"Think positive because thoughts are like the steering wheel that moves our lives in the right direction." I got this off of someone's facebook the other day and I really thought it pertained to my life. I keep thinking positive and my life keeps moving in the right direction!
So those of you who have already given up caffeine, no need for "I told you so's!"
I have now been off caffeine for 11 days and I made a startling discovery yesterday.... I am LESS tired now than I was when I was drinking caffeine. Wow.
I was very surprised to discover this. Everyone uses caffeine to wake up or stay awake. I have always been tired - it's a constant in my life. But now, 11 days with no caffeine, I am more awake during the day AND I am actually ready to sleep at night. Woo hoo! Getting rid of caffeine has turned my internal clock back to normal. And I don't remember the last time it was normal!
Those of you who knew that this would happen - man I wish you had told me and I wish I would have listened! This is awesome!
Today was day 4 of exercise. Can't say I am enjoying it...but I'm not hating it. We have been doing Just Dance 3. Mike would prefer to go for a walk, but bless his heart, he does the Just Dance because "it's your ball game"! So he is such a wonderful man that he does something he doesn't like simply because he's being there for me! How awesome!
Tonight was kind of fun. A friend started an exercise group at our church. Tonight was our first meeting. There were 7 of us there and we were having a good time. And what did we do tonight? Just Dance 3!
The second scary discovery I made came today. Just Dance 3 is already getting easier after just 4 days! Not nearly as easy as my daughter and son find it, but a heck of a lot easier than it was Monday!
AND, the counting of my bubbles is starting to happen in my head without even having to look things up and try to figure it out.
Yesterday we got our new food scale in the mail. Ordered it from a Pampered Chef party. Yes, it was a little spendy, but it is awesome. It has a tare so we can zero it out after putting a container on the scale. Loving that we can finally weigh the food and have accurate amounts of food. Also finding that we are getting pretty good at guesstimating food weights. Before the scale came we were approximating the meats. I weighed the bags of chicken we had already cut and put into portion bags. They were right on for weight. We were quite proud of that!
So life is really heading in a positive direction for me. This weekend we may end up eating out - that will be a first since starting the new eating regimen. It will be interesting to see what we come up with to eat. I think we'll be looking at that menu a bit longer than normal!
Thinking positive, it can do so much for a person and their life. So I urge you to think positive and keep steering your life in the right direction.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Discovered a "new" food
Wow. We have found a winner in our house.
Tonight we had baked cod. We bought frozen whole fillets at Costco. Why? Because we thought we needed to start eating a lean fish. And cod is benign enough that the kids should like it as well.
So Mike thawed out the cod pieces and dredged them lightly in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Baked them up....DELICIOUS. Normally when I eat fish I like a tartar sauce or a mayonaise with it. I was allowed 1 Tablespoon of light mayo in my bubbles. I used barely any of it. I loved the fish plain!
The other big winner tonight was the potatoes we made. In our meeting 2 weeks ago with the dietitian she talked about how people always wanted french fries. But McDonald's fries, or other fast food fries, are so nasty because of the deep frying. She told us that we could make our own by simply cutting up potatoes and baking them.
Mike tried it. HUGE HIT. And get this, a cup of baked french fries equals one starch or carb bubble. A CUP. We usually have 2 carbs for dinner - that's a lot of french fries! Woo hoo. We are in heaven. In fact, after we finished supper and realized that we only had enough fries for each of us to have 1 "bubble", we went in and made some more. They are in the oven right now!!! Woo hoo, can't wait until they get done! :-)
It is so nice to have a food that is tasty and filling...and we can have a lot of! Hurrah! Nummy!
Finding out I like yogurt has also been a wonderful find.
Today has been a great food day - oatmeal for breakfast, which filled me up nicely. Salad for lunch, getting a bit bored with that, may need to try something new. But it's fairly filling. And then the nummy cod and french fries for supper, along with some raw cauliflower and broccoli.
So week 2 is off to a great start. Very exciting.
Today at school was kind of cute. The kids in one class were talking about what they were bringing for their birthday treats. One girl told me, "I'm bringing mine next Monday and you love cupcakes so I'll be sure to bring you one." Two classmates turned to her and said, "She can't have those any more, remember! Bringing her one would be mean!" I laughed and laughed. I told them I appreciated them thinking of me but I am not eating that stuff any more, but it's okay if you forget and bring me something. I will just tell you nicely that I don't eat that any more but thank you and happy birthday!
