This week was not good on the weight-loss front. But for the sake of accountability and to let you know that I am not perfect,I will chronicle my journey anyways.
Food:
I have not been recording my calories. Because of that, I think I can eat whatever I want....
Water:
Did ok, but not great!
Exercise:
What's that? Well, in my defense, my asthma has acted up due to spring allergies, so running has been out of the question. However, I could still walk and I haven't really done that either. I know that doing heavy housework and chasing toddlers counts for something, though. I haven't totally been sitting on my heiny.:-)
Successes:
For all my weakness in the food category this week, I've really been good about staying on track with breakfasts.
Challenges:
Motivation, a busy schedule and wanting chocolate and fast food!
Plans for next week:
Getting back on track with recording what I eat through Calorie Count and exercising again!
Weigh-In:
Not surprisingly, I gained 3 pounds last week! Arrghh! Oh well, back to the drawing board!
Helpful Hint:
I like using calorie-count.com to track my caloric intake and progress.
Healthy Recipe I Tried:
Ginger Stir-Fry Chicken
1 pound raw chicken breast, cut in bite-size pieces
4 T. soy sauce
2 T. sesame oil(I used olive oil.)
2 cups pineapple tidbits, drained or fresh equivalent
8 cups broccoli, fresh or frozen florets
4 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. garlic, minced or dried
Salt & pepper, to taste
18 peanuts, chopped(opt.)
Marinate chicken breast in soy sauce for at least 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Steam broccoli until crisp-tender and still with it's bright green color(about 3 minutes). Keep warm.
Heat oil in skillet. Stir-fry chicken until cooked. Add ginger and garlic. Stir well. Add pineapple; cover and heat for 1-2 minutes.
Add broccoli and toss well. Remove to plate, top with peanuts, if desired.
Serve immediately over hot, steamed brown rice.
**This amount made 2 generous meals for the two of us. We really liked this and will make it again! You can change the meat or veggie to whatever you have on hand or are in the mood for.
Thanks to Jen for hosting Weigh-In Wednesday!
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Weigh-In Wednesday
Food:
I've continued with counting calories this week. I got way off-track over the weekend. Otherwise, I did quite well. When eating at home and making the menu myself, I find it not that difficult to stay in my calorie range. Meals that consist of mainly meat/protein and veggies are the easiest way to stay "in or under budget", so to speak.:-) Carbs like pasta really add the calories. I was surprised!
Water:
Doing ok with this.
Exercise:
I'm not exercising as much as I would like. It's been difficult to get back into the groove! I have been walking with the kids or dog almost once a day, which is good. I want to get back into running, though.
Success:
Staying on track with food during the week and not sneaking brownies out of the freezer! I've also done really well with not snacking between meals.
Challenges:
Resisting little girls selling cookies and cupcakes at yard sales. They were so cute!!
Exercising will-power when eating with other people.
Plans for next week:
I'm hoping not to gain too much since I'll be gone to a women's retreat this weekend. I plan to stay on track as well as I can without obsessing.
Weigh-In:
No weight loss this week, probably due to my carb-heavy weekend!
**Thanks to Happy2B@Home's Kate and Joy for hosting Weigh-in Wednesdays!
I've continued with counting calories this week. I got way off-track over the weekend. Otherwise, I did quite well. When eating at home and making the menu myself, I find it not that difficult to stay in my calorie range. Meals that consist of mainly meat/protein and veggies are the easiest way to stay "in or under budget", so to speak.:-) Carbs like pasta really add the calories. I was surprised!
Water:
Doing ok with this.
Exercise:
I'm not exercising as much as I would like. It's been difficult to get back into the groove! I have been walking with the kids or dog almost once a day, which is good. I want to get back into running, though.
Success:
Staying on track with food during the week and not sneaking brownies out of the freezer! I've also done really well with not snacking between meals.
Challenges:
Resisting little girls selling cookies and cupcakes at yard sales. They were so cute!!
Exercising will-power when eating with other people.
Plans for next week:
I'm hoping not to gain too much since I'll be gone to a women's retreat this weekend. I plan to stay on track as well as I can without obsessing.
Weigh-In:
No weight loss this week, probably due to my carb-heavy weekend!
**Thanks to Happy2B@Home's Kate and Joy for hosting Weigh-in Wednesdays!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Weigh-In Wednesday
It's Wednesday and I know that means to chronicle my weight loss journey for the past week! I hope this isn't too boring for the rest of you!:-)
Food:
I started counting calories this week. This went very well. I already was watching my portion sizes but now I am much more aware of my caloric intake! I've been working on adding more veggies into my diet on a consistent basis, not only for weight management but also for general good health. I read some articles that mentioned non-starchy vegetables and that eating at least 5 servings of these each day will help to promote weight control as well as optimal health. I made a list of these vegetables and hung it in my kitchen to help me remember. This has helped me to include more servings of these veggies in my diet! Non-starchy vegetables include but are not limited to peppers, green beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower,spinach, salad greens, tomatoes and cucumbers. I was able to buy a large bag of pesticide-free tomatoes for $1.51 on the produce clearance rack the other day, so we've been enjoying them! Most of these veggies are not in season currently so I rely mostly on frozen produce. The good news is that almost all of these are very budget-friendly!
Water:
Doing well on this!
Exercise:
I haven't exercised every day this week due to rainy weather. The other days I've been able to get out though! I've done some running but mostly walking with either the dog or kids. I figure as long as I am getting exercise, it's ok.
Successes:
Staying pretty close to my daily calorie goals. Sundays and Mondays are always my hardest as we eat with other people. These meals are either potluck or pre-planned so it can be difficult to stick to eating a small portion or healthier foods. This week I did really well with keeping my portion sizes appropriate and utilizing a little will-power. I didn't record my food for Sunday as we all can use a day off, but I still want to make good choices as this has more to do with discipline and a healthy lifestyle than just losing a few pounds.
Challenges:
A very busy week with eating on the go which can make it harder to eat right!
Plans for next week:
Continue keeping track of calories and my weight goals by using calorie-count.com.
Weight Loss:
I dropped 6 pounds this past week! Yeah!!! I lost the 2 pounds that I gained last week with in a couple of days, which I am convinced was water retention. I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw that I had lost another 4 pounds! Since my goal at the moment is to lose 20 pounds, I have 16 more to go!
**This post is linked to Happy2B@Home's Weigh-in Wednesday.
Food:
I started counting calories this week. This went very well. I already was watching my portion sizes but now I am much more aware of my caloric intake! I've been working on adding more veggies into my diet on a consistent basis, not only for weight management but also for general good health. I read some articles that mentioned non-starchy vegetables and that eating at least 5 servings of these each day will help to promote weight control as well as optimal health. I made a list of these vegetables and hung it in my kitchen to help me remember. This has helped me to include more servings of these veggies in my diet! Non-starchy vegetables include but are not limited to peppers, green beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower,spinach, salad greens, tomatoes and cucumbers. I was able to buy a large bag of pesticide-free tomatoes for $1.51 on the produce clearance rack the other day, so we've been enjoying them! Most of these veggies are not in season currently so I rely mostly on frozen produce. The good news is that almost all of these are very budget-friendly!
