For those of you who don't know, I started a 'healthy lifestyle change' on January 4th. While you might think it fell into the timing of New Year's Resolution, it was not. It was merely a decision I knew I needed to make & thought it was time to do so.
A healthy lifestyle change can, to some, be thought of as a diet, but we don't use the "d" word around this house. This change doesn't have a specific amount of time tied to it, as it's something I plan to keep doing and not drop (like a loaded mass of carbs) once i get to the "golden weight."
Cop'er is also taking part of the change, but he's having a harder times with the 'rules'. For example, 100-calorie snack packs aren't really supposed to be in place of eating a healthy snack. I like to think instead of downing a big 'ole piece of chocolate cake b/c i have a hankering for chocolate that I will reach for a 100-calorie pack of chocolate cookies to ease that craving. He doesn't see it like that...
Gotta an itch for something to eat mid-morning? 100-calorie pack.
Need something to tide you over before dinner? 100-calorie pack.
Have a sweet tooth at midnight? 100-calorie pack.
I do give him props for eating more fruits! (We are still working on more veggies).
i mentioned in an earlier post that I haven't have fast food or soft drinks for almost 7 wks. I don't really miss the Coke or Sprite much - I'm an iced tea drinker - but i sure am wanting McDonald's french fries! Cop'er gives me the standard advice, "if you want them, go order a small size & get it out of your system. Depriving yourself doesn't help."
I don't think this is a good idea... I think it's only going to wake a sleeping giant --- a McDonald's french fry eating giant! Once it's turned loose, I'm not sure it can be contained.
Hmmm... How do I tell my family we can't go to McD's for the annual Christmas Eve dinner???
I'm drinking more water, making better choices for meals & trying not to overdo it. If i have something "bad" for lunch, I go completely "good" for dinner. It's all about balance, right? & I should be good at that since I'm a Libra!
Speaking of "scales"... yeah... that thing! Yes, I've been on them. Completely. I've lost 7lbs, so that's about 1 lb a week. Not too shabby! "They" say you need to lose it slowly if you have any hope of keeping it off. Still... that's a number on my doctors & myself know! (I did see Cop'er trying to sneak up on me the other day to peek over my shoulder. Luckily I have eyes in the back of my head [& he wasn't very stealth], so the secret remains).
Here's to another week of making better choices and fighting the fries for dominance in the world!
Showing posts with label New Year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Year. Show all posts
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
New Year's "Resolution"
I am, by degree and overall skillset, a designer and crafty person. Before i went to college for art, i loved drawing & creating things. But college is where i fell in love with it.
I always knew i wanted to do something in the art field, so applied to VCU. For those of you who don't know, you have to submit a portfolio to even be accepted to their art program (as is the case for most art schools). Talk about stressful! It's a lot for a teenager to handle, thinking that something they drew would be the reason they did or didn't get into college. Needless to say, i got in & the next 4 years were history.
For the first time, i found myself surrounded by like-minded, creative people who didn't think about academics, but how the figure moved on the paper, how to capture an expression on film, etc. It was the best time of my life. I would go back & do it all over again in a heartbeat (I can't say the same of high school!). I remember feeling so absorbed in my creative self - everything was art back then. I lived & breathed whatever projects and skills we were working on in class; i stayed up many long hours just to "get it right."
Outside of college, i have had fewer jobs that employ my real creative side & though it's not something i regret, it's something that i miss. I miss the critique of peers - those who knew what good design was. I miss the surge of creativity that has to be captured RIGHT THEN. I miss being able to look back & see what i created.
I haven't completely forgotten my creative roots, i've just had to harness them in & use that energy for other things. I scrapbook now, still draw on occasion, take photos, do graphic design, write stories and poetry, etc. But i long for the days when i could just sit down & let whatever was in me flow out.
Just recently i decided that i was going to make a new year's resolution and it was going to be one i stuck to. It wasn't the typical "lose weight" (which is something i need to do) or "save more money" (another something to do) or "spend more time with friends & family" (this is something we all should do)... this year, the resolution was to do something creative - write, draw, paint, take photos - once a week. The key to this success is that it had to be something tangible. At the end of 2010 i have to be able to look back and see 52 creative endeavors i have taken on AND COMPLETED this year. I have already started & i'm actually excited about holding myself to this resolution.
I'm hoping this opens up that part of me that has gone a little dormant over the seasons... i'm looking for the true creative me to emerge - like the proverbial butterfly from its cocoon - ready to see the world in a new array of colors and images.