Have I mentioned how much I love my job? Kids are such great people. They really can be very considerate and caring. Yes, they can be the opposite at times too, but mostly, they are really pretty cool. I love my job!
Today was an awesome Monday (and for me to say that - that's huge!). I hope your Monday was great as well. I wish you a fabulous week.
Tonight we had baked cod. We bought frozen whole fillets at Costco. Why? Because we thought we needed to start eating a lean fish. And cod is benign enough that the kids should like it as well.
So Mike thawed out the cod pieces and dredged them lightly in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Baked them up....DELICIOUS. Normally when I eat fish I like a tartar sauce or a mayonaise with it. I was allowed 1 Tablespoon of light mayo in my bubbles. I used barely any of it. I loved the fish plain!
The other big winner tonight was the potatoes we made. In our meeting 2 weeks ago with the dietitian she talked about how people always wanted french fries. But McDonald's fries, or other fast food fries, are so nasty because of the deep frying. She told us that we could make our own by simply cutting up potatoes and baking them.
Mike tried it. HUGE HIT. And get this, a cup of baked french fries equals one starch or carb bubble. A CUP. We usually have 2 carbs for dinner - that's a lot of french fries! Woo hoo. We are in heaven. In fact, after we finished supper and realized that we only had enough fries for each of us to have 1 "bubble", we went in and made some more. They are in the oven right now!!! Woo hoo, can't wait until they get done! :-)
It is so nice to have a food that is tasty and filling...and we can have a lot of! Hurrah! Nummy!
Finding out I like yogurt has also been a wonderful find.
Today has been a great food day - oatmeal for breakfast, which filled me up nicely. Salad for lunch, getting a bit bored with that, may need to try something new. But it's fairly filling. And then the nummy cod and french fries for supper, along with some raw cauliflower and broccoli.
So week 2 is off to a great start. Very exciting.
Today at school was kind of cute. The kids in one class were talking about what they were bringing for their birthday treats. One girl told me, "I'm bringing mine next Monday and you love cupcakes so I'll be sure to bring you one." Two classmates turned to her and said, "She can't have those any more, remember! Bringing her one would be mean!" I laughed and laughed. I told them I appreciated them thinking of me but I am not eating that stuff any more, but it's okay if you forget and bring me something. I will just tell you nicely that I don't eat that any more but thank you and happy birthday!
Have I mentioned how much I love my job? Kids are such great people. They really can be very considerate and caring. Yes, they can be the opposite at times too, but mostly, they are really pretty cool. I love my job!
Today was an awesome Monday (and for me to say that - that's huge!). I hope your Monday was great as well. I wish you a fabulous week.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
One Week Down
So.... today marks day 7 of the new way of eating in our house.
We are both getting pretty good at figuring out our bubbles. Or as Mike says, bubbles be damned, I'm eating better and that's what matters.
He, however, doesn't have the dietitian meeting and judgement looming over his head. So I can't say bubbles be damned, I must use the bubbles.
I have spent a week with now caffeine. Well, at least no coke zero. I suppose the fat free, sugar free chocolate pudding powder might have a little caffeine in it, but....
We figured out pretty quickly that eating the same thing every day is easy and actually makes life better than trying to figure out every day how to have something different. And, since we made lasagna early in the week and can only eat one piece a meal, we finished it tonight. It ended up making 5 meals for us - wow, that's pretty good.
We also had pork chops one night. Now that was a new experience for us. We have always cooked our pork chops in the crock pot in gravy. Well gravy is a TON of fat. So Mike cooked them in the crock pot in water. Let's just say, they were fine, but they certainly didn't have the flavor we are used to them having. We chopped the left overs up and they went into salads today for lunch.
I discovered that frozen grapes, that others have said are wonderful, are NOT for me. And once I have the surgery they really won't be for me. After surgery I can't have skins and such not chewed up and when eating the frozen grapes I ended up with skin left over every time. And, really didn't like the flavor as much as when they are fresh. So I will stick to regular old grapes.
I discovered that I DO like yogurt. I tried it years ago and didn't like it so I have always avoided it. Well, I am supposed to have 3 snacks a day - each of them 8 ounces of milk. But, I can have yogurt for one of them. Well, I like milk, but.... So, I thought I would try yogurt again, but definitely with fruit. So we bought a low-fat yogurt with strawberry. LOVED it. But found out that since it was only LOW fat and had the fruit, it had the protein of the milk but double the carbs.
