The Plan - Day Three

Morning Weight - 128.6

What?What? Holy smokes. I thought with as starving as I was that I would have at least lost more than .4 of a pound. Guess that goes to show that there really is something to this whole "reactive food" thing.

So I had the same thing again for breakfast... the flax-granola cereal combo. It was a little hard to get down today. Not that it is gross, it is just not what I am used to for breakfast. I still had somewhat of a headache, which by lunchtime was pretty raging... so bad that I actually took some ibuprofen. I just couldn't function. For lunch, it was another complete torture day. The cafeteria provided the teachers with a full on mexican food buffet. Enchiladas. Rice. Beans. Cherry Cobbler. Hot Sauce. Did I mention Enchiladas? It smelled so good, but I was not swayed... I held the course and had my very weird tasting vegetable soup. I don't know what it is with these recipes... but she is very big on coconut milk, turmeric... which gives everything a very indian food taste to it, which I don't care for very much. So in the future, I will probably just keep it plain and simple. I would rather eat simple vegetables without the sauce than eat something that tastes weird just to have extra calories.

Anyway... I avoided the raw almond butter at snack today, since my leg flared up so badly after having almonds yesterday to see if that really was it. By the end of the day, it actually looked somewhat normal.

THE BEST PART OF THE DAY!!! Dinner!!! We got to have chicken at dinner and it was soooo delicious!! Again, probably because I was starving, but more because I usually put so much salt on everything... and this had just a tiny bit of sea salt. And I almost didn't even put any of that!!! When I tasted it, I was sure that it was going to need some more seasoning, but it was like my taste buds had come alive. Not kidding. By the end of the day headache had disappeared. I started to get some great energy back. I went to bed feeling good. Not great. But good.

The Plan - Day Two

Morning Weight: 129 pounds

Well, yay for weight loss... I guess. I am down six pounds. But what fool wouldn't be after the day I had yesterday. Woke up this morning very groggy... headache remaining. I would feel better I think, if someone would chop off the rest of my head with that chainsaw, or just give me some damn coffee. Either way, I'm a little grumpy. Or a lot grumpy. Whatever. Six pound weight loss doesn't even make me happy. Coffee would make me happy. Moving on.

I was bound and determined to not forget any single food item today. not even half an ounce. I got the granola, I got the milk, and had a makeshift bowl of cereal with that and the blueberries, that wasn't actually half bad. I might have actually enjoyed it, if my head did not feel like it was going to explode every time I chewed. What could be worse than a splitting headache? Oh, just getting your period. One week early. Lovely. Headache and cramps. This is fun.

Lunch was quite delicious... Avocado was heavenly in the salad that I did not forget!! One very interesting side note... Today's snack was almonds. And since yesterday, the redness of the eczema on my leg had really lessened. I had about 10 almonds, and within 30 minutes to an hour, it was full on itching like crazy. So I would say that I am reactive to almonds for sure.

Tonight's dinner consisted of the kale AND the coconut sauce... which was a little weird, but I was so hungry that fried cockroaches would have been good! The best part of the day... the brown rice. Yeah, it was plain, but it tasted so good, and actually filled me up. I was actually really REALLY full. Overall, I got through. It was a little tough... because of the headache I had most of the day and the complete lack of energy, but I stuck with it! Now for bed.

The Plan - Day One

Morning Weight: 135
We prepared what we could yesterday... I remade the flax-granola because my husband put Almond Extract and nuts in it. The house was a mess, and I mistakingly thought I would have enough energy after teaching all day to come home after Day One of the cleanse and clean it up. I knew I would be tempted to snack and cheat, so I made sure I had everything prepared so I would be "full". I am laughing at myself now. I have no recollection of what full is and barely remember how to spell my name because it feels like someone has taken a chainsaw and split my head open.

Needless to say.... today was a rough day. Being a Monday, it is hard enough to get out of the door anyway. Being a mother, with three kids to get ready should say enough. It is reason number one why I need coffee. There are 60 other reasons waiting for me when I walk into my classroom. I usually eat a frozen lunch or something from the cafeteria, so I had a hard time this morning with a myriad of things. Biggest problem.... no coffee. It was all I could think about. But I suffered through, had a shower, and went about my business of getting the four of us ready to get out of the door to all of our various schools.

Got to school, and realized I forgot the coconut milk for my flax-seed granola. Fabulous. So I choked it down anyway, with the blueberries. And was thankful that I had enough wherewithal to remember to bring bottled water. Which you are supposed to drink half your weight in ounces of water each day. I'm at 135 - that's roughly 70 ounces of water. I'm teacher. I don't pee. I swear that if the FBI is looking for new ways to torture terrorists, they should lock them in a room with 15 teenagers, make them drink 70 ounces of water, prevent them from peeing, and force them to try to teach them how to read.

