I never before considered all of the many challenges that go into successfully blending families. learning about the challenges that all marriages typically face and the realities involved with that makes my resolve to make my own marriage successful even stronger. I now have a greater respect for those who have remarried and blended families together, especially those who seem to have done it well.
One thing that I thought was interesting is the idea that the biological parent should do all of the disciplining and that the step parent should play the role of the cool, fun aunt or uncle. That strikes me as odd, but then again, I guess I can see some merit to it.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Results!
Friday, March 29th
7:30 AM cheese sandwich
11:30 pretzels and hummus, chobani greek yogurt, banana
2:30 PM two lg bowls of honey bunches of oats
6 PM small salad with ranch dressing
6 or 7 waters
about 6 hrs sleep
no excercise
energy at a 7
Saturday, March 30th
7 AM:
2 sm. pancakes with syrup
1/2 c. scrambled eggs
2 PM veggie sandwich on ww bread
8 PM lg bowl of popcorn with salt, 2 fruit bars
5 or 6 waters
5 hours sleep
energy at a 7 for the first half of the day, 4 for the rest.
So I know that my last few days have not been exemplary! I went on a weekend retreat for my home and family management class, and it was so great! However, I was not able to bring my own food and so I tried to pick the healthiest options of what was available. Also, I slept in a cabin with 5 other gals and we stayed up late chatting away like teenagers. Heck, some of them were teenagers.
It was a great experience. We had some spiritual lessons, played a lot of rambunctious run-around games, and climbed to the top of this terrifying pole and jumped off! I was paralyzed with fear, and had to give it a second try and hang out at the top of the pole for 15 minutes before I could finish, but I did it! I was pretty impressed with myself, not gonna lie. The only other time I remember being that physically terrified was at this giant body slide at seven peaks water park.
This fatigue management experiment has been really good for me. There were moments when it was very difficult, especially to resist the temptation to binge on junk food! I feel like writing everything down that I did as far as food, water, and exercise kept me very aware and accountable. The result have been different than what I expected. I don't have all this crazy energy like Super woman, but here is what I have noticed:
First, a couple negative side effects (they are both kind of in the same genre and I think they say a lot about my personality)
1. I got the worst sleep trying to get the most sleep! Going to bed earlier before I was tired enough had me up for hours, my brain going a million miles a minute, and when I did sleep, it was lightly and heavily interrupted.
2. Having such a strict healthy routine caused me to obsess over my body. Even though this project was for the purpose of getting more energy and not losing weight, I found myself constantly wondering how I looked, if I was losing weight, etc.
Now for the POSITIVE!
1. I don't feel sluggish hardly EVER, and my headaches and other sick feeling have drastically decreased
2. I have more energy for high demand activities, like games where you hop all around or when I exercise
3. My skin has a "glow" about it
4. My favorite result is that I am so much happier! I feel a lot more balanced, peaceful, and positive, and happy with myself. I feel much less crabby, moody, and reactionary.
Overall, I would say that I definitely have more energy and decreased fatigue! Hurrah!
My dear mother (bless her soul) was in on this experiment with me. Here are her observations at the close of our research:
"The most challenging part of this whole experiment has been getting enough sleep. I found that the sleep factor played a major role in how energetic / lethargic I felt. The next hardest thing was to consume smaller, more frequent meals during the day. As far as the content, I generally stuck to healthy foods. It takes a concerted effort to make time every few hours to fuel my body instead of waiting until I was fairly hungry. Exercising at least 20 minutes 3x a day was never a problem. The days I didn't exercise we're sluggish- feeling days. It's been eye opening to note the difference in my energy on the days when I slept enough and ate properly compared to the days I didn't."
7:30 AM cheese sandwich
11:30 pretzels and hummus, chobani greek yogurt, banana
2:30 PM two lg bowls of honey bunches of oats
6 PM small salad with ranch dressing
6 or 7 waters
about 6 hrs sleep
no excercise
energy at a 7
Saturday, March 30th
7 AM:
2 sm. pancakes with syrup
1/2 c. scrambled eggs
2 PM veggie sandwich on ww bread
8 PM lg bowl of popcorn with salt, 2 fruit bars
5 or 6 waters
5 hours sleep
energy at a 7 for the first half of the day, 4 for the rest.
So I know that my last few days have not been exemplary! I went on a weekend retreat for my home and family management class, and it was so great! However, I was not able to bring my own food and so I tried to pick the healthiest options of what was available. Also, I slept in a cabin with 5 other gals and we stayed up late chatting away like teenagers. Heck, some of them were teenagers.
It was a great experience. We had some spiritual lessons, played a lot of rambunctious run-around games, and climbed to the top of this terrifying pole and jumped off! I was paralyzed with fear, and had to give it a second try and hang out at the top of the pole for 15 minutes before I could finish, but I did it! I was pretty impressed with myself, not gonna lie. The only other time I remember being that physically terrified was at this giant body slide at seven peaks water park.
