SlayingDragons

It has been a busy, busy past two weeks for my family and myself!

  We MOVED.  

There is still much work to be done, however for now we have most things in order and we are excitedly and gratefully getting settled into our new home.

Here are my precious girls, happy as can be!

So, most of us have moved (or helped someone else) in our lifetime.  There is of course the expected work load such as packing, cleaning, and then unpacking and more cleaning and the putting away!  As glorious as the new home is, the reality is it is HARD work moving.

We are so thankful for ALL the help we've had along the way from family and friends.

THANK YOU!

I knew is the midst of the chaos I would need to stick to my eating plan.  

I would WANT to stick to my exercise plan. 

We were busy.  

I would need to be flexible with my time.

I'm proud to report, I DID stick to my eating and exercise plan!

Prepping my meals ahead made all the difference.  Knowing I would be extra busy I prepared more meals than normal and made sure to have extras.

I even made it to the gym.

I did have to be flexible with my gym time, but I know I made up for movement going up and down the stairs and getting up and down as I cleaned and packed.

I did feed my wonderful help PIZZA.  I think they were pleased, kids and adults both!

Thankfully, I have never liked pizza enough for it to ruin my flow!

I am so happy that I was able to maintain a sense of balance over the last 2 weeks!

That is my victory.

#slayingdragons

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Last Thursday at our Healthy U meeting, we talked briefly about balance.

BALANCE.

I have been chasing this concept my entire adult life.

Finding a feeling of harmony that includes my spiritual, family, financial, intellectual, personal growth, and health has always been a challenge for me.

I have often seen the balance scales used to illustrate the see-saw effect.

That is MY life.

Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of letting something important slip while focusing and developing something else that SEEMS more important at the time.

Therefore, I often feel like I'm starting over.

I shared with my group this year long journey (for me) isn't just about my weight.

I want to work on my WHOLE self.  That takes more effort than any diet, or workout.

One day at a time.

One prayer at a time.

One bite at a time.

One step at a time

.....it ALL adds up.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Last week I posted a little bit about how I've started to food prep and really spend time planning and getting ready for the week.

This is something NEW for me.  I'm in general NOT a planner.  I tend to be the one who makes a grocery list, leaves it at home, and casually wings it as I sashay down EVERY isle filling my cart UPPP.

Well, I've been working on that.  I must say, this has been a game changer for me!

So, before 2017 rolled in I had spent some time really thinking about changing up our eating habits.  I knew as a family, we needed an OVERHAUL.  

A couple of us suffer from some food sensitivities and I knew I needed to keep that in mind as well.  So, what is the easiest way to avoid specific ingredients or food allergens?

Purchasing and preparing as many meals from as many WHOLE foods as possible.

Less processed = less ingredients to worry about!

Fresh veggies and fruits are GOD's gift, right there.

But wait, I'm NO gormet Chef.  I generally always have something smoking when I cook.

Sooo how could I possible prepare REAL food that tastes good?

Hello, Pinterest!

(laughing out loud, literally).

So, get to the good stuff already!!

Here is a play by play of how I

 (the unorganized, open the door the smoke is thick....)

prepare and eat for the week.

First, I begin by browsing some of my saved recipes.  At this point there are several that have become favorites.  I've found its easy for me to rotate those each week and then choose a night to add something different to try out.

I created this meal generator and slip it inside a of a binder pouch so 

I can write on it with a dry erase marker.

I like to prep my chicken with the ELOO, salt and pepper, fresh garlic, and fresh parsley.

Fresh herbs and simple spices really bring out the flavors.

I wrap the seasoned chicken in parchment paper and create a bag of sorts to lock in the juices and keep it moist.

I had that "one-pan" meal loaded!!!

Pop it all into the oven about 25-30 minutes...

Its wonderful.  In a short time you have a VARIETY of veggies and your yummy protein for SIMPLE meals throughout the week.

Like I said, I generally eat mine for lunch every day as soon as I get home from the gym.  It is a great warm meal that is balanced with good carbs, lean protein, and VEGGIES.

If we have a busy night I will also eat one on occasion.

I love the portioned container.  I use the largest side for my greens.

