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.
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