An all-American suburban mother's fight with the battle of the bulge. Come support, sympathize, criticize and voyeur along with me as I detail daily my Emotion, Food, Activity and life amongst the rest of the squirrels just trying to get a nut. Come take the journey along with me.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
power foods
Welcome to eFAT-Blog. This is a site where you can find the journey of an American suburban working mother of 5 children's journey to a healthy lifestyle.
Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
Simplifying Life
I have been for years now – about 5, trying to wok on simplifying my life. Initially, I began these efforts with the goal of getting organized. Then it morphed into trying to reduce the stress in my life. Now, I want to live more simply so that I’m not overtaking the resources afforded to our wonderful world. Additionally, with that aspect in mind, I think I will be allowing myself and my family to live more healthily.
However, it seems I am thwarted at every turn. I’m trying to cut back the unnatural things that are in our diet. The goal being that if we eat more simply, we’ll be healthier, too. I discovered over the course of the last week that many of the items I assumed were healthy, i.e. Yoghurt, had additives in them that really made them unhealthy in one way shape or form.
Find yoghurt that does not have high fructose corn syrup in it. Find yoghurt that doesn’t have some other chemical sweetener in it. And find those simple foods at an affordable cost to sustain 7 people! Yowsa! I did find one at my local market – I prefer to shop in the town I live, because it makes sense – as oppose to driving 20 miles to the Super Wal-Mart. I save gas, time, and energy and support my own community financially. But because my hometown has less than 10k people in it, purchasing goods there costs an extra cent here and an extra cent there. But the cost of one 6 oz yoghurt that fit all the requirements I had (ingredients: Grade A Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, fruit juice, blueberries, tapioca, pectin, natural flavor, active cultures) & produced locally, was 69 cents – and that’s ON SALE. Oi! And some of the pals I’ve made here in the Seattle area would argue that the yoghurt I did purchase “Cascade Fresh,” is not as simple as it should be. If I had time to make my own yoghurt, I just might. But cut me some slack. I work full-time, spend a whole other work day in the car driving, and have 5 children to care for and a husband who I love showering with romantic attention daily. Making yoghurt kind of falls down the priority list. I’m going to let my dollars do my talking here, I guess.
But I noticed my grocery total was about $50 more than normal. Granted I had not done a thorough shopping trip in probably three weeks, so there was extra stuff to get – laundry supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. But buying whole grain breads, purer yoghurts and other all-natural foods, upped my grocery ante. Oh well, my family’s health is definitely worth it.
In other diet news…I’ve been sticking to this Power Food plan for more than a week now. It feels good and is easy to follow. This is the first eating plan I’ve followed where the whole family can do it, as well.
Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
Simplifying Life
I have been for years now – about 5, trying to wok on simplifying my life. Initially, I began these efforts with the goal of getting organized. Then it morphed into trying to reduce the stress in my life. Now, I want to live more simply so that I’m not overtaking the resources afforded to our wonderful world. Additionally, with that aspect in mind, I think I will be allowing myself and my family to live more healthily.
However, it seems I am thwarted at every turn. I’m trying to cut back the unnatural things that are in our diet. The goal being that if we eat more simply, we’ll be healthier, too. I discovered over the course of the last week that many of the items I assumed were healthy, i.e. Yoghurt, had additives in them that really made them unhealthy in one way shape or form.
Find yoghurt that does not have high fructose corn syrup in it. Find yoghurt that doesn’t have some other chemical sweetener in it. And find those simple foods at an affordable cost to sustain 7 people! Yowsa! I did find one at my local market – I prefer to shop in the town I live, because it makes sense – as oppose to driving 20 miles to the Super Wal-Mart. I save gas, time, and energy and support my own community financially. But because my hometown has less than 10k people in it, purchasing goods there costs an extra cent here and an extra cent there. But the cost of one 6 oz yoghurt that fit all the requirements I had (ingredients: Grade A Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, fruit juice, blueberries, tapioca, pectin, natural flavor, active cultures) & produced locally, was 69 cents – and that’s ON SALE. Oi! And some of the pals I’ve made here in the Seattle area would argue that the yoghurt I did purchase “Cascade Fresh,” is not as simple as it should be. If I had time to make my own yoghurt, I just might. But cut me some slack. I work full-time, spend a whole other work day in the car driving, and have 5 children to care for and a husband who I love showering with romantic attention daily. Making yoghurt kind of falls down the priority list. I’m going to let my dollars do my talking here, I guess.
