10k hooray!

Today my son did his first 10K. Andy is nine now, and he's not in the best shape. he likes video games and is admittedly a bit lazy. He doesn't usually walk too far without whining. He is not an athlete. He does not play sports. He's not very coordinated, kids on the autism spectrum usually aren't. Yet it could be heredity. Frankly, I'm not coordinated or good st sports either. When I was a kid I played many different sports. But I was never very good at anything and was usually the last to be picked for the team. I was chubby, and didn't like physical activity.

Andy lacks both the coordination and the desire to do any sports. Team sports are hard for his Asbergian mind to understand. When he played soccer, and he got tired or thirsty, he'd just walk off the field, mid-play. But by myself going to the gym, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle I hope that he will learn how to lead a healthy life also. By doing these events I hope he will learn you do not have to play sports to be an athlete.

He was the one who really wanted to do this 10K. It was his idea. In Richmond this is one of the biggest events of the year. 40,000 people run in the Monument Ave 10k. They do have a kids run which is just 1 mile, but he wanted nothing to do with that. He wanted to do the entire 10K even though he'd never really walked that far before.

Two hours exactly is what our time was. Not bad for his first time out. Hell, I'm just glad he finished! After finishing the race we walk another mile back to the car. He was exhausted. but he walked it anyways with minimal complaints. I told him he could have anything he wanted for lunch and he chose Buffalo wild wings.

While I could've cheated and gone ahead and joined him in the boneless wings I didn't feel the need. It wasn't a cheat I felt was worth while. Oh yeah and the post race snack, bananas and Ukrops rolls. I skipped that too- even the banana- I didn't really want the carbs. So, I didn't want the breading on my chicken - instead I ordered naked chicken tenders which were just grilled chicken tenders with the small side of barbecue sauce. I also ordered a side salad asked for no croutons and no cheese and if she could add tomatoes and onion that would be great. Easy choices, I had no problem ordering what I wanted without being complicated.

Then I asked for vinegar as my dressing. I was brought a strange looking murky Italian-like dressing. I was then told that that's strange murky looking dressing was in fact balsamic vinegar. Does this look like balsamic vinegar to you?

So I asked for plain vinegar again. The manager of the restaurant even told me that it was balsamic vinegar. I told him "No this is not. Balsamic vinegar is dark and doesn't look anything like that." I just wanted plain vinegar from the bottle. Once again he argued "That is what it says on the bottle ma'am, it says that's balsamic vinegar dressing." I didnt ask for dressing I asked for vinegar. Obviously none of the 4 people I spoke with from waitress to expeditor, to line cook, to manager had ever had balsamic vinegar before. So weird. How do restaurants not have just oil and vinegar? I waited tables for over 10 years. Every restaurant I worked at had oil and vinegar. This is by no means a fussy request, in fact its simple as can be. So instead I asked for lemons. I have no idea what that so called dressing was and I wasn't going to eat it. Small victory, and pretty proud of myself for that. I told him I just wanted real food and he said "ma'am we don't have that."

It amazes me that people really don't understand what real food looks like. I sure as hell am going to make sure that my son knows what real food looks and tastes like. Even though he did have the boneless buffalo wings and tortilla chips as his reward today. I feel good that at least he started the day with a healthy ( and Paleo even ) breakfast.

I feel like now that I've come this far I don't really want to cheat yet I mean I think about it but it's just not worth it. I treated myself to coconut cream blended with cocoa powder - which tasted amazing- and some rosemary marcona almonds. I really would like a glass of wine, but I'll wait till after my first 30 days.