This fatigue management experiment has been really good for me. There were moments when it was very difficult, especially to resist the temptation to binge on junk food! I feel like writing everything down that I did as far as food, water, and exercise kept me very aware and accountable. The result have been different than what I expected. I don't have all this crazy energy like Super woman, but here is what I have noticed:
First, a couple negative side effects (they are both kind of in the same genre and I think they say a lot about my personality)
1. I got the worst sleep trying to get the most sleep! Going to bed earlier before I was tired enough had me up for hours, my brain going a million miles a minute, and when I did sleep, it was lightly and heavily interrupted.
2. Having such a strict healthy routine caused me to obsess over my body. Even though this project was for the purpose of getting more energy and not losing weight, I found myself constantly wondering how I looked, if I was losing weight, etc.
Now for the POSITIVE!
1. I don't feel sluggish hardly EVER, and my headaches and other sick feeling have drastically decreased
2. I have more energy for high demand activities, like games where you hop all around or when I exercise
3. My skin has a "glow" about it
4. My favorite result is that I am so much happier! I feel a lot more balanced, peaceful, and positive, and happy with myself. I feel much less crabby, moody, and reactionary.
Overall, I would say that I definitely have more energy and decreased fatigue! Hurrah!
My dear mother (bless her soul) was in on this experiment with me. Here are her observations at the close of our research:
"The most challenging part of this whole experiment has been getting enough sleep. I found that the sleep factor played a major role in how energetic / lethargic I felt. The next hardest thing was to consume smaller, more frequent meals during the day. As far as the content, I generally stuck to healthy foods. It takes a concerted effort to make time every few hours to fuel my body instead of waiting until I was fairly hungry. Exercising at least 20 minutes 3x a day was never a problem. The days I didn't exercise we're sluggish- feeling days. It's been eye opening to note the difference in my energy on the days when I slept enough and ate properly compared to the days I didn't."
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Parenting
Talking about parenting in class this week has really got me thinking about how much I love and miss my own family of origin. I was very blessed to be brought up in a home where I never doubted that my parents loved each other or us kids. Something that I love about my relationship with my parents is that I feel a renewed confidence in myself after speaking with them. In all my associations with my parents, I feel strengthened. That is something that I am striving to incorporate into my marriage (it sure takes practice!) and something that I hope to emulate as a parent. I think that if my children know that I think the world of them it will do great things for our relationships!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, march 28th
10 AM: Lg bowl of honey bunches of oats
3 PM: 1/2 a red bell pepper, 2 tbsp humus, applesauce
8 PM: cheese sandwich on ww bread
11 waters
ran 8 miles
slept 6ish hours
energy at a 7
3 PM: 1/2 a red bell pepper, 2 tbsp humus, applesauce
8 PM: cheese sandwich on ww bread
11 waters
ran 8 miles
slept 6ish hours
energy at a 7
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
March 26th, 27th
Tuesday, 26th
9:30 AM: 1 c. oats, 1 tbsp pb
1 PM: lowfat yogurt, protein bar
7 PM: 1 1/2 veggie c. veggie pasta
ran 3 miles
8 waters
8 hours sleep
Energy at a 7
Wednesday, 27th
7:30 AM: ww pb sand
10:30 AM: 1/4 c. almonds and pumpkin seeds, cheesetick, applesauce
2:30 PM: orange pineapple smoothie
5:30 PM: ww pb sand
9 PM: 1 1/2 c. brown rice with butter and salt
For some reason, I was STARVING today!! I could not get enough. I ate waaay too much starch, and not a stitch of produce! Basically we are out of produce until Saturday though, so that probably won't improve too much.
no excercise
9 waters
slept terribly
energy at a 7
9:30 AM: 1 c. oats, 1 tbsp pb
1 PM: lowfat yogurt, protein bar
7 PM: 1 1/2 veggie c. veggie pasta
ran 3 miles
8 waters
8 hours sleep
Energy at a 7
Wednesday, 27th
7:30 AM: ww pb sand
10:30 AM: 1/4 c. almonds and pumpkin seeds, cheesetick, applesauce
2:30 PM: orange pineapple smoothie
5:30 PM: ww pb sand
9 PM: 1 1/2 c. brown rice with butter and salt
For some reason, I was STARVING today!! I could not get enough. I ate waaay too much starch, and not a stitch of produce! Basically we are out of produce until Saturday though, so that probably won't improve too much.
no excercise
9 waters
slept terribly
energy at a 7
Monday, March 25, 2013
Monday, March 25th
I cannot believe that it is March 25th! Shiver me timbers, where does the time go.
