#2 Eat Well....begins with Meal Planning

Last week we listed the things the American Mental Health Association said leads to a healthier, happier life. We covered #1 on the list---getting enough sleep. This week, let's talk about #2 on the list: eating well.

As I was reading articles on eating well (healthier), I came upon a great blog. The blogger says it all....everything you need to know about eating well, beginning with planning, prepping, storing, and cooking! Like any other aspect of your life, things go much more smoothly and have better outcomes if you start by getting organized. If you get organized before starting to cook, you will find that you not only have better meal plans, you have more time to eat and to spend with family, you save money, and you eat healthier. 

Organize Yourself Skinny is chock full of ideas, hints, and information. I suggest you grab a cup of coffee or a glass of sweet tea and spend some time checking it out. Tammy, the blogger, shows us how to get organized for cooking, prepping for cooking, as well as storing and cooking! 

Tammy tells us that the first thing to do is to clean out the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Get rid of the out of date stuff and trigger foods. This step is two-fold: (1) it gets the undesirables out of the way to make way for the healthier foods, (2) it gets your kitchen more organized. I can't start a craft project until my craft room and table are cleaned off and all my supplies are in their place. It gives me a fresh start on any new project and makes me more excited for the challenge of a new project! Same thing with your kitchen. Tammy shares a list of things to get rid of. 

Now that your kitchen, pantry, fridge, and freezer are all tidy and organized---it's time to collect and organize your prep and storage containers. Tammy gives us a list of storage options that work for her.

Once your containers are organized, it is time for meal planning. Meal planning can be overwhelming for even the most Betty Crocker-ized kitchen diva. It can be time consuming, confusing, and scary. But it doesn't have to be a nightmare or a dreaded chore. Because her list is so complete, I am just going to copy it from Tammy's blog and paste it right here, so you don't get turned off right away at the words "Meal planning". 

     Here are some basic meal planning tips.

• Since the goal is to eat healthier and lose weight you want to plan recipes that reflect that. You can download (FOR FREE) my favorite healthy meal prep starter recipes here. 
• To keep it simple don’t plan a new recipe for every meal. Try to eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday. For example, I drink a smoothie every morning and eat a mason jar salad ever afternoon. So, I only need to make one recipe for both meals during the week. For dinners I try to double dip recipes, use my slow cooker on busy days, and prepare as much ahead of time for dinners during the week.
• Save your meal plans (and grocery lists). Trust me, you’ll thank me. Type it into a google doc and save it in google drive. Over time you’ll have a collection to pull from and this will make the entire process so much easier.
• Check your schedule before planning any meals for the week. For meal planning (and prep) to work it’s essential that the meals you make reflect your schedule.
• Put together your grocery list the same day you prepare your meal plan. Again, this makes it easier and streamlines things. Don’t forget to save it! Another tip is to write out your grocery list in order of how your grocery store is laid out. This will help you move through the grocery store a lot faster.

It's best not to have a Trifecta. Don't plan, shop, and prep on the same day! That would be like dentist, gynecologist, and ironing on the same day. Just don't. Organize Yourself Skinny shares options or alternatives for each of the Big 3 (Planning, Shopping, Prepping). You need to read them!

Prep Day has arrived and OYS gives you great tips on how to organize your day. Really good tips....almost hand holding you through the process! I have, at different times in my life, done week in a day and even month in a day meals and while the thought of it can be as appealing as the thought of giving your cat a bath, once you get started it moves right along and OHHHHHH the feeling when it's completed and you have all those meals ready to go! Follow Tammy's tips and you will wonder why you haven't done it before! And a good tip (from her and from me)--Prep Day is a good day for binge-watching Netflix or catching up your DVR list or listening to that audio book you've been wanting to start!)

Finally, be flexible. Start slow. Only plan a few meals. Next time, add more meals. Don't get overwhelmed or bogged down. 

Please visit Organize Yourself Skinny. Tammy has a world of information, tips, recipes, and meal plans. It is a great place to start getting your family into healthier eating patterns.  

Next week: #3 Staying Positive!

#healthierhappierfamilies #eatwell #mealplanning #whatsonyourplate #whatsinyourpantry

Getting with the Program

Do you have days (weeks) when you feel like you are sinking in quicksand? Like the rope is just out
of reach. So many times we get bogged down and desperation sets in, not by accident or because of someone else. That sinking feeling comes from our own lack of discipline, our own lack of organization. I find myself so overwhelmed some days, I just want to give up and let the bog overtake me. Other days I fight so hard it just makes me slip further, faster. But then there are those days when I determine I will make it out alive! One of my goals for 2019 has been to get out from under the stress of physical exhaustion, mental fatigue, loss of spirit...all things caused from poor choices of diet and lifestyle.

