The Eldest finished up her first semester as an official college student on the 9th so we packed up and headed out on a journey to cold northern climes. It was a challenge to pack since we don't really have winter clothes but we got by. Can't let a little thing like that stop you! It was cold the first few days but then it warmed up by the time we left. It was great to see my family. I miss everyone so much- it's hard to live so far away from all of them.
Now that we've returned home I can assess the damage- to my weight, that is! I managed to do OK. I went up a little bit but nothing significant in spite of the fudge I bought in the mountains; now I have to continue the battle to get back down to my goal weight. The holidays and traveling are no excuse! I stopped walking for about a week to a week and a half since we were so busy but I got right back to it today. I feel so much better when I walk every day so it was important to get that going again.
My cousin and I had a great discussion about nutrition while we were visiting. We talked about how important it is to make sure our food is nutrient dense, among other things. After that conversation, DH ran across an article today about how food companies are lying to us. It boils down to this- processed food isn't food at all, it's chemicals made to look like food. (Michael Pollan writes about that quite eloquently.) Our taste buds may not know the difference but our bodies sure do, and if you are consuming empty, non-nutritive calories then your body will just send out the order for MORE, MORE, MORE in an effort to get the nutrients it needs to function properly. You'll only know you're hungry and you'll over eat, but you're still not giving your body what it needs, so you aren't satisfied, so you eat more, and so on. When I gained all the weight in the first place I was eating a "Standard American Diet" (aka SAD), I was stressed out, I wasn't exercising, and I didn't know much of anything about nutrition. I ate junk food, processed food, and fast food on a regular basis and my portions were out of control. I was a mess; it's a wonder I didn't gain even more than I did.
My Nutritional* Influences
I went to Weight Watchers several years before my big weight gain. I gained a little after I graduated from college and wanted to get it off before my wedding, which I did thanks to Weight Watchers. (I walked all over campus when I was in college. Once I graduated and got a regular job I didn't walk everywhere any more and that's all it took.) I learned a little about nutrition from Weight Watchers but not enough, obviously, since I didn't stick with it and gained back all the weight I lost and then some. I still like WW and think they have the best commercial program out there, but it didn't work for me long term. They are a good starting point since they do teach you about portion control and they encourage exercise, which are important components to a weight loss program, but they don't get into the importance of eating REAL food enough. I went on from there. I took a class at a local hospital wellness center on nutrition and weight loss called the LEARN program which was fantastic. I lost some on that program too, but life got in the way and for one reason or another (having babies, problems with my feet that meant I couldn't walk for exercise, etc.) I wasn't able to lose and maintain on that program AT THAT TIME either, but a lot of what that class taught me went into the program I came up with for myself. When The Eldest was little I was involved with La Leche League, a nursing support group that is so much more than just nursing support. They also talked about nutrition for the breastfeeding mom and for your children once they transition to solid food, and one of their main principles was EAT WHOLE FOOD. Sound familiar? Michael Pollan says the same thing, basically. Real food, whole food, whatever name you have for it, it means NOT PROCESSED. Cook from scratch. It's the best thing you can do for your body.
I've also done quite a bit of reading about nutrition. One of the best books I've read is by Brian Wansink called Mindless Eating. He's a researcher who is figuring out why we eat what we eat and you'd be amazed at what he's found out. I first heard about him on a TV show; I can't remember which one, but I was impressed enough that I bought his book. He gives you really great strategies on how to avoid mindless eating traps, like how to handle a buffet without over eating. Michael Pollan, whom I've already mentioned, has the right idea. I didn't discover him until after losing the weight, but he's got some good ideas that will help me maintain. La Leche League titles first brought my attention to the importance of real food back when The Eldest was little, and even though I didn't follow through with that at the time, I sure do now!
