Days 3, 4, and 5
Weekend retreat!
Friday:
I am writing this on Monday morning after just having arrived home from a fantastic, thought-provoking, fun-filled retreat in the beautiful mountains of Colorado with one of our dearest friends from the Pacific Northwest speaking to the group of Young Adults with minister with at our church. Talk about spirit-led and relevant. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends and such an intellectual group of people to minister with who love to be challenged and foster great discussion! (Along with lots of laughs :))
I was a bit worried going into the weekend, as I wouldn't have a lot of control of the foods that were served, eating on the road, and taking company out to our favorite breakfast spot in Denver. However, I was actually pleasantly surprised by my self-control, as each time I would get a plate or have to make an order I would remember my intention, "Would I let Wilson eat this?"
So, in a nutshell, Friday looked like this:
Brunch
Coffee (salted caramel mocha with less syrup from Starbucks while we waited for our breakfast spot)
1 small bite of each of the 4 pancakes ordered for our table
2 (out of 3 that came on the plate) small breakfast tacos
This was quite an accomplishment for me, as my husband and I usually go to this place and order a "Flight" of pancakes to share (which are 3 full size, extremely rich pancakes) AND I usually eat all 3 of the breakfast tacos on my plate.
Dinner (on the road to Breckenridge)
We stopped at Burger King as a group
For the first time in my adult life, I ordered a kid's meal for myself, complete with the crown ;0)
1 plain hamburger with just pickles, mustard, and ketchup
apple slices instead of fries
non-fat milk to drink
I was completely surprised at how satisfied I was after that meal and how much I actually enjoyed it while everyone around me were eating adult sized meals complete with fries and soda. It felt good!
Snack at the retreat house
1 small bite of a rice krispy treat
And that's it for the day! I was shocked that I was able to make it through without less temptation, especially with all the candies and cookies and chips that were on the retreat snack table!
Saturday:
Breakfast
coffee
small serving of breakfast casserole
1 banana
half cinnamon bagel
Lunch:
variety of antipasto meats (Wilson loves little pepperonis and such, so I thought this counted)
small pretzel roll with ham n cheese
handful of Doritos
1 oatmeal raisin cookie
Okay, so I may have eaten a bit more than what I was hoping here, however, I think I justified it in my mind by what I what have let Wilson sample from each of the options at the buffet we had out at the retreat house. Not all great choices, but not at all the overindulgence I would normally "treat" myself to during a weekend away.
Dinner:
We went into town to Miss Sue's (our hostess) favorite pizza place to treat her. We had the option of 6 different pizzas to chose from and a variety of yummy appetizers, but I had to remember, what would I let Wilson chose?
So,
1 cheese stick
1 taste sweet potato fries with cheese
1 slice pepperoni pizza
1 slice mexican pizza
And, that was it for the day. I satisfied my sweet tooth back at the house later that night with hot tea. I felt pretty good about the day with all the temptations that surrounded me.
Sunday:
Breakfast:
coffee
small serving of oatmeal casserole
1 banana
fresh strawberries
Lunch:
pretty much the same as yesterday
Dinner:
Okay, here's the toughest temptation yet from the weekend. Our friend doesn't have our favorite wing place out west where he lives, so before he left he wanted to have wings there. Wings are one of my weaknesses. I love spicy foods and sauces and love all the things that go with them. So, since Wilson went with us, I ordered what we ordered for him partially, but then overindulged just a tad. However, the difference this time was that I stopped when I was full, a concept I have never taken with me into any wing establishment until now.
Appetizer: fried pickle chips
Meal: Chicken tenders and shrimp with wing sauce. The meal came with 3 tenders, I only ate 2, but I did have a beer. I forgot to mention that along with coffee, tea, and strong cheeses, my son does not get cocktails here and there in moderation either, but momma sometimes enjoys a glass, so be it our night out with friends...