Water:
Doing well on this!
Exercise:
I haven't exercised every day this week due to rainy weather. The other days I've been able to get out though! I've done some running but mostly walking with either the dog or kids. I figure as long as I am getting exercise, it's ok.
Successes:
Staying pretty close to my daily calorie goals. Sundays and Mondays are always my hardest as we eat with other people. These meals are either potluck or pre-planned so it can be difficult to stick to eating a small portion or healthier foods. This week I did really well with keeping my portion sizes appropriate and utilizing a little will-power. I didn't record my food for Sunday as we all can use a day off, but I still want to make good choices as this has more to do with discipline and a healthy lifestyle than just losing a few pounds.
Challenges:
A very busy week with eating on the go which can make it harder to eat right!
Plans for next week:
Continue keeping track of calories and my weight goals by using calorie-count.com.
Weight Loss:
I dropped 6 pounds this past week! Yeah!!! I lost the 2 pounds that I gained last week with in a couple of days, which I am convinced was water retention. I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw that I had lost another 4 pounds! Since my goal at the moment is to lose 20 pounds, I have 16 more to go!
**This post is linked to Happy2B@Home's Weigh-in Wednesday.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Food Goals Update
Today I'll post my progress on the food goals I made at the beginning of the year. It's helpful for me to check back every so often and see how I'm doing.
Here are the four areas of food/cooking that I want to change/learn/ improve on this year along with my current progress.
1)Learn to use my new grain mill.I'm eager to begin grinding my own wheat as soon as my grain order arrives!
Progress: The Nutrimill is really easy to use. I've only ground wheat berries so far but it has been successful. I'm finding that with grinding my own flour, a baking project takes significantly longer. I can only do one thing on the counter at a time in my small kitchen so I use the grain mill, then clean it up and put it away before moving on. Because of this, I've started grinding several extra cups of flour each time. I've been freezing it so it's ready to go for the next baking project. This is working great. I assume that since I'm freezing it right away, I'm still getting the nutrients from the fresh flour. Does anyone know anything more about this?
I special ordered a bag of Hard White wheat berries from my local health food store. They don't carry them normally and I get a ten percent discount for buying a big bag. Based on their bulk prices for wheat berries, I will pay several dollars more from them than from ordering from Azure Standard, but with no extra shipping fees. So I feel like it's a good deal. My order should be in by the first of next week. They already carry Hard Red and Soft White varieties so I've been buying that as I need it.
2)Begin soaking grains.Start with bread and basic grains and beans and as I'm successful and produce a finished product that we both enjoy, branch out to include other baked items.
Progress: I've successfully made soaked bread and tortillas. The main issue I've had is planning for the soaking time. This will take practice to get it into a routine. The last couple of times that I've cooked beans, I've soaked them with a little lemon juice or vinegar overnight. I haven't soaked rice or oatmeal yet. As I become more comfortable with using natural sweeteners and such, I'll try some other soaked baked goods.
3)Drastically reduce our consumption of refined sugar products. I would like to eliminate them altogether but realize that may not be totally realistic right away. My husband has a major sweet tooth and we both love our chocolate! I've already reduced the amount of desserts we eat and will continue to make more healthy options available. My plan for this is to use Rapadura and honey for baking. We've been quite satisfied with the muffins and cookies I've prepared with Rapadura in the past.I just need to stick with it and make this a habit!
Progress: This has been the hardest step so far! To be honest, I've cut back on the amount of baked goods that I prepare rather than experimenting too much. This is good for the waistline! Muffins and quick breads made with whole cane sugar or honey and whole wheat pastry flour have turned out great! I need to keep working on finding a good cookie recipe that is "healthy". I've made a few kinds that were good but not great. Sometimes the rapadura or whole cane sugar seems to not dissolve and gives a "grainy" texture which I don't really care for. My husband thought they were good and had no trouble eating them!
4)Eliminate high fructose corn syrup! This is in almost everything! Even canned beans. I make most of our foods from scratch already so where this affects us the most is with salad dressings, ketchup and barbecue sauce. I've already purchased some ketchup without HFCS and it is pretty good. More expensive, yes. But we don't eat a lot of ketchup so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm going to experiment with some homemade salad dressings and barbecue sauce to find one or two that we really like!
Progress: I've made some homemade blue cheese dressing(my husband's favorite). We really don't care for too many vinaigrette-type dressings on a regular basis. We're more creamy dressing people.:-) The homemade dressing turned out good; next time I'll make it a bit thicker. I haven't had a need for barbecue sauce yet. I'm amazed at what all contains HFCS! We haven't been totally perfect with eliminating this from our diet yet but I'm much more aware now and certainly consuming less than we were before.
So as far as my food goals go, I've taken some baby steps and made a little progress but still have a ways to go. It's good that I still have 9 more months in 2009 to get better in these areas!
Here are the four areas of food/cooking that I want to change/learn/ improve on this year along with my current progress.
1)Learn to use my new grain mill.I'm eager to begin grinding my own wheat as soon as my grain order arrives!
Progress: The Nutrimill is really easy to use. I've only ground wheat berries so far but it has been successful. I'm finding that with grinding my own flour, a baking project takes significantly longer. I can only do one thing on the counter at a time in my small kitchen so I use the grain mill, then clean it up and put it away before moving on. Because of this, I've started grinding several extra cups of flour each time. I've been freezing it so it's ready to go for the next baking project. This is working great. I assume that since I'm freezing it right away, I'm still getting the nutrients from the fresh flour. Does anyone know anything more about this?
I special ordered a bag of Hard White wheat berries from my local health food store. They don't carry them normally and I get a ten percent discount for buying a big bag. Based on their bulk prices for wheat berries, I will pay several dollars more from them than from ordering from Azure Standard, but with no extra shipping fees. So I feel like it's a good deal. My order should be in by the first of next week. They already carry Hard Red and Soft White varieties so I've been buying that as I need it.
2)Begin soaking grains.Start with bread and basic grains and beans and as I'm successful and produce a finished product that we both enjoy, branch out to include other baked items.
Progress: I've successfully made soaked bread and tortillas. The main issue I've had is planning for the soaking time. This will take practice to get it into a routine. The last couple of times that I've cooked beans, I've soaked them with a little lemon juice or vinegar overnight. I haven't soaked rice or oatmeal yet. As I become more comfortable with using natural sweeteners and such, I'll try some other soaked baked goods.
3)Drastically reduce our consumption of refined sugar products. I would like to eliminate them altogether but realize that may not be totally realistic right away. My husband has a major sweet tooth and we both love our chocolate! I've already reduced the amount of desserts we eat and will continue to make more healthy options available. My plan for this is to use Rapadura and honey for baking. We've been quite satisfied with the muffins and cookies I've prepared with Rapadura in the past.I just need to stick with it and make this a habit!
