Last week

Oh my, well, it was weird. I've had to start waking up at 5:00 to open the dayhome. I actually thought it would be a good reason for me to continue my work outs in the mornings and get tons done before the kids woke up.

So....some days I got up and worked out, other days I went back to sleep after I put the boy to bed because I was so tired. I didn't end up working out at all those days. On the days I worked out I felt really great all day...like an energizer bunny!! It was awesome. On the days I went back to sleep rather than working out, I was dragging ALL DAY!!

So, my goal for this week is to work out every day (except Sunday) even if I feel too tired or whatever. I'm going to see if this week is better. Maybe I just need that extra boost in the morning to keep myself going.

I did work out this morning, although I wasn't in the mood, and am happy about that.

PS: I'm currently doing Jullian Micheal's 30-day shred level 3 (with a couple variations due to my ever-growing belly) and I will alternate days with only cardio.

I'll let you know how this week compares with last.

New Goal

So, I remember thinking yesterday morning how good I feel in the mornings! Pretty much every morning I feel awesome!  Last night I was really tired and ready to go to bed at 7:30, but did stay up until 9:00. Still adjusting to the time change if you can believe that. Anyway, I've decided to give morning work-outs a try. That way they are done, and I don't have to think about it again. If I feel like working out again during the day, I will. If not, then it is already done.

I got up this morning at 5:30....which I was very happy about because I never get up at 5:30. ever. My workout is done, I'm happy about that. I have another 1.5 hours until Olivia gets up!!  :)

Anyway, just wanted to put it in writing so I remember how much I like getting up early to do my workouts.

:)

Some Thoughts

I haven't been posting often, but I do have a few recipes I've meaning to add...so expect them coming soon.

In an attempt to make Sunday's more special (because they are) we've been making really nice meals, which include meat and a nice dessert. I think balance is important (for me anyways) and it makes me feel good to know that it's OK for me to indulge every once in a while without feeling guilty. I like that. This is working for me. Although last week I will admit that I went a little haywire on the eating thing.  Anyway, back to being better.

I do have to improve on the amount of veggies I get in through the day. I can easily get fruit, and I do get veggies...I just want more. So, that's a focus for this week.

Also, I will increase the days I do Pilates: 30 min 5 days a week. Ideally, I would one day like to do this first thing in the morning, but I can too easily talk myself out of it in the morning, so I just do it either during nap time or when Liv goes to bed.

My eating for the week:
breakfast: smoothie
snack: apple, almonds
lunch; large salad with tomatoes, mushrooms, beans
snack: raw veggies of some sort
dinner: varies
snack: fruit

FYI: so far my pregnancy weight-gain is on track! Let's hope this keeps up!

Not that great...and a question!..help...

Ok people, I am really not doing that great! I am getting really lazy in my food prep! And, it's not that I don't have healthy food, I just don't always choose the good stuff. I've noticed lately that I've been eating lots of fruit, but not that many veggies. And, I have been resorting a lot to PB & honey sandwiches....they just taste so good! Not that they are bad, but there's def better options.

To make things easy, I will go back to a big salad every lunch.

And, I'm also going to keep a record of what I eat each day. 60lbs seemed to creep on me when I was pregnant with Olivia, and I DO NOT want that to happen again!!!!!! So, I will record ever day for my own purposes just so I AM accountable, AND I can see if I am eating balanced and properly. With, of course, treats in moderation because I want to. :)

Also, I'm really thinking of incorporating fish into our diet, but I am scared. I just don't like fish and neither does Wes. I get my Omega 3's every day and Olivia does as well, but Wes is a hit and miss. He needs those too. Perhaps we can acquire a taste?? I noticed the first time Liv had fish (at Stephanie's house) she ate it right up without a problem. And, I didn't have a problem eating it either! So, how do you guys make fish??? I need some ideas and good recipes!

Indulgence

This weekend I indulged... a lot. We attended a b-day party and ate dinner at the Keg. I just kept on eating...and it tasted good.

However, back to eating well, balanced, non-processed, and healthy.... all week. With a treat (quite possibly chocolate ice cream) on Sunday.