So, yesterday we went shopping and spent a long time in the yogurt department comparing nutrition labels. I found out that the Great Value light fatfree yogurt has the same protein and carbs as an 8 ounce servie of skim milk. Woo hoo. AND, they are rather inexpensive as well! So we bought several flavors. Had Key Lime first - nummy, nummy.
Mike decided to try brussel sprouts. Hee hee - he'll be finishing the bag that he bought, but I think that won't be a purchase again in the future. His exact words, "A little salsa and you can get anything down." Needless to say, I didn't bother to try them if he disliked them so much!
Exercise - I guess we need to get on that one this week. We started the whole food change and completely did it, no slowly, just jumped right in. I guess it's time we need to "jump" into the exercising thing. Our problem is finding the time to do it in our busy lives.
I know, you all will say that your lives are busy and you find time. But I think YOU might actually like exercising. I haven't gotten to that point...liking exercising. But, it's something I have to start and something I have to at least do, whether I like it or not. So.... it must start.
Our problem - we are fair-weather people. If it's raining, too windy, too cold, icy, we won't be walking. So...we either need to figure out a place to walk inside or spend the money to get a treadmill. Time will tell what we figure out.
On the up side of the last week.
We are both getting pretty good at figuring out our bubbles. Or as Mike says, bubbles be damned, I'm eating better and that's what matters.
He, however, doesn't have the dietitian meeting and judgement looming over his head. So I can't say bubbles be damned, I must use the bubbles.
I have spent a week with now caffeine. Well, at least no coke zero. I suppose the fat free, sugar free chocolate pudding powder might have a little caffeine in it, but....
We figured out pretty quickly that eating the same thing every day is easy and actually makes life better than trying to figure out every day how to have something different. And, since we made lasagna early in the week and can only eat one piece a meal, we finished it tonight. It ended up making 5 meals for us - wow, that's pretty good.
We also had pork chops one night. Now that was a new experience for us. We have always cooked our pork chops in the crock pot in gravy. Well gravy is a TON of fat. So Mike cooked them in the crock pot in water. Let's just say, they were fine, but they certainly didn't have the flavor we are used to them having. We chopped the left overs up and they went into salads today for lunch.
I discovered that frozen grapes, that others have said are wonderful, are NOT for me. And once I have the surgery they really won't be for me. After surgery I can't have skins and such not chewed up and when eating the frozen grapes I ended up with skin left over every time. And, really didn't like the flavor as much as when they are fresh. So I will stick to regular old grapes.
I discovered that I DO like yogurt. I tried it years ago and didn't like it so I have always avoided it. Well, I am supposed to have 3 snacks a day - each of them 8 ounces of milk. But, I can have yogurt for one of them. Well, I like milk, but.... So, I thought I would try yogurt again, but definitely with fruit. So we bought a low-fat yogurt with strawberry. LOVED it. But found out that since it was only LOW fat and had the fruit, it had the protein of the milk but double the carbs.
So, yesterday we went shopping and spent a long time in the yogurt department comparing nutrition labels. I found out that the Great Value light fatfree yogurt has the same protein and carbs as an 8 ounce servie of skim milk. Woo hoo. AND, they are rather inexpensive as well! So we bought several flavors. Had Key Lime first - nummy, nummy.
Mike decided to try brussel sprouts. Hee hee - he'll be finishing the bag that he bought, but I think that won't be a purchase again in the future. His exact words, "A little salsa and you can get anything down." Needless to say, I didn't bother to try them if he disliked them so much!
Exercise - I guess we need to get on that one this week. We started the whole food change and completely did it, no slowly, just jumped right in. I guess it's time we need to "jump" into the exercising thing. Our problem is finding the time to do it in our busy lives.
I know, you all will say that your lives are busy and you find time. But I think YOU might actually like exercising. I haven't gotten to that point...liking exercising. But, it's something I have to start and something I have to at least do, whether I like it or not. So.... it must start.
Our problem - we are fair-weather people. If it's raining, too windy, too cold, icy, we won't be walking. So...we either need to figure out a place to walk inside or spend the money to get a treadmill. Time will tell what we figure out.
On the up side of the last week.
- My headaches from the lack of caffeine have finally stopped.
- I found out I like yogurt!
- Our food budget will be changing - more on the veggies and fruit. But less on the meats and such since the meals we make last for several meals.
- At times, I am not starving.
- I am drinking lots more water.
- I have pretty much mastered the not drinking 30 minutes before, during or 30 minutes after meals.
- I have NOT cheated this entire week. When I did have 1 cookie, I found out what it counted for on my bubbles and bubbled it. So it wasn't cheating! :-)
On the down side of this last week.