But I noticed my grocery total was about $50 more than normal. Granted I had not done a thorough shopping trip in probably three weeks, so there was extra stuff to get – laundry supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. But buying whole grain breads, purer yoghurts and other all-natural foods, upped my grocery ante. Oh well, my family’s health is definitely worth it.
In other diet news…I’ve been sticking to this Power Food plan for more than a week now. It feels good and is easy to follow. This is the first eating plan I’ve followed where the whole family can do it, as well.
power foods
Welcome to eFAT-Blog. This is a site where you can find the journey of an American suburban working mother of 5 children's journey to a healthy lifestyle.
Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
Simplifying Life
I have been for years now – about 5, trying to wok on simplifying my life. Initially, I began these efforts with the goal of getting organized. Then it morphed into trying to reduce the stress in my life. Now, I want to live more simply so that I’m not overtaking the resources afforded to our wonderful world. Additionally, with that aspect in mind, I think I will be allowing myself and my family to live more healthily.
However, it seems I am thwarted at every turn. I’m trying to cut back the unnatural things that are in our diet. The goal being that if we eat more simply, we’ll be healthier, too. I discovered over the course of the last week that many of the items I assumed were healthy, i.e. Yoghurt, had additives in them that really made them unhealthy in one way shape or form.
Find yoghurt that does not have high fructose corn syrup in it. Find yoghurt that doesn’t have some other chemical sweetener in it. And find those simple foods at an affordable cost to sustain 7 people! Yowsa! I did find one at my local market – I prefer to shop in the town I live, because it makes sense – as oppose to driving 20 miles to the Super Wal-Mart. I save gas, time, and energy and support my own community financially. But because my hometown has less than 10k people in it, purchasing goods there costs an extra cent here and an extra cent there. But the cost of one 6 oz yoghurt that fit all the requirements I had (ingredients: Grade A Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, fruit juice, blueberries, tapioca, pectin, natural flavor, active cultures) & produced locally, was 69 cents – and that’s ON SALE. Oi! And some of the pals I’ve made here in the Seattle area would argue that the yoghurt I did purchase “Cascade Fresh,” is not as simple as it should be. If I had time to make my own yoghurt, I just might. But cut me some slack. I work full-time, spend a whole other work day in the car driving, and have 5 children to care for and a husband who I love showering with romantic attention daily. Making yoghurt kind of falls down the priority list. I’m going to let my dollars do my talking here, I guess.
But I noticed my grocery total was about $50 more than normal. Granted I had not done a thorough shopping trip in probably three weeks, so there was extra stuff to get – laundry supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. But buying whole grain breads, purer yoghurts and other all-natural foods, upped my grocery ante. Oh well, my family’s health is definitely worth it.
In other diet news…I’ve been sticking to this Power Food plan for more than a week now. It feels good and is easy to follow. This is the first eating plan I’ve followed where the whole family can do it, as well.
Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
Simplifying Life
I have been for years now – about 5, trying to wok on simplifying my life. Initially, I began these efforts with the goal of getting organized. Then it morphed into trying to reduce the stress in my life. Now, I want to live more simply so that I’m not overtaking the resources afforded to our wonderful world. Additionally, with that aspect in mind, I think I will be allowing myself and my family to live more healthily.
However, it seems I am thwarted at every turn. I’m trying to cut back the unnatural things that are in our diet. The goal being that if we eat more simply, we’ll be healthier, too. I discovered over the course of the last week that many of the items I assumed were healthy, i.e. Yoghurt, had additives in them that really made them unhealthy in one way shape or form.