8 AM: 1 piece ww bread with 1 tbsp pb
10:30 AM: 1/4 c. almonds and pumpkin seeds
12 PM: low fat vanilla yogurt
4 PM: cheese stick, 1 peice ww bread, apple
8 PM: 1 1/2 c. veggie pasta
12 waters
ran/walked 5 miles
Back on track today and feeling great! Energy at a nice 8, even though I got only 6 hours of sleep! Stayed up late to finish some homework the night before, naughty me.
Sunday, March 24th
9 AM: 2 lg. bowls of special K
12 PM: 3 cheese sticks, 2 pieces ww tst with butter, 2 fruit bars, a crescent roll
6:45 PM: 2 fruit bars
8:45 1 tbsp pb, fiber one bar, 3/4 c. hot stuffed veggie quinoa, 2 orange slices
So definitely not a great day with eating. I just wanted to stuff my face with starches all day long, so I basically did. We need to go produce shopping and it is also a time of the month where I usually crave a ton of sugar and starch, if you know what I mean...
Slept a good 8 hrs. As usual, not a problem on the weekend.
8 waters.
I sat in the same spot on the couch for about 11 hours straight doing homework. That combined with all those starches made for a lethargic 6 on the energy scale.
12 PM: 3 cheese sticks, 2 pieces ww tst with butter, 2 fruit bars, a crescent roll
6:45 PM: 2 fruit bars
8:45 1 tbsp pb, fiber one bar, 3/4 c. hot stuffed veggie quinoa, 2 orange slices
So definitely not a great day with eating. I just wanted to stuff my face with starches all day long, so I basically did. We need to go produce shopping and it is also a time of the month where I usually crave a ton of sugar and starch, if you know what I mean...
Slept a good 8 hrs. As usual, not a problem on the weekend.
8 waters.
I sat in the same spot on the couch for about 11 hours straight doing homework. That combined with all those starches made for a lethargic 6 on the energy scale.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Money
I had a lot of fun learning about/discussing finances this week. I feel excited by the challenge presented to live within our our means and manage our resources. I love going to this school and being in the classes that I am in. I think that I am getting a sense of my potential and just the free feeling that my life can be whatever I want it to be. I know that my husband and I have so many great things ahead of us. We really want to be in a position to help others however we can, and as we incorporate tools like the debt elimination calendar and a budget, we will be able to have one more resource with which to do so.
March 21st, 22nd
I'm thinking I may start trying to blog at the end of the day of, so's I can better capture the day. But I suppose this will have to do for now.
Thursday, March 21st
7:30 AM:1 c. cooked oats w/ 1 tbsp natural pb
11 AM: 1/4 c. almonds and pumpkin seeds, 1 piece ww bread, cheese stick
3 PM: apple
4:30 PM: fiber one bar
6:30 PM: pb and ww bread sandwich, 2 popsicles
I had my cooking class today. We made pie, and I abstained! Proud!
12 waters
Ran just over 1 mile. I was supposed to do three, but today was just one of those days where it felt like pullin' teeth.
Same old story with the sleep: went to bed in plenty of time, but didn't sleep too great. My cute husband has agreed to switch me sides of the bed to see if that helps (I was sleeping by the window/wall, he by the open room/bedroom door). I think it will help- my side feels sink-y, and I have nightmares about the wall squishing me.
Energy was pretty good, maybe even an 8!
Friday, March 22nd
7:45 AM: 2 pieces ww tst w/natural pb
10:30 AM: apple, low fat vanilla yogurt, fiberone bar
2:30 PM: salad, ww pita
Ok...so this is where it starts to get a little a little ridiculous. In my defense, I spent most of my day (from 11:30-6:30) working a big event that our office put on, and there was naughty, scrumptious, energy-zapping food EVERYWHERE!!! And in most cases, I was in charge of arranging it, So I just have to remember that it could have been a lot worse.
3:30 PM: granola bar
6:30 PM: 1/2 c. potato salad, white dinner roll, 3 granola bars
8 PM: m/l bowl of popcorn popped with olive oil and salted, 2 popsicles
10 waters
No exercise (resting up for my big run tomorrow)
SO...Slept on the other side of the bed and...it helped! It still wasn't a perfect night's sleep, but it was definitely an improvement. Luckily David sleeps awesome just about any where, so he didn't suffer switching sides.
Energy at a 7
Saturday, March 23rd
10 AM: 1 ww tst w/ natural pb
1 PM: 7 almonds
2 PM: YUMMY smoothie made from yogurt, berries, and almond milk. 1 piece ww tst w/ natural pb
6 PM: 2 cheese sticks
8 PM: m/l bowl of popcorn, prepared as before, cheese stick, 7 olives, 1 granola bar, 3 popsicles
SOOO...this weekend hasn't been the greatest for eating. I've been eating a lot, and not enough veggies. mostly due to cravings, but also due to the fact that we need some groceries! I am trying not to be too hard on myself, because even these past few days is much better than my natural tendencies to gorge myself all the live-long day! Even though some of my food choices have been questionable and overdoing it, I am grateful that I have still managed to avoid candy and desserts, my Achilles's heel!
