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Showing posts from August, 2010

Good Good Breakfast

Eating breakfast is an important start to my day. If I skip it, I become grumpy and impatient. My blood sugar takes a dangerous dive causing headaches and shakiness. Also, if I skip breakfast, I annihilate lunch. I eat it so fast I barely taste it, and sticking within my calorie restriction gets difficult. Just as important as that I eat, is what I eat. And to be more specific, what kind of food and where it comes from. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that all the chemicals we put on foods and the things we feed our animals is affecting our physical well being. I am kind of crunchy and try to reduce my carbon footprint by buying local and organic as well. I started to look at the all important first meal of the day and see what I can do to be nicer to my body and to the planet! Coffee - Buy organic and free trade. The farmers are treated fairly by the buyers, and less chemical farming is better for the growers, the consumer and the planet. * Reality check -- org

Friday I'm in Love!

What a week! Our last week before school starts and somehow I managed to straight wear myself out!! I decided, after pouting and re-claiming some poundage last week, that I WILL lose 10lbs by October 1st. I have lifted, stepped, ran, squatted, and pushed every which way each morning this week. If Senor Scale is being a truthful bear, I'm right on track to get there. Official weigh in on Monday. Last night I went to a dieters doom...dinner out at a fancy little bistro with a good friend. Fancy little bistro wants you to eat, good friend likes you no matter what, mind must choose good or evil food!! I ended up with a cup of French Onion soup (all gone!) which came with a croissant (had one bite), a nice salad with a whoop- de -do garnish of fried cheese (ate about half of that), Candied Walnut Salmon over Spinach and Wild Rice (took on all but the last few bites of that), and a chocolate dessert (umm...okay...ate it all and licked the plate). I tried to figure it up when I go

Well Done

Something important occurred to me as I sat down for a little rest after supper. Oddly, it was that I did a good job today. Yep, self praise. And why not? To many times I pick apart what I didn't do right and smack myself on the head. Each night I take an inventory of the day and ask for forgiveness for the stuff I messed up. It's okay, we all mess up. Every day. Even today. But for a change of pace, I patted my own back and said this: Good job Honey / Momma / Miss Andrea. You changed, chased, comforted, taught, fed and loved everyone in your path today. You kept your cool when someone lied to you and taught them why that hurts. You created a diversion when little ones refused to nap and remained sane. You made healthy yet edible foods, and kept the cleanliness level of the household above a health code violation. You even squeezed in time for yourself and took that important morning run. Yay , me! What about you? Make a list of positive things you did today. Le

Nothing Nice

If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. Good advice. Don't say every little thing that pops in to your head. Even better. Better to remain quiet and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Probably one of the best. I haven't written much lately, because I have been feeling quite mean. Sullen, jaded, argumentative, judgmental, combative. I get a little burned out from time to time (who doesn't?!) and need to step back a little and calm down. So I did. I even took a few days off of running and militant calorie counting, caught an extra hour of sleep in the morning and had a little extra cheese, a scoop of ice cream or two. It's good for the soul. It hasn't helped. Along with the hot flashes and the monstrous headaches, month two of the Lupron injection has offered forth some additional side effects. I seem to be in a funk that I can't shake. I can go through half a dozen emotions in under an hour. I go

Fall Please

I've been shopping online. For jackets and hats to run in. It's my "dream self" trying to convince my "reality self" that this oppressively hot summer will actually end. It's been over 100 degrees on the heat index most days this month. I'm tired of all my tank tops and shorts, lugging water on even the short runs and dripping with sweat 15 minutes into my run. Wahhh !! Summer time running can be a bear. However, it helps me get stronger. I've noticed lately that my times have gotten significantly faster each week. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was "just no good at running." The founder of the New York City Marathon, Fred Lebow , was not a fast runner. He ran and promoted running because he loved it, he believed in it - from the beginning. I may never be any good at it, but I won't quit. I think that "won't quit" attitude is what will prevail. Wishing to buy some cute little tights to go under my

Home School and Head Injuries

Since my disgusting blister post I have run 10 miles and that toe doesn't seem to be getting any worse. I did put a band-aid on it for my 7 miler on Sunday, but left it off - to no adverse reaction - on my 3 mile run this morning. I can safely say that this morning was the HOTTEST weather I have ever run in. It was 87 degrees and pretty muggy. It sorta felt like running through warm water with a hair dryer in your face on low. That first mile was all about my body refusing to cooperate. I brought hydration with me and fought the first 15 minutes not to drink the whole thing. After I got into the groove, swished some water around my mouth and relaxed - I was able to finish. Monday's weigh in brought another milestone - my BMI puts me in the "overweight" category as opposed to "obese". Only took me an entire year and 53lbs, but I did it! Only 29lbs to go til I'm not overweight anymore! Twenty-nine pounds! Dude...I can DO that!! Okay, enough with

Not Pretty

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My shoes are causing this when I run.  It doesn't hurt, but it looks terrible!  I was gonna poke it, but hubby says leave it alone.  What is UP with my feet lately?  I NEED those!

Wasps, Kids and Running

I had a blog topic in mind that was thought provoking and new. It has been boiling in my brain for a few days, but my kids started fighting this morning, my head exploded, and I've since been unable to retrieve all of those pieces. So I will just tell you about my ever exciting life instead...hey - wake up! Had to get rid of half our garden yesterday. The rhubarb will grow back, the tomato plant was on it's way out (dunno what happened to those this year) but the Brussels I will miss. I had a healthy growing family of wasps living in and around the foliage. This particular patch of vegetation is around our garage, and right next to our play ground. At first a wasp or two didn't bother me. I tell the kids - don't bother it, it could care less about you. Then there were 3 or 4, I thought - oh well, they are just bugs. The other day we were all out there in the wading pool and I counted 7. They were much to interested in my sweet skinned babies, so they had to go.

Old Mom

Okay - I know I'm not old. Turning 35 this year simply constitutes that the best years are ahead! I am proud of my 30's and having a blast! I am more healthy now than I have ever been, physically and emotionally. I have more money, more insurance, and more love than I ever did in my 20's. One of the nurses at our doctor's office has twice called me "an old mom" since the birth of our 4th child. She, of course, qualifies it with "not old, but experienced" but it still stings a little. Besides, how do you gain experience if not over time? Having children 10 years apart certainly give you an all inclusive course in different stages of child development! I was really feeling the burn (har, har) at the swimming pool this weekend. Standing in the shallow end keeping track of our 15mo old I noticed that I had about 10 years on the other moms there. I was really feeling old, when I thought one of their husbands looked like somebody that runs around

Living Example

What a great weekend! I am a big believer in having one day per week where you essentially endeavor to do very little. For me that day is Saturday. Now, don't give me that "well, I just have so many responsibilities, I could never take a day off!" I get it. I have 4 kids and a home daycare. Just take a day and do LESS. I tease my husband, that ante meridiem does not exist on Saturday. He works at 7:30am, so I do get a bit of an eye-roll...*snicker*. Of course I still do dishes, cook meals, help with potty/change diapers, give naps, and pick up toys, but I try not to take on anything extra if I can help it. I also try to play with my children! Yep, filling up the baby pool and sitting there while they play, playing Rain Forrest Animal Match game, or even shredding on Guitar Hero can be incredibly cathartic. I admit, I don't do as much as I should. I'm trying to do better. Sunday, though was back to the crazy busy life. I was out the door by 6:30 to r