Weekend Rewind

It has been a busy weekend for me. Things got started on Friday around lunch when my college roommate Jess came into town for a visit.  Jess and her Mom met me at lunch at a local Mexican place. I enjoyed chicken fajitas as well as lots of laughter and great conversation.

Best Roommate Ever

Jess and her Mom (Rita) went on to surprise me by offering to cook dinner for Micheal, Joycie and I.  After an extremely stressful week at the office, I had no energy or motivation to prepare dinner, so I gladly took them up on their offer. Besides, I couldn’t pass up a chance to spend more time with these two wonderful ladies.  When I came home around 5:00 on Friday, my kitchen was filled with the divine aroma of spaghetti sauce bubbling away on the stove.  Turns out, Jess and her Mom had whipped her homemade spaghetti sauce earlier in the week and had brought 2 quart jars to me.  One was used for supper and the other is in my pantry awaiting another meal.

Spaghetti, Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread.

After Jess and her Mom left to head home, Micheal, Joycie and I went down to my sister-in-law’s house. Our church is hosting our annual Vacation Bible School the week after next, and my brother-in-law Jason needed our help building props. The theme is based on aviation, so Jason is building a miniature plane.

Saturday morning kicked off bright and early, as my sister-in-law Lane, friend Serena and I headed out for a day of shopping.  We scored major deals at TJ Maxx’s, Target, and a few other stores.  I had fun trying out a few of the pieces in the Old Navy Active Line.

The pieces were affordable priced. But the shorts were a bit shorter than I am comfortable running in and the shirt was a size too big, so I passed. But I am considering buying them online. I could see myself using them for at home workouts, yoga, or playing outside with my daughter. The girls days ended with lunch at one of my favorite restaurant, Olive Garden.  I enjoyed the soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch – having a bowl on minestrone as my soup of choice.

Last night, our family gathered for yet another cookout and shooting of fireworks. What can I say, we like to celebrate the 4th of July as much as possible?  Since I had been away from the hubby and daughter all day, I made an effort to really be engaged – choosing not to snap pictures for the blog or do too much tweeting. It was a nice evening.

Today’s agenda includes church, lunch with my parents, and a workout with the hubby.  To me, it is the perfect ending to a pretty stellar weekend.

Things to talk about:  What were the highlights of your weekend?  What are your plans for today?

I Have An Announcement to Make…..

 

Last week, @FitBloggin put out announcing that due to the generosity of their amazing sponsors, they would be offering 30 Assistantships for this year’s conference.  I have wanted to attend FitBloggin for the past 2 years – even before I started this blog – so with a lots of hope and prayer, I submitted an application for the Assistantship.

On Tuesday, Roni the amazing founder and organizer of FitBloggin sent me an e-mail telling me that I had been chosen for one of the assistantships. I am beyond excited. I can not wait to attend the conference, learn from some amazing speakers, and meet so many of my favorite bloggers.

So we know I am going to FitBloggin, are you?

The Best Laid Plans

“The best laid plans of mice and men, Often go awry.”

~ To A Mouse,  A Poem by Robert Burns

Last night, I blogged that my plans after publish my post include a walk on the treadmill, Day 5 of the #30dayabchallenge, and making a dinner of grilled chicken and roasted squash. I managed to get in my workout thanks to the magic of full episodes of Jake and the Neverland Pirates on the internet – two episodes kept my daughter entertained for nearly an hour. That hour was enough time to walk for nearly 2 miles and complete the Day 5 exercises.

But my dinner plans went awry.  Normally, in our house, one spouse will prepare dinner while the other prepares our daughter for bed. Last night, my husband came home feeling very ill  - so while he lay dozing on the couch – I was left to solo parent. This meant I had the responsibility for feeding my daughter, bathing her, giving her medicine, and getting her to sleep. None of those is an easy task when dealing with a spunky two year old.  By the time her nightly routine was finished, I had no energy to cook dinner and no appetite. So I made my husband a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and I ate a serving of dark chocolate almonds and scoop of Justin’s Maple Almond Butter.

I realized that while I keep my fridge and pantry stocked with healthy foods, I don’t have any really options for quick meals.  This weekend I intend to grill several chicken breasts to keep in the fridge to use for salads, wraps, or sandwiches. I am also going to make a few quiches and frittatas to freeze. This way the next time my dinner plans go awry, I can eat something more balanced and nutritious.

Things to talk about: Who prepares dinner in your household? What are your go-to quick dinner ideas?

Moving Forward

This morning I shared with you my struggles from the holiday and my plan for going forward.  After I pressed publish on my post, I started putting my plan into practice. I packed my lunch bag with a few servings of my favorite veggies ( sliced red pepper and baby carrots), a few bottles of water, and this new snack bar that I am loving.