Recently, I read an article that listed things the American Mental Health Association suggested as steps to a healthy life, physically and mentally. I read and re-read this list and decided to dig into each one a little deeper. If you have these kind of feelings, join me as I dwell on each one over the next few weeks, exploring them and coming up with ideas how best to accomplish them.

1. Get enough sleep
2. Eat well
3. Stay positive
4. Create joy and satisfaction
5. Get physically active
6. Connect with others
7. Help others
8. Take care of your spirit
9. Deal better with hard times

Which one of these do you have the most difficult time with? Which one is not a problem for you at all? I can tell you the one that comes the easiest for me is #9. Not always, but out of the 9, that one is the easiest for me.  When times are hard, really difficult, I just turn it over to God and pray more that He will help me leave it in His hands, than I do for the actual situation!

Let's look at #1. Get enough sleep. HAHAHAHAHAHA. I don't think I have had more than 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep since 1996, when I was 41 and pregnant for the first time in 16 years with a very active boy. I quit sleeping about 4 months into the term and, 23 years later (after teething, colic, noisy sleepovers, tweens, teens, my own menopause and now college age out until all hours) I still am not sleeping!

So, how do we lick this? How can we find the true rest our bodies need?

First, figure out the reason. Mine is sometimes worry (colic, teething, kids out until late). But, since menopause, I have found that the biggest reason for not sleeping is that I just can't shut my mind off. It seems like my most creative moments occur between midnight and 4 a.m. I am a paper crafter and event planner, organizer and creator, and I can be stumped all day long on an idea, but when everyone is enjoying visions of sugar plums in their heads, I am seeing scrapbook pages, ideas for photo shoots, creative new ways for tablescaping and decorating, and breakthroughs on plans for events. It's amazing how my night shift brain takes over, like another personality. Sadly, that leaves my day shift body exhausted for functioning on a day job!

So, how can I train my brain to work more during the day and rest more at night?  Here are some suggestions from NHS website:

• Keep regular sleep hours--going to bed and getting up roughly the same time every day will program your body to sleep better. Choose a time when you're likely to feel tired and sleepy. 
• Create a restful sleeping environment--your bedroom should be a peaceful place for rest and sleep. Temperature, lighting, and noise should be controlled so that your bedroom environment helps you to fall (and stay) asleep. 
• Make sure your bed is comfortable--it's difficult to get restful sleep on a mattress that's too soft or too hard, or a bed that's too small or old.
• Exercise regularly--moderate exercise on a regular basis, such as swimming or walking, can help relieve some of the tension built up over the day. Make sure that you don't do vigorous exercise, such as running or the gym, too close to bedtime, though, as it may keep you awake.
• Cut down on caffeine--cut down on caffeine in tea, coffee, energy drinks or colas, especially in the evening. Caffeine interferes with the process of falling asleep, and also prevents deep sleep. Instead, have a warm, milky drink or herbal tea.
• Don't over-indulge--Too much food or alcohol, especially at night, can interrupt your sleep patterns. Alcohol may help you to fall asleep initially, but it will disrupt your sleep later on in the night.
• Don't smoke--nicotine is a stimulant. Smokers take longer to fall asleep, they wake up more frequently, and they often have more disrupted sleep.
• Try to relax before going to bed---have a warm bath, listen to quiet music or do some gentle yoga to relax the mind and body. Your doctor may be able to recommend a helpful relaxation CD
• Write away your worries--if you tend to lie in bed thinking about everything you have to do tomorrow, set aside time before bedtime to make plans for the next day. The aim is to avoid doing these things when you're in bed to sleep.
• If you can't sleep, get up--if you can't sleep, don't lie there worrying about it.  Get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again, then go back to bed.

So.....let's try these things. Try one or two (or more) and let me know how it affected your sleep. I am going to try a few of these and see what happens!

Here is another good read about rest and sleep. You will find some scripture about rest and sleep.

In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. (Psalms 4:8)

Grateful for Shingles? Not exactly...