- I may have said that at times I am not starving. Well those times are few and far between. Most of the time I am starving still!
- We used to be able to shop once a month (except for milk and eggs). We got really used to that. Now we need to shop weekly to get the fresh veggies and fruits and yogurt and such.
- I'm still not drinking enough water. Must work on that.
- We have not started exercising yet. :-(
- Worried about my kids. With the two of us eating the leftovers every night, they are left to "fend" and that means fewer "meals" for them. We need to figure out how we are going to make sure they are still getting well-rounded meals instead of cereal and cheesy tortillas all the time.
So, we did some good things this week and we have some things to work on.
Oh wait - I forgot to tell you the BEST up side.
I LOST 6 POUNDS THIS WEEK.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Bubble, bubble, bubble
I believe I said in an earlier blog that the dietitian has me keeping a food diary. But, not just a food diary...I must also "bubble" my food into the categories of food. Carbs, proteins, vegetables, fruits, fats, milk and water.
Yesterday was an adventure in bubbling. It was funny really. I had my breakfast, had my lunch, and at supper time I had so many "left over" bubbles I couldn't eat everything. I did, however, succeed in not drinking during meals and not having any pop. And lucky, lucky me, I woke up today with a killer headache...my body getting used to no caffeine. Tylenol took the edge off of it, but that's it, just the edge. It's back tonight with a vengeance. I am hoping that after a few days of no caffeine my body will quit rebelling against me and stop having headaches.
Since my first day in bubbling didn't work out exactly as I had hoped, last night I planned for today. We knew we were going to have lasagna for supper. Yes, good old-fashioned, home made lasagna. So I started from there and worked backwards. What did I have allotted for already and what did I want to eat for other meals.
I did figure out a way to have my visalus shakes again. That made me happy. I had it with milk instead of juice. And hey, I got to have my sugar-free, fat-free chocolate mix in it so it was nummy!
Lunch was completely satisfying...2 cups of salad with 2 ounces of baked chicken, with salad dressing. A bagel thin to go with it and I was filled right up.
I do think that for this to work well, I need to plan ahead like I did last night. Kind of like a kid laying out their clothes the night before so they don't have to take the time in the morning. I am all about being prepared, so this will be my new night time routine...plan for the next day.
So for now, my life is all about bubbles. I must plan in advance what to eat and determine if I have enough bubbles for what I am planning to eat and what else I need to eat to complete my bubbles, or cut out to meet my bubble limit.
Now, I'm off to plan for tomorrow and how I will fill my tummy and my bubbles.
Yesterday was an adventure in bubbling. It was funny really. I had my breakfast, had my lunch, and at supper time I had so many "left over" bubbles I couldn't eat everything. I did, however, succeed in not drinking during meals and not having any pop. And lucky, lucky me, I woke up today with a killer headache...my body getting used to no caffeine. Tylenol took the edge off of it, but that's it, just the edge. It's back tonight with a vengeance. I am hoping that after a few days of no caffeine my body will quit rebelling against me and stop having headaches.
Since my first day in bubbling didn't work out exactly as I had hoped, last night I planned for today. We knew we were going to have lasagna for supper. Yes, good old-fashioned, home made lasagna. So I started from there and worked backwards. What did I have allotted for already and what did I want to eat for other meals.
I did figure out a way to have my visalus shakes again. That made me happy. I had it with milk instead of juice. And hey, I got to have my sugar-free, fat-free chocolate mix in it so it was nummy!
Lunch was completely satisfying...2 cups of salad with 2 ounces of baked chicken, with salad dressing. A bagel thin to go with it and I was filled right up.
I do think that for this to work well, I need to plan ahead like I did last night. Kind of like a kid laying out their clothes the night before so they don't have to take the time in the morning. I am all about being prepared, so this will be my new night time routine...plan for the next day.
So for now, my life is all about bubbles. I must plan in advance what to eat and determine if I have enough bubbles for what I am planning to eat and what else I need to eat to complete my bubbles, or cut out to meet my bubble limit.
Now, I'm off to plan for tomorrow and how I will fill my tummy and my bubbles.
Monday, October 15, 2012
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.
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.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Glee - can we learn from it?
"Pretty, pretty please. Don't you ever ever feel that you're less than, less than perfect.
Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me."
Pink's song (granted, the "clean" version) says what I would love to say to every single person.
