Moving Forward!

So I have definitely made some changes for the better, but still have a lot of changes to make.  I am still not quite eating exactly the way I should, but I have been better about eating actual meat.  I still have animal products more than I want to, but small baby steps, so that I can ensure that this becomes a way of life vs just another short term diet.  My goal is to give up dieting for good and to start eating healthy so that my weight and my health stay where they should be.

Yesterday, I bought "Breaking the Food Seduction" by Dr Neal Barnard.  I have only read a couple of pages so I can't say how it is, but I am looking forward to reading more and figuring out how to break some of these bad habits/food addictions that I have.  This is really going to be a huge change for me.  I am really looking to change my way of thinking in general about a lot of things in life and  the area of food, at least I hope, will make some positive changes in a lot of different areas in my life.  My biggest goal is to stop eating meat and any animal product.  I need to start increasing my intake of fruits and veggies, which I really enjoy when I actually eat them.  I need to find good healthy options to deal with different cravings that I get, but I need to remember that once my body is back in health, I don't think that I'll continue to crave things like I do now.  Hopefully when I crave things, it will be few and far between and I can allow myself to indulge on a small scale level.  I also really need to give up the whole starchy carb thing, especially wheat, gluten, barley, malt, and yeast.  These along with cow's dairy all came back as a high chance for allergies/intolerances and I know thta I don't deal well with dairy so I think it's time that I attempt to see how I feel when I don't eat these things.

I am hoping that getting better with my eating will help me to have more energy and concentration to work on other things in my life that I am interested in.  I am also hoping that with better eating and adding in some exercise, my body will get back to a shape that I will be happy with and I will feel a little better about myself and have less doubts.  Not that I was skinny and in shape before 3 kids, but having 3 kids, who at one point were all under 1, does not do nice things to your body.

So here's to taking control and getting my health back so that I can be happier in all areas of my life!

Amy

Getting Back On Track

I'm finally getting back on track, albeit very, very slowly.  There are some things that I have changed about my health/eating/creative life, which have gone back to my bad ways, but I am starting to get my focus back to where it needs to be and this time (even though I've said it before) I am taking things slow and really thinking about my decisions.  I am really, really going to try not to beat myself up for not following through.  I am going to really work at being positive about these changes that I want to make and I think just changing my attitude is going to be a huge help.

Along with changing my eating, there are a lot of other changes that I have been working on.  Some have really worked out well, and some not so well.  I was going to try to sew an hour a day this week, making clothes for the kids.  That pretty much didn't happen.  What I have done with regards to sewing for the kids is start working on their room darkening shades.  I still have quite a bit to do for them, but at least I got started.  Right now, as much as sewing clothes would be a benefit, I really need to focus on the shades.  I could buy them, but where's the fun in that.

I have decided that I really love cooking, I just hate the cleaning up part.  I think the cleaning up  (not to mention the addiction I have to eating out and eating crap) is what makes me not want to cook.  I am absolutely loving blogs.  I think I have a slight addiction to reading blogs, I just don't have enough time to really read all the ones that I want to.  I love that there are so many resources out there to help me find recipes that I really want to try.  I love that, even though I love to buy cookbooks, I don't have to.  I love that when I need to find a new and healthy recipe, I can just type in a search and I can find what I am looking for.

Along with reading cooking and craft blogs, I love finding natural health blogs.  Aromatherapy and natural cleaning solutions are a couple of the areas that I have an interest in.  I have to say though, my diet blogs are usually blogs that fall into the category of natural health because they are usually blogs that are vegetarian/vegan or deal with health and allergies, not just food blogs in general, or at least I look for healthy food options within my ideal diet on a lot of the blogs that I read (though I do admit to coveting a ton of non-healthy recipes that I don't make but would love to!).

Tonight I made broccoli rabe with white beans, carrots, and onions in a garlic walnut oil sauce and I ate it with brown rice.  OMG, was it awesome.  I love broccoli rabe anyway, but this was just a way to eat it with some protein and some other veggies and have it be just a little different.  I used this recipe, http://hungrybruno.blogspot.com/2009/01/broccoli-rabe-with-beans.html, but I didn't add the bread crumbs or the parmesan cheese, which probably would have made it even better. 

I am making a promise to myself now.  I will not ever give up.  the goals may change, but shouldn't they be fluid anyway?
Amy

What Am I Doing and Where Am I Going?

As usual, I start out with the best of intentions and then I totally fade!  I started out my day of a good note, but then I totally screwed it up.  I have so  much work to do to get to where I want to be.  I had planned on making a great veggie dish tonight, but ran out of time.  Here we are trying to eat more vegan, especially since my husband's doctor would prefer him to eat that way and that's how I want to eat, and I can't even get my act together to make meals.  I have everything I need to make dinner tomorrow night and will most likely make it early in the day so that I can't use the excuse that I ran out of time.  I am going to spend dome time and plan my meals for the week so that I again can't use the time excuse.  I'm not exactly where my time goes, but I'm sure that I'm not being as productive as I can be.

I am not stepping foot in the cafeteria at work.  First off, there is pretty much nothing I should be eating there.  Secondly, I really shouldn't spend be spending money when I have plenty of food at home that I can be eating.  Thirdly, I really want to be in control of my eating.  Finally, I really want to learn how to cook and plan delicious tasting vegan meals.

When I go home tonight, I am going to eat my red lentils with rice.  I am going to eat healthy snacks, like fruit and nut butters.  I need to get back into my running, which I may try to do tonight, or I will do with the twins tomorrow morning.  I really want to see how I do running without pushing a stroller, but I guess if I can run with a stroller, I can do even better without!  I really will get this some day!  I really will get healthy, eat healthy, and live healthy.  I know what I want to do, I just have to step up and do it.  I need to stop making excuses and start living my life the way I want and need to live it.

As for the creativity piece of life, I am starting to plan and cut out pattern pieces for kids clothes week challenge. I went to teh fabric store today and I have fabric and patterns to make.  Now I just need to get cutting and sewing!

Thanks for listening to my therapy session.  I feel like this way, there is nothing too sensitive that I am sharing, yet I am being accountable to anyone who reads this,
Amy