I have said that every night I begin my prayers with “thank you for my blessings: the triumphs and the tribulations.” I am thankful for both because even through the bad times, the trying times, there is always something to be grateful for: your situation could be worse, it’s only temporary, you had support or someone to go through it with, you discovered something important that helps later....the reasons for gratefulness are only as limited as your willingness to seek them.  

Over the weekend, I developed what looked like a seriously nasty bug bite (actually, multiple bites in one spot) after falling in my garage and not being able to get up off the floor for a while, right in front of my dogs' cold-weather sleeping kennels. Fortunately, I only popped my knee, I didn’t break it! But as for the bite(s), I doctored it; it got worse. I went to the doctor on Monday morning. He suspected Shingles, with some reservations, but treated it as an insect bite because I was so insistent that it was bites. I was encouraged by family and friends to seek a second opinion so I saw my dermatologist, who took one look and said “shingles”. To be honest, I did what I wish I hadn’t—went online between doctor visits to investigate both possible diagnoses. I had about decided I was praying for a bug bite after seeing all the pictures and hearing all the horror stories about Shingles. A bug bite could be cut out, cleaned up, stitched up, and I could move on to the next calamity that life holds. But, that was not to be my case. So, Shingles it is. I cried all the way home. Cried for the unbearable pain that I am in for, according to all those who suffered before me. Cried for the possible long lasting side effects. Cried for all the drugs I have been ingesting this past year and that are being offered, suggested, prescribed now.  Cried for the unknown. Cried because I was tired and scared. And angry. hashtag pity party

Me---just before going through the door to give birth to my first child.

After talking with someone I consider a best friend, and yet we’ve never met, I began to change my attitude. I was reminded that one of the biggest triggers of Shingles is stress. If I kept stressing out over the “what if’s” and “what might be’s”, it would never go away and I would work myself into a heart attack or stroke. So true. I remembered the day I went to the hospital for my first childbirth. I remember so clearly being scared out of my mind. I had not given a single thought to the actual delivery, during my entire pregnancy, but as they wheeled me through the doors in my wheel chair, the terror struck. If I hadn’t been so scared of the pain that I was certain was about to consume my body, I would’ve laughed because in my head was a cartoon image of Scooby Doo with his hair standing on end, and all 4 limbs firmly planted in the doorway to avoid going through it—when Shaggy was trying to push him through into a dark and scary place! But, not long after I was pushed through that scary door, I popped out a baby — after pain that was nothing more than a normal backache and one good gas pain! I didn’t even require drugs! I have had surgery. I’ve had the mumps on both sides. I’ve had 3 babies. I suffer from IBS/colitis and arthritis. I’ve had the worst case of strep throat my doctor had ever seen.  I’ve had Toxic Shock Syndrome when my entire body from the bottoms of my feet to my scalp was on fire (every inch itched like no poison ivy or fire-ant bite ever could and eventually I peeled like an onion). I've had 5 impacted teeth cut out in one sitting. I’ve had bad reactions to simple OTC drugs as well as prescriptions. I’ve had 3rd degree burns on my hands three different times.  I am neither invincible, nor brave...but I know God got me through each thing I had to face.     

I had spoken to my sister earlier in the day, worrying about her because she’s had the flu for 2 weeks and the doctor found a spot on her lung that wasn’t pneumonia (thank goodness) but it was scary because she’s a 2 year cancer survivor. I was so grateful she didn’t have pneumonia, but the x-ray was scary. I realized how thankful I am that I have Shingles, not cancer. I had seen so many pictures and read how dangerous it was for the nerves in your eyes, to have Shingles on your face. As inconvenient and uncomfortable it is to have this small, ugly alien attached to my derrière, I am so grateful it’s there instead of on my face. As scared as I am of any and all drugs, I am grateful that there are things to help speed the process and lessen the effects, that there are options available if the discomfort becomes unbearable, that my insurance pays most of the cost and I’m only out the cost of a donut and a cup of coffee. As fearful as I am of going to the doctor and absorbing flu and stomach virus germs while in their offices, I am grateful those professionals are there, that they listen to my concerns and fears, my complaints and questions, and that my insurance covers my visits.There are so many things that could be worse than Shingles. In my weak moments, fear grabs me and takes control. In other words, the devil is trying to weaken my faith. Well, my calamities are not anywhere near the same scale with Job's, but I will not let the devil use me as a pawn or make bad matters worse. With every dose of medicine, I will serve up myself a dose of gratefulness. I will try very hard to swallow my fears and inject myself with faith that God’s got my back. He’s holding my hand; He knows how I fear the unknown (mainly because I am a control freak); He won’t leave me. He has provided me with intelligence to know when to seek help, with medical professionals who are kind and caring and knowledgeable, with drugs to ease and heal, with insurance to cover it all. What should I fear?               