I started watching Glee last year. What first drew me to the show was pretty simple, the music. I love how they take both classic and contemporary songs and re-do them. For example, the did Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and made it into a ballad. Way cool, didn't recognize it at first, yet I know every single word! I love the experimentation and the joy of the music.
These kids are unlikely friends, all outcasts for some reason or another. The idea that for these kids, music is making school tolerable, that music is their savior to making it through school. That music is giving them a peer group, a group of people who accept them.
I grew up feeling that way. I felt safe in music and drama activities. I wasn't ridiculed, bullied or made fun of by my fellow music geeks. It was a save place. We loved music, we loved making music, we had safety in numbers.
I know my daughter feels that connection to music and drama already as an 8th grader.
What is it about the arts that allow people to feel accepted for who they are? That makes people feel safe and allows them to just be who they are?
The more I watch Glee, the more I love it. Yes, I still love the music, but I love how they show the horrible things that people do to others who are "different" and who live their life the way they want to. It extends past the students to the adults in the show as well. There is the bully teacher, the OCD nervous teacher, the shy over-weight teacher, the popular good-haired teacher, every group that we see in the students, we see in the teachers.
The show does a fabulous job of showing how people who choose to love themselves for who they are treated by the "mainstream" people. They are ostracized daily by other students and except for a few caring teachers, the other adults allow it to occur.
I know that the show stereo-types and exaggerates, but it highlights what IS happening to our students. It may over do it in their presentation, but they deal with real issues that are really happening.
One of the girls in the show says: "Everyday just feels like a war. I walk around hating the world. But I don't want to fight any more. I just want to be me."
Shouldn't every student be able to stop fighting and be allowed to just be who they are? Kids shouldn't have to feel like every day is a war, that every day they are are fighting against the people around them. Kids should be able to be themselves and be loved and accepted for whoever that is.
And honestly, I say kids because I'm referring to this show...but I really mean people. ALL people should be able to love themselves for exactly who they are. ALL people should be accepted for who they are, whoever that is.
Adults, just like kids, hide who they are, hide what they feel and want. NO ONE should have to pretend to be someone they aren't. NO ONE should have to hide what they feel, what they want. Everyone deserves to know that they are not alone, that they are loved and accepted for exactly who they are.
I have spent my life pretending to be okay with being over weight. On the outside I have always seemed happy and "jolly." Then at home I would find solace in food. Being teased and made fun of and made to feel less because I was fat, played a huge toll on me.
I may have pretended that I was okay with it but I am not okay with it. Not because I don't like me, but because I want to be able to do things I see other people do. I want to be able to ride in an airplane and not need a seat belt extender. I want to have the seat belt fit so I can ride on the roller coaster with my children. I don't want to have to pretend that I don't want to go for a walk with friends because I won't make it very far before I am huffing and puffing and embarrass myself. I don't want to have to pretend to not hear people making fun of me.
I'm 43, and if I feel that way after years of dealing with my weight, how hard must it be for kids who are being teased and made fun of daily?! Kids don't know how to process their feelings, how to deal with everything that is happening to them. Kids are merciless to each other. We, as adults, need to stand up for those kids. We need to help those kids deal with what is happening to them and most importantly, we need to help those kids LIKE WHO THEY ARE.
The best lesson we can teach our students, the kids in our lives, is to LOVE THEMSELVES for exactly who they are. Don't make excuses, don't try to change...be who you were made to be and love yourself for it.
Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me."
Pink's song (granted, the "clean" version) says what I would love to say to every single person.
I started watching Glee last year. What first drew me to the show was pretty simple, the music. I love how they take both classic and contemporary songs and re-do them. For example, the did Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and made it into a ballad. Way cool, didn't recognize it at first, yet I know every single word! I love the experimentation and the joy of the music.
These kids are unlikely friends, all outcasts for some reason or another. The idea that for these kids, music is making school tolerable, that music is their savior to making it through school. That music is giving them a peer group, a group of people who accept them.
I grew up feeling that way. I felt safe in music and drama activities. I wasn't ridiculed, bullied or made fun of by my fellow music geeks. It was a save place. We loved music, we loved making music, we had safety in numbers.
I know my daughter feels that connection to music and drama already as an 8th grader.
What is it about the arts that allow people to feel accepted for who they are? That makes people feel safe and allows them to just be who they are?
The more I watch Glee, the more I love it. Yes, I still love the music, but I love how they show the horrible things that people do to others who are "different" and who live their life the way they want to. It extends past the students to the adults in the show as well. There is the bully teacher, the OCD nervous teacher, the shy over-weight teacher, the popular good-haired teacher, every group that we see in the students, we see in the teachers.