Being pregnant is even more of a reason to eat well.

also, this week I will start doing yoga (finally!)

Menu

Here is what we are eating this week:

Sunday

Ravioli Lasagna (not too healthy, but it's looks so good!)

Steamed Broccoli

Monday

Leftovers

Tuesday

Veg & Red Lentil Soup

Wednesday 

Leftovers

Thursday

Mexican Beans and Brown Rice 

(I actually never did make this when I said I was going to before)
Garden Salad

Friday 

Leftovers

Saturday

Dinner Out!

What the??

today was awful! I felt sooooo tired!!!!

And, WHY?????

I'm going to post what I ate because it just doesn't make sense:

Breakfast: water, rolled oats, 1/2C blueberries, flaxseed, protein shake with water (what a great start!)
snack: raw almonds and an apple. I ate that at around 10:20 (awesome snack)

By 11:00 a.m.. I was DONE....So wiped out!! I should have come home and had a big fat salad or something, but to be honest I didn't have the energy to make one. So, I toasted some bread and spread on some honey. That was my lunch. With water.

I napped on and off for an hour or so.

afternoon snack: pear. I know I should have had more protein, but I really didn't now what to have and I just wasn't in the mood for beans. I think I'll buy some cottage cheese and have that daily.

I napped off and on for the rest of the afternoon. Just wiped out!!

I had no energy to make dinner (seriously), so I sent Wes to get some Quiznos. I figured that was healthier than pizza.

And, for snack I had chocolate ice cream. Yes,  I know sugar is bad for me, but I still like it...it just hits the spot. I'm probably addicted.

Anyway. what I don't get is why I was READY FOR BED at 11:00 am when I ate perfectly healthy and regularly prior to that??? Why, oh why?? Maybe i'm coming down with something??

SUGAR IS BAD!

ok people, notice how I haven't posted in a while? Well, I just don't feel like posting what I'm eating every day. I've been doing OK, but have had treats almost every day. My mom got me the Eat Clean book and I'm reading it, I LOVE it. Since reading I've decided that I NEED to eat regularly (every 2-3 hours). I will definitely tell you that i noticed a difference when I don't. Eating regularly really does help my energy levels. And, I'm going to eat protein with a complex carb at every meal. That may get tricky. And, when I'm craving something bad (sugar) I'm going to drink a large glass of water first.

I'm noticing a cycle here: When I miss meals (even small ones) I feel tired -> when I'm tired I start to crave -> when I crave I usually give in to the temptation and eat something bad -> when I eat bad my insulin levels are off  kilter and then I crash -> the result is that I'm tired again.

I was watching a Dr. Oz episode that I  had pvr'd the other day (I'm loving that show so much) and learned that studies now show that:

sugar has the same effect on our liver as alcohol.

That information is my motivation to highly decrease my sugar intake. I will still have sugar from time to time, but it won't be often.

Amanda's Week: Jan 17-23

So, what I've decided is that I'm going to add to this post every day and track what I ate, rather than put a new post for every day...

Monday

Breakfast: rolled oats, blueberries, ground flax seed

snack; fibre 1 bar, carrots

lunch: wrap: whole-wheat tortilla, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, ranch dressing (I really wish I had hummus instead...I should look up a recipe and make some)

snack: shake - banana, spinach, mango, milk, yogurt, protein poweder

dinner: Veggie Stew

Snack: maybe nothing, I feel that I've eaten too much today...oh, and I had some 3 choc. chip cookies this afternoon and some M&Ms

Anyway, while I don't currently have a weight-loss goal, I do know that I can stand to lose some weight and get fit! I am just going to keep tracking what I'm eating so I know the reason if I'm losing or gaining. I do still plan on exercising. I have felt the best today that I have in a long time and finally feel that I'm figuring out how to balance the Dayhome with my personal life and home. 