The protein and carbs go in the other two spots, and I'm set!

Pop, those bad boys in the fridge and I don't have to worry about scrambling and searching for meals when I come home famished from the gym!

I'm sure you are curious as to what I eat the rest of the week, but I will save that for another day!

I will share my Pinterest board that has some meals saved for inspiration that I've tweaked and used as well as recipes we have tried and love.

https://www.pinterest.com/trsparks1/healthy-meal-inspiration-and-recipes/

I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has been an encouragement and support along the way.  I am in NO way an expert.  My journey has JUST begun.  

I'm learning each day how to make better choices.  

I am human.  

I have failed in the past.  

I plan on SLAYING my fears of failure.  

I will NOT let them (fears/failures) control me.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. -Proverbs 3:5-6 

I've always been interested in food.

...Wait, aren't we all? 

Let me start over.

I've always enjoyed eating. 

Eating when I'm happy.

Eating when celebrating.

Eating while driving.

Eating while watching TV.

Celebrating and well, eating.

Food is love.

Really,  food does equate love to some extent in our culture and I don't think there has to be any shame in that.  However, in the sea of "love" I somehow forgot to stop eating 

for just the love of it....

 and the important fact that Birthday cake should really only be enjoyed on the occasional Birthday.  

(Not because it was on the discount rack at Wal-Mart and 

LOOKED really good as a night time snack to go with my favorite show.)

It was easy.

Food was convenient.

The BEST food was food already processed and cooked and packaged.

Then one day, I realized the food I thought was bringing me such joy was really causing me pain, sickness, depression, and poor health.

I decided I COULD make better choices.  I decided that I SHOULD have a say in how my body felt. I needed to fuel it properly.  

Fast forward 10 years.

A marriage.

3 children.

A teaching career.

Life.

I started to fall back into my old ways.  I forgot how GOOD I felt when I choose whole foods to fuel my body instead of chicken nuggets from McDonalds.

All the THINGS I SWORE I'd never let my children eat (knowing they are junk)...

They were in fact (gasp) eating!

Soon, we were hitting the drive through up, eating boxed convenient "meals," 

and LESS and LESS real food.

I knew better.

I wanted better.

They ALL deserved better.

The husband, the 3 kids...

and ME.

I've been SO blessed to have the opportunity to learn and grow this year through Healthy U.  I'm especially grateful for all of the volunteers who are spending their time investing in my (our) health.  I want to share what I learn as I go.

Tonight we visited about Mindful Eating.

Mindful, meaning intentional.

Even though I was sure I was the only one there who had these horrible eating habits, it was ultimately not true.  We all shared in some of the same struggles:

Finding time to prepare.

Limited time to eat. 

Overwhelmed by choices, recipes, options.

Equating food with comfort (emotional eating).

Poor eating habits such as eating in front of the TV, on the go, or overeating.

I could relate to all of these.

I'm sure we all can.

We were challenged to be more mindful about our food choices and eating habits.

So, I invite you to begin being more mindful with your eating.

Try to check in with your self (is this a thing,...yes..I think so!)

Think about why you're eating, what you're eating. 

Find time to SIT and enjoy what you have prepared.

(if possible DO IT AS A FAMILY)

Remember, "Don't make change too complicated, just begin!"

Nuts and Bolts :  Building My Foundation

I wanted to share with you some of the "new" habits I've been working on.  I think it is important to secure a strong foundation in anything we are attempting to build upon.  For me, healthy eating is/has always been something that I realize the importance of but have failed 

to always make it a priority.  

On January 1st,  I began eating a diet based on lean protein, seafood, eggs, TONS of vegetables, plenty of heart healthy fats, and some fruit.  I made it a priority to stick with foods that had very few ingredients and consume as many whole foods that are natural and unprocessed as I could. 

At first this seemed near impossible.  

Almost daunting.  

I thought, how in the world am I going to pull this off.  What about my family?

However, I began searching for recipes and created a Pinterest board to inspire me.  We talked as a family and vowed we would avoid eating fast food and restaurant 

visits for the ENTIRE month. 

Just 31 days.  We were committed.  