The show does a fabulous job of showing how people who choose to love themselves for who they are treated by the "mainstream" people. They are ostracized daily by other students and except for a few caring teachers, the other adults allow it to occur.
I know that the show stereo-types and exaggerates, but it highlights what IS happening to our students. It may over do it in their presentation, but they deal with real issues that are really happening.
One of the girls in the show says: "Everyday just feels like a war. I walk around hating the world. But I don't want to fight any more. I just want to be me."
Shouldn't every student be able to stop fighting and be allowed to just be who they are? Kids shouldn't have to feel like every day is a war, that every day they are are fighting against the people around them. Kids should be able to be themselves and be loved and accepted for whoever that is.
And honestly, I say kids because I'm referring to this show...but I really mean people. ALL people should be able to love themselves for exactly who they are. ALL people should be accepted for who they are, whoever that is.
Adults, just like kids, hide who they are, hide what they feel and want. NO ONE should have to pretend to be someone they aren't. NO ONE should have to hide what they feel, what they want. Everyone deserves to know that they are not alone, that they are loved and accepted for exactly who they are.
I have spent my life pretending to be okay with being over weight. On the outside I have always seemed happy and "jolly." Then at home I would find solace in food. Being teased and made fun of and made to feel less because I was fat, played a huge toll on me.
I may have pretended that I was okay with it but I am not okay with it. Not because I don't like me, but because I want to be able to do things I see other people do. I want to be able to ride in an airplane and not need a seat belt extender. I want to have the seat belt fit so I can ride on the roller coaster with my children. I don't want to have to pretend that I don't want to go for a walk with friends because I won't make it very far before I am huffing and puffing and embarrass myself. I don't want to have to pretend to not hear people making fun of me.
I'm 43, and if I feel that way after years of dealing with my weight, how hard must it be for kids who are being teased and made fun of daily?! Kids don't know how to process their feelings, how to deal with everything that is happening to them. Kids are merciless to each other. We, as adults, need to stand up for those kids. We need to help those kids deal with what is happening to them and most importantly, we need to help those kids LIKE WHO THEY ARE.
The best lesson we can teach our students, the kids in our lives, is to LOVE THEMSELVES for exactly who they are. Don't make excuses, don't try to change...be who you were made to be and love yourself for it.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Day 2 and Day 3
Yesterday, Day 2 on my journey.
I shared with my students what I was going to be doing. Went back and forth in my head if it was the right thing to do and decided that I was going to be telling them anyway when they asked, so why not just tell them from the start.
As I was telling the kids I made sure to say, SEVERAL times, that I was NOT doing this because I don't like what I look like or I don't like me. I told them that I love me just the way I was made, but it is important to me that I be healthy. I want to be a grandma who plays with her grandchildren and has fun, not one who sits in the chair and watches them playing. I explained to them that with being overweight there come many health risks and I want to make myself healthier.
It was VERY important to me that my students know that they should love themselves for whoever they are. I don't want anyone thinking I am doing this for how I look or because I don't like me. I am doing this to be healthier. I certainly don't want to send the message to students that if they are heavy they should want to change or they should not like themselves.
I also talked about how being overweight is partially my fault for the eating habits I have had. I explained that having good eating habits from a young age is important. If you have them from the start, it is much easier to carry them forward into adulthood when your metabolism changes on you anyway!
But I went on to tell them that part of being overweight is out of your control, it is a gene. It is how you are made and you should NEVER feel badly for how you were made. We were all made to be exactly who we are and we should love who that is. NO ONE is perfect but we are who we are supposed to be.
One of the best parts of what I have already gone through with this program was in the reading I did and in meeting with the surgeon. Yes, they want me to try to lose weight before the surgery, but he also said that people try, and often gain weight "it's part of the disease."
It gave me such validation....I have tried and tried to lose weight. It's frustrating beyond belief. I know people in my life have, at times, watched me eat and judged me for what I eat.
Here's the deal...when I eat healthy, exercise and really work hard to lose weight...I do for a little while and then, even while still eating healthy and exercising, I start to put it back on and then more.