10 waters
- I slept great last night, I always do when I can wait to go to bed when I am sleepy and naturally wake up. I slept about 8.5 hours
- I psyched myself up for it all week, trying to think positively about, think about it something that would definitely happen
- My husband encouraged me and prayed for me. When David prays for me, it is seriously a game changer!
- I wrote motivational sticky notes and placed them over the time and distance on the treadmill. I set my pace and watched Andy Griffith shows while I ran. Every now and then I would take a peek to track my progress, but this way I wasn't focusing on how far I still had to go.
- I ate beforehand and stayed stretched and hydrated throughout.
After I ran, I was pretty pooped. I hardly did anything else today besides lounge and rest in hopes of recovery! Energy a 7.
One thing I noticed today as I reviewed this first week's entries is that I haven't seen that much of a spike in my energy levels...But one things that have changed pretty significantly are my moods! I have felt peaceful and happy. I have not had my usual mood swings or depression. I have been slow to anger and quick to smile and make a joke! I think this is AWESOME! Other great side effects: feeling better about myself and my body, and feeling less sluggish.
Thursday, March 21st
7:30 AM:1 c. cooked oats w/ 1 tbsp natural pb
11 AM: 1/4 c. almonds and pumpkin seeds, 1 piece ww bread, cheese stick
3 PM: apple
4:30 PM: fiber one bar
6:30 PM: pb and ww bread sandwich, 2 popsicles
I had my cooking class today. We made pie, and I abstained! Proud!
12 waters
Ran just over 1 mile. I was supposed to do three, but today was just one of those days where it felt like pullin' teeth.
Same old story with the sleep: went to bed in plenty of time, but didn't sleep too great. My cute husband has agreed to switch me sides of the bed to see if that helps (I was sleeping by the window/wall, he by the open room/bedroom door). I think it will help- my side feels sink-y, and I have nightmares about the wall squishing me.
Energy was pretty good, maybe even an 8!
Friday, March 22nd
7:45 AM: 2 pieces ww tst w/natural pb
10:30 AM: apple, low fat vanilla yogurt, fiberone bar
2:30 PM: salad, ww pita
Ok...so this is where it starts to get a little a little ridiculous. In my defense, I spent most of my day (from 11:30-6:30) working a big event that our office put on, and there was naughty, scrumptious, energy-zapping food EVERYWHERE!!! And in most cases, I was in charge of arranging it, So I just have to remember that it could have been a lot worse.
3:30 PM: granola bar
6:30 PM: 1/2 c. potato salad, white dinner roll, 3 granola bars
8 PM: m/l bowl of popcorn popped with olive oil and salted, 2 popsicles
10 waters
No exercise (resting up for my big run tomorrow)
SO...Slept on the other side of the bed and...it helped! It still wasn't a perfect night's sleep, but it was definitely an improvement. Luckily David sleeps awesome just about any where, so he didn't suffer switching sides.
Energy at a 7
Saturday, March 23rd
10 AM: 1 ww tst w/ natural pb
1 PM: 7 almonds
2 PM: YUMMY smoothie made from yogurt, berries, and almond milk. 1 piece ww tst w/ natural pb
6 PM: 2 cheese sticks
8 PM: m/l bowl of popcorn, prepared as before, cheese stick, 7 olives, 1 granola bar, 3 popsicles
SOOO...this weekend hasn't been the greatest for eating. I've been eating a lot, and not enough veggies. mostly due to cravings, but also due to the fact that we need some groceries! I am trying not to be too hard on myself, because even these past few days is much better than my natural tendencies to gorge myself all the live-long day! Even though some of my food choices have been questionable and overdoing it, I am grateful that I have still managed to avoid candy and desserts, my Achilles's heel!
10 waters
- I slept great last night, I always do when I can wait to go to bed when I am sleepy and naturally wake up. I slept about 8.5 hours
- I psyched myself up for it all week, trying to think positively about, think about it something that would definitely happen
- My husband encouraged me and prayed for me. When David prays for me, it is seriously a game changer!
- I wrote motivational sticky notes and placed them over the time and distance on the treadmill. I set my pace and watched Andy Griffith shows while I ran. Every now and then I would take a peek to track my progress, but this way I wasn't focusing on how far I still had to go.
- I ate beforehand and stayed stretched and hydrated throughout.
After I ran, I was pretty pooped. I hardly did anything else today besides lounge and rest in hopes of recovery! Energy a 7.
