Day 42 - 100 and Counting

Okay, I have a hundred days to go on the resolutions made thus far for 2011. I can't say that I have made much progress at this point. I am not sure what the deal is with me getting my stuff together. Frustrating at the very least and annoying at best.

Today after I worked for a few hours, I spent approximately 4 hours working on cleaning out boxes I have in the garage of things that need to be shredded or thrown out. We're talking old bills, checks (LOTS of checks) and papers that I have been hanging onto for no apparent reason. I have many, many drawings the girls have done over the years and I have tons of stuff from work - whether advertising, reporting or law enforcement. I am not certain why I'm keeping a lot of this stuff. I'm trying to sort out in my mind if it's "sentimental" or if there is stuff I really need to keep. I'm sure some of it is junk and I did make a valiant effort to toss the junk I found today. But seriously, I felt several different times today that I have "mother tendencies." With that said, I CAN understand how overwhelmed mother must feel with all the crap in the house and trying to go through it all. I only started working on the garage and shish. Hopefully in the next few weeks will show some massive progress. I should set a firm deadline, but with life being as it is, that's rather hard to do these days.

I'm trying to watch "Eragon" while typing this. The book is amazing and even better than the movie. I've read the book several times and WOW. I keep hoping "Eldest" will be released as a movie one of these days soon. However, I have a problem watching this movie. The television in the living room is shot. It still kinda has a picture and has great sound, but slowly (about 10 - 15 at a time) the pixels are dying out. We started out with about 5 dead pixels and now I can say there are several hundred and it's very difficult to see the TV. I don't think I will ever want a flat screen like this one again. In fact, the old tube TV's would be fine by me.

Diet and exercise. Frankly, haven't been the best the past two days, but the rest of this week was okay. I don't know that I need to worry quite so much about the food at this point, but I will keep sharing all the cool stuff I have found out. AND I have GOT GOT GOT to get my butt into the gym. I have the feeling I'm going to have to pull an hour or so at the gym 5-6 days a week for the next few weeks to start losing this chunk of weight I have collected. I have a whole lot of mental resistance but I need to do so. I don't know how those folks on the Biggest Loser workout... they weigh more than me and work out on the show for several hours a day. Guess I need to get my head in the right place yet again. It's been a few days since I've had the right mindset.

Well, tomorrow will be a more relaxing day. I plan on paying some bills, clean off my desk and play some World of Warcraft with my sister. Adios for now...

Day 38 - An Ode to Breakfast

I was 3 minutes late for work today. I like to be on time for work. However, I actually ate some breakfast this morning which took me a little longer than the norm. That really wouldn't have been so bad had I not overslept to begin with and I wouldn't have overslept if I hadn't been watching one of the "Big Momma" movies I hadn't seen late last night. It's interesting to see how the chain of events can unfold. But I digress...

There are a lot of mornings I don't eat breakfast. This morning, I had a yummmmmmy multigrain bagel w/ a schmear of cream cheese (approximately 200 kcal.) It was enough to soothe the savage beastie and kept me from downing 250 unhealthy calories of Peanut M&M's, which is what breakfast would have been. I'm proud of the choice to eat something healthy for breakfast; afterall, breakfast IS the MOST important meal of the day.

Just some quick points on how breakfast helps:

Energy: After fasting all night, breakfast can kick-start your energy level.
Appetite suppressant: If you choose healthful, slow-burning foods, like whole grains and fruits, you should be able to control your appetite until midday. Overeating throughout the day is also less likely. Studies show that people who skip breakfast tend to make up for the calories later in the day, often with unhealthy, high-fat and high-calorie convenience foods.
Calorie burning: Eating breakfast increases the metabolic - or calorie-burning - rate. Consequently, you have more energy and weight control is easier. Watch out for foods heavy with refined sugars, like pastries and sugary cereals. These foods offer calories without many essential nutrients. High sugar foods and drinks may also cause your energy to soar briefly before it falls to lower levels. You may feel more drained and hungry, even if you ate breakfast.