 

The ingredients list is just peanuts, almonds, cranberries, almond butter and honey.  The bar is a great mix of sweet from the honey with salty from the nuts.  The healthy fats and protein of the almonds and almond butter also help to keep me fuller than some other snacks.  I made it a practice of taking 5 minute walk breaks around the office at the end of each hour, which helped to keep my mind clear, and allowed me to work up an appetite for the HUGE salad I had for lunch.

 

I find myself craving salads more frequently these days – I think it is do to the hot weather. Salads just seem to scream “Cool and refreshing”.  To keep things interesting, I try to vary the things I put in my salad. Today’s salad beast had broccoli, cauliflower, pineapples, raisins, and was topped with roasted red pepper hummus.

Eating balanced meals and drinking lots of water had me feeling less bloated and yuck by the end of my work day. Now, I am going to go for a walk on the treadmill, followed by Day 5 of the #30dayabchallenge, and end my day with a dinner of grilled chicken and roasted squash.  I’d say that is a step in the right direction – FORWARD!

Things to talk about: How do you get back on track after an day of overindulgence?

I can’t do this….

Last night, I did something that I have not done in quite some time. I went to bed feeling sick.  No, I did not have the beginnings of a virus. I was literally sick because I had eaten too much food.

Yesterday, my mother-in-law hosted a barbeque for our family, my parents, and a few close family friends.  Normally, I would have prepared a few items that I knew where healthier and would satisfy my appetite so that I would not be tempted to over indulge on the not so healthy options.  But I spent the morning playing with my daughter, working out with my hubby, and just relaxing. I figured that I would be able to make it thru the barbeque.  Wrong.

Between failing to eat breakfast, eating a tiny lunch, and the intense work out session prior to – I was starving by the time the BBQ rolled around.  I inhaled half a pack of Chip Ahoy cookies before the burgers were done, then two hot dogs with all the trimmings, followed by a plate full of chips and dip, and then ice cream.  Mid-way thru my second hot dog, I felt my body telling me I was full. But my head kept telling me to eat – so I did. Shortly thereafter, came the sick feeling, and suddenly I felt as though I was back to my ED days.

As I lay in bed, praying for my stomach pains to ease, I asked the Lord “Why can’t I do this?”.  And while there was no audible voice, my spirit heard “Because you are placing all your trust in yourself. You must trust me.”

Philippians 4:13

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

This verse, which Paul wrote in a letter to the church at Philippi, does not mean that as a believer in Jesus I can do anything that I want to do.  It means that if Christ is allowed to work thru me, then I can achieve any task set before me.  I think this is true of my goal of getting healthy. 

Does God really care about your weight?

No, God is not concerned with the number that appears on my scale.

 1 Samuel 16:7 says

“ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

If God does not care about what you weight, why this post?

My body is the temple of the Holy Sprit. 

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, I am told

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

 

My overeating is not glorifying God and as a result it is of concern to my Heavenly Father. Up to this point, I have placed my trust in my own ability to work out, prepare healthy foods, and make good choices.  But that did not get me very far.  Going forward, I have to place my trust in God as I travel this journey to a healthy me.

So how do you do that, Kim?

1. Begin each morning asking the Lord to fill me with His strength as I go throughout my day. Ask the Heavenly Father to empower me to make good choices for my body and my health.

2. Read the daily devotions from “Fit For My King” by Sherri Rose Shepherd.  I bought this book at a woman’s conference nearly 2 months ago. At the time, I did not fully understand why I was buying it, I was "healthy”.  Now, I can see that God was leading me to this book, which uses Biblical truth to show me how to use my journey to health to bring glory to God.

3. Pray/Quote Scripture when faced with temptation.  Normally, when I would have the urge to reach into the candy dish or have that 3rd piece of pie, I would drink a glass of water and walk around my office.  Now, when those urges come, I will first pray, then find a scripture to quote…..then drink the water and take a walk.

I struggled to write this post. I was ashamed to share my failure. Then I was worried that my talk of God would offend those of you reading this blog.  However, this is my blog, my story, my journey, and I have to be true to who I am and what I believe.  And so, with prayer and God’s guidance, I poured my heart out and shared my story.  Perhaps my words will be of help or comfort to someone else. If nothing else, I know that I feel renewed.

More Goals

Goal setting seems to be surrounding me on all sides these days.  At my company, we are embarking on a new fiscal year, and are defining our goals and budgets for the next 12 months.  In the blogsphere, my favorite blogs  are sharing their goals for the month of July and the rest of the year.

Inspired by those around me, I thought I would sit down and define my own goals for the next few months. I have previously outlined a few physical goals that I would like to achieve in the short term.  But I want to look beyond the physical – to the other aspects that make me…well, me.  Due to my love for alliteration, I have categorized my goals as Faith, Family, Fitness, and Food.

Faith:

Goal: To deepen my relationship with Christ.

