So, this week I've been doing really well with exercise and tracking my calorie intake. I missed one day, Wednesday - so I worked out Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - 6 days! That's the most I've exercised, outside of walking, for a long time. It's the small steps that count.
I missed Saturday's workout this week, didn't feel like doing the 30 Day Shred on Sunday, so my husband and I took a 3.2 mile walk. Monday - nothing, Tuesday - nothing, Wednesday - walk the dog and 30 day shred, Thursday, Friday - nothing.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Cutting back on sugary beverages
That is one of my goals. I actually just finished reading an article about that and it had a link to a new initiative sponsored by: the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and a ton more (those are just the big names everybody's heard of). Anyway, Life is Sweeter is where you can go to find out more and/or participate in cutting back on sugary drinks, such as soda and energy drinks.
I found the following statistic on the site and it kind of surprised me:More than two-thirds of American adults and one in three children are overweight or obese.
I that America is now the fatest nation, we used to be second to Australia. But with the way food companies are regulated (or not), we continue to gain weight and not do anything about it. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sick of sitting on my butt and not doing anything about being overweight. That's why I started the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. I also continue to walk the dog, although his max is about 1 mile.
One thing I'm trying to work on eliminating, is coffee creamer (I do buy the sugar free version -less calories than the fat free version) - I take 2 Tbsp. in my coffee every morning and I don't like drinking my calories. One alternative, which I usually do in the winter, is drink green tea. I just did a google search for flavored creamer substitutes and came up with this recipe (not sure how the calories break out, but I'm willing to try it and do the math to find out about reducing my calorie intake in this way.
I found the following statistic on the site and it kind of surprised me:More than two-thirds of American adults and one in three children are overweight or obese.
I that America is now the fatest nation, we used to be second to Australia. But with the way food companies are regulated (or not), we continue to gain weight and not do anything about it. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sick of sitting on my butt and not doing anything about being overweight. That's why I started the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. I also continue to walk the dog, although his max is about 1 mile.
One thing I'm trying to work on eliminating, is coffee creamer (I do buy the sugar free version -less calories than the fat free version) - I take 2 Tbsp. in my coffee every morning and I don't like drinking my calories. One alternative, which I usually do in the winter, is drink green tea. I just did a google search for flavored creamer substitutes and came up with this recipe (not sure how the calories break out, but I'm willing to try it and do the math to find out about reducing my calorie intake in this way.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
September 11 - 10 years - Never Forget
It was 10 years ago today that terrorists made an attack on the U.S. The Twin Towers in NYC, the Pentagon in Washington D.C. That day, many lives were taken. One life was a friend of my sister's, Dana Hannon, who was a New York City firefighter. He had dreamed about being one for a long time. Here is a great article about him.
'9.11 We remember' series: Dana Hannon of Wyckoff
Thursday, September 8, 2011 Last updated: Thursday September 8, 2011, 1:44 AM
Wyckoff Suburban News
Wyckoff – For Kyle Bickford, Ground Zero represents a void in her heart.
"You know when you talk with a friend, and they start telling a funny story, and they remember a part that you don’t remember, and then you just kind of play off of each other?" she asked. "The person who could do that for my entire life and my entire childhood is no longer here."
That friend was her brother Dana Hannon, a 29-year-old New York City firefighter who boarded Engine 26 to aid rescue efforts at the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Kyle had been at her job in Upper Saddle River when news of the terrorist attacks reached her.
"At first I wasn’t even sure if he was working that day, because firemen’s schedules are all…you never know," Kyle said, but a call from his fiancée, Allison Dansen, confirmed her worst fears.
Kyle joined co-workers in an office with radio reception and listened to news reports saying the South Tower had fallen.
"There was a girl there, and she didn’t know about Dana, and the first thing that she said was, ‘All of the firemen are dead’," Kyle remembers. "I turned, I walked to my office and I picked up my purse and I just walked out. I left and I didn’t go back for two weeks.
"I just drove home and I remember thinking…something bad is not supposed to happen on this day where you can hear the birds chirping and it’s like a Disney movie. That’s not what’s supposed to be happening."
Ten years later, she continues to mourn. As she talked about how her life has changed since 9/11, she relates events with a "tinge of sadness" because of Dana’s absence.
Dana never had a chance to meet her husband, Kevin, or get to know their 3-year-old son, Cole Dana. She laments that he couldn’t marry and have children of his own.
He was almost there — only two months before 9/11, Dana had proposed to Dansen on top of a bridge in Australia. Kyle said the wedding would have likely been in the fall of 2002.
"When you stop and think about in 10 years what can happen – I’m 10 years older. I’m married now. I have a child. My husband never got to meet my brother," Kyle said. "So much in my life has changed and it also illustrates how much Dana’s will never.