I always knew i wanted to do something in the art field, so applied to VCU. For those of you who don't know, you have to submit a portfolio to even be accepted to their art program (as is the case for most art schools). Talk about stressful! It's a lot for a teenager to handle, thinking that something they drew would be the reason they did or didn't get into college. Needless to say, i got in & the next 4 years were history.
For the first time, i found myself surrounded by like-minded, creative people who didn't think about academics, but how the figure moved on the paper, how to capture an expression on film, etc. It was the best time of my life. I would go back & do it all over again in a heartbeat (I can't say the same of high school!). I remember feeling so absorbed in my creative self - everything was art back then. I lived & breathed whatever projects and skills we were working on in class; i stayed up many long hours just to "get it right."
Outside of college, i have had fewer jobs that employ my real creative side & though it's not something i regret, it's something that i miss. I miss the critique of peers - those who knew what good design was. I miss the surge of creativity that has to be captured RIGHT THEN. I miss being able to look back & see what i created.
I haven't completely forgotten my creative roots, i've just had to harness them in & use that energy for other things. I scrapbook now, still draw on occasion, take photos, do graphic design, write stories and poetry, etc. But i long for the days when i could just sit down & let whatever was in me flow out.
Just recently i decided that i was going to make a new year's resolution and it was going to be one i stuck to. It wasn't the typical "lose weight" (which is something i need to do) or "save more money" (another something to do) or "spend more time with friends & family" (this is something we all should do)... this year, the resolution was to do something creative - write, draw, paint, take photos - once a week. The key to this success is that it had to be something tangible. At the end of 2010 i have to be able to look back and see 52 creative endeavors i have taken on AND COMPLETED this year. I have already started & i'm actually excited about holding myself to this resolution.
I'm hoping this opens up that part of me that has gone a little dormant over the seasons... i'm looking for the true creative me to emerge - like the proverbial butterfly from its cocoon - ready to see the world in a new array of colors and images.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
So Long 2009... Hello 2010
I don’t know about the rest of the world, but I am happy to see 2009 fade into the distance. It was a bittersweet year for my family—celebrating births & mourning losses. Some of those losses are still being mourned.
For those of you who don’t know, I suffered 2 miscarriages in 2009. One, early in the year, after finding out I was pregnant right before Christmas 2008; the 2nd, shortly after discovering I was pregnant again in August.
You know how they say each pregnancy is different? I think the same can be said for miscarriages. With the 1st one, we were told there was no heartbeat in our first ultrasound appointment. It was devastating from the standpoint that I never went to the ‘what if something’s wrong’ place. Why would I? No one else in my family had problems. The 2nd miscarriage was completely different—from finding out I was pregnant to when it happened. Aaron, I & 2 other people were the only ones who knew what was going on. I felt both prepared & completely unprepared to deal with it.
Miscarriage is one of those things similar to death in that people just don’t know what to say, how to act, what’s appropriate or inappropriate. I completely understand that—I frequently feel inadequate with how to help ease someone else’s pain. Sometimes you just can’t do anything & all that’s left is to listen.
When I had the first miscarriage, I was shocked by the news, but knew how common miscarriages were with first pregnancies (even if I didn’t think it applied to me). When I had the second miscarriage, it really threw me. Even though I knew what was happening, there was disbelief. If I didn’t think I would have a miscarriage with the first pregnancy, thinking I would have one with the second was even further from my mind. It really felt like a betrayal of my own body.
I considered many things at that time—maybe it wasn’t meant to be; maybe I waited too long; maybe there was something wrong with me; maybe it was a sign; maybe it was something God was telling me & I needed to figure out. Wouldn’t you know that I never figured out an answer!
I told people I was ‘ok’ when they asked. I don’t know if that was my shield or my way of making everyone think it was true so they wouldn’t worry about me. On the inside, it was difficult & the second time around really hit much harder. And the unfortunate timing was that it happened to be in the midst of a baby boom with friends & family close to me. I couldn’t turn anywhere without someone having a baby or announcing being pregnant.
I have this feeling that people think after the miscarriage is over, it’s just that, over. Time to move on. Nothing you can do about it. But what they fail to remember is that pregnancy, however brief, is the start of a dream. That’s a life beginning & no matter how you try to not think about it, you start to imagine what it will be like ‘when.’
I tried, I did, to put on a happy face, but there came a time when I just had to say—you know what? I can’t go. I can’t be around another happy mother with their baby right now. I bowed out of get-togethers knowing I wouldn’t be good company. I started to think there was really something wrong with me—that I was selfish & couldn’t celebrate the good news of others.
