Whole30: Day 15

Day 15

       I made it half way! I'm feeling so good too! Yesterday I was doing some shopping and tried on a few tops at JC Penny's and I needed a medium instead of a large! Yay!! More confirmation that this food adventure is going well. I've been too busy to really try anything new in my cooking, but this week I should have some more time. I picked up a spaghetti squash and found a recipe for some meatballs. I'm going to give those a try this week. I'm also going to make my own spaghetti sauce. Do you know that most spaghetti sauces have sugar in them? And a lot of them have some sort of cheese too. That isn't too much of a surprise. So I have the stuff to make my own.
       I also found a recipe for a chocolate chilli. I've been craving chocolate today so when I saw the recipe on pinterest I pinned it right away. I realize that the chilli won't taste like the snickers bar that is waiting for me in my freezer, but it still sounds good. I figure I can freeze some of it too so that it goes a long way. 

       Tonight I added to my goal of working on being healthy. I used my treadmill. My sister made me. ;) I just needed a little push. I have this great app called 5K runner. I've attempted to use it a number of times and never get past the first day.  Who am I kidding. I usually don't get past the first 15 minutes. Well tonight I did it! The full 25 minutes! I was ready to give up at 15, but when I saw I only had 10 minutes left I told myself I could do it. And I did! It would be pretty awesome if I continued using my treadmill and could run in a 5K this summer. I really want to accomplish that. Pretty sure it's on my 40x40 list too. 

Reading Challenge Update #1

2. Ramona Quimby, Age 8, by Beverly Cleary. I find it funny that the cover of this book has Ramona riding a bike on it. This happened once in the book, and she never got her own bike. I really like Beverly Cleary books. Ramona, Beezus, Henry, Ribsy, Ralph S. Mouse. They're all so fun. My class really liked this one. I love when I tell them I'm going to read for a few minutes and I hear several kids say "Yes!" If I could get away with reading and doing art projects all day long with my class I totally could, but I don't think my administrator or the parents would appreciate that. :) I love my job!

Whole30: Day 12

Day 12
I'm almost half way through my 30 days! I can totally do this! The hardest time for me is the evenings when I feel like munching. Lara bars have been helpful.

Today's Menu:
Breakfast: 2 fried eggs with hot sauce and coffee
Lunch: Hot lunch at school today was tacos so I made mine into a salad. It was tasty.
Dinner: Chicken, spaghetti sauce, and broccoli
Snack: banana, V8 fusion (Not sure if I'm really supposed to have this. There are way too many names for sugar. I get confused)

How I'm feeling:
Well, I wondered how that soda would affect me yesterday and I figured it out. I drank it at lunch and by 3:00 I was so sleepy. It took me a minute to figure out why. Then it hit me. The Sprite! And then I realized that since I started my "food adventure" I haven't been as sleepy as I usually am. That is huge! For a long time when someone asked me how I was I always wanted to answer tired. I knew there was something wrong, but I just thought I wasn't getting enough sleep. I've been this way for years. I'm definitely starting to see how what I fill my body with affects me. And I'm really glad for that.

On a side note, today I bought my tickets to go home for my Spring Break in March! I am SO EXCITED!!! I miss my family and friends back home so much. I'll be home for a week, and that doesn't include my travel days. Woohoo!! Happy dance!

Whole30: Day 11

       Oops, it's been a while! I can't believe I didn't write anything on Saturday. I weighed in on Saturday. Guess what?! I lost 10 pounds! Woohoo! What a start!
       No I'm not expecting to lose that much every week. But clearly eating this way has made a difference. I had a few days of craving sugar and bread. And I miss having my simple go to's for snacks. I need to cut up some more veggies and use the olive dip I bought. That will help. I did discover that I can have a burrito bowl from Qdoba. That was exciting! They have excellent fajita veggies and I just asked for extra. Yum! I'm sure you could do the same thing at Chipotle. Fast food and the Whole30 don't go so well together.
       I have to admit it though. Today I'm going to cheat. I'm going to drink a Sprite with my lunch today. Not because I'm missing Sprite or anything. I'm a teacher and I held a garbage can for a student throwing up this morning. I don't think I'm sick, but my stomach just feels funny. I think the Sprite will help. I wonder if I'll notice how the sugar makes me feel after 11 days of no sugar.

Reading Challenge 2016

 I did it! I finished my first book for my reading challenge of 2016! It's true I started this book in 2015, but who cares. One book down, 19 to go! I have multiple books I've already started so I'll pick up one of those next. I'm the queen of starting books and not finishing them. 

1. The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, by Dorothy Gilman was a fun book. It is the second Mrs. Pollifax book that Gilman wrote. Emily Pollifax is a retired woman from New Jersey who ends up working for the CIA. She has fun adventures and goes everywhere wearing a big flowered hat. I really like these books.