Articles in magazines like Cooking Light, tips on Oprah, healthy eating shows on Food Network, (although they don't seem to like the healthy shows too much- they are into selling FOOD so there should be no hint that it can cause anything negative like weight gain, diabetes, and other food related illnesses), articles on-line, and everything I can get my hands on about nutrition have all influenced me and enabled me to put together my own program. I've been successful too, even if I've gained a little back. I've kept off the majority of what I lost and it's been over four years now. I've already beaten the odds; the numbers say I should have gained all of the weight back a long tome ago. It's not easy, there's no denying that, but it's not impossible either and I'm living proof. Even with fibromyalgia, even getting up there in years, I'm still doing it. You can, too! :)
*Is that a word? If not it should be!
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Weekend Getaway
Our Keys vacation was this past weekend. It was fantastic, mostly. The drive down was a bit long for the kids (The Youngest, aka The Wild Child, had a bad case of the "are-we-there-yets") but I enjoyed the scenery. We got there to a houseful of friends and family- there were 17 of us when everyone finally arrived, consisting of my sister in law and her husband, their kids, his extended family, and my mother and father in law. I haven't spent much time with my sister in law's in laws in the past so it was fun to get to know them a little bit this weekend. I spent time talking to my sister in law's sister in law (wow, that's getting to be a stretch to define the relationships!) about her large garden. I'm so jealous!! I want a large garden and a green thumb to go with it, but alas, I'll have to start with my little 6'x8' "starter garden" in the back yard.
We went out for a snorkeling excursion on Saturday to Looe Key, which isn't another island but rather a reef. The trip out was great. Most of us were in a big flat bottomed boat and we bounced along at a good clip. The kids and my sister in law's husband, whom I will refer to as The Pied Piper, were in a Sea Doo. They were literally running circles around us, much to the delight of the kids. Then we got to the reef and got ready to snorkel. Only... the seas were rough and the boats were rocking all around and oh, nooooo, The Wild Child started feeling ill, then oh, noooo, I started feeling ill too. He upchucked first; I wasn't far behind. Everyone said "get in the water, you'll feel better", but I couldn't look down to get my gear since that made me feel worse! The Wild Child was having issues with his flippers but I couldn't help him. I finally managed to get my gear on and left him to his grandparents while I got in the water. I paddled around for a few minutes and the reef was truly breathtaking, but I didn't feel any better, I was too uncomfortable with the snorkel, I felt very out of my element, DH had abandoned me, and so I got back in the boat. OK, I'm not a water girl. I can be a camper girl, but water? Not so much. Give me dry land any day.
The Wild Child and I weren't the only ones who got sick. The seas were so choppy that even the veteran boaters were getting sick, so my mother in law decided that was it, we were heading back. I have never loved her so much!!! Everyone piled back in the boats and off we went, thank heavens. I spent the next several hours in bed eating salty crunchy bagel chips in an effort to settle my tummy. (I polished off the entire bag, which I NEVER do normally; I'm all about the portion control. But it was lunch. Blech.) While I was languishing, everyone else (except The Eldest, who was languishing in her own bed, and one or two of the others) went out lobster hunting, including The Wild Child. I still can't believe he got back on a boat but he did, and he got in the water that time from what I hear. I didn't even know everyone was gone, but I wouldn't have cared; I just wanted to be left alone to recover.
After I finally started feeling a little better, I got up and made a grocery run with my father in law. We got lost a bit, but I like getting lost in new places. I love exploring and seeing what's down the road a ways. We finally found the store and I picked up a few things I needed to make our dinner then headed back to the rental house. I got started on meal prep and hung out in the kitchen listening to everyone else talking and having a good time. I think that was the best part of the weekend for me- being around a loud, boisterous, fun family group and knowing that my kids were having fun with their cousins and making memories that will last them a lifetime. When dinner was ready The Pied Piper's sister asked me if we minded if they say grace (I guess they were told DH and I aren't particularly religious) and I said no, we would never have a problem with that. We did the big circle with everyone holding hands and grace was said. I thought it was really great, actually. Again, something my kids wouldn't normally do, but important for them to experience. There was a lot of love going around that circle.