The kicker - when I eat what I want and don't worry about it...I maintain my weight. No, I don't lose, but I also don't gain. It's like my body just wants to be there at that weight. And let me tell you....if eating carrots, broccoli, water, etc doesn't make me lose any weight and eating chocolate, coke zero and cheetos doesn't make me gain any weight - I will pick the chocolate, coke zero and cheetos! :-)
But, back to the kids at school. ONe of the reasons I first decided to tell them what was going on is that every morning since last March I have had a Visalus shake for breakfast. I am NOT good at time management in the morning (getting out of bed and getting breakfast before I leave the house - ummm, I'd rather stay in bed). So, I always have that shake at school with me while I am sitting in my happy place in the entry way with the kids. It's always been 12 ounces of OJ, the shake mix, 1/2 cup of mandarin oranges. Nummy. Well, one of the "NO" items for me now is juice. I can't have any juice any more. (the sugar molecules would enter my system before being broken down and cause diarrhea and such - so no more juice)
So kids were already asking me where my smoothie was. They were already seeing something was weird with me. They've been noticing that I am drinking water instead of coke zero, and now this darn smoothie is gone, what's going on Mrs. P!?!
And, if all goes as planned, when they come back to school next fall, there will be significantly less of me! And I'd be answering a TON of questions then.
It was kind of fun, actually. The kids are really excited for me, and that really made my day. Unlike adults, they totally accept what I am doing and don't question the why.
I do have to say, there were a few moments that nearly made me cry. A 4th grader worried I would become anorexic. I assured her that I would be FAR from anorexic! A 3rd grader worried I would die from the surgery. I told her that I had more of a chance of dying by driving to Burlington and being hit by another car.
I loved when a 5th grade boy told me that was it, he was going to stop eating junk food and start now and eating better because he too wanted to be able to play with his grandkids and if good eating habits start when you are young, he was starting now! :-)
Kids have a habit of being very transparent and saying exactly what they are feeling. Honestly, the kids were awesome and totally and completely supportive. NONE of them can believe that my stomach will end up being the size of 1/2 of an egg - they just can't fathom that! They feel VERY sorry that I will never get to have ice cream again. THAT was the worst for them. Oh, and that from now on my "snack" is a glass of milk. That made them just look at me like I was crazy.
Friday was a fabulous day 2 to my journey. The kids were phenomenal and I had my first "milk snack" during recess time!
SATURDAY - Day 3:
So, I tried the whole not drinking while you eat thing. That was weird. I drank a 20 ounce bottle of water while driving from Des MOines to Iowa City. I finished it out by Williamsburg outlet mall. When we got to REd Lobster, we had a 15 minute wait for a table. I definitely waited 30 minutes after drinking to eat anything. Then, after eating supper we shopped at Wal-Mart and then drove home. I didn't have any water until I got home. So, I did it. It was weird, at times I was really thirsty, but it passed.
I've decided that this no drinking during meals is going to be my first behavior change. I will work on the chewing 30 times for each bite after this has become more natural for me. I can't change everything at once, that just isn't possible.
Mike and I had already decided to wait unitl MOnday to start this whole 1400 calorie plan since we were traveling this weekend. So, I DID have one pop today - but just the one that I had with lunch at IHOP. And I didn't even drink it all!
Tomorrow we are doing to do some "prep" for the week, figuring out what to eat for lunches and suppers. And actually that will be easier for me than breakfast. I struggle with eating breakfast, always have. And the shakes were an easy way for me to get my breakfast but not feel heavy. So tomorrow I need to spend some time figuring out what I can do for breakfast that will meet my requirements but not made me feel icky.
Tomorrow is Day 4, a day of planning and preparing for the start of new eating habits that begin Monday.
To quote C.S. Lewis (I saw this on a friend's facebook page tonight):
"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
I shared with my students what I was going to be doing. Went back and forth in my head if it was the right thing to do and decided that I was going to be telling them anyway when they asked, so why not just tell them from the start.
As I was telling the kids I made sure to say, SEVERAL times, that I was NOT doing this because I don't like what I look like or I don't like me. I told them that I love me just the way I was made, but it is important to me that I be healthy. I want to be a grandma who plays with her grandchildren and has fun, not one who sits in the chair and watches them playing. I explained to them that with being overweight there come many health risks and I want to make myself healthier.
It was VERY important to me that my students know that they should love themselves for whoever they are. I don't want anyone thinking I am doing this for how I look or because I don't like me. I am doing this to be healthier. I certainly don't want to send the message to students that if they are heavy they should want to change or they should not like themselves.
I also talked about how being overweight is partially my fault for the eating habits I have had. I explained that having good eating habits from a young age is important. If you have them from the start, it is much easier to carry them forward into adulthood when your metabolism changes on you anyway!
