Change

Change - that word alone scares people.  I am facing a HUGE change in my life starting today.

Today I am filling out the bubble sheet that my eating has now been reduced to.  I am finding it MUCH easier to write down what I am eating than figuring out which darn little bubble to fill in.

The bubbles are simply defining how I may eat my calories.  Very weight watchers like.  I get 6 carbs/starchy vegetables, 6 proteins, 3 non-starchy vegetables, 2 fruits, 3 fats.  Then I must add in 3 milks and 6 waters as well as 30 minutes of exercise.

So does my 1 Tablespoon of lite ranch dressing count as a fat or as a free food, because technically it is a free food and I can have 3 free foods a day.  But they have to be spread out.  So then, does the lettuce and coleslaw mix I had count as my vegetable or as a free food, because that too is a free food.  And then I had some flaked chicken with 1 teaspoon of lite miracle whip - again - fat or free?  UGH - technically most of my lunch was on the free list, but since I at them together they aren't free or are they?!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

So it's currently 4:40pm and I am officially starving!  Now I haven't had my afternoon "snack" of 8 ounces of milk yet.  Maybe if I have that it will be better.  I just know I had better do something before I have to go work at the concession stand for the JV football game or I may try to eat everything in the stand!  And there isn't a thing there that is on my "allowed" list.  So....

My wonderful husband is doing this 1400 calorie a day thing as well.  He texted part way through the afternoon that he too was feeling rather hungry.  Could be a grumpy evening in our house!

I'm finding the limiting my food part fairly easy compared to figuring out the exercise part.  I just got home, have a piano lesson soon and then off to the concession stand.  So once I'm done with that, it's dark outside.  And Wapello isn't exactly known for an excess of street lights.  This is why we are seriously considering purchasing a treadmill.

Things that went will today:  I managed to eat both of my meals and not drink anything 30 minutes before or after.  AS hard as I thought that was going to be, it is actually proving fairly easy.  I easily remembered my morning "snack" of milk.  During an afternoon meeting, someone brought treats.  I was excited to have a brownie, was just about to grab it and retracted my arm...oh yeah, I can't have that!  So, I was proud of myself for remembering and not taking one anyway.

So working in the concession stand was torture.  Not because of the work, that was fun, great people and great conversation.  We got a lot of talking done because we weren't exactly busy.  that was a great time, but the torture was scooping up the meat, lettuce and cheese for walking tacos.  Or squirting out the nacho cheese on chips and adding meat.  I love eating those things and then I had to get M&Ms out of the fridge....torture!!!  But, I made it through and didn't cheat!

Supper was an interesting experience.  I had been so careful during breakfast and lunch to not use up all of my bubbles....I had a LOT of bubbles left for supper.  In fact, I ended up not eating all my carbs or veggies for the day and I was stuffed at supper!  Who would have thought!

Thanks to a friend who has gone through this, I have figured out that I can do one of my shakes with milk instead of juice for breakfast.  This makes me happy - I liked my shakes!  We'll see how this goes tomorrow.

Change comes when we need it most.  I am using this change as a daily motivation for what is to be the long-term change, a healthier me.  I know that each step of the way will be difficult.  I know that I will stumble, I will make mistakes, but I will pick myself up and continue and not hold that against myself as I continue forward in my quest.

So I try to think about school and kids and change.  How can I take what I am learning about myself and my personal changes and use them in my professional life?  Is that even possible?

When we first think of change, or a different way of doing something, people often get very defensive.  People often think that when someone suggests a different way of doing something they are saying that the current way is bad.  That is NOT the case.  Suggesting a change doesn't mean that the current way is bad, it is simply an idea that may work as well or better.  Or, could flop and not work well at all.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result...I've seen quotes that say that is the definition of insanity.    If we do the same thing and expect a different result - how do we think that result will suddenly change?  IN teaching.  If we have taught the same way for years, or a certain lesson the same way...if we expect that suddenly the test scores will improve...we are being naive.  Getting different results means we need to change the approach we are taking.

The government has decided that ALL students will be proficient in ALL areas.  They take no circumstances into account.  EVERYONE must achieve that level, period.  Schools all over the nation are finding that what we are doing to try to attain that result is not getting the job done.  Schools are having to face hard test results and the fact that if we want a chance to get close to that government set goal, we have to change how we do things.

We have to change and that is scary.  We have to go outside of our comfort zone and try new things, try new approaches, do things that we have never done before.

In my personal life that is what I am doing....I have to change and that is scary.  I am going outside of my comfort zone and trying new things and new approaches and definitely doing things I have never done before.

Take a chance, be willing to change, be willing to put yourself out there and try new things.  I believe you can do it and I hope that you will too.