PS: I said I was going to post the weekly recipes as I make them, but the Veggie Stew isn't that great...not really worth the post. It's OK, I stuck it in the freezer and will pull it out another time, but not blog-worthy.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 2 pieces whole-grain toast with PB & Honey, Banana

Snack: pear

lunch: 1 whole-wheat wrap, ranch dressing, cucumber, carrots, tomato, cheddar cheese
snack: 3 choc. chips cookies and milk, My tummy hurt after.
dinner: air-popped popcorn, evoo, and seasoning. i seriously was not hungry for anything else...including the spaghetti/asparagus dinner I had planned. At least i have the ingredients and can make it another day.

Wednesday

Breakfast: smoothie: milk, yogurt, spinach, blueberries, banana, flax, whey protein. I thought about not adding the milk (using water instead), but I didn't feel like risking it.
snack: raw almonds, apple
lunch: the usual: whole-wheat wrap, ranch dressing, cucumber, tomato, cheddar cheese, carrots
snack: I think I missed this one??
dinner: zucchini and potato bake
snack: cheerios and milk. I just love the cheerios! :)

My day

Breakfast: cheerios, milk, banana
lunch: smoothie: milk, banana, yogurt, blueberries, protein powder; cheese
snack: a few sweet-potoato chips.
dinner: I made Veggie Stew for dinner, but wasn't in the mood and not really even hungry for some reason, so I had a pear instead.
snack: bowl of cheerios and milk.

So, not the best day, but not the worst either.

Tomorrow morning I plan on preparing raw veggies for the week. I about died when I drank my smoothie because it was SOOO GOOD!! I think I will have one daily again. I bought some spinach from costco - I will steam and add it to my smoothies every day.

Anyways, I'm ready for bed. And, SO DONE WITH WINTER!!!  Anyone else? I'm seriously moving somewhere that they have HEAT.

:)Amanda

Preparation is IMPORTANT

So, I have decided that, yes, I will record what I've eating each day. To keep me accountable. And, focused on eating lots of those fruits and veggies that are so darn good for you.  Also, I need to start the week ready to go....rather than try to catch up as the week goes along. For example, last week I purchased a 10lb bag of carrots. It wasn't until a few days into the week (last week) that I got around to peeling and cutting them so they are ready to go. Well, I had not room for them in my fridge, and so I left them on the counter (BIG MISTAKE). They don't keep on the counter (duh!). Luckily, I didn't get around to pealing most of them, so the majority of the bag is still in the fridge....

Today I didn't really have anything "ready to go" for lunch and didn't feel like eating what I gave my dayhome kids, so I just didn't eat.

I did have a meal going for dinner, but for some reason the chicken is not good, and so the whole dish is ruined.

New plan: spaghetti. Fortunately, it's whole-wheat pasta; unfortunately, it's sauce from a can and the 3rd ingredient is sugar. :(

Needless to say, if I had taken the time to prepare my food (like you both do such a good job of). I would of at least had a healthy lunch!!

I know this may sound ridiculous to Stephanie and Charity...a long with all you other so-well put together and organized mothers, but I am having some huge issues with being so busy and exhausted with the dayhome, that I just can't seem to catch up in any area of my life, including preparing the veggies.

Anyway, I'm about to go eat dinner, put my feet up for a minute and then hopefully get back to it!

Until next time...
Amanda

hmmmm

Ok,

So I've been thinking....do I really need to record what I eat each day??? Like, really does anyone even care?

I think my future posts will be things I learn regarding to health, food, recipes, etc.

I will say that today I was going to lose it. Seriously.

Thankfully, my lovely husband baked me brownies (at my request) and I was SO THANKFUL for that and ENJOYED every last brownie I ate. (yes, more than 1).

I have no problem admitting that to myself or anyone else....which, is why I'm not sure there is a point to record my daily food consumption.

Whenever I get my meal plan done I will also post that.

:)Amanda

Amanda's Monday

I have started my monthly meal plan, so I feel good about that! Hopefully I will finish it tomorrow.