One thing I noticed today as I reviewed this first week's entries is that I haven't seen that much of a spike in my energy levels...But one things that have changed pretty significantly are my moods! I have felt peaceful and happy. I have not had my usual mood swings or depression. I have been slow to anger and quick to smile and make a joke! I think this is AWESOME! Other great side effects: feeling better about myself and my body, and feeling less sluggish.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
March 19th, 20th
Tuesday, March 19th
9:15 AM: natural pb sandwich on ww bread, low fat cherry yogurt
1 PM: salad, ww pita
5 PM: apple, string cheese
9:30 PM: 2 lg. bowls special k w/ 2% milk
10 waters, no excercise
So today I came THIS CLOSE to eating sweets! this is the only day so far that I have had an unbearable urge to deviate from my plan. It was about 6, an hour after my apple and string cheese, and I just got really hungry again and wasn't prepared with more snacks. It was rough, but I made it without caving to the craving!
I went to bed in time to get 8 hrs, but it didn't happen. I tossed and turned. As a result, I was pretty sleepy, but my energy was pretty decent! i'd say about a 7.
Wednesday, March 20th
8 AM: fiberone bar with a small applesauce
11 AM: 1/4 c. almonds and pumpkin seeds, low fat cherry yogurt
1PM: 1/2 c. baby carrots
2 PM: ww pita with an avocado spread on it (yum!)
6:15 PM: small strawberry jamba juice
Ran 4 miles, walked 1 mile
8 waters
Once again the issue of going to bed on time but not being able to sleep. I honestly think I just get really anxious to sleep and it prevents it from actually happening. Heaven knows, I need the rest. I'm not napping, i'm going to bed at the same time every night, I'm smelling lavender..I got a lot more sleep before, when I went to bed when I was sleepy (usually around 12 AM) and slept until 6:30 or 7. Then I at least got 6 or 7 hours...Now I go to bed at 10 and sleep maybe a couple of hours...Something must be done.
One thing I did notice today was that I had amazing energy during my run. I didn't tire as easily as usual, and I ran I bit faster as well. Overall energy at a 7.
Be praying for me/wishing me luck for my 8 mile run on saturday!
9:15 AM: natural pb sandwich on ww bread, low fat cherry yogurt
1 PM: salad, ww pita
5 PM: apple, string cheese
9:30 PM: 2 lg. bowls special k w/ 2% milk
10 waters, no excercise
So today I came THIS CLOSE to eating sweets! this is the only day so far that I have had an unbearable urge to deviate from my plan. It was about 6, an hour after my apple and string cheese, and I just got really hungry again and wasn't prepared with more snacks. It was rough, but I made it without caving to the craving!
I went to bed in time to get 8 hrs, but it didn't happen. I tossed and turned. As a result, I was pretty sleepy, but my energy was pretty decent! i'd say about a 7.
Wednesday, March 20th
8 AM: fiberone bar with a small applesauce
11 AM: 1/4 c. almonds and pumpkin seeds, low fat cherry yogurt
1PM: 1/2 c. baby carrots
2 PM: ww pita with an avocado spread on it (yum!)
6:15 PM: small strawberry jamba juice
Ran 4 miles, walked 1 mile
8 waters
Once again the issue of going to bed on time but not being able to sleep. I honestly think I just get really anxious to sleep and it prevents it from actually happening. Heaven knows, I need the rest. I'm not napping, i'm going to bed at the same time every night, I'm smelling lavender..I got a lot more sleep before, when I went to bed when I was sleepy (usually around 12 AM) and slept until 6:30 or 7. Then I at least got 6 or 7 hours...Now I go to bed at 10 and sleep maybe a couple of hours...Something must be done.
One thing I did notice today was that I had amazing energy during my run. I didn't tire as easily as usual, and I ran I bit faster as well. Overall energy at a 7.
Be praying for me/wishing me luck for my 8 mile run on saturday!
Monday, March 18, 2013
March 17th and 18th
Sunday, March 17th
9 AM: 1 slice ww bread, mozzarella cheese stick
11 AM: 1/2 c. carrots, 2 tbps hummus
1 PM: ww bread and natural pb sandwich, light cherry yogurt
2 PM: 1/4 c. almonds and punkinseeds
6:30 PM: 2 LARGE bowls of special k with %2 nilk
The eating went pretty well, except for when my craving for sweets and crunchy carb goodness got the better of me a bit and I ate all that cereal.
8 waters, 1 glass shy of the goal.
As it was Sunday, no excercise.
My energy was pretty low, probably about a 5. I was sleepy on account of I lived it up my last of freedom and I only got 5 hours of sleep. Felt slightly nauseous. Sometimes I don't feel very physically well when I am eating healthy, which strikes me as odd. I always wonder if I'm not eating the right nutrients or the right amount, or if my body is just having a temporary hissy fit about the excess of fat and sugar being removed from my diet. I guess I'll just have to stick with it long enough to figure it out, huh?
All in all, I'd say it was a
pretty successful day.