Overall, I think I feel rather accomplished because at least my challenge was at the forefront of my mind during each meal and I made selections that were different than I normally would on a weekend away when almost all cautions are thrown to the wind and each Monday after usually becomes a "reset" day when it comes to diet and exercise. However, this felt different. I did not come home feeling overly full or guilty, and that, my friends, is exactly what eating whatever you want in moderation feels like, and I like it. :)
See ya later today, as we still have company in town and finish out this long weekend of "on the go choices" this evening.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Day Two: Sidewalk Talks
Day Two:
This is where it gets real. I have been struggling with a lot of depression and anxiety issues ever since a car accident a little less than a month ago. It's a much longer story than just the car accident and I'll stop there for now, as I know that bits and pieces will come out the more I write in the days to come.
The good news? This morning felt different. I think deciding to challenge myself these next 30 days (now 29 days) has given me a sense of control and empowered me somehow. I was able to get out of bed before my son this morning, make myself a cup of coffee (you know, the growth-stunting beverage outside of the scope of his eating plan ;0)) and have a few minutes of "me time" to start my day. It's amazing what getting ready will do for the spirit! This was the first morning since my son started his Thursday school program that I wasn't the mom in a baseball cap, unshowered, hiding from the rest of the mom's as I walked by. Yes, that's right, I got dressed, put on make-up, and did my hair this morning and walked him to school with my head held high instead of looking at my feet..The view straight ahead was inspiring!
I was blessed to have a "sidewalk talk" after dropping the little guy off this morning with one of my dearest friends who was dropping her girls off as well. We have been through a lot together over the years, and the ability to be able to walk up and talk to her out of the blue about very real things is invaluable. So many of us walk around never getting real with each other, and we are truly missing out. What a blessing real friendship is!
My son was not super hungry when he woke up this morning, so we started the day with
Breakfast:
Coffee (momma only) (2pts)
Toddler size bowl of cheerios (3pts)
Skim Milk (drunk from the bowl after the cereal was gone, of course) (1pt)
10:30AM Off to Target, my first real challenge. I must remember to shop for myself and my family as if my son were the only one eating today...
1PM: Okay, so Target went splendidly!! I wasn't even tempted to buy foods off my list! Wohoo! I did treat myself to a Pumpkin Spice Latte (nonfat, no whip with fewer pumps of syrup) though, but that's coffee, so that's okay, right? :) (4pts)
Lunch:
Lunchable. I figure since that's what the little guy ate at Thursday school today then that's what I would have too! (8pts)
Snack:
The little guy had Annie's graham bunnies, but I had a spurt of energy and was a cleaning and organizing machine today, no snack necessary! :)
Dinner:
Homemade minestrone type soup with kale (5pts) (Yes, my son ate a whole bowl of this hearty, healthy goodness!!)
Crescent roll (3pts)
That wrapped up our day. The next challenge is the weekend that starts tomorrow with company in town for our young adult retreat. Stay tuned...challenge on the go...
This is where it gets real. I have been struggling with a lot of depression and anxiety issues ever since a car accident a little less than a month ago. It's a much longer story than just the car accident and I'll stop there for now, as I know that bits and pieces will come out the more I write in the days to come.
The good news? This morning felt different. I think deciding to challenge myself these next 30 days (now 29 days) has given me a sense of control and empowered me somehow. I was able to get out of bed before my son this morning, make myself a cup of coffee (you know, the growth-stunting beverage outside of the scope of his eating plan ;0)) and have a few minutes of "me time" to start my day. It's amazing what getting ready will do for the spirit! This was the first morning since my son started his Thursday school program that I wasn't the mom in a baseball cap, unshowered, hiding from the rest of the mom's as I walked by. Yes, that's right, I got dressed, put on make-up, and did my hair this morning and walked him to school with my head held high instead of looking at my feet..The view straight ahead was inspiring!
I was blessed to have a "sidewalk talk" after dropping the little guy off this morning with one of my dearest friends who was dropping her girls off as well. We have been through a lot together over the years, and the ability to be able to walk up and talk to her out of the blue about very real things is invaluable. So many of us walk around never getting real with each other, and we are truly missing out. What a blessing real friendship is!