Of course I didn't want my children to feel like this was a punishment or that they were being deprived in any way.  We talked about our "why" and explained that the occasional trip to a restaurant was still okay, we would just safe it for special occasions.  

I began writing out my list of recipes for the week.  Created my grocery list, and then did the UNUSUAL (for me)...I meal prepped for the week.  

In all my past attempts to "eat healthy" I had never prepped to this magnitude.  I had every lunch, and a couple dinners prepped and ready for the week ahead. 

 It took about 3 hours the first time.  

It has since gotten MUCH better. :)  

I was feeling ON FIRE.

I make sure to eat a high protein breakfast of REAL food -no bars, no shakes, no go-go juices.  I love eggs and so does my family.  Lucky for us that is a breakfast staple that no one tires of.  Also, it is easy to be creative adding other herbs and veggies to eggs to change up the flavor.

Then there is lunch.  It isn't a simple salad with bland dressing.  

(I LOVE salad, but I knew I didn't want to burn myself out and eat one ERRRRDAY.)

Instead, it is a pre-prepped, pre-portioned size of protein and my favorite veggie(s) that have been pre-roasted in the oven and pre-portioned out.

***I bought some awesome containers that are portioned into three sections.  

The largest section is reserved for the veggies, then there is a section for protein and one more that can be used for grain or EXTRA veggies :)

These containers have been KEY to my organized, pre-prepped, and 

portioned, easy to heat and eat meals!!!

I make sure to plan ahead dinner choices as something my entire family can enjoy together and even have extra for their lunches another day throughout the week.  So far, there have been the occasional misses but there have also been just as many HITS with surprised eyes as the kids try something that they were SURE they would hate.  This foundation of healthy food choices is SO important for my children.  I have always strived to make sure they have lots of veggies and fruits to eat daily, but I know it is also my job as their parent to secure their foundation in healthy eating and instill habits that will help them have a positive 

relationship with food as they grow.

So, I promised you the Nuts and Bolts, right?

Well, there is it.  Nothing fancy.  Just eating as much REAL food as I can.  Being conscious of portion sizes -but not fixating on every last ounce.  I've tried to use some of my smaller dinner plates when I fix my plate rather than the normal PLATTER size that I used to mound.  I'm trying to listen to my body and pay attention to how I FEEL when/after I eat certain foods.  I need to feel full and the foods that I'm consuming have all be very nutrient dense (NO LONGER MCDONALDS) that I'm very satisfied.  I make sure to get in three  

meals a day and a couple snacks.  

So....all this is working for me NOW.  I feel like I am focusing on a healthy food foundation.  That is what is MOST important for me at this stage in my journey.  It may change as I go. 

 I'm ok with that!  

At 34 days in, I celebrate the fact that I have't had any fast food (MY VICE).  

I'm celebrating that I've cut out my addiction to sugar and all things that would 

lead me to CARB COMOTOSE!  

AKA:  Donnets, cookies, AND ANYTHING THAT LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT BE SWEET.) :)

I also celebrate that as a family we have started sharing our meals at the table more often 

and in front of the TV less often.  

As a family we are trying new foods and learning to be flexible.

Now, JUST because my approach and my healthy eating foundation looks a certain way, doesn't mean yours will resemble mine at all.  We are all so individual that I encourage you to commit to taking the time to evaluate what you're eating, what you're wanting to eat, and 

listening to your body.  

Not every day is going to be perfect!  I'm NOT perfect.  

But, I'm trying hard EVERY day to establish change and reconstruct my foundation!  

How is this method different from my eating habits of the past?

I tend to be a very "ALL OR NOTHING" kinda gal.  This can be ok, but it can also be detrimental when failure of trying to DO IT ALL, leads me into settling on defeat -NOTHING.

I'm in the process of slaying the dragon DEFEAT.

I'd say so far, I'm winning this battle, with the help of my Lord.

  However, DEFEAT is a big one ...

and I know it is going to take more than 30 some days to slay this beast!!

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.  Psalm 28:7

Here is a recipe idea I've used (you can change up veggies to your likes) for meal prep!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/mercedessandoval/stay-healthy-in-2017-with-this-one-pan-chicken-and-veggie-me