Emotional Eating

I have noticed that since being on my juice fast that I have not craved meat so much.  Interesting, I know.  And when I have eaten it, I have not had very much of it.  Those greens have been a lot more appealing to me.

It is interesting, because slowly.  Very.  Slowly.  My eating habits are starting to change.  I still have plenty of emotional attachment to those comfort foods:  Meat, potatoes, gravy, breads, pastas... you know, the stuff you grew up eating?  I don't believe that those types of meals are bad.  What is bad is my emotional attachment to them.  I have noticed something quite interesting in the last month.  THE.  ONLY.  TIME.  That I have craved sugar carbs and other not as healthy "comfort" foods is when I am dealing with some kind of emotional surge.

I remember one day in particular.  I think there was a lot of emotion floating through the house, because Bunny, Bug, and Little Cowboy were all acting out.  The girls were fighting/arguing with me, and Little Cowboy was crying virtually non-stop.  I was overwhelmed.  My children are with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Our house is very tiny.  There is no where to really go to be separated from anyone.  So what did I learn about myself?  I learned that emotion is a trigger.  I have used it in the past to start munching.  Crackers on the table?  *munch*  Cheese in the fridge? *monch*  More crackers?  Chips?  Cookies (We rarely have cookies in the house anymore)?  *nom nom*  The urge to stuff my face when I am stressed is so strong, that I almost always lose to myself!  Now that is just stress.  I haven't even tipped the ice burg for this emotional eating mamma.  Anxiety.  Depression.  Anger.  Sadness.  However, never do I get the emotional munchies when I am happy or excited.  Interesting right?

So, here is your food for thought...an exercise you can do to start recognizing your own "emotional munchie" cycle.  When you are craving food.  Stop.  Walk out of the kitchen and sit down at your desk or table.  On a piece of paper, write the following.....

"I am hungry because......."

Now analyze what emotions you are feeling in that moment of when you were ready to put something that you didn't NEED in your mouth.

In my case, back last week... I felt ANGRY.

"I am hungry because I am angry."

Then write and answer:

"How can I feed my hunger without actually eating?"
"Do I need a drink of water?"
"Do I need some sun?"
"Do I need a nap/rest?"
"Do I need to take the kids to another location for extended stimulation?"
"Do I need exercise?"

Then finally ask yourself:

"Do I NEED that piece of cake/cookie/cracker/candy?
I hope that this goes without saying, but if you are really genuinely hungry, please eat a balanced meal that will leave you satisfied until you need to eat again!  Every meal is important.

I have gotten to the point that I have been experiencing a negative emotion and I was ready to throw out my whole diet and exercise plan!  I was willing, in that moment to give it up for some beans and rice, that I knew would make me sick....and on the toilet all night long!  I was feeling so down on myself that I was willing to give it up.

What did I do?

Photo via

I ate those beans.  I ate all that was left over.  It was almost like my body went into autopilot.  I ate them AND the rice!  I filled that emotional hunger....and I was sick all night long!  Lesson learned.  Again.  Beans and rice can be a very healthy meal (depending on how it is cooked), but when you are on a juice diet..... I don't think I need to say more.

The outcome?  My eating released some endorphins, and I felt better for about 5-10 minutes or so, then I felt horrible about myself for giving in.  I guess it could have been worse.  It could have been cake or something like that.  But my "down on Evelyn" moment came right back.

I mentioned here that I was not getting enough calories, and now reflecting back to this day, that could have very well played a part in the whole cycle of emotional eating.  Most times I can stop myself from eating stuff that is not on my diet...but maybe not so much when my body is worried I am not feeding it.

There have been other times when I was having a hard day and craving everything that I was fixing for the kids.  Sandwiches, crackers (those are staples in our house).  Anyway, I was making lunch for Little Cowboy, and I was thinking about fixing myself a peanut butter and honey sandwich.  It sounded so good, however, instead of giving in to something that would later make me sick, I took a drink of water, clenched my teeth and made some juice.  I was proud of myself that day.  I did it.  I felt better about myself and my negative emotional day turned right around.

Our choices are powerful!

Do you have any tricks that you use to gain control over your emotional eating?

Love,

Evelyn Curtis

Miracle Workout

Dear readers,

Over the weekend, I found this 15 minute workout.  Truth be told, I haven't worked out for about...oh...say... a month....or more.  I've been wanting to get started again.  But let's be honest.  Unless you make the time, it just doesn't get done.  With all of the other important things I have to get done, this is just the one that seems to be the easiest to push aside for another time.

So, today I tried out this workout that was done on Dr. Oz's show.  They made it look so easy!  I was sure I could do it!.... and I did.... with a few extra rests.

It was a lot of fun though.  Bug did it with me, while Puppy watched intrigued.  I asked Hoss if he wanted to do it with me too...he response was. "No, thanks."  He actually has an amazing weight-loss story, and maybe he'll let me share it.  I'll ask him! 