Anyway, I did the best I could, until about 10:00. I knew that I was addicted to caffeine. I had heard about caffeine headaches. But oh sweet baby Jesus, it was bad. Lyn-Genet said in her book, that drinking dandelion tea would help the detox process, and I was glad that I had brought some to work. So I warmed it up, and tried not to burn my tongue as I gulped it down. It tasted like a delicious mix of grass and diluted mud. I was thankful I did not throw up in front of my students, and was actually delighted to have something warm. Although it resembled coffee the same way jello resembles creme brulee, I gulped it down either out of starvation or despair... not sure which.

So lunch time rolled around, and I went down to the teacher's lounge. About four steps out of my classroom, the distinct and glorious smell of pizza about knocked me down. We had a death of a teacher on campus last week, and we have been inundated with the most delectable treats. Today, a husband of one of our teachers decided to treat the whole staff to pizza. From my favorite pizza restaurant in Rockport. I did mention temptation, right? I sat and stared at the pizza as if it were the holy grail itself. And then sadly opened my lunchbox to enjoy my carrot soup and broccoli and salad. Except that I forgot my salad. And I forgot my broccoli. So I had my carrot soup and sadness and water. And everyone around me had pizza. Sigh. Commitment baby. I held my carrot soup ground and ate every last bite.

Snack time rolled around. And being the overachiever that I am, I thought I would stick to the theme of the day, and decided to forget my apple. I have never been grumpier. Or sadder. Or starving-er. I didn't know how I was going to make it to dinner. Thank The Lord that my husband brought me up my snack of 1/2 an apple and some raw unsalted sunflower seeds. Oh sweet mother of corn on the cob, it was by far the best apple I had ever eaten. Yes. I cheated. I ate the whole apple. And I didn't feel guilty. Not one little bit. I scarfed down the sunflower seeds, and felt like I would survive until dinner. which was five. hours. later.

So gymnastics... then cheer performance.... then basketball game.... THEN home. I made it. I fixed dinner for the runts and fixed myself the kale and mushrooms. And just about swallowed it hole. I have always hated kale. I have always thought it tasted like grass. and seaweed. This was the best kale ever. I ate every bite and had to restrain myself from literally licking my plate. So I went to bed feeling (somewhat) full. Thinking about how athletes and supermodels and people who are literally starving live this way. I pulled my kindle out to plan for the next day and discovered that of course... I had forgotten to make the spicy coco sauce to go with the kale. I told you... over achiever. So I decided to call it a night. Quit while I was ahead. But I had made it through day one and didn't cheat. I stuck with it. Felt pretty good... well, I felt horrible, but hopefully you know what I mean. If not, I really don't have the energy to care. Good night.

The Plan

I had all but abandoned the thought of blogging.  In reality, I just don't have the time for it.  It has been over a year since I have posted, and I'm totally ok with that.  So if anyone out there in blog land happens to stumble over this, please don't think that I blog regularly or even want to jump back into blogging.  After coming across this book called "The Plan", my husband and I have agreed to go through it together, and remembering that I had not deleted this dusty old thing, I thought that this might be a good place to journal my results, since any pen and paper journal I buy ends up in the hands of my two young artists with no blank pages left for me to journal. 

For those of you who are not familiar with this book, it is called "The Plan" by Lyn-Genet Recitas.  You can find her website here and her book here.  Here is the amazon summary, in case you don't believe me:

In this revolutionary, New York Times bestselling book, cutting-edge nutrition expert Lyn-Genet Recitas reveals the surprising truth behind what actually makes people pack on the pounds. Carbs and portion sizes, it turns out, are not the problem. Foods that are revered by traditional weight loss programs, such as turkey, eggs, cauliflower, beans, and tomatoes, may be healthy in a vacuum, but when combined with each person's unique chemistry, they can cause a toxic reaction that triggers weight gain, premature aging, inflammation, and a host of health problems including constipation, migraines, joint pain, and depression.

 

Now this groundbreaking 20-day program helps readers finally unlock the mystery behind what does and does not work for their individual body. With detailed meal plans, recipes, and effective, personalized advice, you will discover how to:

-Lose a half a pound a day while enjoying generous servings of foods you love

-Identify your hidden trigger foods that are causing weight gain and inflammation, among other symptoms

-Build a personalized healthy foods list that promotes rapid weight loss

-Avoid feeling bloated, tired, or unhealthy again!

 

Feel better, look better, and be empowered by the knowledge of what truly works best for your body!

