Yea, it’s deep, but it’s the truth. My mom always said, “You can either let things get you down, or you can choose to grow from them, and I’ve got stretch marks from some of the experiences i’ve been thru.”

I’ve been thinking a lot these past few weeks, and reading, and i’ve decided that I’m going to build something amazing with these 2×4’s that keep coming my way.

1st – I’m getting organized, putting my house in order. I’ve taken over 500 articles of clothing to good will, and then sold the nicer things to a 2nd hand clothing shop and made $40 bucks. I’ve filed away all bills and statements from this year and even a few from last year. Finally i even went thru all my old jewelry and cleaned it. (Using tin foil in a glass dish with backing soda and boiling water, works amazing on tarnished silver and it’s free). Then i made a pile of pieces i will actually wear and added the rest to another good will pile. Next is to continue making larger good will piles. Stop holding on to things i might get around to using in 5 yrs. Give them to someone who will use them in the mean time.

2nd – Taking care of myself. Something i’ve always struggled with. My natural instinct is to feel guilty or lazy if i take time for me. The other day i slept in, exercised, then took a shower all before hanging out with the kids. I was feeling guilty for them having to wait an hour playing by themselves. Then when i came out i was energized at 100% and was able to give them quality time. Rather then all day with a mom at 50%. It was a huge ah-ha moment for me.

3rd – Strengthening my self. I’ve decided that i can use these 2×4 and strengthen.

“Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” – Marianne Williamson

That in mind, I see my self as a strong individual not a victim.  I have so much strength. I just hide it. The strength i have is a gift, and i want to make sure i avoid being prideful. Like the strong personalities who just plow everyone over in their path. So strength with humility.

4th – Follow my passion. I’m a firm believer that I have a gift or strengths in certain areas that I was born with. I want to make sure i use and strengthen those gifts to help others and to make a difference in the world.

When all is said and done I’ll look back and even be grateful for the 2×4’s that have been given too me. It’s amazing what perspective can give.

Recipe – Immune Boosting Green Blender

1/2 – apple chopped finely

1 – carrot (use peeler to peal layers and chop)

1/2 – cucumber (chopped with skin)

1/2 C – blueberries

2 leafs – romain lettuce (or 1 cup spinach)

1 C- apple juice (or water if you want to keep it extra healthy)

2 T – lemon juice

Blend and drink with a straw (especially if you use celery or omitted the apple juice it will help you drink it fast without it hitting the taste buds at the tip of your tongue which are more sensitive to certain flavors) This is not a snack this is a “drink it cuz you would rather do that then chew down a salad that you will only drench in fatty dressing” kind a of drink. Or, a “drink it cuz you know it will help you get over your cold” kind of drink.

Hope you all enjoying the holidays and if any 2×4’s come your way make something good out of them.

]]> http://fitnesssurfer.com/personal/the-proverbial-2x4-of-life/feed 3 http://fitnesssurfer.com/personal/im-so-hungry-even-a-snickers-wont-feed-my-hunger http://fitnesssurfer.com/personal/im-so-hungry-even-a-snickers-wont-feed-my-hunger#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:47:34 +0000 FitnessSurfer http://fitnesssurfer.com/?p=1317 I wrote a post last night explaining why i’ve been MIA. Then i lost the entire post. Simply put my one week vaca turned into a 2 week funeral 16hrs from home for my Grandma who was 80 and wanted to be buried next to my Dad. Brought up a lot of old emotions. Everyone deals with death in different ways. I have no attachments to dead bodies but believe the spirit carries on (awesome Dream Theater song).

Knowing that my Dad and Grandma are reunited after 29 years is amazing.  So happy for her. She was…well I’ll share a post on her later when i get back home the 14th. Till then.

As for the hunger. I’m a stress eater and nothing has been able to cut it. A good run is what i use to do but walking is as good as it gets and it will have to be at a store with these temps.

Here’s to my Dad. He’s always been my guardian angle weather i recognized it or not. Love you Dad. Here’s to my grandma for sharing part of my Dad with me. For showing me where i got my athletic, sing in the car at the top of my lungs, dare devil, try anything from. I love you both. – Krystal

3 – Socializing Daily
This one happened all on it’s own. I ended up spontaneously taking the baby on a 6 hr drive to go visit my grandma in ICU. Dad watched the boys and worked from home. I got to go see my grandma who i haven’t seen in 1 year and then my sisters got to see their little niece. More socialness than i’ve had in months, minus the baby shower i went two a few weeks after K was born.