Breakfast: the usual: rolled oats, blueberries, flax
snack: raw cashews, banana, a bite of the flax-banana-oat muffins we made today
lunch: Sandwich: whole grain bread, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, a bit of mayo, mustard, pickle
snack: pear
dinner: baked potato topped with veggie & lentil soup, sprinkled with cheddar cheese
snack: not quite sure yet, but I think I feel a bowl of rice Krispies coming on.....

Wes came home from the store today and had bought pecan butter tarts...I immediately had a craving for brownies. Good thing he didn't bring brownies home, because I probably would have eaten them all. haha!  Other than that, I didn't have any cravings for anything bad.

Treat day.

Today was good.

Breakfast: rolled oats, blueberries, flax seed. I pretty much feel that this breakfast is HEAVENLY!! Especially in winter when it's cold.

Lunch: Vegetable and Red Lentil soup. I love that suff!

Snack: banana and oreos and milk. I decided to give myself a treat today.

Dinner. baked potato, evoo, salsa, cheese, pear.

Snack: cheerios and milk.

Things I should've had, but didn't: more water, more veggies, nuts.

Friday

Ok, I'm not even sure what to write on this thing. Yesterday I did good, ate healthy, and no sugar. I think a lot of times I eat garbage, not because I'm craving it, but because it's around. Anyway, I feel good about that.

We went out to eat vietnamese last night......SO GOOD. The thing I like about Vietnamese is it can be healthy (as long as you don't get something deep-fried). It is clean food. Probably a lot of carbs with my rice vermicelli, but still, pretty good overall.

I need to look into how I can spice my meals up a bit...so I don't get bored. I have made my meal plan for the Dayhome, but mine will be different.

Anyway, today is Saturday and my goosey-goosey slept in to 8:30...WOOOHOOO! And, I did too! Love it!

All I want to do right now is go to bed

Ok, seriously, I am EXAUSTED!! I had 3 extra kid-lets here today and let me tell you....IT WAS A LOT OF WORK! haha. i am adjusting.

My breakfast and and snacks were the same...for lunch I made a veggie and lentil soup....SO GOOD!!!! I will post the recipe. It has been posted before on the isfeld family recipe blog. But, seriously it is so good and good for you.

I had a few not-so perfect treats as well. And, I'm OK with that.

Anyway, I seriously can't even think right now. But, I am committing tomorrow to have ABSOLUTELY NO SUGAR!....NONE.....at all. And, none on Sat either...not even a piece.

And, no, I have not done my menu yet because I have been just too plain exhausted. I don't really time time during the day, and at night I'm trying to get other stuff done (to be prepared for the next day) in addition to relaxing a bit. Tonight, I sat down for a whole hour...well, 45 min....watching Grey's and enjoyed every minute of it.

And now, I'm going to bed.

Good night. :)

I like this!

Thank you both, Stephanie and Charity, for your comments on my last post...and, I think you're right...I need more protein. Protein fills you up!

For breakfast the usual:  1C cooked rolled oats, 1/2 C Blueberries, 1 tsp flaxseed...or, there about

Snack: 2 scrambled eggs with salsa. I would have had nuts and fruit, but I made eggs for Olivia and the boy that I watch and neither of them would eat anything, so I figured I would!

Lunch: 1/2 head romaine lettuce, 1 tomato, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 C soy beans, with dressing. And a banana. That was very satisfying.

Snack: OK, so ever since I ate Kraft Dinner the other day I now CRAVE it! And, like I said before, I sort of don't even know why because (before the other day) I can't even remember the last time I ate it!  We had one box left, I was craving it, and Wes wanted some...so, I made it, and had some. I LOVED IT! ;o)......hmmmmm...maybe the carb craving is because it's winter?? I just don't know. Anyway, I may even purchase it again! haha!

I wasn't hungry for dinner (probably because the the KD), but did pop some air-popped popcorn, instead of butter I used EVOO and ranch seasoning. I am about to eat an apple.

i like this whole "being accountable" thing.  We'll see if I even lose weight out of this! I will soon incorporate working out....maybe in the next week of two.  In any event, it is good to put good things into your body and to treat it well. After all, our bodies are temples. :) Steph, I remember you saying one time, "We need to be worthy to enter the temple, is our food worthy to enter us?"....(or something to that effect).  I still think about that and feel it is important to keep in mind.