Find yoghurt that does not have high fructose corn syrup in it. Find yoghurt that doesn’t have some other chemical sweetener in it. And find those simple foods at an affordable cost to sustain 7 people! Yowsa! I did find one at my local market – I prefer to shop in the town I live, because it makes sense – as oppose to driving 20 miles to the Super Wal-Mart. I save gas, time, and energy and support my own community financially. But because my hometown has less than 10k people in it, purchasing goods there costs an extra cent here and an extra cent there. But the cost of one 6 oz yoghurt that fit all the requirements I had (ingredients: Grade A Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, fruit juice, blueberries, tapioca, pectin, natural flavor, active cultures) & produced locally, was 69 cents – and that’s ON SALE. Oi! And some of the pals I’ve made here in the Seattle area would argue that the yoghurt I did purchase “Cascade Fresh,” is not as simple as it should be. If I had time to make my own yoghurt, I just might. But cut me some slack. I work full-time, spend a whole other work day in the car driving, and have 5 children to care for and a husband who I love showering with romantic attention daily. Making yoghurt kind of falls down the priority list. I’m going to let my dollars do my talking here, I guess.
But I noticed my grocery total was about $50 more than normal. Granted I had not done a thorough shopping trip in probably three weeks, so there was extra stuff to get – laundry supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. But buying whole grain breads, purer yoghurts and other all-natural foods, upped my grocery ante. Oh well, my family’s health is definitely worth it.
In other diet news…I’ve been sticking to this Power Food plan for more than a week now. It feels good and is easy to follow. This is the first eating plan I’ve followed where the whole family can do it, as well.
Monday, September 11, 2006
lower appetite with the anniversary
Welcome to eFAT-Blog. This is a site where you can find the journey of an American suburban working mother of 5 children's journey to a healthy lifestyle.
Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
So over the course of the last week, I've started the Abs Diet for Women. Since I am a stereotypical middle-aged American Woman and tend to carry my extra weight around my middle, I thought I'd investigate. Well it seemed absolutely sensible and doable to me and I just started doing it.
I've dropped 5 pounds. yay! let's see if I can keep it off.
Breakfast: whole wheat english muffin, one egg (microwaved w/ reduced-fat mexican cheese and salsa); coffee (black)
MMS: plain oatmeal with chopped pecans (about 2 tsp); tsp of honey; cinnamon; skim milk
Lunch: whole wheat pesto pasta
MAS: all natural ginger cookies; diet dew
That's so far. Planned for dinner is extra lean burger made with oats, spinach and spices with whole wheat bun; broccolli; salad.
and I still can have a treat before bed -- 2 tsp of all-natural peanut butter or a smoothie. Since I don't have a working blender right now; I think the PB will win.
I feel full all the time and they consider much of these foods 'power foods.' My kids are now asking if the stuff they are eating is a power food. Maybe I finally found something that will work.
However, there is the little voice of doubt in me, in that -- today is the 5th anniversary of one of the most awful things I've ever lived through. The terrorist attack on the Pentagon. So my appetite is not what it normally is -- it's very low. I've had to push myself to be productive all day long. I should feel accomplished in that I did accomplish a lot and am sticking to a healthy eating plan and moving around (up and down the stairs over and over again -- STILL unpacking -- ugh!). I see the trainer on Wednesday. And they're starting new aerobics classes at my work two days a week at lunch time -- right up my alley.
So, we'll see the progress. I'll have to weigh-in on Wednesday and will try to remember to do it every Wednesday to gauge my progress. But I can tell just by my clothes things are slimming down. Either that or I'm used to being heavier. Nah -- I'm losing. I plan to continue this downward trend as far as my weight is concerned and not be sidetracked. I'm going to be 40 in a few short months. I dont' want to feel unaccomplished in every regard of my life. I may as well feel like I'm doing something right.
Anyone else out there struggling?
Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
So over the course of the last week, I've started the Abs Diet for Women. Since I am a stereotypical middle-aged American Woman and tend to carry my extra weight around my middle, I thought I'd investigate. Well it seemed absolutely sensible and doable to me and I just started doing it.
I've dropped 5 pounds. yay! let's see if I can keep it off.
Breakfast: whole wheat english muffin, one egg (microwaved w/ reduced-fat mexican cheese and salsa); coffee (black)
MMS: plain oatmeal with chopped pecans (about 2 tsp); tsp of honey; cinnamon; skim milk
Lunch: whole wheat pesto pasta
MAS: all natural ginger cookies; diet dew
That's so far. Planned for dinner is extra lean burger made with oats, spinach and spices with whole wheat bun; broccolli; salad.
and I still can have a treat before bed -- 2 tsp of all-natural peanut butter or a smoothie. Since I don't have a working blender right now; I think the PB will win.
I feel full all the time and they consider much of these foods 'power foods.' My kids are now asking if the stuff they are eating is a power food. Maybe I finally found something that will work.
However, there is the little voice of doubt in me, in that -- today is the 5th anniversary of one of the most awful things I've ever lived through. The terrorist attack on the Pentagon. So my appetite is not what it normally is -- it's very low. I've had to push myself to be productive all day long. I should feel accomplished in that I did accomplish a lot and am sticking to a healthy eating plan and moving around (up and down the stairs over and over again -- STILL unpacking -- ugh!). I see the trainer on Wednesday. And they're starting new aerobics classes at my work two days a week at lunch time -- right up my alley.
So, we'll see the progress. I'll have to weigh-in on Wednesday and will try to remember to do it every Wednesday to gauge my progress. But I can tell just by my clothes things are slimming down. Either that or I'm used to being heavier. Nah -- I'm losing. I plan to continue this downward trend as far as my weight is concerned and not be sidetracked. I'm going to be 40 in a few short months. I dont' want to feel unaccomplished in every regard of my life. I may as well feel like I'm doing something right.
Anyone else out there struggling?
Thursday, September 07, 2006
entering autum
Welcome to eFAT-Blog. This is a site where you can find the journey of an American suburban working mother of 5 children's journey to a healthy lifestyle.
Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
So it's the kids first day back to school. Spent the weekend getting them ready. Making sure the supplies were all in order, everyone had the proper gear and clothes, blah blah blah. Unpacking, etc. I wish I could be there while they get on the bus okay. I know Nan will do a terrific job. But I can't help but have those pangs of guilt for not being there. But today's lives require that mum is at work. /sigh. Saturday friends from our first Seattle neighborhood came over to visit. It was really nice. Their son and our brood got to play in the woods and by the Snoqualmie River. We went for a short walk. Picked ripe blackberries off the bushes. Met some more of our neighbors and ordered-in. We chatted about everything under the sun from the wars in the world, energy consumption, successful parenting, housing market. You know all the perils that face an American suburban family. LOL. I began to read to Tiger last night an article about a new type of 'diet' or 'eating plan' as they call it. We still have more to read on it; but, it sounds like something worth trying. We'll finish reading it tonight and I'll let you know what else I find out. But the premise is to keep your body's metabolism on an even footing -- basically keep yourself from caloric deficits. So six small meals throughout the day -- which is the way I need to eat to be productive any how. The research on the science of this diet says that people who let themselves get into a caloric deficit -- you know that 'starving' feeling before you binge on everything in the icebox -- are the ones that carry belly fat and have other unhealthy traits. :: raises hand::
Back to school -- back to a better routine. I guess summer's over. But tell that to the weather. It's sunny and today's high is supposed to reach 77 degrees.
Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
So it's the kids first day back to school. Spent the weekend getting them ready. Making sure the supplies were all in order, everyone had the proper gear and clothes, blah blah blah. Unpacking, etc. I wish I could be there while they get on the bus okay. I know Nan will do a terrific job. But I can't help but have those pangs of guilt for not being there. But today's lives require that mum is at work. /sigh. Saturday friends from our first Seattle neighborhood came over to visit. It was really nice. Their son and our brood got to play in the woods and by the Snoqualmie River. We went for a short walk. Picked ripe blackberries off the bushes. Met some more of our neighbors and ordered-in. We chatted about everything under the sun from the wars in the world, energy consumption, successful parenting, housing market. You know all the perils that face an American suburban family. LOL. I began to read to Tiger last night an article about a new type of 'diet' or 'eating plan' as they call it. We still have more to read on it; but, it sounds like something worth trying. We'll finish reading it tonight and I'll let you know what else I find out. But the premise is to keep your body's metabolism on an even footing -- basically keep yourself from caloric deficits. So six small meals throughout the day -- which is the way I need to eat to be productive any how. The research on the science of this diet says that people who let themselves get into a caloric deficit -- you know that 'starving' feeling before you binge on everything in the icebox -- are the ones that carry belly fat and have other unhealthy traits. :: raises hand::
Back to school -- back to a better routine. I guess summer's over. But tell that to the weather. It's sunny and today's high is supposed to reach 77 degrees.
Friday, September 01, 2006
New Month; new outlook
Welcome to eFAT-Blog. This is a site where you can find the journey of an American suburban working mother of 5 children's journey to a healthy lifestyle. Daily I will detail my emotions, food, activity and the like in the neverending battle of the bulge.
Come take the journey along with me.
So it's September 1st. A new month. A virtual new start to get this healthy lifestyle thing going. I've been doing pretty good on my food choices. Had some fast food two mornings ago -- a McDonald's breakfast meal. I was sick to my stomach almost the whole day. I just cannot do fast food anymore. Besides it's not really all that fast anymore. It's just fat.
I have a free gym at my disposal and have for 3 months now. I still haven't used it. It does require that I meet with the trainer and get 'accessed' and learn the machines. blah blah blah. I'm trying how to figure that into my schedule. I guess I'll just make an appointment on my schedule for Wednesday next week. I'd start sooner, but I'm teleworking today and Tuesday. And Monday is the Labor Day holiday. Hopefully, Wednesday will mean that the trainer will be there, too. I did go once and he wasn't there.
So that's my goal: make and keep the gym trainer appointment. Then work out at the gym once a week for two weeks; twice a week for 4 weeks; three times a week for 6 weeks and so on....
Second goal: Each and everynight, do some stretches for my back and small exercises I learned in physical therapy.
Third goal: Try at least one day out of the weekend to take a walk, hike, or play with my kids in another form of exercise.
I'm feeling really old today, but woke up with new resolve. Hopefully I make some progress.
Come take the journey along with me.
So it's September 1st. A new month. A virtual new start to get this healthy lifestyle thing going. I've been doing pretty good on my food choices. Had some fast food two mornings ago -- a McDonald's breakfast meal. I was sick to my stomach almost the whole day. I just cannot do fast food anymore. Besides it's not really all that fast anymore. It's just fat.
I have a free gym at my disposal and have for 3 months now. I still haven't used it. It does require that I meet with the trainer and get 'accessed' and learn the machines. blah blah blah. I'm trying how to figure that into my schedule. I guess I'll just make an appointment on my schedule for Wednesday next week. I'd start sooner, but I'm teleworking today and Tuesday. And Monday is the Labor Day holiday. Hopefully, Wednesday will mean that the trainer will be there, too. I did go once and he wasn't there.
So that's my goal: make and keep the gym trainer appointment. Then work out at the gym once a week for two weeks; twice a week for 4 weeks; three times a week for 6 weeks and so on....
Second goal: Each and everynight, do some stretches for my back and small exercises I learned in physical therapy.
Third goal: Try at least one day out of the weekend to take a walk, hike, or play with my kids in another form of exercise.
I'm feeling really old today, but woke up with new resolve. Hopefully I make some progress.