Monday, March 18th
7 AM: 1 c.cooked quick oats, 2 tbsp natural pb, 1 apple
10:14 AM: 1 c. baby carrots, 1 mozarella cheese stick, 1/2 c. almonds and punkinseeds
2 PM: 1 banana
4 PM: 1 ww pita
8 PM: 11/2 c. hot stuffed vegetable quinoa, ww pita
12 waters
I went to bed just leaving just 10 minutes shy of the 8 hours required. Hey, I had to finish The Walking Dead. Though I went to bed early, I unfortunately slept perfectly awfully. I don't sleep great, as a rule, and I sleep especially terribly when I know it's really important for me to sleep well. What is up with that?! At any rate, last night was a mess of tossing, turning and sweating. I woke up with a headache and nausea but felt better shortly after eating breakfast (which was darn tasty, btw!) Although I was sleepy today, my energy was up a bit, maybe a 7. Now I don't want you to see that I don't feel well or sleep well and have low energy and chalk it up to this new lifestyle, It's been pretty bad the past few years! I would say that my average energy is about 5-7. I am working really hard to change that, and I feel that it's only natural to have an adjustment period. I fully expect to see great results and to feel awesome! Just waiting for the proverbial dust to settle.
As far as exercise goes: I am training for a half marathon (13.1 looong miles, count 'em!) held in Ogden, UT on May 18th. I have been training for about 4-5 weeks, running 4x/week. When I started, I could only run 2 miles, and I have worked my way up to 5! I am really proud of the progress that I have made, but 5 is still really hard for me, and I am struggling to up my mileage. Sometimes 3 miles still feels difficult, and longer runs (like the 6 I was supposed to run on Saturday and ended up walking) evade. I am getting nervous/stressed/discouraged. I have really been doubting my abilities. This Saturday I am supposed to run 8 miles, and it seems impossible! One thing that I have thought would be helpful is having someone to run alongside me. There's just something about knowing you are not alone that makes it easier to carry on.
Well, today I ran 3 miles, and it was one of those days when 3 was hard. BUT- I totally did it! And what's more, I met a cool girl named Alex who loves to run and who is going to run my long runs with me on Saturdays! What a wonderful blessing.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Fatigue Management
Today is the first day of my practitioner project! Here are the details:
Are you tired, run down, and listless? Do you poop out at parties? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should participate in my FATIGUE MANAGEMENT project! The goal of this project is to see what happens to the energy levels of participants who follow certain patterns of healthy living for a two-week period. The project runs from March 17th through March 30th. Please readthe following guidelines and comment if you are ready to kick your fatigue in the tushie!
Please remember that I AM NOT A DOCTOR! These rules for fatigue management are just the result of my research. Listen to your body and research things for yourself as well. The rules of fatigue management:
1. Exercise for AT LEAST 20 minutes AT LEAST 3 times per week
2. The hardest part: Get 8 hours of sleep per night. Less can obviously sap energy away, but so can more than 9 hours of sleep for a developed adult.
3. Drink 9-13 glasses of water per day
4. Eat a nutritious breakfast EVERY DAY
5. Eat 5-6 small nutritious meals per day instead of a few large ones
6. In the late afternoon or when you know your energy usually dips, make one of your small meals a protein/carbohydrate combo. Some suggestions:
http://www.wkyc.com/news/
http://
http://www.bodyresults.com/
7. Make sure you are eating iron-rich food daily and/or take iron supplements. Some sources of iron can be found here:
http://
http://www.thedailygreen.com/
8. Make sure you are eating ENOUGH calories
Free calorie calculator:
http://www.freedieting.com/
9. No caffeinated beverages
10. On a daily basis, rate your energy level on a scale of 1 to 10, describe your feeling and observations- share with me so that I can complete my project!
Those are the hard and fast rules. You can decide for yourself if you want to add or eliminate additional things. An additional rule that I will be applying is no sweets or desserts- simply because I have never been able to be "moderate" with those, and sugar causes your energy to spike and crash. Just keep in mind that the healthier you are, the more energy you are likely to have, and everything that you put into your body should be for the purpose of fueling it. Let me know if you have any questions!
Remember- failure to prepare is preparing to fail! I would highly recommend that before March 17th, you sit down and plan out your exercise and meals, and go shopping for what you need.
I will be sharing ideas and posting updates on this blog about my implementation of this plan, and I will also be rating my average energy of the day from a scale of 1 to 10. In order to give a more complete view of the day, I will most likely be posting retroactively.
A few of my friends have been so kind as to consent to jump on the band wagon with me (hurrah!) and to share their findings and results as well, so that we will get a good idea if the suggestions for managing fatigue that I came across in my research are actually effective.