The workout is called, Shawn T's Miracle 15 Minute Workout.  While it is only 15 minutes, it is pretty intense!  The goal is to do it everyday for 30 days.  So, I'm going to do it.  30 days... excluding Sundays, since I don't work out on Sundays.

Source: doctoroz.com via Evelyn on Pinterest

Do you want to do it with me?  Email me your experiences with it.  I'm pooped.  I haven't done anything that intense for a very long time...but I've been missing it, and I'm ready to start again!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Thursday Adversity: Routine

I've been doing a lot of thinking about routine.  Okay, not so much routine, but lifestyle.  I think one reason why I have struggled to be successful in my weight-loss is because I have not gotten to the point where what I'm trying to change becomes a habit... a system of life that needs no second thinking, or forcing into place.  Just like I mentioned in my Wal-Mart post, I want results now.  I want to wake up tomorrow and be skinny, healthy, and ready to run a marathon!  So, it is no wonder why, when I wake up, and my muscles ache so bad, that I don't WANT to get out on my bike and exercise...and thus, why exercise has not become a natural routine.

What it comes down to, each day, every hour, every minute, and even every second of our lives, we are faced with choices.  Today, I CHOSE to buy a 32 oz soda and drink it.  I CHOSE THAT!  I was faced with the option to buy it, or to just go home without it.  I knew full well that if I drink it, it was going to undo the awesome workout I had this morning.  I KNEW that I would feel like crap after I drank it... not only physically, but mentally and spiritually, because I knew it isn't doing me any good.  That is just one example.  How easily I gave in!  Oh how weak I am!  That was the literal conversation I had in my head.  Why didn't I think, "NO!  Why would you sabotage yourself!?  You have plenty of things working against you...why work against yourself?"  (I'm pretty ticked off at myself right now, if you can't tell).

So, before we can even THINK about having a routine with all of those good habits built in, we HAVE to... no, we MUST have DISCIPLINE!  I saw this quote, and I thought it was perfect.

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment (Jim Rohn)."

If I want to change my lifestyle, then that means I have to give up those things that are not part of the desired lifestyle... duh!  Makes sense right?  But not only that, I have to replace those negative habits with the good.  Like exercising daily, eating healthy foods, drinking water instead of soda, and spending my time where it is needed.

What I'm getting at is that this is far more than just eating right, losing weight and exercising.  This is about ridding my life of the negative things that prevent me from accomplishing the most important tasks that demand my full attention, health, life, and vitality.  My children.

If I don't make changes in myself, how can I expect them to do the same?  I can't.  I lead by example.  I don't want to feel ashamed because my children realized that I expected them to do just the opposite of what I do!

Small goals!  How about I make it through tomorrow without drinking a soda?  How about I grow a pair, and say no to myself?  How about, when I first wake up, I pull my rear end out of bed, and head out for my workout so I don't have to rush through it before Jason has to leave for work?

Sounds good to me.  After all, You Are What You Say You Are!

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right (Henry Ford)."


According to John M. Grohol, PYSD, it takes us approximately 66 days, or 2 months to form a new habit.  That's a long time to be consistent at changing a habit.  But don't lose hope!  He states that if you miss a day, or slip a day, it won't mean you are starting over.  That is heartening to me.  I feel like every time I slip up, or miss a day, or what have you, I am starting over.  And starting over can get daunting if you do it a lot.

"In order to succeed, you must first be willing to fail (Anonymous)."

Find what inspires you and go with it!

I hope this was helpful for you.  It sure was for me.  I find that as I'm writing, I am opened up to things about myself that can truly help me change, if I'll apply them.  I recommend that you keep a journal of your own.  A notebook, blog, or an official journal.  It really has helped me to recognize my flaws, and my strengths!

Happy losing!  You've got this!

Evelyn Curtis

Foodie Wednesday: Green Smoothie

I posted about the green smoothie before, but I want to add a little variation.  I love the green smoothie, and the rest of my family does too.  What a great way to get a child to eat their veggies, when they would ordinarily turn their noses up at them!

Every other day, go ahead and use kale, mustard greens, or other green leafy veggies packed with vitamins.  It is good for your body to get a change up, and it keeps things interesting.  Thus far, I have ventured to the kale.  I really like mixing kale with spinach sometimes.  Kale tastes slightly different.  Its a little bit more earthy tasting than the spinach, but you get used to it.  I'm sure that my kids wouldn't touch kale in its natural form with a ten foot pole! 

Next week, Monday and Tuesday, I'm going to start a smoothie and juice fast.  I feel like I'll feel so much better if I can detox.  I'll be drinking nothing but green smoothies, beet juice, and water.  I'll let you know how it went on Wednesday!  It'll be hard to not eat anything, I'm sure... especially as I prepare my kids' breakfasts, lunches and dinners. :)

Spinach

Kale

Have you found an amazing recipe for green smoothies?  We'd love to hear about them!  I'll even post them here if you want!