• Develop the habit of a daily quiet time. I have been following the reading plans suggested by the ladies at She Reads Truth. But I often fail to have a quiet time on the weekends.  I do best if I have my quiet time first thing in the morning. This may mean getting up earlier, or using the You Version App to read before my weekend runs, but I can make this work.
• Devote more time to preparing my Sunday School Lesson. Last September, I became the Sunday school teacher for our Youth class. I started off strong - reading the scriptures one day, the commentary in the teaching guide the next, and making a "lesson plan". But somewhere along the way I got off track and have just been throwing the lessons together. Starting with this week's lesson - I will read the Scriptures on Monday, study the commentary on Tuesday, develop the lesson plan on Wednesday/Thursday, and review everything on Saturday afternoon.
  Find opportunities to serve others - both in my church and in the community at large.

 

 Family:

Goal: Deepen my relationship with Micheal (hubby)

• Devote at least 1 night per week to "hiding out" with my husband - Between work, church, family, and friends, M and I often spend little to no time at home during the week. This often leaves us feeling frazzled., I want to have a least one evening per week where M and I are at home....alone....just taking care of ourselves and the chores that often accumulate at home.
• Have "date night" each week. - Date night is different from "hiding out". Date night is a night reserved for nothing more than spending time together. No chores allowed on date night!

Goal:  Spend time playing with my daughter
     

• At least once a week, I want to spend an afternoon/evening during nothing more than playing with my daughter. I loved having a playout with her a few weeks ago. I can see us taking trips to the local playground, going swimming, or spending an evening chasing bubbles and firelies in the backyard.
  

Goal: Spend more time with our parents.

• This will include lunch dates with my Daddy, shopping trips with my Mama and MIL, and at least two "parents" dinners at our home.

Fitness

Goal: Complete Phase 1 of the LiveFit Trainer during the month of July

• Ultimately, I would love to do the entire LiveFit plan. However, I am going to focus on just one phase at a time, as I can not predict if our work and family obligations will leave us with the ability to complete Phases 2 and 3.  I will re-evaluate this goal at the end of July.

Food

Goal: Eat more “real” foods….less junk. Spend more time learning to cook and bake.

• Prepare my own breakfast each morning before work rather than resorting to a pastry or bar from the office kitchen.
• Take my lunch to work – alternate between huge salads or leftovers from the previous night’s meal.
• Prepare at  least 1 new meal per month with a focus on vegetarian/vegan meals.
• Bake at least 1 new item per month.

 

Things to talk about: What goals do you have for the month of July?  Any goals for the rest of the year?  Have you met any goals already this year?

A Productive Morning

I love productive mornings.  You know, the kind of morning where you accomplish a lot without feeling rushed or crazed.  Today, the hubby had to be off to work at 5:30, so I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to fix his breakfast and pack his lunch. Normally, I lie back down after he leaves.  But today, I decided to stay up (thank you early bedtime). Here is everything I was able to accomplish:

I started my morning off with Day 3 of the 30 Day Ab Challenge.  This workout created by Susan had my abs shaking and my heart pumping.  I especially loved the situps to jump backs – ab work and cardio in one!  If you haven’t checked out Susan’s workouts, I would highly recommend you spend some time on her You Tube channel.

After my physical exercise, I decided to due some Spiritual exercise with the Day 13 reading for “Living the Surrendered Life”. Today’s verse talked about how we are to think of ourselves…but not too often or too highly. This was a great reminder for me as a wife/mother – that I do need to take care of myself and should not feel guilty about taking time for workouts. However, I need to be sure to balance taking care of me with taking care of my family. If I spend more time in the gym than with my husband and daughter that is a problem. Additionally, I should never think myself above anyone else.  While we are different, we are all the same, sinners saved by grace and trying to make our way thru this life.

Perhaps it was the daily devotional or just my motherly instincts but following my quiet time, I started folding laundry.  Folding laundry is one of my least favorite chores. I have been known to leave clothes in the dryer for days just to avoid folding them (Horrible I know).  This morning I managed to fold 1 load and have another load washing as I blog.

While I do not particularly enjoy folding laundry, I do enjoy seeing a basket of neatly folded clothing.  And I know my hubby will appreciate having clean clothes to wear to work.   The last thing I did this morning was to make myself breakfast.  Since I am following the LiveFit Trainer for my workout plan, I decided to make the suggested breakfast of egg whites.

I love to add lots of veggies to my egg white scrambles. Today’s choices were a cup of tri-colored peppers and 2 cups of spinach.  I used  egg whites in a carton for convenience sake.   

The veggies were cooked first. Then I added 9 tablespoons of egg whites to the pan.  I cooked everything on low for about 10 minutes.  Plated, served, and topped with a little homemade salsa.

As soon as I press publish on this post, I will begin getting myself and my daughter dressed for the day.  Hopefully, my productive streak will continue at the office.

Things to Talk about:   How do you make your mornings more productive?  Do you take care of yourself so that you can take care of others?  What are you eating for breakfast today?