After having my third baby five years, I was bound and determined to loose all baby weight.  I jogged, I ran, I ellipticaled, I yoga-ed, I zumba-ed, I ran some more, I insanity-ed and p90-ed, and nearly starved myself, and nothing was working.

What's worse... I was actually gaining weight. And what's worse than that... I started having very minor health problems!! Some eczema on my left leg, headaches, and some pretty intense menstrual problems. So I all but stopped working out when we moved to Rockport and started working, because number 1, I didn't feel like it. And number 2, with my new job, I told myself that I did not have time.

Anyway... long story short. I got sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. So when I heard about this book, I grabbed it off of Amazon for my kindle and read through almost all of it in one night. There are testimonies of women who have never felt better... health problems similar to the ones that I described all but gone, and more energy than they have ever had. Where do I sign up? So I made the grocery list, made some trips to multiple stores, and the bigger health food store in Corpus and made the pledge that I was going to commit and change the way I eat and live.

So, I would like to journal each day how things have gone. I will be interested to see if I will loose weight... but remember that weight loss is not really my main goal. Health. So. Wish me luck. We start tomorrow!!

Summer 2011

Well, we are back from vacation.  And I have never been more happy to see my bathtub in all my life.  And my air conditioner.  And my washing machine for that matter.  We've spent the past few days in a post vacation haze, lots of staring and milling around and sleeping late and doing nothing.  I love summer.  Really, I do.  I love the heat and the swimming and the traveling and the lazy days, but I always know I'm about ready to wrap it up when the temperature reaches a point where you swear you see satan putting on sunscreen or I catch my children standing in front of the open fridge not to get food, but to cool off.  When I'm okay with my husband's arctic 68 degrees thermostat setting, I'm done.    We had a great vacation to our family's ranch and to the (dry) Frio River, but I could have done without the 120degree heat.  you laugh?  that was the heat index in the parking lot.  The fact that there was no hot water did not bother me in the slightest. 

Anyhooo, now that I am but I did want to share some of the fun things that we have done this summer.  While we have not crossed everything off of our summer bucket list, we have had a great summer!
Here's what we've done so far..... 

We've seen the dolphins at the aquarium!

We got to hold a baby goat!

And asked 597 times if we could have one!

We spent 4th of July with our best friends!

We suprised our Nana on her 80th birthday!

And got to spend time with family!

We love our cousins!

Watching the fireworks with Daddy!

I think these faces are priceless!

We got to dip our feet into some pretty cool fountains!

We melted mommies heart just a little more!

We got to swim in all kinds of places!

We played football with Jay Novacek from the Dallas Cowboys!!

We had a picnic on the Medina River.

We swung from a rope swing into the Frio!!

We rode in the back of the truck and spotted some great wildlife on the ranch!!

Best of all...  we did it all together! 

He Used His Words Carefully

**This post is part of the current series "Who Was Jesus?  Practical Ways to Teach Our Children About Who Christ IS"  You can find the entire series linked up here when we are done.**

We are currently in one of the worst droughts Texas has ever seen.  My grandparent's generation talks about being young the last time we experienced a drought this bad.  Some counties are starting water rations, yards everywhere are brown and dry, and it doesn't look like there is rain anywhere in sight.  Almost every county in Texas has a burn ban in place.  While on vacation, my children had a hard time understanding why we couldn't have a campfire to make smores.  I had to explain that during extremely dry conditions, burn bans are issued because the majority of fires are started by the carelessness of humans.  All it takes in one little spark from a campfire blowing in the wind to ignite a blaze that can destroy hundreds or thousands of acres of forest. 

Our words can often be like one little spark.  They seem small and harmless on their own, but the end result could be acres of shattered lives.  When used carelessly, our tongues utter words that stand in contrast to God's love.  Who among us has not ever wished we could take back something we said?  Our words can greatly benefit others, but they can also damage them.  This is an area that can be often overlooked, because we don't see how damaging our words can be. 

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

It is easy for us to talk about how our world is falling apart...  politically, socially, morally.  But do we think about the damage our words can cause in the lives of those that are closest to us?  Why is it so hard to tame our tongues?  Sometimes, it is hard to believe that there are aspects of our lives that are directly affected by hell itself, but James is very clear that our tonges are set on fire by hell itself.  Satan knows where we are weak and he will use those areas against us!

Our words are like a river.  They can mold and shape our children.

This is an area where are children learn from us the most.  Because they are listening and watching, even when we think it does not matter.  Of all the struggles life presents to us, there is perhaps no greater struggle than our battle with our tongue.  We may try to tame this smallest part of our body, but if we are not careful, it can wreak havoc on ourselves and our family when it goes unchecked.  Without God's help, the fires of hell will spew out of our mouth and start fires that we can't put out. 