Progress: This has been the hardest step so far! To be honest, I've cut back on the amount of baked goods that I prepare rather than experimenting too much. This is good for the waistline! Muffins and quick breads made with whole cane sugar or honey and whole wheat pastry flour have turned out great! I need to keep working on finding a good cookie recipe that is "healthy". I've made a few kinds that were good but not great. Sometimes the rapadura or whole cane sugar seems to not dissolve and gives a "grainy" texture which I don't really care for. My husband thought they were good and had no trouble eating them!
4)Eliminate high fructose corn syrup! This is in almost everything! Even canned beans. I make most of our foods from scratch already so where this affects us the most is with salad dressings, ketchup and barbecue sauce. I've already purchased some ketchup without HFCS and it is pretty good. More expensive, yes. But we don't eat a lot of ketchup so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm going to experiment with some homemade salad dressings and barbecue sauce to find one or two that we really like!
Progress: I've made some homemade blue cheese dressing(my husband's favorite). We really don't care for too many vinaigrette-type dressings on a regular basis. We're more creamy dressing people.:-) The homemade dressing turned out good; next time I'll make it a bit thicker. I haven't had a need for barbecue sauce yet. I'm amazed at what all contains HFCS! We haven't been totally perfect with eliminating this from our diet yet but I'm much more aware now and certainly consuming less than we were before.
So as far as my food goals go, I've taken some baby steps and made a little progress but still have a ways to go. It's good that I still have 9 more months in 2009 to get better in these areas!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Update On New Year's Goals
Sine we're now almost to the middle of March, I thought I'd do an update on my New Year's goals. I've copied and pasted them from this post. For the sake of simplifying, I'm adding a note of my progress under each category.
Spiritual:
--Reading and studying God's Word
Plan of action: Continue reading one chapter each day, writing down what jumps out at me and how it will change the way I live my life.
--Develop a meaningful prayer life.
Plan of action: Continue reading and praying through The Power of a Praying Wife as I seek to lift my husband up in prayer each day. Pray for people I know immediately as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind. Keep a list of ongoing prayer requests and a list of answered prayers.
Progress: I've been having a pretty consistent quiet time which has been so helpful to me. I've been getting up early to be able to do this before my day starts. I've found that if I wait, it just doesn't happen. So rising early has been a good thing for me right now.
I'm almost to the end of The Power of a Praying Wife. I have spent a whole week or more on some of the chapters as they were areas that I knew I really needed to be praying for my husband. What I like about this book is not that I have to pray just like the author but using her prayers as a springboard for a deeper prayer life.I really like all the specific areas and verses that she lays out. I have a list of prayer requests in my quiet time journal that I've been using to help me remember to pray. I still want to do a notebook for only prayer requests so that I can record the answers and be a bit more detailed.
Physical:
--Exercise 3-4 times a week.
Plan of action: Currently, I'm getting started running by following this 8 week program. My motivation is my first 5k that I'm planning on participating in on March 7. Yikes!!!
--Losing a little weight.
Plan of action: Continue watching food portion sizes, eliminating most snacks and limiting fast carbs(breads, sweets, etc.).
Progress: I've been running but not making as fast of progress as I had hoped. Once I started running a bit longer distances, I started experiencing a lot of knee pain. Because of this, I've had to really scale back and do a lot more walking again, instead of mostly running. Up until the knee pain hit, I was still planning to run my first 5k on March 7th. I knew I would be really slow and possibly not even be able to run the entire thing, but I was still going to participate. This 5k was out of town and I was going to do it with my sister-in-law who was running the 10k that day. My knee pain really slowed me down and then some other things came up where we decided to not go out of town that weekend after all. In the meantime, doing more of a walk/run and applying ice and heat to my knee is really helping. So I'm continuing on, working up to more running again. I still really want to run a 5k eventually and I am continuing to work towards that.
Weight loss. This isn't going very quickly at all. I've lost 2 pounds total so far and now I've gained them back. Losing weight is much harder now that I'm in my 30's! I realize that with all the running, I was building a lot of muscle so that will slow down the weight loss. I'm starting to keep track of calories in hopes that I will see a bit more progress.
Homemaking:
--Simplify.
Plan of action: Simplify by continuing to declutter, carefully analyzing whether or not I need an item before purchasing, use what I have.
--Continue my quest for healthier living.
Plan of action: Find natural alternatives to all cleaning supplies and air freshener. Continue to cook healthfully by implementing more whole foods into and eliminating refined sugars from our diets. (More on this next week as I participate in this carnival!)
Progress: Unlike weight loss and exercise, this area of simplifying and homemaking is a fun one for me! In January, I sent several more boxes of donations to Goodwill. I've slowly been working through each drawer and shelf, reorganizing and decluttering. I'm not done by any means, but working on one thing at a time is certainly progress! For now, I've really focused on the kitchen. You know your cabinets need to be cleaned out when items fall out and break when you open the door! Next up is my drawer that holds my leftover containers. As I've slowly been switching to glass containers, it's time to weed out some of the plastic ones.
Even though we go to yard sales and thrift stores fairly regularly, I've been trying to be extra careful what I bring home. So far, so good!
I purchased some essential oils last fall. These oils have added so much to my homemade cleaners. I've been making a new all-purpose cleaner with castile soap that I really like. I scented it with peppermint oil and this smells so good as I'm cleaning! I still use regular Windex and furniture polish. Baby steps, baby steps. I have a recipe for homemade air freshener but I still have many cans of Glade to use up.
As for food, I'll be sharing an update on that tomorrow.
Financial:
I don't feel very comfortable divulging many specifics on this topic since I have many real life friends and family reading this blog. I love them all very much, but I do like to keep some things private!
I will say, though, that our main financial goal this year is to continue saving for a down payment on a house. Last year, our goal in this was to get a house fund started, which we did. We haven't yet established a specific goal for this year.
Progress: Our focus right now has turned out to be our emergency fund instead of the house fund. We've been putting all extra $$$ towards building that up a bit more.
Are you making progress on the goals that you set for this year? Please share how you're doing!
Spiritual:
--Reading and studying God's Word
Plan of action: Continue reading one chapter each day, writing down what jumps out at me and how it will change the way I live my life.
--Develop a meaningful prayer life.
Plan of action: Continue reading and praying through The Power of a Praying Wife as I seek to lift my husband up in prayer each day. Pray for people I know immediately as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind. Keep a list of ongoing prayer requests and a list of answered prayers.
Progress: I've been having a pretty consistent quiet time which has been so helpful to me. I've been getting up early to be able to do this before my day starts. I've found that if I wait, it just doesn't happen. So rising early has been a good thing for me right now.