Oh the Possibilities of 2016

Found myself day dreaming this morning about 2016.
       Before moving to Wisconsin when I'd think about the year ahead it was pretty predictable. Sure things would come up to change the norm, but all in all it was predictable. I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing. In one sense I really liked it because like most people I'm not a huge fan of change. But on the other hand it wasn't so good because I would get comfortable and just enjoy my time in my bubble.
       Since my move in 2014 I feel like everything down the road is up in the air and could change at the drop of a hat. And honestly the 2014-15 school year was pretty much like that. Nothing happened like I thought it was going to happen. Now I have NO idea of what 2016 will look like.
       I'm actually looking forward to the end of it so I can look back and see how God orchestrated it all. There are just so many unknowns right now.

• I'm not sure how things are going to go with my job after this school year is over. 
• Since moving here God has provided me with two great friends who've encouraged me so much. In October one moved 2 hours away and the other friend will probably move away this summer. So I'm not sure what my friendships will look like by the end of the year. 
• My church is looking for a new pastor right now. I've really struggled with the person who has stepped into leadership while we've been looking for a new pastor. I do think his heart is in the right place. He wants our church to grow and prosper, but he has legalistic tendencies and often says things that I don't agree with. And he is leading the pastor search so that makes me nervous about the pastor that will come in next. Will I agree with him? Will he be legalistic? Will I need to find a new church? 

See what I mean? A year of unknowns.
As I was day dreaming/worrying about all of this this morning I was reminded of the Psalm we went over in prayer group this week.

Psalm 16
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows on those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me;
because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

       I could sit around and imagine the possibilities of 2016, but that's all they are possibilities. Instead I need to lean on the only one who has everything in His hand. He will preserve me. He will keep me safe. I only need to trust Him. I really like verses 8-9.
"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure."
       He is always with me. I have confidence that God will always be at my right hand to hold me secure no matter what comes my way.

Whole30: Day 5

Day 5
Today was torture!!! Hot lunch at school today was Papa Murphy's pizza. It's my favorite. And the school kitchen is right under my classroom. It smelled amazing. But I was good. I ate what I brought with me.

What's on the menu:
Breakfast: sausage and scrambled eggs
Lunch: leftover brussel sprouts, broccoli, and ground beef
Dinner: roasted sweet potatoes, sausage with onions and green peppers
Snack: apple, banana, almonds

How I'm feeling:
I've been feeling pretty good today. My self-control when it comes to food is better than I thought! The pizza...oh the pizza was a struggle today. I was craving bread today like I've never craved bread before! The struggle is real people. :)
Now I need to get my water drinking habits up to par.

Whole30: Day 4

Day 4

Well, I'm still alive! So far so good.

What's on the menu: 
Breakfast: coffee and banana
Lunch: chicken salad with balsamic, peach cup, hot tea
Dinner: baked red potato, broccoli, and cauliflower

How I'm feeling:
       Lunch was filling. Dinner was not. So right now I'm hungry. I munched a little on some left over roasted brussel sprouts from yesterday. But I'm still feeling munchy. I think I'll just go to bed soon and that will help. Other than being hungry tonight this food adventure has been going really well. I'm cooking more and eating a lot more veggies than I was before. I really love vegetables! I knew I did, I just didn't take the time to cook them. Can we say LAZY?!
       I think this weekend I'll make a big batch of meatballs for next week. I can freeze them and eat them throughout the week with spaghetti sauce and spaghetti squash. That actually sounds really good right now. Wow, I really have the munchies right now!

Whole 30: Day 2

Day 2

What's on the menu:
Breakfast: Coffee with my coconut creamer
Lunch: pulled pork and sweet potato hash
Dinner: beef lettuce wraps (they were SO good!)
Snack: almonds, apple, strawberries
(I couldn't resist the strawberries in the store. And let me tell you, they were very tasty!)

How I'm feeling:
Well, I made the huge mistake of not eating breakfast this morning. So by lunch time I was "starving." It also didn't help that one of my students brought cookies in to school today for her birthday. They looked so good. I really wanted one. But I was good. I resisted.
So tomorrow I'm going to eat breakfast. I promise!

Whole30: Alcohol
Honestly this area isn't a problem for me. I like having an occasional glass of wine, but at my job I signed a contract saying I wouldn't consume alcohol. So no alcohol for me.
Basically, it is on the list of don't's for the Whole30 because it is addictive and because when under the influence of it you are likely to make poor food decisions. It can also mess with your blood sugar levels. The book says more regarding alcohol, but I don't feel like sharing it all. You can read about it if it applies to you. It doesn't really apply to me. So, there you go.

Lettering

I follow Dawn Nicole's Hand Lettering Facebook page and she offers free practice sheets. So I spent a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon playing around with watercolors and lettering. I really would like to get better at hand-lettering so I could make signs and other things worth framing. 

Whole 30: Day 1

This is it! Day 1

What's on the menu:
Sweet potato hash with a fried egg
(I'm going to add sausage to it next time)
Broccoli slaw and beef stir fry

I made my own coffee creamer this morning! It is coconut milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. It was pretty good. Not as sweet as the creamer that I'm used to, but I think I could get used to it. I don't want to give up drinking coffee so this is what it will have to be. :)

How I'm feeling:
I'm not really sure if I can say that I feel any different at the moment. It's only day 1. I am happy to say that after my lunch I'm feeling full. That's helpful. I've got to drink more water this afternoon to help me not want to munch as much. But I have a tray of veggies all cut and ready to eat for when I do feel like munching.