A healthy breakfast should contain some protein and some fiber. Protein can come from low fat meats, eggs, beans or dairy. Fiber can be found in whole grains, vegetables and fruits. So what do we eat?

Oatmeal or warm cereals such as 9-Grain Cereals, Cream of Wheat etc.
Add a tablespoon or two of wheat germ and a table spoon of flaxseed and maybe some fresh or dried fruit (no sugar added) is a great way to start the day. (It's in my top 3 list of favorite breakfasts.)

Sidenote: Flaxseed from health food stores is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Purchase the already ground type to save some time of grinding it yourself and keep it refridgerated. You can add this to lowfat cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese and smoothies.

Some other quick and healthful ideas are:

· A nonfat or lowfat yogurt parfait layered with fresh fruit and cereal, nuts or raisins
· Lowfat yogurt mixed with fresh fruit in a blender for a vitamin-rich smoothie
· Whole wheat toast with a little peanut butter and banana slices
· Fish, such as leftover salmon, on a whole grain bagel with reduced or nonfat cream cheese (Rudis organic bagels ROCK!)
· Homemade bran or fruit and nut muffins, made on the weekend and frozen.
· Leftovers from a healthy dinner. No one says you have to have eggs and cereal for breakfast.

And in case you are interested....

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: 3/4 cup of Light Chocolate Silk; 1 Rudis Organic multi-grain bagel with a schmear of cream cheese
Morning Snack: Frigo Light Cheese Stick
Lunch: 2 Ezekiel Tortillas, 1 can of tuna fish w/ 1T of mayo and 1T of relish split between both tortillas; 1/5 cups of raw spinach between the two tortillas and last but not least... 20 baby carrots
Afternoon Snack: Gala apple, cherry jello, and 1 oz mixed nuts
Dinner: Not a clue at this moment.


Feeding the Spirit #38

— Isaiah 40:29-31 —
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Day 37 - Monday... Not a Fan

It's not so much that I don't like Mondays. I have nothing personal against a Monday. I do dislike the first day of the week I have to go back to work whether it be a Monday, Thursday or Saturday. It could also be that I'm not really so concerned today is Monday, but that I'm just not thrilled with life in general.

DH's computer bit the big one. As this is the primary tool needed for him to be able to do his job, that's a setback I hadn't really anticipated. He does have a backup system he's working on, but it is slower, needs more RAM and whatever else... It's frustrating to say the least and I'm not happy about all this crap that seems to be happening lately.

Health and Fitness #37: There is a yoga class and a pilates class tonight offered at the Town Club. I really think I need to go to at least one of them. Not only are they low-impact workouts, but the stress relief is more important than just about anything else. I'm thinking at this point I just might implode.
I've really wanted to start doing yoga again on a regular basis. I actually have a book, a CD and a mat at home. However, home isn't an overly great place to try to do any kind of exercise. Between the DH, the kids, the dogs and life in general, it's kind of the worst case scenario for working out. In 2008 I was doing yoga with some kind of regularity. Hopefully, this will be a great thing to come to pass. Unfortunately, as much as I want to go tonight, I don't know that I will get dinner done in time to make that happen. *sigh* Too bad there isn't an early morning yoga class.

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: 1 cup of Light Chocolate Silk; 2 small Oatmeal/Banana/Cranberry cookie things (... not that great, but edible, nutritious, and not a lot of calories)
Morning Snack: Frigo Light Cheese Stick and 1/4 cup blueberries
Lunch: 2 Ezekiel Tortillas, 1 Laughing Cow Herb Cheese, 3 slices Organic deli chicken, Spinach, Sprouts and 3 Gobstoppers
Afternoon Snack: "Jazz" apple (can't say I'm all that impressed and much prefer a honeycrisp, gala, mac or granny smith), a cup of sugar-free Cherry Jello, 1 "cookie" and 10 mixed nuts
Dinner: Pork chops, Broccoli/Rice/Cheese, Salad, Crescent rolls (at least that is the theory as I sit here contemplating what to cook)

Feeding the Spirit #37

— James 5:16 (b) —
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

_________________________
Six Blessings of Prayer:
• Prayer fuels faith to dream and hope and risk;
• Prayer woos us to the Word and by our need to hear God's response to our requests;
• Prayer teaches us trust in God by waiting upon His timing;
• Prayer reveals God's plan and our purpose in opening up to us detailed directions for both the present and the future;
• Prayer releases God's power to live and walk in the supernatural realm of the Holy Spirit;
• Prayer unleashes love for God — emotional, real and all-consuming.