I'm almost to the end of The Power of a Praying Wife. I have spent a whole week or more on some of the chapters as they were areas that I knew I really needed to be praying for my husband. What I like about this book is not that I have to pray just like the author but using her prayers as a springboard for a deeper prayer life.I really like all the specific areas and verses that she lays out. I have a list of prayer requests in my quiet time journal that I've been using to help me remember to pray. I still want to do a notebook for only prayer requests so that I can record the answers and be a bit more detailed.
Physical:
--Exercise 3-4 times a week.
Plan of action: Currently, I'm getting started running by following this 8 week program. My motivation is my first 5k that I'm planning on participating in on March 7. Yikes!!!
--Losing a little weight.
Plan of action: Continue watching food portion sizes, eliminating most snacks and limiting fast carbs(breads, sweets, etc.).
Progress: I've been running but not making as fast of progress as I had hoped. Once I started running a bit longer distances, I started experiencing a lot of knee pain. Because of this, I've had to really scale back and do a lot more walking again, instead of mostly running. Up until the knee pain hit, I was still planning to run my first 5k on March 7th. I knew I would be really slow and possibly not even be able to run the entire thing, but I was still going to participate. This 5k was out of town and I was going to do it with my sister-in-law who was running the 10k that day. My knee pain really slowed me down and then some other things came up where we decided to not go out of town that weekend after all. In the meantime, doing more of a walk/run and applying ice and heat to my knee is really helping. So I'm continuing on, working up to more running again. I still really want to run a 5k eventually and I am continuing to work towards that.
Weight loss. This isn't going very quickly at all. I've lost 2 pounds total so far and now I've gained them back. Losing weight is much harder now that I'm in my 30's! I realize that with all the running, I was building a lot of muscle so that will slow down the weight loss. I'm starting to keep track of calories in hopes that I will see a bit more progress.
Homemaking:
--Simplify.
Plan of action: Simplify by continuing to declutter, carefully analyzing whether or not I need an item before purchasing, use what I have.
--Continue my quest for healthier living.
Plan of action: Find natural alternatives to all cleaning supplies and air freshener. Continue to cook healthfully by implementing more whole foods into and eliminating refined sugars from our diets. (More on this next week as I participate in this carnival!)
Progress: Unlike weight loss and exercise, this area of simplifying and homemaking is a fun one for me! In January, I sent several more boxes of donations to Goodwill. I've slowly been working through each drawer and shelf, reorganizing and decluttering. I'm not done by any means, but working on one thing at a time is certainly progress! For now, I've really focused on the kitchen. You know your cabinets need to be cleaned out when items fall out and break when you open the door! Next up is my drawer that holds my leftover containers. As I've slowly been switching to glass containers, it's time to weed out some of the plastic ones.
Even though we go to yard sales and thrift stores fairly regularly, I've been trying to be extra careful what I bring home. So far, so good!
I purchased some essential oils last fall. These oils have added so much to my homemade cleaners. I've been making a new all-purpose cleaner with castile soap that I really like. I scented it with peppermint oil and this smells so good as I'm cleaning! I still use regular Windex and furniture polish. Baby steps, baby steps. I have a recipe for homemade air freshener but I still have many cans of Glade to use up.
As for food, I'll be sharing an update on that tomorrow.
Financial:
I don't feel very comfortable divulging many specifics on this topic since I have many real life friends and family reading this blog. I love them all very much, but I do like to keep some things private!
I will say, though, that our main financial goal this year is to continue saving for a down payment on a house. Last year, our goal in this was to get a house fund started, which we did. We haven't yet established a specific goal for this year.
Progress: Our focus right now has turned out to be our emergency fund instead of the house fund. We've been putting all extra $$$ towards building that up a bit more.
Are you making progress on the goals that you set for this year? Please share how you're doing!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Weigh-In Wednesday
Here's another look at how I did this week:
Food:
I did quite well with eating balanced meals with plenty of veggies and salads. That being said, I had a bit more trouble with snacking, especially the last few days.
Water:
Doing ok here.
Exercise:
I'm getting back on the wagon. Due to knee pain, I've scaled way back with my running and working my way back up. It's getting much better!
Successes:
Saying 'no' to sweets this week. I took a nap on Saturday afternoon and when I woke up I really wanted a sweet snack. I went to rummage for something in the pantry. Right before tearing into a package of graham crackers(I really was desperate!), I was able to think clearly and put the snack away without eating anything. After all, it was only an hour until dinner! I was happy about that little moment of clear thinking.:-)
Challenges:
My will power is a bit on the low side when it comes to snacking and eating little bites of food while I'm cooking.
Plans for next week:
Start with calorie counting to see if I can speed up my weight loss a bit. I'm doing pretty well with portion control and eating mostly whole foods. I think I'm probably getting a lot more calories than I'm aware of.
Weigh-in:
I gained 2 pounds this week. So I'm now back to where I started! I really think this is more due to hormones than snacking, though.
Like Kate, I'm finding out that it is much more difficult to lose weight now that I'm in my 30's than when I was younger.
Visit Happy2B@Home for more weigh-in Wednesday posts.
Food:
I did quite well with eating balanced meals with plenty of veggies and salads. That being said, I had a bit more trouble with snacking, especially the last few days.
Water:
Doing ok here.
Exercise:
I'm getting back on the wagon. Due to knee pain, I've scaled way back with my running and working my way back up. It's getting much better!
Successes:
Saying 'no' to sweets this week. I took a nap on Saturday afternoon and when I woke up I really wanted a sweet snack. I went to rummage for something in the pantry. Right before tearing into a package of graham crackers(I really was desperate!), I was able to think clearly and put the snack away without eating anything. After all, it was only an hour until dinner! I was happy about that little moment of clear thinking.:-)
Challenges:
My will power is a bit on the low side when it comes to snacking and eating little bites of food while I'm cooking.
Plans for next week:
Start with calorie counting to see if I can speed up my weight loss a bit. I'm doing pretty well with portion control and eating mostly whole foods. I think I'm probably getting a lot more calories than I'm aware of.
Weigh-in:
I gained 2 pounds this week. So I'm now back to where I started! I really think this is more due to hormones than snacking, though.
Like Kate, I'm finding out that it is much more difficult to lose weight now that I'm in my 30's than when I was younger.
Visit Happy2B@Home for more weigh-in Wednesday posts.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Weigh-In Wednesday
It's Wednesday and I know what that means! Time to look at how the week went weight-loss wise. I'm sharing my progress along with Kate and Joy again at Happy To Be At Home. Be sure to stop by to read about their progress and perhaps join in!
Food:
I've done really well with portion sizes and not snacking between meals. I do need to keep working on eating more veggies.
Water:
This is going well.
Exercise:
We've had a lot of rain and very cold winter weather the past 5 days. I have not been out running or walking except for a couple very short strolls. I'm getting back into regular exercise soon, hopefully tomorrow.
Successes:
Staying on the weight-loss train for 2 months now!
Challenges:
Getting enough veggies.
Getting back into my exercise routine.
Plans for next week:
I definitely need to get back into regular exercise as well as work on getting more veggies into my diet consistently. I eat veggies, just some days not enough.