Are you tired, run down, and listless? Do you poop out at parties? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should participate in my FATIGUE MANAGEMENT project! The goal of this project is to see what happens to the energy levels of participants who follow certain patterns of healthy living for a two-week period. The project runs from March 17th through March 30th. Please readthe following guidelines and comment if you are ready to kick your fatigue in the tushie!
Please remember that I AM NOT A DOCTOR! These rules for fatigue management are just the result of my research. Listen to your body and research things for yourself as well. The rules of fatigue management:
1. Exercise for AT LEAST 20 minutes AT LEAST 3 times per week
2. The hardest part: Get 8 hours of sleep per night. Less can obviously sap energy away, but so can more than 9 hours of sleep for a developed adult.
3. Drink 9-13 glasses of water per day
4. Eat a nutritious breakfast EVERY DAY
5. Eat 5-6 small nutritious meals per day instead of a few large ones
6. In the late afternoon or when you know your energy usually dips, make one of your small meals a protein/carbohydrate combo. Some suggestions:
http://www.wkyc.com/news/
http://
http://www.bodyresults.com/
7. Make sure you are eating iron-rich food daily and/or take iron supplements. Some sources of iron can be found here:
http://
http://www.thedailygreen.com/
8. Make sure you are eating ENOUGH calories
Free calorie calculator:
http://www.freedieting.com/
9. No caffeinated beverages
10. On a daily basis, rate your energy level on a scale of 1 to 10, describe your feeling and observations- share with me so that I can complete my project!
Those are the hard and fast rules. You can decide for yourself if you want to add or eliminate additional things. An additional rule that I will be applying is no sweets or desserts- simply because I have never been able to be "moderate" with those, and sugar causes your energy to spike and crash. Just keep in mind that the healthier you are, the more energy you are likely to have, and everything that you put into your body should be for the purpose of fueling it. Let me know if you have any questions!
Remember- failure to prepare is preparing to fail! I would highly recommend that before March 17th, you sit down and plan out your exercise and meals, and go shopping for what you need.
I will be sharing ideas and posting updates on this blog about my implementation of this plan, and I will also be rating my average energy of the day from a scale of 1 to 10. In order to give a more complete view of the day, I will most likely be posting retroactively.
A few of my friends have been so kind as to consent to jump on the band wagon with me (hurrah!) and to share their findings and results as well, so that we will get a good idea if the suggestions for managing fatigue that I came across in my research are actually effective.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Don't Speak, I Know Just What You're Saying.
Do you ever feel like you are trying so hard to communicate,
but you are not being understood? It can
be a very frustrating feeling, and if you feel consistently thwarted in your
efforts to communicate, it can even lead to depression or despair. How could you help but feel lonely when you
feel as though no one understands you?
Luckily, there are things that we can do to enhance the way
we understand and the way we are understood.
With those that we love especially, we must strive to learn their codes,
and to make our codes known unto them.
The term “coded” indicates the meaning of something- in this case, the
meaning of something we say or a way that we act. In a marriage relationship, if both partners
understand what is truly meant as
opposed to what is actually said or conveyed, communication is vastly
improved. Take for instance the wife who
says, “I am so miserable!” The husband
could interpret this as “You make me so miserable!” when in fact, what the wife
means is that she is facing a hard challenge at work, school, or even that she
hasn’t felt physically well lately! Our teacher
told an example of a husband who was frustrated (NOT with his wife) and
demonstrated his frustration by pounding his fist against a wall. His wife wouldn’t speak to him for days, and
when she would finally talk about it, she shared that she was hurt and scared because
she interpreted his fist pound to the wall as a desire to hit her.
It is imperative that we not only strive to clearly express
our feelings, but also that we resist the temptation to assume that we know
what the other person means. Take the
time to learn how to communicate with each other. I bet you’ll be glad that you did!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Jedi Mind Tricks
This week I learned how to change the way that I think. I learned that when we act out of emotion, we literally become a completely different person. The reason for this is that the (emotional) part of our brain that senses danger is so prevalent that we are unable to think of anything else besides the perceived threat or possible danger. So we are unable to think rationally. One way that we can try to bring that element in in order to make better decisions is that we can become cognitive and aware of what we are feeling and thinking. This allows some of our rational thinking abilities to start creeping back in and slowly, before you know it, the crazy element is greatly reduced.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Trading Your Birthright
Tonight I went to Stake Conference. One of the speakers talked about "trading your birthright for a mess pottage." he asked us what we thought that meant, and some of the responses given were about how our nature is divine, how we are heir to the Eternal Kingdom, yet sometimes we inadvertently exchange that great inheritance for something of much less value. This train of thought caused me to ponder the subject of marital intimacy, which we have been studying and discussing this week. My thoughts are this: sometimes, I feel that we either overlook the sacred potential of intimate marital relations, do not correctly understand or value them, and at times we even crowd intimacy out of our lives, filling our time with things of much less value.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Baby Fever?