My son was not super hungry when he woke up this morning, so we started the day with
Breakfast:
Coffee (momma only) (2pts)
Toddler size bowl of cheerios (3pts)
Skim Milk (drunk from the bowl after the cereal was gone, of course) (1pt)
10:30AM Off to Target, my first real challenge. I must remember to shop for myself and my family as if my son were the only one eating today...
1PM: Okay, so Target went splendidly!! I wasn't even tempted to buy foods off my list! Wohoo! I did treat myself to a Pumpkin Spice Latte (nonfat, no whip with fewer pumps of syrup) though, but that's coffee, so that's okay, right? :) (4pts)
Lunch:
Lunchable. I figure since that's what the little guy ate at Thursday school today then that's what I would have too! (8pts)
Snack:
The little guy had Annie's graham bunnies, but I had a spurt of energy and was a cleaning and organizing machine today, no snack necessary! :)
Dinner:
Homemade minestrone type soup with kale (5pts) (Yes, my son ate a whole bowl of this hearty, healthy goodness!!)
Crescent roll (3pts)
That wrapped up our day. The next challenge is the weekend that starts tomorrow with company in town for our young adult retreat. Stay tuned...challenge on the go...
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Day One: Time to walk the walk!
Day One
Enough talking the talk, it's time to walk the walk!
For a little over 2 years now, I have been talking with my girlfriends about how meticulous we all are about ensuring that our children eat only the healthiest of foods. From the moment I was done breastfeeding and my little guy could drink regular milk, we decided to start having home delivery of hormone-free, farm fresh milk. We grew our own vegetables his first year of eating solids so, if he had food, it was from our garden.
Without a garden of our own now that we live in the city, we continue to buy as close to organic as our budget allows. When we eat meals, his plate is always a balanced portion including protein, fruits, vegetables, and milk or water to drink. Granted, there may be a few more fast food chicken nuggets in his life some busy days now that he's older, however, he has rarely even tasted a french fry and has NEVER tasted soda, as we always chose the fruit and milk (boring white milk, not even the fun chocolate milk) options for him if a quick trip through the drive thru is required.
The proof of our cautious parenting choices and food selections? My little guy would rather have a piece of fruit than a piece of candy (aside from the occasional dum dum sucker from his "practice grandpa" and a jelly bean or skittle here and there for going potty). He was given his first bag of m&m's by a relative earlier this year, yet he ate only 5 of them and said, "here mommy, I'm done!" I had never seen a child let go of candy before it was finished, let alone my child knows when he's full and stops eating then? What a concept!
All of that being said, for the last couple of years I have joked around and shared the theory with friends that if I would eat only the foods that I would let my son eat and stop when I was full maybe I wouldn't struggle with the weight issues that I do. So, I decided that aside from growth-stunting coffees, teas, and strong cheeses (simply because they are a real food still and I like them and he doesn't ;0)), for the next 30 days I am going to test my theory and eat only foods that I would feed my son and I will stop when I am full. And, as I have been doing Weight Watchers for years, I thought it would be interesting to track the Points Plus values as well. At my current weight, I am allotted 28 points per day, not counting weekly flex points.
So, here goes nothing:
Breakfast:
-Coffee
-A bowl full of fresh organic blueberries (0pts)
-Half of a banana (too ripe for my liking, but since he ate the other half, I had to eat what I feed him) (0pts)
Snack:
-Bag of organic baby carrots (0pts)
-Celery with a skim (less than 1 tsp) of cream cheese (0pts)
Potty treat:
(his pottying, not mine, but I still celebrated with 4 skittles too! If he can have them, so can I, right? :))
Literally 4 Skittles (1pt)
Lunch:
-Half quesadilla made with 1 tsp real butter (1pt), a Gluten Free Rudi's tortilla (3pts), Chicken (1pts), 1/4 cup Organic Black Beans (1pt), 1/4 cup shredded cheese (3pts)
-20 organic grapes (0pts)
-2 grape tomatoes (we're trying to work tomatoes into the little guy's diet; they have never been his favorite) (0pts)
-6 ounces skim milk (complete with toddler size straw cup!) (1pt)
Momma Only snack:
While the boy had more grapes, I had a teeny piece of the strong cheese I mentioned before as a snack...yum!!