Weigh-in:
I lost another pound! Woo-hoo!
Food:
I've done really well with portion sizes and not snacking between meals. I do need to keep working on eating more veggies.
Water:
This is going well.
Exercise:
We've had a lot of rain and very cold winter weather the past 5 days. I have not been out running or walking except for a couple very short strolls. I'm getting back into regular exercise soon, hopefully tomorrow.
Successes:
Staying on the weight-loss train for 2 months now!
Challenges:
Getting enough veggies.
Getting back into my exercise routine.
Plans for next week:
I definitely need to get back into regular exercise as well as work on getting more veggies into my diet consistently. I eat veggies, just some days not enough.
Weigh-in:
I lost another pound! Woo-hoo!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Weigh-In Wednesday
I'm joining in once again with Kate and Joy from Happy To Be At Home to update you on my weight-loss progress.
Food:
Doing pretty well. I'm making sure to add a salad or vegetable to my lunches which helps to balance the carb factor that seems to be more present with lunch leftovers.
Water:
I'm getting back on track with drinking enough water. Not perfect...but I'm doing better.
Exercise:
I've slowed down a bit due to the pain in my one knee. Taking a friend's advice, I'm icing my knee (with ice not frosting,LOL!!!)after running as well as every evening and applying heat to it before I run. It really does help! He also suggested going back to more of a walk/run again. This week I've been doing more walking than running, to give my knees a bit of a break. Hopefully I'll get back into the groove soon.
Successes:
I made a chocolate pizza for our belated Valentine's dinner at home. It was very good. I only ate a small piece and sent a large amount of it the next day when my husband went to be with some friends, leaving only a small portion in the refrigerator for him to eat over the weekend. I did eat a small chunk later on but wasn't tempted to overindulge. That is a big success!
Challenges:
The knee pain makes it difficult to keep running, so it's hard to know whether to keep on or just walk instead.
Plans for next week:
Continue on!
Weigh-in:
No weight loss or gain this week. I wish the weight-loss would go faster but I am grateful for the discipline I am learning. It will be worth it in the long run!
Food:
Doing pretty well. I'm making sure to add a salad or vegetable to my lunches which helps to balance the carb factor that seems to be more present with lunch leftovers.
Water:
I'm getting back on track with drinking enough water. Not perfect...but I'm doing better.
Exercise:
I've slowed down a bit due to the pain in my one knee. Taking a friend's advice, I'm icing my knee (with ice not frosting,LOL!!!)after running as well as every evening and applying heat to it before I run. It really does help! He also suggested going back to more of a walk/run again. This week I've been doing more walking than running, to give my knees a bit of a break. Hopefully I'll get back into the groove soon.
Successes:
I made a chocolate pizza for our belated Valentine's dinner at home. It was very good. I only ate a small piece and sent a large amount of it the next day when my husband went to be with some friends, leaving only a small portion in the refrigerator for him to eat over the weekend. I did eat a small chunk later on but wasn't tempted to overindulge. That is a big success!
Challenges:
The knee pain makes it difficult to keep running, so it's hard to know whether to keep on or just walk instead.
Plans for next week:
Continue on!
Weigh-in:
No weight loss or gain this week. I wish the weight-loss would go faster but I am grateful for the discipline I am learning. It will be worth it in the long run!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Weigh-In Wednesday
Another weigh-in Wednesday! Let's see how I did this past week...
Food:
Not so good. Valentine's Day and hormones had me snacking on as many sweets as I could find! I also made and ate way too many sugar cookies for Valentine's Day.I think I ate more sugar last week than I have in all of 2009 so far. Not good, not good.
Water:
I was doing really well on drinking enough water, but have gotten off track in the last few weeks.
Exercise:
The running is going well. It is a lot of work! Now that I am running longer distances(20 minutes this week), I'm having a lot of trouble with stiffness and soreness in my knee. My first thought was that the muscles are getting a workout. And they are, but it appears that it may be something more than that. I'm hoping that it will go away soon!
Successes:
I'm doing well with portion control at meals.
Challenges:
Staying away from the sweets!
Plans for next week:
Up my water intake.
Concentrate on more veggies.
Stay away from the sweets!
Weigh-in:
I lost 1 pound this week. Yeah! If you have been following these updates, you will know that I hadn't lost any weight in the 8 weeks that I've been exercising and watching what I eat. So let's all do a happy dance! I dropped one pound even with eating Girl Scout cookies, Valentine cookies and banana cake! Not that I should try another week like that....:-)
**This post is part of Happy To Be At Home's Weigh-In Wednesday.
Food:
Not so good. Valentine's Day and hormones had me snacking on as many sweets as I could find! I also made and ate way too many sugar cookies for Valentine's Day.I think I ate more sugar last week than I have in all of 2009 so far. Not good, not good.
Water:
I was doing really well on drinking enough water, but have gotten off track in the last few weeks.
Exercise:
The running is going well. It is a lot of work! Now that I am running longer distances(20 minutes this week), I'm having a lot of trouble with stiffness and soreness in my knee. My first thought was that the muscles are getting a workout. And they are, but it appears that it may be something more than that. I'm hoping that it will go away soon!
Successes:
I'm doing well with portion control at meals.
Challenges:
Staying away from the sweets!
Plans for next week:
Up my water intake.
Concentrate on more veggies.
Stay away from the sweets!
Weigh-in:
I lost 1 pound this week. Yeah! If you have been following these updates, you will know that I hadn't lost any weight in the 8 weeks that I've been exercising and watching what I eat. So let's all do a happy dance! I dropped one pound even with eating Girl Scout cookies, Valentine cookies and banana cake! Not that I should try another week like that....:-)
**This post is part of Happy To Be At Home's Weigh-In Wednesday.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Weigh-In Wednesday
It's Wednesday again and time to track my progress on the weight loss/fitness/healthy lifestyle front.
Food:
I've not done well with staying away from the carbs so I'm adding them back into my diet in limited amounts. I'm focusing more on portion control and not getting so hungry that I over eat.
Water:
I'm still doing pretty well with drinking enough water. Some days I do better than others but overall, this is good..
Exercise:
A.Little.Old. Lady. That's what I feel like since I'm now running a lot more than walking as I've now reached week 6 in my 8 week program to getting started with running. My muscles are certainly getting a workout! I told Andy that even though this is difficult, I don't want to stop now because then I'd have to start all this over later. I've been aiming for running 5 times a week(which I have been able to do) and taking a break and walking instead on Mondays and Fridays.
Challenges:
Why am I not losing weight with all this exercise and watching what I eat?!?
Successes:
I pulled out my old jeans to do some painting yesterday. I know they are a looser cut than my current jeans, but I don't ever remember them being quite this loose!
Plans for next week:
Continue on, trying not to be discouraged over the lack of weight loss.It would be easy to get off the wagon about now.
Weight Loss:
None again! I'm losing some inches here and there as some of my clothes fit a little looser now, so hopefully...