Charity, I love your idea about packing the cooler...how smart! I am going to prepare my salad tonight, so it's ready to go and I can eat it at lunch time, rather than having to wait until the kids are napping because I didn't have time to cut everything up.

Stephanie, after our chat today I was thinking how cool it would be if you could post that info your found about dairy and the absorption of other  nutrients? I think that would be neat to learn more about.

Anyways, I'm off to prepare my food lunch for tomorrow and then go to bed! :)

Hungry Day

I was so tired lastnight..too tired to post. For some reason, I was hungry all day...maybe I need to eat more?

Breakfast: rolled oats cooked in water, with a bit o milk, blueberries, flax seed. Dang, that breakfast is good!!

snack: raw cashews

lunch: 1/2 head romaine lettuce (today I will eat a whole one), with one tomato, 1/2 C soy beans and dressing

snack: apple and banana

dinner: baked potato with evoo, salsa, cheese, and steamed green beans.

I also drink a ton of water during the day....

For dessert I had a handfull of Milk-chocoatle chips, but they are gone now, so no more temptation

My conclusion is that I am eating healthy, but feel that I need to be eating more...I shouldn't be hungry so often. Or, maybe that is good? What do you think?

PS: I was going to give myself a good week of eating healthy before weighing myself....so I wouldn't get depressed at how much I gained over Christmas. HOwever, I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped on the scale yesterday and discovered that my weight was the same....the same it has been for months! Good!! That is better than gaining. I wish I had the self control to not weigh myself...but, I don't. I like to know what it says.

Hopefully today I'll get that meal-plan done....

Good Intentions

This morning I woke up thinking about what to have for breakfast. I thought about a bowl of cherrios, but it's not exactly REAL, WHOLE food (although they are not bad for you). I thought about toast...but, bread...the same thing. Remember, my goal is real food in it's natural form (over all)....except I'm not against cooking it.

Then, I decided on oatmeal...not the packaged kind, but with regular rolled oats. I felt good about that. At that time I began thinking about how CREAMY and DELICIOUS it would be to have a TBS of peanut butter...mmm...but, all we had was the processed gunk, so I didn't do it. I opted for 1/2 C of BLUEBERRIES and a bit of Flax Seed.

SOOO GOOD!

My previous post is about the health Benefits of Blueberries. They are so good for you!

My snack was 1oz of raw cashews, but tomorrow I'll add an apple to my morning snack...the nuts just weren't quiet enough for some reason.

I did a bunch of grocery shopping today and I did the CRAZIEST thing: purchased a box of Kraft Dinner. I haven't the stuff in YEARS, but decided that this once wouldn't hurt and I would just make it for Olivia...something quick and easy for lunch.

I made it for her and took one bite....holy cow it was good....and so I had a few more. Anyway, after a few (or more) bites I wasn't hungry for my salad. And, I sort of regretted eating it. I usually always have a meal plan...for every single day...and I haven't done that yet for the month...so that is why I caved.

For dinner I had a baked potato with EVOO instead of butter and salsa. 

My plan for tomorrow is A LOT more veggies. I have a really great plan for lunch tomorrow...so, it should be great!

I have eaten better today than I have in a good week plus, so that is good. And overall, it wan't bad. But, I do need to do a lot better. 

I will try and post my menu plan soon.

What are you meal plans?

Stomach Pains

Ok, so has anyone else been taking advantage of the fact that I'm "not starting 'till Monday"?

I ate Chinese food the other day and have 2 big pimples on my face to prove it!!! And, today I ate pizza and ice cream for dinner and consequently have pains in my stomach!

I have thought to myself, "I may as well get it all in..." But, is it really worth it? I don't think so!!

I'm not sure how tomorrow will go as we basically have no fresh food in the house...but, I may be able to still get by with eating healthy (minus the fruit and veggies).

Definitely looking forward to Monday where I will be able to stock up and the good stuff!...the food my body really needs and really craves!!


:)Amanda