"For everyone it’s like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s 10 years — how could it be 10 years?’ And for me it was just as bad when it was nine years and it will be just as bad when its 11 years," she said.
But 10 years is a milestone, Kyle concedes, and so she is marking the anniversary by selling re-designed commemorative T-shirts that will benefit the Dana Hannon Scholarship Fund, which she founded shortly after his death.
Through the fund, two high school seniors from Wyckoff are given scholarships each year for their volunteerism and community service.
To date, over 700 shirts have been sold in 21 states and London.
"For me what’s important is someone who’s never met Dana could be standing behind this person [wearing a shirt] in the grocery store and just for a minute they have to think about him," Kyle said. "For some people it spurs them to go find out more and for other people. they just think about him for a minute and that’s what I’m looking for."
When asked how she feels about living in the town where Dana is considered a local hero –his legacy as a firefighter is immortalized in stone in front of Fire Co. 1 at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial – Kyle says she’s appreciative, but to her and her parents – Tom and Gaye Hannon – he’s still just Dana.
"I don’t look at him that way," Kyle said. "He was a fiancée, he was a brother, a son, a grandson, and that’s the most important part to me."
Source
Hannon
That friend was her brother Dana Hannon, a 29-year-old New York City firefighter who boarded Engine 26 to aid rescue efforts at the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Kyle had been at her job in Upper Saddle River when news of the terrorist attacks reached her.
"At first I wasn’t even sure if he was working that day, because firemen’s schedules are all…you never know," Kyle said, but a call from his fiancée, Allison Dansen, confirmed her worst fears.
Kyle joined co-workers in an office with radio reception and listened to news reports saying the South Tower had fallen.
"There was a girl there, and she didn’t know about Dana, and the first thing that she said was, ‘All of the firemen are dead’," Kyle remembers. "I turned, I walked to my office and I picked up my purse and I just walked out. I left and I didn’t go back for two weeks.
"I just drove home and I remember thinking…something bad is not supposed to happen on this day where you can hear the birds chirping and it’s like a Disney movie. That’s not what’s supposed to be happening."
Ten years later, she continues to mourn. As she talked about how her life has changed since 9/11, she relates events with a "tinge of sadness" because of Dana’s absence.
Dana never had a chance to meet her husband, Kevin, or get to know their 3-year-old son, Cole Dana. She laments that he couldn’t marry and have children of his own.
He was almost there — only two months before 9/11, Dana had proposed to Dansen on top of a bridge in Australia. Kyle said the wedding would have likely been in the fall of 2002.
"When you stop and think about in 10 years what can happen – I’m 10 years older. I’m married now. I have a child. My husband never got to meet my brother," Kyle said. "So much in my life has changed and it also illustrates how much Dana’s will never.
"For everyone it’s like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s 10 years — how could it be 10 years?’ And for me it was just as bad when it was nine years and it will be just as bad when its 11 years," she said.
But 10 years is a milestone, Kyle concedes, and so she is marking the anniversary by selling re-designed commemorative T-shirts that will benefit the Dana Hannon Scholarship Fund, which she founded shortly after his death.
Through the fund, two high school seniors from Wyckoff are given scholarships each year for their volunteerism and community service.
To date, over 700 shirts have been sold in 21 states and London.
"For me what’s important is someone who’s never met Dana could be standing behind this person [wearing a shirt] in the grocery store and just for a minute they have to think about him," Kyle said. "For some people it spurs them to go find out more and for other people. they just think about him for a minute and that’s what I’m looking for."
When asked how she feels about living in the town where Dana is considered a local hero –his legacy as a firefighter is immortalized in stone in front of Fire Co. 1 at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial – Kyle says she’s appreciative, but to her and her parents – Tom and Gaye Hannon – he’s still just Dana.
"I don’t look at him that way," Kyle said. "He was a fiancée, he was a brother, a son, a grandson, and that’s the most important part to me."
Source
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Anniversary Cards - 2011
I love the look of torn paper. That's why I incorporated it into one of these anniversary cards. I especially like the paper with words all over it reflecting on love and what it means.
In this one I use the same paper with words related to love all over it. When this card is closed you can see the white paper on the inside hanging about 1/4" beyond the black, which covers the inside back of the love words paper...this way nobody sees the adhesive. :)
Monday, September 5, 2011
Emotional Eating
I don't know about you, but I struggle with emotional eating. There are certain triggers that make me want to eat something that I shouldn't. I'm sure we all have triggers that make us want to eat those not so healthy things.
What are your emotional triggers? What do you crave?
Emotional triggers for me include: stress and sadness. What I usually crave is chocolate or carbs (chips, potatoes, sugary snacks).