**This post is part of Weigh-in Wednesday.
Food:
I've not done well with staying away from the carbs so I'm adding them back into my diet in limited amounts. I'm focusing more on portion control and not getting so hungry that I over eat.
Water:
I'm still doing pretty well with drinking enough water. Some days I do better than others but overall, this is good..
Exercise:
A.Little.Old. Lady. That's what I feel like since I'm now running a lot more than walking as I've now reached week 6 in my 8 week program to getting started with running. My muscles are certainly getting a workout! I told Andy that even though this is difficult, I don't want to stop now because then I'd have to start all this over later. I've been aiming for running 5 times a week(which I have been able to do) and taking a break and walking instead on Mondays and Fridays.
Challenges:
Why am I not losing weight with all this exercise and watching what I eat?!?
Successes:
I pulled out my old jeans to do some painting yesterday. I know they are a looser cut than my current jeans, but I don't ever remember them being quite this loose!
Plans for next week:
Continue on, trying not to be discouraged over the lack of weight loss.It would be easy to get off the wagon about now.
Weight Loss:
None again! I'm losing some inches here and there as some of my clothes fit a little looser now, so hopefully...
**This post is part of Weigh-in Wednesday.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Weigh-In Wednesday
I missed last week's weigh-in due to computer issues. I'm glad to be back and catching up this week!
Food:
I've kinda fallen off the bandwagon with low-carb and am not thinking about what I'm eating as much. After trying really hard with no breads,etc., I was disappointed that I still hadn't lost any weight. It all went downhill from there!
Water:
I'm doing well with drinking 3 quarts a day most days. I try to get the first two quarts in by noon and then getting the last quart is easy to do the rest of the day.
Exercise:
I'm still plugging along with running. I won't say that it's really gotten that much easier but I've finally reached a place where it is doable. My breathing has improved a lot. I haven't had to use my inhaler hardly at all in the past two weeks. Even though I'm still moving really slow, my feet aren't dragging the ground nearly as much as they were at first! My speed has increased a little, too, which is good. I always feel so great after running.
Challenges:
Portion control and getting enough veggies each day.
Staying on track through the weekends and while eating with friends.
Successes:
I'm still holding to my almost no-snacking rule. I have been having a small snack in the afternoon since I get really hungry: usually some celery and peanut butter or some fruit and a little protein of some kind.
Plans for next week:
Getting back to being mindful of what I'm eating at meals. Plan for more veggies again as well as seriously limiting the carbs once again.Resist the chocolate!
Weigh-in:
No weight loss yet, but no gain either. Hopefully, the consistent exercise will pay off in the long-term. I feel great!
**This post is part of Happy To be At Home's Weigh-in Wednesday.
Food:
I've kinda fallen off the bandwagon with low-carb and am not thinking about what I'm eating as much. After trying really hard with no breads,etc., I was disappointed that I still hadn't lost any weight. It all went downhill from there!
Water:
I'm doing well with drinking 3 quarts a day most days. I try to get the first two quarts in by noon and then getting the last quart is easy to do the rest of the day.
Exercise:
I'm still plugging along with running. I won't say that it's really gotten that much easier but I've finally reached a place where it is doable. My breathing has improved a lot. I haven't had to use my inhaler hardly at all in the past two weeks. Even though I'm still moving really slow, my feet aren't dragging the ground nearly as much as they were at first! My speed has increased a little, too, which is good. I always feel so great after running.
Challenges:
Portion control and getting enough veggies each day.
Staying on track through the weekends and while eating with friends.
Successes:
I'm still holding to my almost no-snacking rule. I have been having a small snack in the afternoon since I get really hungry: usually some celery and peanut butter or some fruit and a little protein of some kind.
Plans for next week:
Getting back to being mindful of what I'm eating at meals. Plan for more veggies again as well as seriously limiting the carbs once again.Resist the chocolate!
Weigh-in:
No weight loss yet, but no gain either. Hopefully, the consistent exercise will pay off in the long-term. I feel great!
**This post is part of Happy To be At Home's Weigh-in Wednesday.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Weigh-in Wednesday
In keeping with my New Year's goals to drop a few pounds, I'm joining in with Weigh-In Wednesday over at Happy to be at Home. This will be a great motivator!
I'm not considered terribly overweight and I have a lot of people shocked at what size I wear since apparently, I don't look that big. I am a bit bigger boned, I guess. Over the past several years, I have put on about 30 extra pounds. So I really would like to get rid of that excess! My goal is not to be tiny-tiny, because well, I'm not. I just want to be a good weight for my height and build and take good care of my body so that I will be as healthy as possible. Especially as I'm now in my 30's!
Here's my progress this week:
Food:
I've cut out snacks and most carbs and am really focused on portion control. This week, I decided to not eat any breads, pastas, or rice and see if that helps any to jump-start the weight loss as the couple of weeks before, I had seriously cut back on carbs, still allowing myself to eat a few each day and no weight loss! I'm still eating lots of veggies and 1-2 pieces of fruit each day and focusing on cutting out "fast carbs" such as breads, etc. I've been eating a large salad with most lunches and dinners and keeping to only one helping of the main course. Low-carb dinners this week included: sausage, pepper and onion stir-fry; sausage, white bean and kale soup, acorn squash stuffed with chicken, apples and celery and rotisserie chicken with a salad. I'm planning day by day right now since I'm trying to be creative but still keep this cost-effective!
Water:
I'm trying to improve my water intake. I used to do really well but more recently have fallen away from drinking enough. What works best for me is to fill a quart jar with water and leave it out on the counter where I see it and am sure to drink it all and then keep refilling and drinking until I've reached my goal of 3 quarts a day.
Exercise:
I've been following an 8 week plan for running. On the days that I don't run, I walk, usually taking the dog along. Starting to run has not been easy at all; it's been very difficult. This is my 3rd week and I'm having a really hard time being able to run 4 straight minutes without having to stop and use my inhaler. I feel great when I'm done running, though. Time will tell if running a 5k was a realistic goal for me. I'm continuing to do my best and see what I can do.
Challenges:
Low-carb breakfasts. Any ideas? I've been eating plain yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs. I've had a half of a grapefruit with the above options a couple of mornings this week. Breakfast meats are an option which I don't have on hand right now.
Being able to breathe while running.
Making it from lunch to dinner without snacking. This is my hungriest time! Sometimes a bit of protein helps to keep me going.
Getting the right balance of healthy fats without overdoing.
Successes:
Not craving sweets and carbs that much. Not cheating and eating a cookie. I thought this would be a lot harder for me.
Being able to stand firm and not eat snacks while feeding the boys a snack, usually crackers or something carb-y.
Plans For Next Week:
Stay on the course with running, trying to build strength and stamina.
Drink enough water!
Weigh-in:
I haven't lost any weight yet. I feel really good and have more energy, though. I'm hoping that between cutting out the carbs and exercising regularly that I will begin to see some results. I'm not sure if this was a fluke, but after running consistently for one week, I was able to zip my boots(calf-height) up all the way, which has never happened. I was excited about that!