Week 4 – Exercise 5 times a week
Funny thing is i forgot what week 4’s focus was going to be but i was planning on making sure it was exercise 5 x a week because that’s what i’m ready for now. Baby is sleeping thru the night most nights, so i’m ready. Nice that it falls on this week.

I’m planning on doing little spurts this week. So i did 60 crunches this morning, and then 20 push ups later, then who knows later. Either way 60 crunches a day until that’s easy. It’s hard for me to get to 30. That is how shot my abs are after having another baby =) still more than worth is, and i love my baby girl. She is so smiley, easy goin, and just happy to be here.

-Eating fiber with carbs is going great, other then the pizza i had 2 weeks ago (no fiber in that). I could have had celery sticks with it, but i passed. Learned my lesson on that one. Especially being lactose intolerant.
-Journal writing daily is still not a habit but something that is getting there. I do sit down and plan out my day, still not the journaling that needs to be happening.
-Eating 150g protein daily has changed everything. Part of why I’m not online as much, other than feeding the baby. I have so much energy I’m overhauling the house. Rearranging furniture, packing up kids clothes, working on the hubby’s biz. Awesome.

Weight – 180

No photos yet…not much to show. Stepping back into regular exercise will make a difference but I’m glad i waited until i was ready after having her. Traveling and switching birth control I’m back at 180. But, i feel great and all these little focuses are helping me get everything else in place. Overhauling the house to get organized. Only way to stay sane with 3 kids and doing my own preschool for the 3 yr old this yr.

Well time to get off my behind and go pick some pumpkins with the kids at the nursery.

Happy Halloween – FS

Weight 178
Yeah! Still going down and not going up. Wohoo!

This weeks focus – Socializing Daily
Today so far so good got to talk to my old friend out of state for an hour. She’s fun and one of those friends who you can literally talk about anything with. This one will be good. Part of it is for me to practice listening, and then work on eye contact. Something i was always good at that i have slowly regressed at. Makes the world of difference in a conversation. Really makes true connections.

Happy Autumn! – FS

Recap of last week’s Journal writing.  It went very well and even cleaning up my journal was good. Writing down emotions is healthy, but deleting them is even more therapeutic.

Weight – 179 Great! Considering all the 90 muffins i made for the 30 people that came over for brunch, and the 6 loaves of cheese bread i made for the 19 people we had for dinner. Luckily i made lintel soup to go with it. Fiber with the carbs always helps.

Week 2 – Eating 150g Protein Daily
Protein is one of the one things that always effects my weight loss. Not eating enough protein makes me tired, my hair thins, anemia, and weak immune system. I’m not talking bout meat just protein. I’m big on sparing the meat. There are many other ways of getting protein. Eggs are one of my biggest, whey is another, soy (not so much after reading up on how it affects estrogen levels, unless it’s fermented then it’s fine like Tofu but i don’t buy that stuff right now), Legumes, and nuts. I still love meat just don’t think it’s healthy to eat too much of it no matter how lean it is.  Excited for the energy I’ll have this week as i start to focus on and track how much protein I’m eating.

Happy Monday To You – FS

Week 0 ReCap- Eating fiber with carbs daily

It went really well. I just paid more attention. When they say increase fiber slowly…TMI so just trust me do it slowly. I added ground flax to pancake mix the other morning. It made them just a little bit more heavy like banana pancakes but i added 1 Tb to 2 pancakes. So, yeah, it would do that. Also i wouldn’t suggest using more than 2 Tb of flax to your daily meals unless you do it slowly etc. Either way over time your body will adjust. Large amounts of protein on the other hand always have their side effect but as always the pros outweigh the cons.

Nutrition Example Day
Breakfast – 4 egg whites 1 whole egg, rolled oats with honey and 1 Tb ground flax seeds
Snack – 3 celery sticks 2 Tb pb
Lunch – lintel veggie soup
Snack – graham crackers with veggie shake (salad blended)
Dinner – chicken fajitas
Snack – bowl of cereal with unsweetened coconut on top

veggie shake – i can’t seem to eat very much salad without an unhealthy dressing or unhealthy toppings (unless it’s a full on meal like a chicken salad). Side salads just don’t happen, so i blend them (romaine, lemon juice, olive oil, sometimes ground flax seed, tomato, or carrot peels). I drink it with a straw because it tastes like a salad. I down it quick and always feel good when I’m drinking at least one of these a day. Something about them being blended helps me absorb so many nutrients.

This day was way low on protein. Muscle burns fat all on it’s own so I need to make sure i’m always getting enough to at least sustain the muscle i have and turn fat in to muscle elsewhere. For my current level of activity and weight I’m aiming for 150g a day. I will need to drink protein shakes to get anywhere close to that.