I hope that whatever ailment or situation you are dealing with, whatever crises you experience, that in the midst of fear, panic, confusion, anger, despair—that you take a moment and go over your Facebook news feed. Scan the prayer requests, the comments of those announcing a house fire, sharing the news of a job loss or financial troubles, a domestic situation, an illness, announcing a death. There is always someone who has it worse. Stop and pray for them. Tell them you are praying for them. Then, every time you feel compelled to cry out to God for your situation, follow it up by calling out the names of those other people or situations that need prayer. Replace your fear, anger, confusion, panic with faith, hope, gratitude, and love.

Just as I first believed when we lost a child, I still believe today, the words of  2 Corinthians 1:3-5-- "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ."

I would love for you to comment below with your favorite scripture or quote that gives you comfort. Please feel free to share your prayer requests as well. I hope you will pray for me. I will  certainly be praying for you.

Chee Chee

@thistapestryofmine

Low Carbs? Never. Not me! And along came T2 Diabetes......

This is my story, and I sure hope I can stick to it!

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e7/c6/15/e7c6154955444df3dcbab4c6aac6a1c6.jpg

When receiving what felt like a death sentence...diabetes....back in July, I was both depressed and excited. I was devastated that I could no longer make a meal from Mississippi Mud Cake, eat 3 donuts every time the Hot Light is on, or snack on candy bars and Coca Colas all day. I mean, I was really distraught. Like an alcoholic who is locked away from all alcohol. But, I was also excited about learning more about nutrition and how to feed myself and my family, something I should have learned 40+ years ago. I locked myself away learning about carbs, sugars, ketones, good fats and bad fats. I crammed like I was about to take my finals before receiving my law degree. 

https://makeameme.org/meme/For-my-next-4pfwv4

I still do not understand counting carbs and sugars and the various kinds of fats. I am completely baffled about how counting carbs works and why one kind of trout or salmon is better for me than another type of trout or salmon. I didn't even know there were different kinds! I realized I was studying to put off the real thing that needed to be done. As a homeschool mom for 13 years, it was so productive to spend the summer making detailed lesson plans and setting up sheets and forms and organizers....but when school started, it was overwhelming sometimes to stick to those plans and to follow those detailed details in that organizer. (I even made my own organizer/day planner!) That is exactly what I was spending all my time doing.....studying and planning what I would and could eat, along with the whys and hows of eating or not eating specific things. What I was doing my best to not think about was actually eating all those things I don't like and not eating all those things I love. What else was I doing my best to avoid...actually shopping and cooking! I was so overwhelmed I just gave up. I came to the realization that counting carbs is not for me. I tried a couple of diet plans in the past when I was only 10-20 pounds overweight. I lost it, but it came back with a vengeance because I was just trying to lose the weight. I wasn't trying to change my habits. So, of course when I left off my diet aids, I was left with nothing to help me keep the weight off. 

By being overwhelmed in this quick course on nutrition, I decided to get back to the basics. I decided what I needed was not a diet plan or prepackaged diet foods/meals. I needed to change my lifestyle since I wasn't just trying to lose 50 pounds, I was trying to get healthy. Just so you know, along with my sweet mouth (not just a sweet tooth for me), my addiction to all things sugary, I eat like a lumberjack who has cut down a north woods forest, and hasn't eaten in a week. Seriously, the portions on my plate of steak and potato look more like those of the Green Giant than Jack in the Beanstalks. And my favorite meal: fried chicken, creamed corn, sweet potato casserole (with the streusal topping), a few green beans, hot rolls dripping in butter, hot peach cobbler with 2 scoops of ice cream, and a quart (at least) of Sweet Tea.  That is my favorite dinner, after a breakfast of 2 or 3 donuts or a stack of pancakes. And a late  night snack of a hot fudge sundae or a fat slice of 5 layer chocolate cake with ganache between the layers. When I say fried chicken....that is a breast, a leg, a thigh, and with all that greasy, crispy skin on it. I am not exaggerating. Ask my family. So, you see, I needed a change. This was my Food Pyramid:

http://michiganjournal.org/2014/03/17/american-obesity-brought-to-you-by-the-food-pyramid/