Are you trying to eat healthier or lose some weight? Head over to Happy to be at Home to read more weekly updates and join in the fun!
I'm not considered terribly overweight and I have a lot of people shocked at what size I wear since apparently, I don't look that big. I am a bit bigger boned, I guess. Over the past several years, I have put on about 30 extra pounds. So I really would like to get rid of that excess! My goal is not to be tiny-tiny, because well, I'm not. I just want to be a good weight for my height and build and take good care of my body so that I will be as healthy as possible. Especially as I'm now in my 30's!
Here's my progress this week:
Food:
I've cut out snacks and most carbs and am really focused on portion control. This week, I decided to not eat any breads, pastas, or rice and see if that helps any to jump-start the weight loss as the couple of weeks before, I had seriously cut back on carbs, still allowing myself to eat a few each day and no weight loss! I'm still eating lots of veggies and 1-2 pieces of fruit each day and focusing on cutting out "fast carbs" such as breads, etc. I've been eating a large salad with most lunches and dinners and keeping to only one helping of the main course. Low-carb dinners this week included: sausage, pepper and onion stir-fry; sausage, white bean and kale soup, acorn squash stuffed with chicken, apples and celery and rotisserie chicken with a salad. I'm planning day by day right now since I'm trying to be creative but still keep this cost-effective!
Water:
I'm trying to improve my water intake. I used to do really well but more recently have fallen away from drinking enough. What works best for me is to fill a quart jar with water and leave it out on the counter where I see it and am sure to drink it all and then keep refilling and drinking until I've reached my goal of 3 quarts a day.
Exercise:
I've been following an 8 week plan for running. On the days that I don't run, I walk, usually taking the dog along. Starting to run has not been easy at all; it's been very difficult. This is my 3rd week and I'm having a really hard time being able to run 4 straight minutes without having to stop and use my inhaler. I feel great when I'm done running, though. Time will tell if running a 5k was a realistic goal for me. I'm continuing to do my best and see what I can do.
Challenges:
Low-carb breakfasts. Any ideas? I've been eating plain yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs. I've had a half of a grapefruit with the above options a couple of mornings this week. Breakfast meats are an option which I don't have on hand right now.
Being able to breathe while running.
Making it from lunch to dinner without snacking. This is my hungriest time! Sometimes a bit of protein helps to keep me going.
Getting the right balance of healthy fats without overdoing.
Successes:
Not craving sweets and carbs that much. Not cheating and eating a cookie. I thought this would be a lot harder for me.
Being able to stand firm and not eat snacks while feeding the boys a snack, usually crackers or something carb-y.
Plans For Next Week:
Stay on the course with running, trying to build strength and stamina.
Drink enough water!
Weigh-in:
I haven't lost any weight yet. I feel really good and have more energy, though. I'm hoping that between cutting out the carbs and exercising regularly that I will begin to see some results. I'm not sure if this was a fluke, but after running consistently for one week, I was able to zip my boots(calf-height) up all the way, which has never happened. I was excited about that!
Are you trying to eat healthier or lose some weight? Head over to Happy to be at Home to read more weekly updates and join in the fun!
Friday, January 09, 2009
More New Year's Goals: Food
Along with my other goals for the new year, I also have some plans for learning and implementing some different ways of cooking.
Kimi of The Nourishing Gourmet is hosting a Nourishing Foods carnival today and has asked us to share our healthy eating and cooking goals for 2009.
I'm keeping it simple. Even though there's so much I want to learn and accomplish, I will have much better success with choosing a few key areas and working on those instead of a long list that will overwhelm me!
My desire is to continue learning about nutrition and preparing the very best foods that I can in order to promote good health for us. Our diet is already primarily whole foods and full of fresh fruits and veggies. We've made the switch to raw milk, better eggs,using good fats such as butter, olive oil and coconut oil as opposed to margarine and shortening and more recently I'm trying to purchase mostly organic or all-natural meats. There is so much more to learn! And baby steps seem to be the way to go about making these changes.
I chose four areas to focus on this year:
1)Learn to use my new grain mill.I'm eager to begin grinding my own wheat as soon as my grain order arrives!
2)Begin soaking grains.Start with bread and basic grains and beans and as I'm successful and produce a finished product that we both enjoy, branch out to include other baked items.
3)Drastically reduce our consumption of refined sugar products. I would like to eliminate them altogether but realize that may not be totally realistic right away. My husband has a major sweet tooth and we both love our chocolate! I've already reduced the amount of desserts we eat and will continue to make more healthy options available. My plan for this is to use Rapadura and honey for baking. We've been quite satisfied with the muffins and cookies I've prepared with Rapadura in the past.I just need to stick with it and make this a habit!
4)Eliminate high fructose corn syrup! This is in almost everything! Even canned beans. I make most of our foods from scratch already so where this affects us the most is with salad dressings, ketchup and barbecue sauce. I've already purchased some ketchup without HFCS and it is pretty good. More expensive, yes. But we don't eat a lot of ketchup so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm going to experiment with some homemade salad dressings and barbecue sauce to find one or two that we really like!
Head over to The Nourishing Gourmet to read about more nourishing food goals or maybe join in!
Kimi of The Nourishing Gourmet is hosting a Nourishing Foods carnival today and has asked us to share our healthy eating and cooking goals for 2009.
I'm keeping it simple. Even though there's so much I want to learn and accomplish, I will have much better success with choosing a few key areas and working on those instead of a long list that will overwhelm me!
My desire is to continue learning about nutrition and preparing the very best foods that I can in order to promote good health for us. Our diet is already primarily whole foods and full of fresh fruits and veggies. We've made the switch to raw milk, better eggs,using good fats such as butter, olive oil and coconut oil as opposed to margarine and shortening and more recently I'm trying to purchase mostly organic or all-natural meats. There is so much more to learn! And baby steps seem to be the way to go about making these changes.
I chose four areas to focus on this year:
1)Learn to use my new grain mill.I'm eager to begin grinding my own wheat as soon as my grain order arrives!
2)Begin soaking grains.Start with bread and basic grains and beans and as I'm successful and produce a finished product that we both enjoy, branch out to include other baked items.
3)Drastically reduce our consumption of refined sugar products. I would like to eliminate them altogether but realize that may not be totally realistic right away. My husband has a major sweet tooth and we both love our chocolate! I've already reduced the amount of desserts we eat and will continue to make more healthy options available. My plan for this is to use Rapadura and honey for baking. We've been quite satisfied with the muffins and cookies I've prepared with Rapadura in the past.I just need to stick with it and make this a habit!
4)Eliminate high fructose corn syrup! This is in almost everything! Even canned beans. I make most of our foods from scratch already so where this affects us the most is with salad dressings, ketchup and barbecue sauce. I've already purchased some ketchup without HFCS and it is pretty good. More expensive, yes. But we don't eat a lot of ketchup so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm going to experiment with some homemade salad dressings and barbecue sauce to find one or two that we really like!