As to the food, I finally figured out how I wanted to handle things. I realized we were only talking about four meals, not including breakfast and snacks, so it wasn't a big deal. I planned out four quick and easy main dish recipes and figured we would share in the sides everyone else had planned. I gathered all of the ingredients for each recipe and made meal kits using 2 gallon ziploc bags. The items that wouldn't fit in the bags were labeled- "Saturday dinner" or "Sunday lunch", etc. I made a menu plan that included ingredient lists and cookware lists so I wouldn't forget anything. (But of course I forgot a few things, thus the grocery store run.) It worked beautifully! I made enough of each item to share too, which supplemented the side dishes for everyone else.
I was able to walk while we were there, which is good since I missed a couple of walks before leaving. (I needed the walk time for packing!) We walked around the neighborhood where the rental house was located. It was fun to see how the other half lives for a couple of days! The houses for sale were priced in the millions. Seems kind of high for something that will wash away in the next hurricane, but they were beautiful. Actually, some of them were beautiful; a lot of them were just OK, but priced high due to the all important location, location, location.
All in all, I could have done without the sea sickness, but the rest of the weekend more than made up for it. It was a vacation to remember and I will always be grateful to my sister in law and The Pied Piper for including us.
We went out for a snorkeling excursion on Saturday to Looe Key, which isn't another island but rather a reef. The trip out was great. Most of us were in a big flat bottomed boat and we bounced along at a good clip. The kids and my sister in law's husband, whom I will refer to as The Pied Piper, were in a Sea Doo. They were literally running circles around us, much to the delight of the kids. Then we got to the reef and got ready to snorkel. Only... the seas were rough and the boats were rocking all around and oh, nooooo, The Wild Child started feeling ill, then oh, noooo, I started feeling ill too. He upchucked first; I wasn't far behind. Everyone said "get in the water, you'll feel better", but I couldn't look down to get my gear since that made me feel worse! The Wild Child was having issues with his flippers but I couldn't help him. I finally managed to get my gear on and left him to his grandparents while I got in the water. I paddled around for a few minutes and the reef was truly breathtaking, but I didn't feel any better, I was too uncomfortable with the snorkel, I felt very out of my element, DH had abandoned me, and so I got back in the boat. OK, I'm not a water girl. I can be a camper girl, but water? Not so much. Give me dry land any day.
The Wild Child and I weren't the only ones who got sick. The seas were so choppy that even the veteran boaters were getting sick, so my mother in law decided that was it, we were heading back. I have never loved her so much!!! Everyone piled back in the boats and off we went, thank heavens. I spent the next several hours in bed eating salty crunchy bagel chips in an effort to settle my tummy. (I polished off the entire bag, which I NEVER do normally; I'm all about the portion control. But it was lunch. Blech.) While I was languishing, everyone else (except The Eldest, who was languishing in her own bed, and one or two of the others) went out lobster hunting, including The Wild Child. I still can't believe he got back on a boat but he did, and he got in the water that time from what I hear. I didn't even know everyone was gone, but I wouldn't have cared; I just wanted to be left alone to recover.
After I finally started feeling a little better, I got up and made a grocery run with my father in law. We got lost a bit, but I like getting lost in new places. I love exploring and seeing what's down the road a ways. We finally found the store and I picked up a few things I needed to make our dinner then headed back to the rental house. I got started on meal prep and hung out in the kitchen listening to everyone else talking and having a good time. I think that was the best part of the weekend for me- being around a loud, boisterous, fun family group and knowing that my kids were having fun with their cousins and making memories that will last them a lifetime. When dinner was ready The Pied Piper's sister asked me if we minded if they say grace (I guess they were told DH and I aren't particularly religious) and I said no, we would never have a problem with that. We did the big circle with everyone holding hands and grace was said. I thought it was really great, actually. Again, something my kids wouldn't normally do, but important for them to experience. There was a lot of love going around that circle.
As to the food, I finally figured out how I wanted to handle things. I realized we were only talking about four meals, not including breakfast and snacks, so it wasn't a big deal. I planned out four quick and easy main dish recipes and figured we would share in the sides everyone else had planned. I gathered all of the ingredients for each recipe and made meal kits using 2 gallon ziploc bags. The items that wouldn't fit in the bags were labeled- "Saturday dinner" or "Sunday lunch", etc. I made a menu plan that included ingredient lists and cookware lists so I wouldn't forget anything. (But of course I forgot a few things, thus the grocery store run.) It worked beautifully! I made enough of each item to share too, which supplemented the side dishes for everyone else.