1/2 serving Pecorino Romano cheese (it was such a small serving that it was 0pts even!)
Dinner:
Pot Roast (1 serving) (7pts)
Oven Roasted potatoes (about 1/2 full potato) (5pts)
Chopped Salad with balsamic vinaigrette (2pts)
I'm excited to say that I made it through Day One and I'm feeling satisfied, excited and energized! Oh, and my little guy had a "treat" of 2 bite size Famous Amos cookies with our Young Adults at church tonight, but momma didn't treat herself...
Enough talking the talk, it's time to walk the walk!
For a little over 2 years now, I have been talking with my girlfriends about how meticulous we all are about ensuring that our children eat only the healthiest of foods. From the moment I was done breastfeeding and my little guy could drink regular milk, we decided to start having home delivery of hormone-free, farm fresh milk. We grew our own vegetables his first year of eating solids so, if he had food, it was from our garden.
Without a garden of our own now that we live in the city, we continue to buy as close to organic as our budget allows. When we eat meals, his plate is always a balanced portion including protein, fruits, vegetables, and milk or water to drink. Granted, there may be a few more fast food chicken nuggets in his life some busy days now that he's older, however, he has rarely even tasted a french fry and has NEVER tasted soda, as we always chose the fruit and milk (boring white milk, not even the fun chocolate milk) options for him if a quick trip through the drive thru is required.
The proof of our cautious parenting choices and food selections? My little guy would rather have a piece of fruit than a piece of candy (aside from the occasional dum dum sucker from his "practice grandpa" and a jelly bean or skittle here and there for going potty). He was given his first bag of m&m's by a relative earlier this year, yet he ate only 5 of them and said, "here mommy, I'm done!" I had never seen a child let go of candy before it was finished, let alone my child knows when he's full and stops eating then? What a concept!
All of that being said, for the last couple of years I have joked around and shared the theory with friends that if I would eat only the foods that I would let my son eat and stop when I was full maybe I wouldn't struggle with the weight issues that I do. So, I decided that aside from growth-stunting coffees, teas, and strong cheeses (simply because they are a real food still and I like them and he doesn't ;0)), for the next 30 days I am going to test my theory and eat only foods that I would feed my son and I will stop when I am full. And, as I have been doing Weight Watchers for years, I thought it would be interesting to track the Points Plus values as well. At my current weight, I am allotted 28 points per day, not counting weekly flex points.
So, here goes nothing:
Breakfast:
-Coffee
-A bowl full of fresh organic blueberries (0pts)
-Half of a banana (too ripe for my liking, but since he ate the other half, I had to eat what I feed him) (0pts)
Snack:
-Bag of organic baby carrots (0pts)
-Celery with a skim (less than 1 tsp) of cream cheese (0pts)
Potty treat:
(his pottying, not mine, but I still celebrated with 4 skittles too! If he can have them, so can I, right? :))
Literally 4 Skittles (1pt)
Lunch:
-Half quesadilla made with 1 tsp real butter (1pt), a Gluten Free Rudi's tortilla (3pts), Chicken (1pts), 1/4 cup Organic Black Beans (1pt), 1/4 cup shredded cheese (3pts)
-20 organic grapes (0pts)
-2 grape tomatoes (we're trying to work tomatoes into the little guy's diet; they have never been his favorite) (0pts)
-6 ounces skim milk (complete with toddler size straw cup!) (1pt)
Momma Only snack:
While the boy had more grapes, I had a teeny piece of the strong cheese I mentioned before as a snack...yum!!
1/2 serving Pecorino Romano cheese (it was such a small serving that it was 0pts even!)
Dinner:
Pot Roast (1 serving) (7pts)
Oven Roasted potatoes (about 1/2 full potato) (5pts)
Chopped Salad with balsamic vinaigrette (2pts)
I'm excited to say that I made it through Day One and I'm feeling satisfied, excited and energized! Oh, and my little guy had a "treat" of 2 bite size Famous Amos cookies with our Young Adults at church tonight, but momma didn't treat herself...
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