Head over to The Nourishing Gourmet to read about more nourishing food goals or maybe join in!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Continue On In 2009!
Happy New Year!
While the sauce for our traditional New Year's lasagna is cooking, I'll go ahead and post my goals and theme for this year. A specific list helps to keep me motivated and I tend to remember things that I've posted on my blog. It's also fun to read through the archives and see the phases that I've gone through and what was important to me at certain times. It does change, you know.:-)
While pondering what kind of a fresh start I would be making come the beginning of 2009, I realized that many of my goals were not new but go right along with what I've been doing and learning the last year or two.
At first, I was disapointed. Does this mean that I'm not really making a fresh start? Am I not learning new things or reaching my goals so that I can go on to new and different things?
Then I read this verse:
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2: 6,7 NIV
The phrase continue to live in him stood out. I knew right away that the word continue would be my theme for 2009. Continuing with what I'm learning and God is showing me and taking the next step in these areas.
Continue: con⋅tin⋅ue
verb, -ued, -u⋅ing.
–verb (used without object)
1. to go on after suspension or interruption
2. to go on or keep on, as in some course or action; extend
3. to last or endure
4. to remain in a particular state or capacity
5. to remain in a place; abide; stay
–verb (used with object)
6. to go on with or persist in: to continue an action.
7. to carry on from the point of suspension or interruption
8. to extend from one point to another in space; prolong.
9. to say in continuation.
10. to cause to last or endure; maintain or retain, as in a position.
11. to carry over, postpone, or adjourn; keep pending, as a legal proceeding.
In this new year, I will continue...
--to work on areas that I've let go.... exercise, eliminating/drastically reducing refined sugars from our diet
--to keep on... reading and meditating on God's Word, being diligent in prayer, especially for my husband, growing in Christ through lessons and circumstances in 2008
--to persist at...losing a little weight, saving for a down payment on a house
--to live in Him!
My specific goals at this time for 2009:
Spiritual:
--Reading and studying God's Word
Plan of action: Continue reading one chapter each day, writing down what jumps out at me and how it will change the way I live my life.
--Develop a meaningful prayer life.
Plan of action: Continue reading and praying through The Power of a Praying Wife as I seek to lift my husband up in prayer each day. Pray for people I know immediately as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind. Keep a list of ongoing prayer requests and a list of answered prayers.
Physical:
--Exercise 3-4 times a week.
Plan of action: Currently, I'm getting started running by following this 8 week program. My motivation is my first 5k that I'm planning on participating in on March 7. Yikes!!!
--Losing a little weight.
Plan of action: Continue watching food portion sizes, eliminating most snacks and limiting fast carbs(breads, sweets, etc.).
Homemaking:
--Simplify.
Plan of action: Simplify by continuing to declutter, carefully analyzing whether or not I need an item before purchasing, use what I have.
--Continue my quest for healthier living.
Plan of action: Find natural alternatives to all cleaning supplies and air freshener. Continue to cook healthfully by implementing more whole foods into and eliminating refined sugars from our diets. (More on this next week as I participate in this carnival!)
Financial:
I don't feel very comfortable divulging many specifics on this topic since I have many real life friends and family reading this blog. I love them all very much, but I do like to keep some things private!
I will say, though, that our main financial goal this year is to continue saving for a down payment on a house. Last year, our goal in this was to get a house fund started, which we did. We haven't yet established a specific goal for this year.
So that concludes my list of goals for the new year. I think it will be enough to keep me busy, don't you think?
What are your main goals as you begin a new year?
While the sauce for our traditional New Year's lasagna is cooking, I'll go ahead and post my goals and theme for this year. A specific list helps to keep me motivated and I tend to remember things that I've posted on my blog. It's also fun to read through the archives and see the phases that I've gone through and what was important to me at certain times. It does change, you know.:-)
While pondering what kind of a fresh start I would be making come the beginning of 2009, I realized that many of my goals were not new but go right along with what I've been doing and learning the last year or two.
At first, I was disapointed. Does this mean that I'm not really making a fresh start? Am I not learning new things or reaching my goals so that I can go on to new and different things?
Then I read this verse:
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2: 6,7 NIV
The phrase continue to live in him stood out. I knew right away that the word continue would be my theme for 2009. Continuing with what I'm learning and God is showing me and taking the next step in these areas.
Continue: con⋅tin⋅ue
verb, -ued, -u⋅ing.
–verb (used without object)
1. to go on after suspension or interruption
2. to go on or keep on, as in some course or action; extend
3. to last or endure
4. to remain in a particular state or capacity
5. to remain in a place; abide; stay
–verb (used with object)
6. to go on with or persist in: to continue an action.
7. to carry on from the point of suspension or interruption
8. to extend from one point to another in space; prolong.
9. to say in continuation.
10. to cause to last or endure; maintain or retain, as in a position.
11. to carry over, postpone, or adjourn; keep pending, as a legal proceeding.
In this new year, I will continue...
--to work on areas that I've let go.... exercise, eliminating/drastically reducing refined sugars from our diet
--to keep on... reading and meditating on God's Word, being diligent in prayer, especially for my husband, growing in Christ through lessons and circumstances in 2008
--to persist at...losing a little weight, saving for a down payment on a house
--to live in Him!
My specific goals at this time for 2009:
Spiritual:
--Reading and studying God's Word
Plan of action: Continue reading one chapter each day, writing down what jumps out at me and how it will change the way I live my life.
--Develop a meaningful prayer life.
Plan of action: Continue reading and praying through The Power of a Praying Wife as I seek to lift my husband up in prayer each day. Pray for people I know immediately as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind. Keep a list of ongoing prayer requests and a list of answered prayers.
Physical:
--Exercise 3-4 times a week.
Plan of action: Currently, I'm getting started running by following this 8 week program. My motivation is my first 5k that I'm planning on participating in on March 7. Yikes!!!
--Losing a little weight.
Plan of action: Continue watching food portion sizes, eliminating most snacks and limiting fast carbs(breads, sweets, etc.).
Homemaking:
--Simplify.
Plan of action: Simplify by continuing to declutter, carefully analyzing whether or not I need an item before purchasing, use what I have.
--Continue my quest for healthier living.
Plan of action: Find natural alternatives to all cleaning supplies and air freshener. Continue to cook healthfully by implementing more whole foods into and eliminating refined sugars from our diets. (More on this next week as I participate in this carnival!)
Financial:
I don't feel very comfortable divulging many specifics on this topic since I have many real life friends and family reading this blog. I love them all very much, but I do like to keep some things private!
I will say, though, that our main financial goal this year is to continue saving for a down payment on a house. Last year, our goal in this was to get a house fund started, which we did. We haven't yet established a specific goal for this year.
So that concludes my list of goals for the new year. I think it will be enough to keep me busy, don't you think?
What are your main goals as you begin a new year?
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