and good for me.  I have had some indulgences, but I have cut the portions back so they are okay to have here and there.

I feel better.  I want to eat the good stuff.  I want to keep doing this.  I sure wish the pounds would just fall off, but that's not realistic of course. I know it's going to take a lot of work and a lot of time.

I'm still working on finding my groove with exercise.  I have been getting out for brisk walks with intervals of running.  I have a workout video that I have done in the past, so will pull that out soon too.  I need to find what I enjoy.  So far I am enjoying getting outside and walking/jogging.  I have learned that listening to music while I'm out there really keeps me pushing and focused.

I'm excited about this, and so glad I'm ready this time.

A New Season of Me

It's been almost 6 years since we welcomed our first baby into our lives.  The last 6 years have been busy, full of caring of others.  They've been wonderful years; many precious memories made and love shared.  I'm so very blessed to have the family I do.

In those years, my role changed to being Mom.  I welcomed that title, I always wanted to be a mom!  I have recently noticed though, that I have allowed my role as Mom take over from ME.  Over the years, I have put effort into me, I have recognized things that I need to feel good, to re-group, to push through the days.  In the last year when I ended up staying home with my children, I have put less effort into me.  I have given my all to my children and the children I care for.  

In the meantime, I have created "bad" habits - snacking on sweets for my "down" time, relying on caffeinated pop for my energy, and reducing my activity level.  I have put on weight, I have become sluggish, and I have stopped putting priority on my own health.

It's time for that to end!  I'm ready to focus on me.  To love me.  Ready to recognize that I deserve to feel good and deserve to take care of my own health, the way I do for my children.  I would never allow my children to consume in the way that I do, and I'm ready to make that important for myself too.  

I'm formulating a plan.  I realize that it's not going to be easy.  It's not going to be fast.  There are going to be rough days.  That's okay.  That's life.  And I expect that.  I plan to set reasonable goals so that I can lose weight, have more energy and improve my overall health.

This is day four of no Coke for me.  It has been my go to for energy since I'm not into coffee or caffeinated teas.  My almost 6 year old asked me if he could have pop and I said no way!  I explained that it was not good for us and not a good habit to start.  So he asked me why I drink it?  And I thought, yes,why do I drink it?  It's time to let it go.  I have upped my water intake to a minimum of 3 litres a day and it's going great.  This was the first of my baby steps to better health.

I have questioned how I can stay on track, and I know a lot of it is being accountable.  That is why I have chosen to add this to my old and barely used blog.  I'm putting it out there that I'm ready to change!

Wordless Wednesday

Grow, Grow, Grow

That's what we want to happen in our humble outdoor container garden.  Cayden had been expressing interest in growing vegetables and I have been thinking about it for awhile, but didn't want to take an area away from our grassy backyard where the children play and we host BBQ's and get-together's, so my husband suggested purchasing a garden box.  This seemed like a great idea.  We even have a little corner of the backyard that is "wasted space" that would be the perfect spot.  It turned out that we were able to get some great planters at no cost, so this past weekend my husband set them up, took the boys shopping and got some soil and a few plants.

With Cayden's input, we planted peppers, cucumber, parsley basil...

...carrots, chives, tomatoes and beans.

We're hoping that our little Cayden has a green thumb and we'll have some yummy fresh vegetables to harvest this summer!

It's been 2 months...

Yes, 2 months have passed since our newest addition joined our family.  It's been a busy 2 months, though in many ways it feels like he has been here forever.  Our family has adapted nicely and we're feeling pretty comfortable as a family of five.

I was really looking forward to bringing Benjamin home and getting pictures of all my boys together.  I soon realized that this was not likely to happen.  Once they were all in the same location together, the middle one would take off, or the baby would start crying, or the oldest would get this "great" idea of what else needed to be included in the picture: his hockey stick, a certain toy... you get the picture!  So managing to get all three of them in a picture together at all is a challenge, let alone having it result in a nice picture!

I peeked at the recent pictures on my camera today to see what we had captured.  Here are the two "gems" with all three together at once.

The three boys together in a picture!  Haha!

Even Mom made it into a picture with all three!  Benjamin is sleeping, Cole had just woken up from sleeping on the couch, and Cayden popped into the background, very "Wilson" style from Home Improvement!  :)

This just goes to show that we have some more work to do in the picture department!  Think I'll have to let the professionals capture my boys together.  My boys tend to be shy, so they may actually stay still in front of a stranger!

In the Kitchen - Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Making supper.  I love the idea of cooking, but usually I'm so tired by supper time that my interest in cooking has faded.  Plus it's like some magic time that signals meltdowns in children, or neediness.   My oldest son isn't so difficult to distract at that time, because helping with supper is something he enjoys doing.  Buy my one year old is "done" by then.  Seems to be regardless of whether or not I have given a snack, or set him up with something fun to do, he's just not that happy.  And of course, the baby usually needs to be nursed, or changed or cuddled...  So yes, while I like the idea of cooking, I'm usually pulling my hair out by supper time.

I hear many people saying the slow cooker is their best friend for this reason.  I have been known to make use of it, especially when working full time.  I tend to stick to sauces, soups, stews, roasts...the usual.  After a long weekend of hot weather and yummy barbeque, thanks so my husband, I decided to try a different slow cooker meal today.  

I had taken boneless pork chops and wanted something saucy.  With the help of this recipe, this is what I came up with.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Broccoli and Carrots on Rice

Adapted from: allrecipes.com

In the slow cooker mix:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soya sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

2 cloves chopped garlic

pepper to taste

Place the boneless pork chops in the sauce and put on low for about 3 hours.  (This really depends on how thick your chops are.  Mine were thin.  Add time for thicker chops.)

An hour before serving, toss in 1 cup of broccoli and 1 cup of carrots.

Serve with rice.

My family seemed to enjoy it.  It's a simple, easy meal with lots of flavour.  I think the sauce would also pair well with chicken.


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