The Unexpected #Mamavation

Oh boy, this weekend (and start of the week) has been full of the unexpected!  I won't bore you with all of the crazy details - we'll leave it at this: We're "stuck" at my work for a few days while our van is in the shop.  Work is a little over an hour from home.  I'm so thankful that I have a place to stay while I'm working!

So anyway, I'm talking about unexpected as it relates to Mamavation.  Mamavation is a push for healthy mamas that are raising healthy kids.

Let me tell you something: being stuck at work unexpectedly does not always inspire healthy behaviors.  With a full kitchen, I tried to quickly scheme up some "healthy" meals that we could grab from a local store.  Since I've been kind of "down for the count" this weekend, I had difficulty thinking beyond convenience and comfort.

Ahh, we'll get there, we have several weeks of living at camp in the near future - we're working toward simplicity and health.  Real Foods, Plants.

Because of my physical issues I have also missed out on exercising - actually - on Saturday I strained and pushed my body to exhaustion - I shoveled rocks all morning and helped clear some brush out of the road in the afternoon.  I felt it in my arms and shoulders - hard work is good.  Sunday, however kicked me in the butt, knocked me flat on my back (well, as flat as a recliner goes - I had to stay close to the bathroom).

My boys have been able to run around and climb, jump, slide, and play outside for 3 full days now.  This is the healthy lifestyle I want for them.  I want them to learn to enjoy playing and living in nature.  I love it that when I am here, even when it's unexpected, they are so much more free to be outside than when we're at home in the city with some questionable neighbors.

The unexpected has hit our lives this week.  We've chosen not to let it knock us down, rather to roll with the punches and keep moving.  We are so blessed to be in this place.  In a few days our van will be fixed and the boys and I will go "home" until we're able to get back to this place more.  In another week or so I'll be back on track with fitness and have a good eating routine figured out between our 2 homes.

How do you adjust when the unexpected happens in your life?  Are you able to easily take the punches and move on, or do you need time to struggle through the changes?  Do you let yourself get stressed, or are you able to quickly retrain your mind to think of solutions?

Mamavation Monday: Counting Calories #mamavation

I admit it with no hesitation.  I have NEVER in my entire life been a calorie counter.  Not even for a day.  Last week I read several Mamavation posts that talked about calorie counting and took some time to confront myself about why I have never counted calories as part of a diet effort.

After much reflection here is what I came to:  I don't know.  Maybe I never really thought it was a relevant idea.  Perhaps I've been too lazy with my eating.  Maybe I just don't care.  I cannot come up with a good reason that I have never paid any attention to calories.

I started this thinking last Monday.  As I made lunch (a simple salad) on Monday, I looked at the calorie counts on my favorite toppings (Bac-o's, French Fried Onions, Cheddar Cheese, Blue Cheese Dressing).  What an amazing salad with a frightening calorie count! 

Also on Monday, my sister "invited" me to try out MyFitnessPal.  I am still looking over the app, and working on forming my thoughts about calorie counting.  I do think that it would be beneficial to at least try counting for a few weeks.  Over the past week I have not been counting - but I have been noticing.  I am starting to pay attention to what I am feeding myself so I can make better choices on my intake.

This week I will begin tracking what I eat on a "normal" day.  Now, I am aware that any time you start to pay attention, you are likely to do a better job of control.  I want to get an idea of what I am eating normally and begin a plan to reduce my calories and increase my activity.

Are you a calorie counter?  How did you begin counting?  Has it helped you in any way? What advice do you have for me as a beginner?

Mamavation Monday: My Secret Goal

After sharing last week what my goals for the year are, I sat back, contented... and then realized that there is one goal that I try not to express.  Why?  Because I am afraid of public failure.  I think most of us are.  I need help to accomplish this goal though, and I can't get help for things I don't admit to.

So here it is, my secret:  

I want to conquer my diabetes.

It's simple.  I know - and it is the REASON for some of my other goals (clean eating, exercise...).  It is hard to admit that is the heart of it, because what if I do these things and my blood sugars are still not controlled?  What if I lose 50 pounds and am still diabetic?

Well, if I lose 50 pounds and I am still struggling with diabetes, there is good news.  That's right!  I will have lost 50 pounds, have more energy, look and feel healthier, and keep up with my kids better!  Now I'm not saying that my goal is to lose 50 pounds this year, I picked that number arbitrarily (but it would be a fantastic goal for the year).  I just want to live healthy and look healthy.  No, not true - I want to BE healthy this year.

Here's to a healthy year.

Mamavation, Sistahood, and Magic Dust

It's here!  December 31, 2012.  Tomorrow is the start of a new year.  We all know that this time of year we tend to get sentimental as we think over our past and hopeful as we look toward the future.  We like to make resolutions about what we plan to do to make our lives better in the coming year.  We start out great - and then... life happens.  Reality hits.  Change is not as easy as we were sure it would be this time. (again).

I sit in our newly rearranged "computer" room, looking at the mess on the floor, and thinking about the next year in my house.  There are a lot of things I want to happen, a lot of changes I want to make.  I know, however, that I don't have any magic fairy dust to instantly change my own behaviors.  I know it is a struggle to make real lasting changes in my own busy life.  I have 3 little boys, a full time job in the summer that I volunteer for the rest of the year - we are busy people.

For this reason I have decided that I want to join the "Sistahood" at Mamavation.  This is a group of bloggers that are ready to encourage and support each other as we reach toward the goals that we struggle for on our own.  I need help folks.  Change is hard.  The sistahood does not have magic fairy dust for me either - but they do offer regular help and encouragement.  I am looking forward to being part of this dynamic group in the near future!

Now: My resolutions for the year?
* Be more consistent in my daily schedule with the boys.  We have gotten our morning routine down pretty well, but there are a few things that we need to improve.
* Exercise at the gym at least 3 times a week.  We were doing very well until Thanksgiving - then after my miscarriage it was difficult to get back into the routine. 
* Organize, organize, organize.  I plan to share a bit about our steps toward organization in the home (and at work) in the coming months.
* Get back to good, healthy eating.  We have slipped and been eating some things that are not on our "good" list.  We will be returning to vegetarian - mostly vegan - eating on January 2.  Why the 2nd?  I have a family reunion tomorrow and want to be realistic.
* Enjoy some "me" time regularly, working on hobbies, getting in quiet time, refreshing myself so I can have better quality time with my family.

Do you have some goals in the new year?  I would love to hear about your goals and how you intend to reach them.  Please leave your comments in the space below!

One of my reasons for healthier living.