I was able to walk while we were there, which is good since I missed a couple of walks before leaving. (I needed the walk time for packing!) We walked around the neighborhood where the rental house was located. It was fun to see how the other half lives for a couple of days! The houses for sale were priced in the millions. Seems kind of high for something that will wash away in the next hurricane, but they were beautiful. Actually, some of them were beautiful; a lot of them were just OK, but priced high due to the all important location, location, location.
All in all, I could have done without the sea sickness, but the rest of the weekend more than made up for it. It was a vacation to remember and I will always be grateful to my sister in law and The Pied Piper for including us.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Putting Away Christmas
The holidays were tough for me this year so I'm happy they're over (except for DH going back to work- that part's a bummer) but it's also difficult to get back into the swing of things. I managed to get my tree down and the house "de-Christmas-ed" already, and I think this is the earliest in the year that's ever happened! I put the last box of Christmas decorations away today. (Not counting the exterior stuff- that's a job for DH.) It's a process! Undecorate the tree, take off the lights, repair anything that broke, pack up all the Keepsake ornaments back in their boxes then into the larger storage box, take down all of the other decorations, (stockings, Advent calendar, etc.), pack those away, then put the boxes back in their places until time to do it all again. I also tried to weed out things to go to Goodwill so I can actually get everything back in the same amount of space that it all came out of, in spite of the new ornaments I purchased. I buy new ornaments every year; each child gets at least one, then when they move into their own house and have their own tree, they get to take their ornaments with them. I've been doing that since my oldest's first Christmas so I have quite a collection now! I can pretty much fill a good sized tree with all Keepsake ornaments. (I also buy at least a few for myself every year.)
The reason this Christmas was difficult for me is that my maternal grandmother died in June. Christmas was her favorite holiday and this is the first one without her. I felt like I was just going through the motions; my heart really wasn't in it. I skipped a lot of our usual traditions, like taking the kids to see Santa, because I just couldn't get into it. It was easier to let it go. I still haven't sent out Christmas cards, either; everyone's going to think I forgot them. I didn't; I'm thinking of sending out Inauguration Day cards, actually, but we'll see if I get around to it!
We got a away for a few days, which was lovely, and I didn't think about Christmas or my volunteer work with Girl Scouts or anything; I was able to live in the moment for those few days. The kids were with us even though we were celebrating our 20th anniversary. DH says he didn't enjoy the time away since we had them with us and he was always having to worry about something, which makes me sad, but we went to a lovely place and did a lot of fun things we never would have done at home. We even squeezed in some educational activities! I didn't mind having them with us. My feeling is that you get married to create a new family, which we've done, so why wouldn't we want to share our anniversary with them? I guess I'm in the minority on that opinion, though.
I'm hoping next Christmas will be easier.
The reason this Christmas was difficult for me is that my maternal grandmother died in June. Christmas was her favorite holiday and this is the first one without her. I felt like I was just going through the motions; my heart really wasn't in it. I skipped a lot of our usual traditions, like taking the kids to see Santa, because I just couldn't get into it. It was easier to let it go. I still haven't sent out Christmas cards, either; everyone's going to think I forgot them. I didn't; I'm thinking of sending out Inauguration Day cards, actually, but we'll see if I get around to it!
We got a away for a few days, which was lovely, and I didn't think about Christmas or my volunteer work with Girl Scouts or anything; I was able to live in the moment for those few days. The kids were with us even though we were celebrating our 20th anniversary. DH says he didn't enjoy the time away since we had them with us and he was always having to worry about something, which makes me sad, but we went to a lovely place and did a lot of fun things we never would have done at home. We even squeezed in some educational activities! I didn't mind having them with us. My feeling is that you get married to create a new family, which we've done, so why wouldn't we want to share our anniversary with them? I guess I'm in the minority on that opinion, though.
I'm hoping next Christmas will be easier.
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