Step in the right direction

Oh my gosh I feel so good. Finally that fog i was in has lifted. I guess it was the reduction of carbs and my body readjusting. I finally have energy again I feel bright and clear it's awesome. I'm also down 3 pounds from my weigh in last night. One thing I did to hold myself accountable to starting Paleo was to join a weight-loss challenge. I usually hate those things but this was very friendly and not too competitive. It was definitely the kickstart I needed. We paid a $10 buy in for an eight week challenge. If you gain weight or miss a meeting you pay in another five dollars. At the end of the eight weeks we will have three top winners to split the pot. I was so excited this week to see the two hard weeks of Paleo paid off. But actually it hasn't been hard at all. I think the hardest part was just the fog I was I was feeling kind of depressed last week. But now I really feel the results I think. And the best part is this is really something I can see myself doing for a long time. I'm still checking MyFitnessPal and watching my carb and sugar and calorie intake. It's been pretty effortless to maintain the right calorie balance and still increase my fat intake, lower my carbs and stay satisfied. I've been doing a lot of reading about Paleo primal diets. So many success stories I read sound so much like what I've gone through. I've lost weight before counting every calorie and working out for two hours a day. Then as soon as I stopped working out so much and counting every single solitary calorie I gained weight steadily. I need balance. I can't do that anymore. It shouldn't have to be such a horrific struggle to lose weight. Well, so far so good with this Paleo experiment. I'm hoping it's just a step in the right direction.

So hungry

Day 11 - paleo challenge

I'm so hungry, grouchy, depressed and I know I'm not supposed To weigh myself, but I have and there's no change. Its very discouraging. I took my measurements and realized they the same as before I lost weight in 2008. That was really the kicker. Did me in.
I'm unmotivated, my house is a mess- still. I'm not doing anything today but wallowing in my own misery. Honestly I really depressed this Spring Break rather sucked. I mean starting a Paleo diet didn't help- no alcohol and all. I just feel like a big failure in my life right now. I'd like do over for the last 5 years of my life.
Maybe its the diet. I'm comforted in the fact that I'm not alone in this stage of the game: http://foodologie.com/2013/03/11/30-day-paleo-challenge-day-8-1-week-thoughts/
Oh wait she didn't make it all the way, so maybe that's not the best example, but I think I can hang with this a bit longer.
I still need to tweak this. I've just started.
That coffee creamer - So delicious coconut milk French vanilla- not terrible otherwise but contains sugar- I'm going to switch to tea for back to school.
Nuts and fruit- I've had too many and need to cut back to one serving a day.
Exercise -60 min a day- it's going to happen. This week. No excuses. Starting Sunday.
Ok goals set. Here goes.

the prodigal dieter returns

Dear blogoshere,
It has been almost 2 years since I have written a thing. In those 2 years I gained 25 lbs.
I have been busy with all sorts of new projects. I spent the past 2 summers coordinating exchange students from France. I has been a blast, but with the focus all on the kids, each summer brought on a 10 lb gain.
In 2012 was honored with the award of Elementary Art Teacher of the year for my county. I also  pursued and got the transfer of my choice, and am loving life at my new school. I was honored to also receive the honor of Elementary Art Teacher of the year for Central VA in 2012. So basically I worked my butt off, and it paid off. I love my new jobs and I have had a ton of fun.
But I stopped working on me.
A friend of mine told me recently that when I am passionate about something, I give it 120%. So true. But the problem with that is the balance gets off. The kids is always #1 - that should go without saying. But when so many things take priority - I lose the balance I need to keep myself in shape.
I still am enjoying a flat belly- no rolls. But the weight has found some new places to land - and my shape is so different. Huge hips and thighs. My arms are fat and my back has rolls.
I was steady in a size 12 for quite a while - now 14s are tight.
I really would be so happy to be back at 185- that's 30 lbs. 
So I am trying a new approach, and jumping on the Paleo bandwagon.
I am on day 8. It's surprisingly easy. I would say I'm doing the whole 30 - but I have allowed some sugar, only in the form of natural sugar - but I have been through 3 cartons of coconut milk creamer that contains cane sugar. I guess I just need to give up coffee and switch to tea.
So on the whole 30 you.. (from the whole 30 program site)

• Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize. -
•  This I am having an issue with  - BIG TIME - the coffee creamer, sugar is a lot of things you don't expect. And too much fruit. But I made it through Easter! No crap, not even my mother's peanut butter egg!

• Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
• I want wine - I'm not gonna lie but I made it through Jan without, and I can do April too.

• Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. Yes, we said corn… for the purposes of this program, corn is a grain! This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
• Much easier than you'd think - we don't do a lot of bread anyhow, so this is fine

• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin). 
• This one is tough - soy is sneaky

• Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
• I am addicted to coconut anything now. TJs coconut cream is amazing - but the enthusiasm for it can't be healthy so I'm going to try to cut back on this too

• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
• Remember that Coconut creamer? Guess what's in it? Carrageenan.

• Do not eat white potatoes. This is somewhat arbitrary, but if we are trying to change your habits and improve the hormonal impact of your food choices, it’s best to leave white, red, purple, Yukon gold and fingerling potatoes off your plate.
• No problem - sweet potatoes and mashed cauliflower are my preferred choices anyhow.

So I'm not 100% compliant at all. The sweeteners are getting me but I don't intend to quit - I'm still trying to get there. I will go 30 days before an official "cheat", but this is something that will hopefully have a positive effect on me overall and put me back on track to losing.

So far I have done pretty good - but I can do better and I am trying.
I have lost no weight yet. I'm going to give it the whole 30 and hopefully I will see results.
I am still tracking - on My Fitness Pal so I don't get out of hand and can keep track of what I'm doing.
Please come find me and follow me - I can use the support! My diary is open too!

I am going to blog here to keep track of how I'm feeling and progress if any.

I have had a frustrating 2 years weight wise. I am hoping to get back to my normal weight, get back into shape, and find my balance again. And those 12s - I want them back.

Things to look forward to -
June - Disney!! (this time water parks - yep)
 Late July- my favorite French girl is coming back for a month long visit.

I'm looking forward to rediscovering some old blog friends, and see how you all have been and hopefully make some new ones!

Finally an update - 5 mo to the day

Bye bye Connie

I made a tough call last week. I canceled my WW subscription. I haven't been to weigh in 2 weeks. At that time I was down 4 lbs from my first weigh in back Feb 20th. And the last 2 weeks have been bad - I have felt huge and am sure I have put it all back on. (For the record - I am no longer allowed to buy Trail Mix ever again.)
I haven't been walking the walk. It's just not clicking for me this time. And I swear if I felt like the leader gave a crap - I'd be there. But she really sucks. I have been going to that same meeting for 10 years, and she barely acknowledges me, and simply isn't friendly at all. So that's that. I am done with Connie.
Also, I really can't afford to be throwing away $40 a month right now. Times are tight. My son has grown so much this year, it's all I can do to keep clothes and shoes on him.
I am going back to using Livestrong. I like that site so much better, so much easier to use and I feel more in control. I am going to try to give the blood type diet principals some thought, and put some into practice. I am keeping up with exercise, though I am not in the gym as much as I used to be,  I am still in there, and sticking it out. It's part of my life. Minimum of 5 days and that's good - though I like it to be everyday. That said it's been since Wednesday since I've been. The end of last week was so busy and we were out of town camping over the weekend. But today is another day.
I really wish it would just click for me already. I have been getting stuck at this weight at this size, forever. I am so over it. I can maintain like no one's business, but getting out of these size 12s seems impossible. There are people who tell me I should just be happy where I am but I'm not. I'm just not. I can't accept that this is it for me.

So much to do so little time

I have totally fallen face first again on this bloggy thing here. I haven't even had much time to read any blogs much less update my own.

There is so much going on. I had my revision surgery -  a tale for another time - did not go awesome. I had 2 craft shows, a trip to NYC with my little dude - again another time - but that WAS awesome. And there are only 6 short weeks of school left!!! Ahhhh! I have taken a summer job hosting French Exchange students, which I am excited about, but still have 10 kids to find host families for and there is just so much to do. I have also started spending some time with someone  - it's nothing new if you will, but that's all I will say about that. Believe it or not I actually have somethings I keep totally to myself.

updates coming soon -  until then a few pictures ......

me and the monkey at the beginning of our trip - ready to go

and the end - so totally done - no more pictures momma

my dear friend Betsy and I at the Handmade Market in Raleigh NC

 

did I mention soccer season has started again?

trying to eat healthy - Gazpacho from my CSA veggies - horray for hydroponic tomatoes

but I'm only down 4 lbs total on WW - a few steps forward and a few steps back

and lastly despite any troubles I have had along the way; there is definitely progress - 

some before during and now pics - we're still not in the after phase yet