What do you need to do to overcome those emotional triggers? Come up with a plan. When one of your triggers strikes, you'll be ready to deal with it. Yesterday, I experienced an emotional trigger, I just wanted to find something to eat, but I took the dog for a walk instead. I didn't intentionally plan it that way, that wasn't my plan. But looking back, I realize it was a good plan. Better than running to the store and picking up some Twizzlers. So, I decided I need to come up with a plan, so that when one of my emotional triggers fires, I can be prepared.
Do you have a plan? Would love to hear what you do! As soon as I have one, I'll let you know what it is. But it's always good to have a plan.
I guess I already have two, actually, walking the dog and reading the Bible (that's what I did after I walked the dog). Both of those things gave me the opportunity to escape from the thing that was causing the emotional trigger. I had time to think and reflect about the situation and was able to overcome the "need" to eat something.
This ties in with something I read in "Made to Crave" yesterday. On page 159 it talks about 1 Corinthians 10:12-14, which says, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. / Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry."
Lysa TerKeurst than comments as follows, "Expecting anything outside the will of God to satisfy us is idolatry. Nutrition, which is food's intended purpose, means consuming proper portions of healthy choices that enable our bodies to function properly. Idolatry, in the case of food, means the consumption of ill-sized portions and unhealthy choices because we feel like we deserve it or need it to feel better.
We aren't to flee food. We need food. But we are to flee the control food can have on our lives. If we flee from the pattern of idolizing food and stop depending on food to make us feel emotionally better, we will be able to more clearly see the way out God promises to provide when we are tempted."
So, last night, when that emotional trigger occurred for me, I remembered reading this, so I fled (by taking the dog for a walk, and then reflecting on Scripture).
What are your emotional triggers? What do you crave?
Emotional triggers for me include: stress and sadness. What I usually crave is chocolate or carbs (chips, potatoes, sugary snacks).
What do you need to do to overcome those emotional triggers? Come up with a plan. When one of your triggers strikes, you'll be ready to deal with it. Yesterday, I experienced an emotional trigger, I just wanted to find something to eat, but I took the dog for a walk instead. I didn't intentionally plan it that way, that wasn't my plan. But looking back, I realize it was a good plan. Better than running to the store and picking up some Twizzlers. So, I decided I need to come up with a plan, so that when one of my emotional triggers fires, I can be prepared.
Do you have a plan? Would love to hear what you do! As soon as I have one, I'll let you know what it is. But it's always good to have a plan.
I guess I already have two, actually, walking the dog and reading the Bible (that's what I did after I walked the dog). Both of those things gave me the opportunity to escape from the thing that was causing the emotional trigger. I had time to think and reflect about the situation and was able to overcome the "need" to eat something.
This ties in with something I read in "Made to Crave" yesterday. On page 159 it talks about 1 Corinthians 10:12-14, which says, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. / Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry."
Lysa TerKeurst than comments as follows, "Expecting anything outside the will of God to satisfy us is idolatry. Nutrition, which is food's intended purpose, means consuming proper portions of healthy choices that enable our bodies to function properly. Idolatry, in the case of food, means the consumption of ill-sized portions and unhealthy choices because we feel like we deserve it or need it to feel better.
We aren't to flee food. We need food. But we are to flee the control food can have on our lives. If we flee from the pattern of idolizing food and stop depending on food to make us feel emotionally better, we will be able to more clearly see the way out God promises to provide when we are tempted."
So, last night, when that emotional trigger occurred for me, I remembered reading this, so I fled (by taking the dog for a walk, and then reflecting on Scripture).
Made to Crave - Day 16
Day 16: The “G” word
Based on Chapter 13 of Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst
Thought for the Day: “As the deer pants for steams of water, so my soul thirsts for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1–2)
Have you ever heard a sermon about your eating habits? I doubt it. Excessive drinking, yes. Excessive eating, never. At least I hadn’t until a historic church-going day when the preacher man pulled out the big “G” word: gluttony.
I rolled my eyes, as you have just done, and thought, “How dare you say to me that eating is a sinful desire?” But his point was brilliant and I took it to heart. How can we stand and wag our fingers in the direction of alcohol only to walk into the church-wide, covered-dish buffet and stuff ourselves sick with fried, covered-and-smothered, grossly caloric delights that buckle our paper plates and cause our stomachs to cry for antacids?
I want you to hear me. I’m not saying that eating is a sinful desire. What I am saying is, if you have a script like this (“I’m fat, I’m ugly, and I’m not capable of getting it together”) playing in your mind, then something is waging war against your soul.
First Peter 2:11 reminds us, “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul.”
In other words, if something is waging war against your soul, it is a sinful desire. Now please hear me again. Eating in and of itself is not a sinful desire. God made us to consume food, but food was never supposed to consume us. And if food starts consuming us to the point where we cannot feel empowered, then that is a problem.
I imagine at this point you are wondering if we really need to go there with this gluttony thing. It’s not exactly the most girlfriend-friendly topic that makes you want to say, “Preach on, sister. I’m loving this encouragement!”