I went for a walk with just the baby and was actually able to pick up the pace a little. Then, my legs started to burn, not the skin like some people get but the muscle. Yes, a rude yet enlightening awakening to how out of shape i am, and at the same time a great workout. It will be fun to see where I’m at 8 weeks from now. I’ve also been doing sit ups here and there and yoga too to help keep things from cramping up. Drinking plenty of water. Random days my schedule gets way off and i don’t drink enough. Starting to carry a water bottle with me at all times to remedy that.

Week 1 – Journal Writing Daily
This will be good. It shouldn’t be hard. Kind of like a blog only i can write anything from what i ate today to how I’m feeling. I can vent or re-evaluate, and write down the funny things my kids keep saying like “Mom, what if we went to the park forever then Dad came home and said hey where’s my family, guess I’m just gona have to get me a new woman.” That out of the 5 yr old. Not sure where that came from, he’s hilarious. Either way i look forward to doing this every day. I just have a word doc that i fill with whatever. I wish I had one for venting and bleh, and one for a record of my life but the “bleh” and the “=)” are all part of life and might be good for my kids to read someday or even for me to read some day, or just to get out of my system and move on. I don’t want to reminisce in the past good or bad I’m working on being more present.

Weight – 180
Updated photo coming week 4

Not trying to lose more than 1lb a week for now, so…no biggie. Glad i didn’t gain any. With feeding the baby I’m hungry all the time and I could easily gain weight. If i lose weight too fast then i can’t feed the baby. So…I’m working on finding my balance, while slowly increasing activity and changing my food choices. Cavities sure help with cutting out sugar is all i can say. I have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow…not sure if i want you to wish me luck or if that even makes sense. “hope they find all of the cavities and then get them all filled” Yeah this would fall in the “means to and end” category and that’s just fine with me.

Hope you all enjoyed your Monday. – FS

Weight – 180

Week 1 Focus – Eating fiber with carbs daily

Fiber Foods I Like
Raw Pumpkin
Ground Flax Seed
Unsweetened Coconut
Sugar Snap Peas
Romain
Spinach
Asparagus
Green Beans
Lentils
Black Beans
Red Beans
Avocado
Raspberries
Black Berries
pears
Apples
Oatmeal
Almonds
Veggie Soup

I plan on giving weekly updates and random post here and there based on the day =) The goal. The ultimate goal…humm. I should have one. I don’t….Ok here it is.

The Goal
In 8 weeks i will enjoy having these 8 healthy habits.
1-Eating fiber with carbs daily
2-Journal Writing daily
3-Eating 150g protein daily
4-Socializing daily
5-Exercise 5 times a week (cleaning out the garage doesn’t count)
6-Read something uplifting daily
7-Meditating Daily (possibly with a little yoga)
8-Creating something once a week

Excited for the next 8 weeks. Look forward to catching up with all of you. – FS

Trying to make sure i get 3 healthy meals a day and then whatever sounds good, and bunch of snacks and extra water while feeding her. Walking 2-3 times a week, and pretty active with 3 kids. When the 6 week mark hits I’ll snap some before photos and have me goals set, and plans ready to go. Until then, just organizing to keep life simple and a lot more peaceful. Hope you’re all doing well, especially those of you on the east coast. Can’t wait to catch up with you all and get back to staying in touch with all of you on a regular basis again. Winter sure makes it easier.

Miss you all, and love you all.  – Krystal

The boys got to go horse back ridding last night, then on a wagon ride. It was all part of Dan’s work party. It was at a local ranch, and it was beautiful. Just laid back but very nice. They had all sorts of thoughtful things for the kids. When it got dark they started a big fire, and had smores, and then glow sticks for the kids to run around with.

Today while Dan took a much needed nap, I took the kids to the park. We had it all to ourselves. I got to sit in the shade, on the grass, with my bare feet and just watch them explore. They took of on their space ship (playground) and went all over the universe. It was quiet, peaceful, fresh air. Just perfect. Very therapeutic.

With all the false alarms and early labor stuff with this little girl i’ve been a little…unrelaxed is the best way to put it. This afternoon at the park by myself was perfect. Taking the time to slow down long enough to recognize the beauty, and everything in nature is good for my soul.

Happy Sunday Everyone – Krystal

Went to Upper Mesa Falls South of Yellowstone

Boys Flying with our friends

Girls Weekend – We terrorizes a craft store and I ended up painting these.

This now has a patio, sprinklers, sod, and edging.  Updated photos soon.

These wild poppies are everywhere, along with tons of other northern wildflowers.

Rode the Jackson Hole Tram to the top last week.  Beautiful and 59degrees!

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