I decided to throw the meal planning books out and bookmark the websites for future reference. But, I started by cutting my portions to more normal size portions, and slowly decreasing them just a little.  I cut out the pre-packaged meals and the processed foods. I added more raw fruits and vegetables. THEN, I cut out all the candy! All of it. I actually cut all the sweets (not pastas and starches, just the snack/dessert sweets) out completely for 90 days. It.was.so.hard. I cut out the Sweet Tea, said no southern girl, ever. But I did. Man, that was hard. I cannot have a meal without a pitcher of sweet tea. I cut out the hamburgers, pancakes, mac and cheese...and.the.fried.chicken. Talk about going into withdrawals! I think I would rather have had my internet or cable cut. But those things weren't going to determine if I would wind up on meds for the rest of my life---the food was. I didn't want the stack of prescriptions that the doctor had wanted me to bring home. The side effects I had read about scared me as much, or more, than the Diabetes. So, I bargained with the doctor to give me 90 days to try to turn it around on my own. I was determined to do it.

We eat out a lot. I learned that just about every major restaurant chain's meals can be googled so that you can find the nutrition facts for those whose aren't listed on the menu. I learned to find the items with the best nutritive values and choose those. If they were loaded with things I knew I shouldn't have, I made up for it at the next meal. I started walking every afternoon for 30-45 minutes in my neighborhood. Our subdivision is very hilly. Going away from my house isn't bad, but my house sits at the top of a hill, so if I want to get back home, I have to work for it because that home stretch is a true workout! I already drink a lot of water and the afternoon walks in the 90-100 degree heat increased my intake of water.  

When I went back for my 90 day checkup and labs, the doctor wanted to retest me because he could not believe the change in my A1c. He kept looking at the lab report and shaking his head and telling me how impressed he was. I went from a 14 hr fast with a 215 level, to a 12 hr fast with a 137 level. (those might not be completely accurate, but are close. I have forgotten exactly what it was.) My A1c went from 9 to 6.5. With NO medicine. Just determination and a lot of craving. 

I have learned to keep different kinds of nuts on the kitchen counter where the jar of leftover Halloween candy usually sits (those scrumptious bite size Snickers and little Reese's Cups and all those Hershey nuggets). When I need a quick bite of something snacky, I grab a little handful of nuts. If I need something sweet, I slice an orange and eat it. I allow myself one Special Dark Hershey Miniature every night after supper, to keep my chocolate craving under control.  I love Perrier and have found that I rarely miss my Coca-Colas as long as I have an ice cold Perrier handy. (And although I don't like flavored Perrier, Kroger's lime flavored alternative is just as good, and I am a Brand Snob, according to my son-in-law.....but it's really very good and at least $1 cheaper for a 6 pack).

http://www.livingnutz.com/2013/05/raw-organic-nuts-why-some-nuts-are-good-for-liver-disease/

I am learning to eat oatmeal with fresh berries, which I hated as a child and am still not fond of it, but a Pop Tart is not a good breakfast and whole grain bagels or English muffins with peanut butter get old if you have them every day.  I am not a boiled egg person, but an omelet with lots of fresh bell peppers and some fresh herbs and a little cheese are good for me. I try to have a HUGE green salad for lunch at least 3 days a week. When I say HUGE I mean really big because, like cold cereal, salad does not fill me up nor satisfy my hunger, no matter how much I consume.  But I have a salad the size of a pasta bowl at Olive Garden, filled with mixed greens, cukes, every color of bell pepper, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, snow peas, and I crush up broccoli and cauliflower and mix them in it, because I hate them both and would gag if I had to take a true bite of either one. I add some nuts and/or cheese, and sometimes a little leftover roast chicken or ham in it. It's large enough for 3 people, and I get exhausted eating it, and I am thinking about ribs and fried chicken and bacon cheeseburgers while I am eating it, but it gives me a little allowance for a heavier dinner or makes up for the pancakes at breakfast.  For someone who doesn't like fish, I have found myself comparing the salmon dishes offered at different restaurants. (O'Charley's is the best, IMHO) I love grilled salmon now. Cooked on a cedar plank with all kinds of spices????? Oh my, it is good. We have discovered the Salmon Burgers that Publix has in their market, freshly pattied.  Almost as good as a homemade beef patty. Almost.  I am so grateful to be living where I do, because fresh trout is always available. So, I am finding dishes to replace my beloved fried chicken, and if I am completely honest, I really do like them all. 