But I went on to tell them that part of being overweight is out of your control, it is a gene. It is how you are made and you should NEVER feel badly for how you were made. We were all made to be exactly who we are and we should love who that is. NO ONE is perfect but we are who we are supposed to be.
One of the best parts of what I have already gone through with this program was in the reading I did and in meeting with the surgeon. Yes, they want me to try to lose weight before the surgery, but he also said that people try, and often gain weight "it's part of the disease."
It gave me such validation....I have tried and tried to lose weight. It's frustrating beyond belief. I know people in my life have, at times, watched me eat and judged me for what I eat.
Here's the deal...when I eat healthy, exercise and really work hard to lose weight...I do for a little while and then, even while still eating healthy and exercising, I start to put it back on and then more.
The kicker - when I eat what I want and don't worry about it...I maintain my weight. No, I don't lose, but I also don't gain. It's like my body just wants to be there at that weight. And let me tell you....if eating carrots, broccoli, water, etc doesn't make me lose any weight and eating chocolate, coke zero and cheetos doesn't make me gain any weight - I will pick the chocolate, coke zero and cheetos! :-)
But, back to the kids at school. ONe of the reasons I first decided to tell them what was going on is that every morning since last March I have had a Visalus shake for breakfast. I am NOT good at time management in the morning (getting out of bed and getting breakfast before I leave the house - ummm, I'd rather stay in bed). So, I always have that shake at school with me while I am sitting in my happy place in the entry way with the kids. It's always been 12 ounces of OJ, the shake mix, 1/2 cup of mandarin oranges. Nummy. Well, one of the "NO" items for me now is juice. I can't have any juice any more. (the sugar molecules would enter my system before being broken down and cause diarrhea and such - so no more juice)
So kids were already asking me where my smoothie was. They were already seeing something was weird with me. They've been noticing that I am drinking water instead of coke zero, and now this darn smoothie is gone, what's going on Mrs. P!?!
And, if all goes as planned, when they come back to school next fall, there will be significantly less of me! And I'd be answering a TON of questions then.
It was kind of fun, actually. The kids are really excited for me, and that really made my day. Unlike adults, they totally accept what I am doing and don't question the why.
I do have to say, there were a few moments that nearly made me cry. A 4th grader worried I would become anorexic. I assured her that I would be FAR from anorexic! A 3rd grader worried I would die from the surgery. I told her that I had more of a chance of dying by driving to Burlington and being hit by another car.
I loved when a 5th grade boy told me that was it, he was going to stop eating junk food and start now and eating better because he too wanted to be able to play with his grandkids and if good eating habits start when you are young, he was starting now! :-)
Kids have a habit of being very transparent and saying exactly what they are feeling. Honestly, the kids were awesome and totally and completely supportive. NONE of them can believe that my stomach will end up being the size of 1/2 of an egg - they just can't fathom that! They feel VERY sorry that I will never get to have ice cream again. THAT was the worst for them. Oh, and that from now on my "snack" is a glass of milk. That made them just look at me like I was crazy.
Friday was a fabulous day 2 to my journey. The kids were phenomenal and I had my first "milk snack" during recess time!
SATURDAY - Day 3:
So, I tried the whole not drinking while you eat thing. That was weird. I drank a 20 ounce bottle of water while driving from Des MOines to Iowa City. I finished it out by Williamsburg outlet mall. When we got to REd Lobster, we had a 15 minute wait for a table. I definitely waited 30 minutes after drinking to eat anything. Then, after eating supper we shopped at Wal-Mart and then drove home. I didn't have any water until I got home. So, I did it. It was weird, at times I was really thirsty, but it passed.
I've decided that this no drinking during meals is going to be my first behavior change. I will work on the chewing 30 times for each bite after this has become more natural for me. I can't change everything at once, that just isn't possible.
Mike and I had already decided to wait unitl MOnday to start this whole 1400 calorie plan since we were traveling this weekend. So, I DID have one pop today - but just the one that I had with lunch at IHOP. And I didn't even drink it all!
Tomorrow we are doing to do some "prep" for the week, figuring out what to eat for lunches and suppers. And actually that will be easier for me than breakfast. I struggle with eating breakfast, always have. And the shakes were an easy way for me to get my breakfast but not feel heavy. So tomorrow I need to spend some time figuring out what I can do for breakfast that will meet my requirements but not made me feel icky.
Tomorrow is Day 4, a day of planning and preparing for the start of new eating habits that begin Monday.
To quote C.S. Lewis (I saw this on a friend's facebook page tonight):
"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
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