The subject that we discussed in class today was one that I have been nervous about for a long time. We discussed how having a baby can affect marital happiness and satisfaction, usually for the negative. Sometimes I get "baby fever," and I think about how much fun it would be to start a family. Soon after I begin, a lot of fear and worries seem to take over.
I worry because I have observed so many families in which the feeling in the home drastically changes when children are born, and not in a good way. I see visions of screaming babies, nagging wives, and emotionally distant husbands. I really want to believe that that won't happen to my husband and I, but I am not there yet.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
"I just met my soulmate, and he's perfect!"
This week I learned that if you attracted to someone, you project positive attributes onto them. So if you look across the classroom on spot a hottie, you might immediately start thinking about what a kind, interesting, and spiritual person they are, even though you really have no idea what they are like!
It is so important to get to know your dates in a variety of different situations. What are they like in a stressful situation? can they work hard? Can they share? Are they productive with their time? All these and more are questions to consider as you get to know someone and decide if you want to progress from dating to courtship.
It is so important to get to know your dates in a variety of different situations. What are they like in a stressful situation? can they work hard? Can they share? Are they productive with their time? All these and more are questions to consider as you get to know someone and decide if you want to progress from dating to courtship.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Gender- It's what's for dinner.
Gender, gender, gender. If there is one thing that most people have opinions on, it is gender roles and sexual orientation. I confess, I am no different; however, most of my life I have always kept my vocalized opinions about controversial subject neutral, keeping my true thoughts to myself or simply wondering without ever really coming to a conclusion. My mind is the most politically correct part of my body, loathe to label the fierce convictions of others as wrong.
Who am I to say how they should live their life? Who am I to say whether or not someone is "born the way that they are?" I am just responsible for myself, and I need to be respectful of others and let them choose what they choose. I have no idea what it is like to be in their shoes, so I can't really say one way or another.
And so it has gone on for most of my life. Taking this family relations class has forced me to re-examine some of my neutral positions and question some things that I have previously accepted as "proof."
I still maintain that I have no right to judge others, and I cannot know the feeling that they feel or the challenges and injustices that they face, but I can bear my testimony that I know that God is our creator. I know that He is the marvelous Creator of all the creatures on the face of this planet, including His sons and His daughters. I know that men and women have divine roles in this life and in the eternities. I testify that each of us has certain traits, tendencies, and natural abilities that suit us to God's purposes and to our potential.
Who am I to say how they should live their life? Who am I to say whether or not someone is "born the way that they are?" I am just responsible for myself, and I need to be respectful of others and let them choose what they choose. I have no idea what it is like to be in their shoes, so I can't really say one way or another.
And so it has gone on for most of my life. Taking this family relations class has forced me to re-examine some of my neutral positions and question some things that I have previously accepted as "proof."
I still maintain that I have no right to judge others, and I cannot know the feeling that they feel or the challenges and injustices that they face, but I can bear my testimony that I know that God is our creator. I know that He is the marvelous Creator of all the creatures on the face of this planet, including His sons and His daughters. I know that men and women have divine roles in this life and in the eternities. I testify that each of us has certain traits, tendencies, and natural abilities that suit us to God's purposes and to our potential.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Dare to be Different
I have been thinking a lot about reactions lately. In one of my classes, we are studying the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and we have been focusing on Habit One, which is: be proactive. This principle basically refers to our ability to choose how we respond to or in any situation. I have really been trying to focus on how I can choose my mood regardless of what happens around me. I think that that is so important with regards to how relationships work in a family. This week in our family relations class we talked about different cultures and how we view them, we also talked about why some cultures seem to have the same repetitive patterns over and over again. Making a connection between this observation and Habit One, it has occurred to me that there are many things in our "culture," that we maybe need to step out and become the first person to change. Instead of just accepting the way that things have always been, we can choose to think and reflect about what we really want and respond accordingly in a proactive manner.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
This week I have been thinking a lot about systems theory. In specific, thinking about how in systems theory, when families have issues, it boils down to a learned pattern that has existed for quite some time. I really like the idea that when I have issues or conflict within my family, it can be resolved by changing reaction and communication patterns. I have been trying to stop and think before I react to different situations, and think to myself, this reaction doesn't usually work. What should I try instead that would yield the desired outcome?
Sunday, January 20, 2013
"Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed..."
Well, so far my Family Relations class has me thinking about a lot of things that I haven't really thought about a lot, such as how the different family trends will influence me personally. Honestly, discussing these things made me a little discouraged about the future! However, I am ultimately reminded that it is important to rely on the Lord, and show our faith in Him by not losing hope about the future. It is necessary to be informed about facts on important issues, but above all it is important to know the what the Lord and His servants have instructed us with regard to the same matters. If we are informed with facts both worldly and spiritual, God will use us to make a positive difference.
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