The truth is I don’t think I’ve been a big celebrator of babies/births. Sure, they are cute & say funny things when they get older, but they have always been just outside my line of sight. I either didn’t want any or wasn’t ready for any. I was perfectly fine with not having someone else to be responsible for. Some might take my standoffishness as not caring and that’s simply not true.
I joined a Grief & Loss group for those who have had miscarriages. Being one of many in that group, I realized that I didn’t have unique feelings. I wasn’t the only one who thought, all of the sudden, the world had become baby-centered. I wasn’t the only one who felt as though their body betrayed them. I wasn’t the only one who has taken several months to get to a point where they could be around other babies & not feel awkward, flashing back to thoughts of “what might have been.”
There’s a quote I ran across many years ago that really speaks to me and I think it’s something we should all consider when we have thoughts about how other people act:
“Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.” (~Proverb)
If I were to sit down & talk to you, you’d know I feel this way—I am afraid of something, love something & have lost something. That’s what life is about, isn’t it.
Am I 100% good with things now? No. But it’s getting easier. I have some really great friends who have let me talk when I need, no matter how much, about my feelings and thoughts. It’s been what I’ve needed.
For those of you who don’t know, I suffered 2 miscarriages in 2009. One, early in the year, after finding out I was pregnant right before Christmas 2008; the 2nd, shortly after discovering I was pregnant again in August.
You know how they say each pregnancy is different? I think the same can be said for miscarriages. With the 1st one, we were told there was no heartbeat in our first ultrasound appointment. It was devastating from the standpoint that I never went to the ‘what if something’s wrong’ place. Why would I? No one else in my family had problems. The 2nd miscarriage was completely different—from finding out I was pregnant to when it happened. Aaron, I & 2 other people were the only ones who knew what was going on. I felt both prepared & completely unprepared to deal with it.
Miscarriage is one of those things similar to death in that people just don’t know what to say, how to act, what’s appropriate or inappropriate. I completely understand that—I frequently feel inadequate with how to help ease someone else’s pain. Sometimes you just can’t do anything & all that’s left is to listen.
When I had the first miscarriage, I was shocked by the news, but knew how common miscarriages were with first pregnancies (even if I didn’t think it applied to me). When I had the second miscarriage, it really threw me. Even though I knew what was happening, there was disbelief. If I didn’t think I would have a miscarriage with the first pregnancy, thinking I would have one with the second was even further from my mind. It really felt like a betrayal of my own body.
I considered many things at that time—maybe it wasn’t meant to be; maybe I waited too long; maybe there was something wrong with me; maybe it was a sign; maybe it was something God was telling me & I needed to figure out. Wouldn’t you know that I never figured out an answer!
I told people I was ‘ok’ when they asked. I don’t know if that was my shield or my way of making everyone think it was true so they wouldn’t worry about me. On the inside, it was difficult & the second time around really hit much harder. And the unfortunate timing was that it happened to be in the midst of a baby boom with friends & family close to me. I couldn’t turn anywhere without someone having a baby or announcing being pregnant.
I have this feeling that people think after the miscarriage is over, it’s just that, over. Time to move on. Nothing you can do about it. But what they fail to remember is that pregnancy, however brief, is the start of a dream. That’s a life beginning & no matter how you try to not think about it, you start to imagine what it will be like ‘when.’
I tried, I did, to put on a happy face, but there came a time when I just had to say—you know what? I can’t go. I can’t be around another happy mother with their baby right now. I bowed out of get-togethers knowing I wouldn’t be good company. I started to think there was really something wrong with me—that I was selfish & couldn’t celebrate the good news of others.
The truth is I don’t think I’ve been a big celebrator of babies/births. Sure, they are cute & say funny things when they get older, but they have always been just outside my line of sight. I either didn’t want any or wasn’t ready for any. I was perfectly fine with not having someone else to be responsible for. Some might take my standoffishness as not caring and that’s simply not true.
I joined a Grief & Loss group for those who have had miscarriages. Being one of many in that group, I realized that I didn’t have unique feelings. I wasn’t the only one who thought, all of the sudden, the world had become baby-centered. I wasn’t the only one who felt as though their body betrayed them. I wasn’t the only one who has taken several months to get to a point where they could be around other babies & not feel awkward, flashing back to thoughts of “what might have been.”
There’s a quote I ran across many years ago that really speaks to me and I think it’s something we should all consider when we have thoughts about how other people act:
“Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.” (~Proverb)
If I were to sit down & talk to you, you’d know I feel this way—I am afraid of something, love something & have lost something. That’s what life is about, isn’t it.
Am I 100% good with things now? No. But it’s getting easier. I have some really great friends who have let me talk when I need, no matter how much, about my feelings and thoughts. It’s been what I’ve needed.
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