So how can we teach our children the power of their words? 
1.  PRAY:
When you hear your children saying something harsh, rude, or unkind...  stop and pray with them right then and there.  Take stock of our own words, and ask God to bring to light any of our own words that we might need to apologize for.  In our quiet times, pray that God will help to tame our tongues and ask God to use our tongues to bring life.

2.  GET INVOLVED:
Get your children to do this simple and fun activity with you.  You will need a tube of toothpaste, a plate, and a spoon for each child.  Start by telling them that you want them to squeeze out the entire tube of toothpaste onto the plate.  They will ask why, but tell them that they will find out shortly.  When the tubes are empty, now tell them that you have changed your mind, that you now want them to put the toothpast back into the tube.  Again, don't tell them why, but notice their comments.  Talk with them about how hard it is to put the toothpaste back in, how impossible.  When they are done trying, explain to them that our words are like the toothpaste, once they come out, you can apologize, and you can say "I take it back", but once they are out, there is no going back in. 

Father God, I pray about my words.  I pray that you guide my tongue.  I pray that you give me self control and patience in hard situations when my children are watching and listening to how I react.  I pray that you give me words that are kind and loving and supportive and respectful, not words that criticize and destroy.  I want my words to bring life and love to others, not spew fires that I can't put out.  I pray that my children would learn from you, not from friends or television or songs they listen to, but help me to realize that they are only going to learn from you by watching me.  In Christ, amen.

He Didn't See the Bling

**This post is part of the current series "Who Was Jesus?  Practical Ways to Teach Our Children About Who Christ IS"  You can find the entire series linked up here when we are done.**

All of us have blind spots. Jesus pointed to this when He said that we were experts in seeing a speck in someone else's eye while completely missing the giant log in our own. This statement reminds us that showing partiality to people based on wealth, social status, appearance, age, race, or anything else is not the kind of faith that Jesus wants us to have. Like Rebecca Bloom in the clip above, even trying to keep up with those who have wealth or a higher social status can get us into trouble. Sure, it may be easy to stand back and watch that clip (and even though it is completely fiction)and say "Wow... she sure has a problem with shopping. Why can't she stop spending money?" But can we the giant log in our own eye? Are people looking at us and saying "Wow... she sure has a problem with blogging, or facebook, or twitter, or .... Why can't she get off the computer?" Are we so busy trying to keep up with the popular websites, the blogs that have tens of thousands of readers. Are we so blinded by our own log that we can't see the problems that we are creating for ourselves???

When Jesus looks at us, he doesn't see us for what we are wearing. He doesn't judge us based on what kind of house we have, or what kind of furniture we have in it. Jesus doesn't comb through our closets before we are admitted to heaven, or tell us we are not allowed in because we aren't dressed appropriately. He doesn't turn his nose up because we don't have enough facebook fans. He won't refuse an invitation because we don't live in the right part of town. He won't talk about us behind our backs because we don't belong to the country club. He won't mock us because we don't have a flatscreen TV. He won't stare at us with a look of horror when our children knock over a display shelf at the grocery store.

Think about the kind of example Jesus set for us. What kinds of people did He associate with? The religious leaders of His day mocked Him for hanging out with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors. He looked past the "bling" of the religious leaders and saw them for what they were. So how can we teach our children (and ourselves) to do the same thing? Here are a few suggestions...

1. PRAY
We can start by praying to God to reveal to us what logs we have in our own vision. What about ourselves can't we see. A while back, my son had a math project that was assigned on Monday and due by Friday. I watched as he procrastinated and tried to avoid the work all week. By Thursday night, I was very frustrated that he had not started the project yet and really fussed at him for not getting it done sooner. After he got off to bed, I received a phone call from someone and upon hanging up realized that I too had been procrastinating and complaining all week. The apple doesn't fall far my friends.

2. MEET
We can make sure that we know all of our children's friends. Make sure that we are involved in discussions WITH their friends about other kids... kids in the neighborhood, at school, at church. Pay careful attention to judging language like "he's weird" or "she's snobby" and discuss with our children at those points that Jesus never treated anyone differently based on exterior appearances or attitudes.

3. HONOR
We can claim that we don't play favorites, but just because we aren't OVERTLY acting disrespectfully towards those that are less fortunate than us doesn't mean we are satisfying the intent of God's word. In order to honor others, we have to treat all others respectfully at all times.

Here are some really great examples of not seeing the log in our own eyes...



Father God, help me to see correctly. Help me remove the log from my own eye so that I can grow closer to you. Help me to avoid hypocritical, judgemental behavior. Help me to treat others equally and to develop actions that follow my words. In Jesus name, amen.