When we rely on overstuffing ourselves with food, drinking until we get drunk, or conducting an adulterous relationship, we are revealing a desperate attempt to silence the cries of a hungry soul.
Our souls have the same ravenous intensity as a vacuum cleaner; that’s how God created us—with a longing to be filled. It is a longing God instilled to draw us into deep intimacy with Him. The psalmist expresses this longing as an intense thirst:
As the deer pants for steams of water, so my soul thirsts for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Indeed, our souls are thirsty and ravenous vacuums. If we fail to fill our souls with spiritual nourishment, we will forever be triggered to numb our longings with other temporary physical pleasures that will never satisfy.
Source
Based on Chapter 13 of Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst
Thought for the Day: “As the deer pants for steams of water, so my soul thirsts for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1–2)
Have you ever heard a sermon about your eating habits? I doubt it. Excessive drinking, yes. Excessive eating, never. At least I hadn’t until a historic church-going day when the preacher man pulled out the big “G” word: gluttony.
I rolled my eyes, as you have just done, and thought, “How dare you say to me that eating is a sinful desire?” But his point was brilliant and I took it to heart. How can we stand and wag our fingers in the direction of alcohol only to walk into the church-wide, covered-dish buffet and stuff ourselves sick with fried, covered-and-smothered, grossly caloric delights that buckle our paper plates and cause our stomachs to cry for antacids?
I want you to hear me. I’m not saying that eating is a sinful desire. What I am saying is, if you have a script like this (“I’m fat, I’m ugly, and I’m not capable of getting it together”) playing in your mind, then something is waging war against your soul.
First Peter 2:11 reminds us, “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul.”
In other words, if something is waging war against your soul, it is a sinful desire. Now please hear me again. Eating in and of itself is not a sinful desire. God made us to consume food, but food was never supposed to consume us. And if food starts consuming us to the point where we cannot feel empowered, then that is a problem.
I imagine at this point you are wondering if we really need to go there with this gluttony thing. It’s not exactly the most girlfriend-friendly topic that makes you want to say, “Preach on, sister. I’m loving this encouragement!”
When we rely on overstuffing ourselves with food, drinking until we get drunk, or conducting an adulterous relationship, we are revealing a desperate attempt to silence the cries of a hungry soul.
Our souls have the same ravenous intensity as a vacuum cleaner; that’s how God created us—with a longing to be filled. It is a longing God instilled to draw us into deep intimacy with Him. The psalmist expresses this longing as an intense thirst:
As the deer pants for steams of water, so my soul thirsts for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Indeed, our souls are thirsty and ravenous vacuums. If we fail to fill our souls with spiritual nourishment, we will forever be triggered to numb our longings with other temporary physical pleasures that will never satisfy.
Source
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Labor Day Weekend 2011
So I've been pretty good about trying to walk at least one mile per day during the week, taking the dog and the husband with me. :) My total steps for the week are: 54,015, which is an average of 7,716 steps per day...that's up from my 11 day tracking a week ago. :)
Today I started the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred again. I plan on continuing it for as long as I can - definitely Sunday and Monday, since I don't have to work. I know after I did it last time, 3 days in a row, I was feeling it in my abs. So, I do want to continue with this for as long as I can.
I'm also considering taking a class at the local park district: Total Cardio Sculpt. Here's the description: Full body weight training, using various equipment to strengthen and tone combined with cardio training to get your heart rate up. This class has all you need for an effective body shaping workout that will keep you coming back for more. Please bring a mat.
I have two people encouraging me to do this and one saying it's too advanced, I need to start smaller. But, I'm not going to listen to the neigh sayer and do it. There are two sessions, both are 8 weeks. I'm going to do the first session and if I like it, I'll do the second session. Unfortunately the class is on Tuesday's, the day The Biggest Loser is on, but I can always catch that on Hulu. Exercise, getting my health back, and losing excess weight is what's important.
Today I started the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred again. I plan on continuing it for as long as I can - definitely Sunday and Monday, since I don't have to work. I know after I did it last time, 3 days in a row, I was feeling it in my abs. So, I do want to continue with this for as long as I can.
I'm also considering taking a class at the local park district: Total Cardio Sculpt. Here's the description: Full body weight training, using various equipment to strengthen and tone combined with cardio training to get your heart rate up. This class has all you need for an effective body shaping workout that will keep you coming back for more. Please bring a mat.
I have two people encouraging me to do this and one saying it's too advanced, I need to start smaller. But, I'm not going to listen to the neigh sayer and do it. There are two sessions, both are 8 weeks. I'm going to do the first session and if I like it, I'll do the second session. Unfortunately the class is on Tuesday's, the day The Biggest Loser is on, but I can always catch that on Hulu. Exercise, getting my health back, and losing excess weight is what's important.
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