Day 36 - Sunday Again?

Well, I woke up late, fed the dogs and realized without a shadow of a doubt I missed church again. I'm not sure how this happens. We wanted to go last night and due to poor planning and what can only be described as a cleaning-fest, we missed it too. Rather frustrating. I can't say that the state of the house justifies not going to church.

The family has been talking about moving. I don't think that anyone would really contend that we could make the move to NYC right now (though I found a wonderful and "overpriced" apartment in Flushing, Queens that would be awesome.) However, Dallas isn't out of the question and I, for one, think that is going to be the best idea, We will have to see what happens of course, but if something doesn't change around here soon, it will get ugly really quickly. I'm sure there will be more details to come.

Life Lesson #36 This isn't actually the 36th life lesson, but it is day 36 which is how this numbering system came about. It's the only way I can keep things straight in my own mind right now. So.... life lesson or maybe life advice to make you think...

If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

Maybe this should be more of a food for thought than a life lesson, eh?

Food & Drink #36 Spinach another super fabulous wonder food.

Spinach is considered one of the healthiest and most beneficial vegetables of all time. It has lots of vitamins, proteins, antioxidants and essential nutrients that promote good health and well-being. The only real downside about spinach is it really needs to be consumed as soon as possible because the longer left refrigerated, the more nutrients it loses.

Reasons to Eat Spinach

* It is super-loaded with Vitamin A, which makes it beneficial for weak eyes. Any kind of strain on the eyes is reduced to a great extent and the eye muscles are made stronger. (At least that's the theory.)
* The thickening and hardening of arteries is prevented due to substances like choline and inositol, which are present in significant amounts to make sure the blood arteries remain healthy.
* Diabetics can particularly benefit from spinach since it is known that eating spinach regularly can stabilize blood sugar and prevent it from fluctuating often. Take a few handfuls of spinach and add 3 cups of water. Place it over low flame for almost an hour till it boils completely and mixes the nutrients in the water. Strain it and allow it to cool. Drink ½ cup daily to stabilize blood sugar.
* A particular substance known as flavonoid is present in spinach which is a powerful anti-oxidant and also has anti-cancer agents like carotenoid, preventing the formation of tumors.
* Spinach is known to be an anti-aging vegetable and reverses age related breakdowns, making you youthful and fresh. It also has a good amount of Vitamin K which helps in the clotting of blood in case of injuries.

Food tally for the day:
Breakfast: 1 Rudis Organic Multigrain Bagel, 1 T. Horizon Organic Cream Cheese, 1/2 C. Grapefruit and 1/2 Cup Light Chocolate Silk
Morning Snack: Frigo Light Cheese Stick
Lunch: 1 Ezekiel Tortilla, 1/2 Laughing Cow Herb Cheese, 2 slices deli chicken, Spinach, Sprouts, and a sprinkling of dried cranberries and 6 Lifesavers for Dessert
Afternoon Snack: 15 Grapes and 1 oz Mixed Nuts (It's amazing how full you actually feel when you eat the right foods and eat them slowly.)
Dinner: Broiled tilapia, Romaine Lettuce Salad, Giovanni Giant Ravioli Tomato & Mozzarella (A serving size is 5 pieces, but had 3.5 pieces. Afterall, this is the pleasure diet not the watch everyone else eat yummy things and then go in a binge later.)

Dessert: I'm experimenting with "healthy" banana cookies - have some allspice, nutmeg, vanilla, dried cranberries, applesauce, bananas (of course) an egg and oatmeal... they are in the oven baking at this time. If for any reason they suck, I shall never mention them again.

Feeding the Spirit #36 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8