http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/8305/this-weeks-low-carb-menu/

Now that I made it through the Triumvirate of Sweet Holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas), and am now back in my size 14 pants instead of the size 16, I am still chugging along. I did not want to lose weight fast. I wanted to get healthier. Losing the weight and the inches was the bonus. I have only lost 15 pounds, but I have lost inches and except for an occasional IBS attack, I feel better. I am not walking because I am keeping my 2 year old grandson and we play chase and dance a lot throughout the day, but I am doing about 15 minutes of simple exercises each night before I go to bed. I don't always eat like I am supposed to, but I am doing a lot better than I was 6 months ago. I am learning to use different types of flour and eat different grains. I have discovered that I really like whole grain bread and I am not going to bed hungry or craving sweets. Actually, I have found that when I do eat sweets, it doesn't taste as good as it once did and will even upset my stomach some times.....God's way of reminding me I am better off without it. I am much more aware of what I can and cannot eat. I still enjoy corn, fried chicken, and peach cobbler from time to time, but in moderation. I still don't understand carb counting and the different kinds of fats or how grams of one thing translates into grams of something else. But, hey, my stats are going in the right direction, so I will keep chugging along.

It's a journey. Sometimes I get sidetracked, but I manage to get back on track. I am anxious to see what happens when I stop for another 90 days' baggage check this month! Stay tuned!

Here is a good starting point for those who are interested in the Keto Plan. It has been getting a lot of mention on Facebook since the new year began. It has some good meal plans to get you started. [Notice: I am not advocating any diet plans, meal plans, guaranteeing the nutrition facts. I am simply sharing a website which you can investigate on your own.} Here is a very handy calculator that you can use to insert your favorite recipe ingredients and it will determine the nutrition facts. It is great because it has options for many name brands, allowing you to compare different brands before deciding which one to use (i.e. Progresso Broth vs Swanson Broth, 2% milk vs skim milk).

I would love for you to share your journey.....tell your story and let us know how you are sticking to it! Please pray for me and I will most certainly keep you in my prayers while you travel along on your own journey!

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A Healthier Family is a Happier Family

 

UPDATE 1/14/18: THE NUTRITION FACTS ARE FIGURED ON THE BASIS THAT THIS ENTIRE RECIPE IS DIVIDED INTO 6-8 SERVINGS. BUT, AFTER PREPARING THIS RECIPE.....THE NUTRITION FACTS SHOULD BE LOWERED BECAUSE THIS RECIPE MAKES MUCH MORE THAN 6-8 SERVINGS UNLESS A SMALL GROUP OF LUMBERJACKS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN FED IN A WEEK ARE EATING IT. WITH SOUP-SIZED PROPORTIONS, THE 3 OF US ATE THIS FOR 3 DAYS, TWICE ON NEW YEARS!!This past summer, I was told I had Diabetes, which I had already suspected.  Everyone offered diet plans to help me lose weight and branded meals/snacks with low-calories, low-carbs, all the things that I don’t understand.  I decided to make a life-style change rather than take on a diet plan or pay too much for prepackaged “health” foods. I know me and I know that if I lost weight via a diet or lowered my sugar by buying low-cal foods and snacks….it would be a quick fix, a bandaid that would come off and just need to be replaced.  I decided I needed to change my diet, change my way of thinking, and get off the couch! It worked! I dropped my sugar level so much my doctor thought he should re-test me and said he was very proud of me. I began SLOWLY losing weight and now the inches are beginning to come off!

I aim to improve my family’s eating habits this year, being more consistent in a healthy diet and sweat-filled activities! I plan to share menus, recipes, and ideas for family activities. I hope that you will share with me as well, to help me on this path to a better lifestyle. I welcome your help with my meal plans, ideas for new foods, simple recipes. My PLAN is to post my menus for the week (note: the operative word is “plan”). I will try to post TNT, tried & tested, recipes and pictures of the dishes as often as I can.

I will be keeping up with and posting my sugar levels, weight and inches, and how active I am, periodically. In other words, this will be my journal that I am sharing with you----so you can keep me accountable! Please stick with me…I can use all the support and encouragement I can get. Maybe you need support, encouragement, or accountability, as well! We can be in this together!

For now, let me share this recipe from Kaylyn's Kitchen that should be a good start for a traditional New Year's Day dinner! I will be shopping for the ingredients tomorrow!

See you in 2018!

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