Whole30: No Sugar
Those are pretty daunting words. No one wants to cut out sugar.
Chocolate, cookies, candy, vanilla coffee creamer...and the list goes on.
But as I've been reading about the Whole30 I've learned a lot about sugar. Did you know that sugar alters the balance of "good" and "bad" bacteria in your gut? It increases the bad and decreases the good. The result could be gas, fatigue, body aches, headaches, and joint problems.
The chapter on sugar ends with this: "When it comes to less-healthy foods, understand that the less (and less often) you indulge in them, the healthier you'll be. Where you draw that line is totally up to you." (It Starts with Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig)

Honestly, I love sugary things, but I'd rather have more of the savory most days. But I'm also weak. If there are brownies in the staff room I don't hesitate to take one...ok maybe two. I'm weak. Will I be able to handle the temptation at work?

1 day down 29 to go!

Whole30 on hold

Well, I came down with the stomach flu this morning. So I won't be starting my food adventure just yet. Saltines and sprite are my current food adventure! Yay me!

Whole30 Prep

I'm continuing to read Its Starts with Food as I get ready to start the Whole30 diet. I skipped a few chapters so that I could get to the nitty gritty of what I can and cannot eat. I'll go back and read them a little later. Friday will be my start date since I'm going grocery shopping on Thursday (weather permitting, there may be a snow storm on Thursday). I'm really liking this book because it isn't just telling me what not to eat. The book explains how the food affects my body.

As I'm reading I'm working on my grocery list so that I can start with a bang and attack this diet full force. Anyone else dislike the word 'diet'? Hmm...what else can I call this? Food adventure. Adventure is a much better word. Yup, I'm going on a food adventure!

I'm also using pinterest for ideas of what to be eating on my first week of my food adventure. A bunch of people have blogged about their weekly menus when doing the Whole30. I'll take any inspiration I can get!

My Shopping List (so far)

• apples
• almond butter
• eggs
• cucumber
• sweet potatoes
• coconut milk
• tazo passion tea
• bell peppers
• broccoli slaw

I realize there is no meat on my list this week. That's because I have some in the freezer already. :) 

I think one of the harder things for me will be when I get the munchies. So I'm going to prep a container of veggies to have in my fridge all the time. I'm also going to look for some sort of dip/tapenade to keep those veggies interesting. 

Whole 30

Ok, here it goes!
Step 1 to working on a healthier year.

I'm excited and nervous about giving this a try. But I weighed myself last night and suffice it to say I need to make a change in how I have eating and taking care of my body. The number I saw was not ok and I'm feeling it in my pants as well. All those sweets at Christmas took their toll.

Like I said in my last post, I'm going to give the Whole 30 a try. I picked up It Starts with Food from the library and started reading it last night. Basically I need to be filling my body with foods that are helpful for me. That sounds good to me. It isn't going to be easy. I'll be cutting out grains, dairy, and sugar. Do you know how much food has grain, dairy, and sugar?! Do you know how much I LOVE breads and cheese?! And don't even get me started on CHOCOLATE!!! So this week I'm reading up on what I need to be eating, and not eating, as well as eating things from my fridge that I won't be able to eat. Yum! I'm going to really savor the lasagna I'm having for dinner tonight. Thursday is my grocery shopping day so starting then I'm going hard core.

30 days.

I can do this.

I'm SO ready to shed some pounds, sleep better, and overall have more energy.

Happy 2016!

     It is so crazy to believe that today is January 1, 2016. Where did 2015 go?!
I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying my New Year's Day on my couch bingeing on season 1 of Psych. After driving to the airport at 5 I think my couch and I are going to stay close for the rest of the day. It's a good opportunity to blog, nap, search pinterest, and nap some more!

     2015 was a busy year that is for sure. I'm excited to see what God has in store for 2016.
As most people do, I have some goals for the year. I try not to make huge goals that I'll have a hard time completing at the end of the year. This year I want to focus of being healthy and reading more.

     My mom and dad are going to try out the Whole 30 diet for a month and I'm feeling challenged to try it as well. It is hard to think about cutting out some of my favorite foods (especially bread!), but I'm going to try it for a month and see how it goes. But all in all I'm wanting 2016 to be a healthy year for me. Eating better and exercising more.

     I'm excited to say (like I did in my last post) I have rediscovered my love for reading! There are so many good books out there. I want to read 20 books this year. It may not seem like a lot to you, but I'm not the fastest reader and I have a tendency to be busy. So 20 books it is! My friend Jen posted this picture on facebook today and I love the idea! What a fun way to pick books throughout the year! It will help me to read a good variety of books throughout the year. I'm starting the year by finish a few books I started a while ago. Right now I'm reading a Mrs. Pollifax book.
I'll keep you posted on my progress!