Happy Losing!

Evelyn Curtis

Tuesday Fitness: Setting Little Goals

This is a little late in the day.  I typically like to post in the morning, or in the early afternoon after we've had our school time.  Today was slightly different, as the lack of bananas, milk, cereal, and bread necessitated our taking school on the go, in learning how to navigate a store, and how to pick out certain produce etc.  Life skills... that's what I'm talking about!


Weight-loss can be a very VERY long term goal.  We establish how much weight we want to lose, and we make strides baby steps toward that goal.  It can get overwhelming and frustrating to get to that goal.  Heck, I've had to start over twice now.  Its not easy.  We've established that.

But what about those little goals?  I'm not necessarily talking about losing five pounds in two weeks.  Like I mentioned yesterday, I think it can be debilitating to be so dependent on our weight.  I'm talking about the fitness goals that we can see ourselves achieving.  A new runner might find it hard to run the full length of a block, or a track.  When I was running, I had a predetermined point that I was sure I could reach.  I would start out, and I can't tell you how many times I wanted to stop before that point... and there were many times that I did.  But the point is in setting goals.  As you consistently work at reaching that point, you will find it easier and easier, and then you will be surpassing that goal!

For me, I am not running just yet.  But I do have my bike.  I've set myself a goal to peddle 3 miles.  That doesn't sound like much... but for me, that was quite the achievement, especially since last Tuesday (my first ride), I barely made it 2 miles without dropping on the floor when I got home.  Oh wait, I may have.

Each day has been easier and easier.  I've been very VERY sore, but that is the feeling of progress!  My little goal this week is to bike that 3 miles in less time than I did it today, which was 25 minutes pulling Baby K.  Yesterday was faster only because I did not attach the trailer.  After I got home, I drank a lot of water (it was hot out this morning), and I did a great ab workout!

Well, my new activity has me beat, so I'm sure I'll be in bed in no time!  My second little goal is to get up earlier each day, and go to bed earlier as well... You kind of need to do the latter in order to do the first.

How are you doing?  You sore?  What do you like to do to mix up your workout?

Evelyn

Wednesday Foods: Pumpkin Soup with Roast-

As a kid, I grew up eating pumpkin soup.  My mom made it in the fall.  I have since come across some other versions of pumpkin soup (no offense mom), but I like them better.  So even though we are still pushing into the 110's, my body and mind can feel fall coming up!  I love fall!  I think it is the best time of the year... but I say that about every part of the year.  But really, fall is the time of year where I get an excitement to start decorating my house, and fill it with wonderful fall-ish scents.  I'm not sure how fall will be here in our new town, but I'm sure it can't be too different from Roswell...as we moved only 2 hours away.

Here is a recipe that I made up as I cooked it.  A good friend of mine has a husband who is an amazing cook, and after tasting his pumpkin soup, I was inspired to come up with my own.  Let's see if I can remember it!

Pumpkin Soup with Roast

3-4 Cups Left over roast cubed (I just use what I have left over from another meal).
1-2 TBS Olive Oil
1/2 red onion diced
1-2 TBS minced garlic
3 full carrots sliced (medium sided)
1 Cup zucchini squash diced to bite size
1/2 bag of frozen corn (not sure..probably a smaller size)
2 cups pumpkin puree (about 16 ounces..I'm not sure how much comes in a can)
2 potatoes cut to bite sided pieces
3-5 cups of water (depends on how thick you want the soup)
1 cube beef bullion

Seasonings
salt
pepper
cloves
cinnamon
thyme

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Once hot, saute onions and garlic.  After those are sweating, put in the carrots, zucchini, corn and let them saute (you may add or omit any other veggies that you wish.. ie celery, peppers).  After a few minutes, add the diced up roast, make sure to stir-fry the ingredients until they begin to tenderize.  Add the seasonings (season to taste.  I use a pinch of each of the seasonings listed--but you might like more), then add the pureed pumpkin, potatoes, water, and bullion.  Bring to a slow boil, and let simmer until the veggies are tender and a fork pierces the potatoes easily.

*Notes:
-You might need to add more beef bullion depending on how much water you add, and how much of the beef flavor you would like in you soup.

-Usually when I fix something like this, I do not follow a recipe.  So, feel free to omit anything that you wish.  If you were seeking a vegan meal, just omit the beef and the bullion!

-I puree my own pumpkin.  So mine will be slightly more runny than a store bought or canned version. You'll have to make your own adjustments.

This is a very tasty dinner that everyone enjoyed!  Serve with whole wheat toast (homemade is best).  I look forward to making it again this fall!  Maybe sooner than later!

Happy losing!

Evelyn Campbell Curtis

PS  I'll post a picture once I've made some!

Fitness Tuesday: Strengthening the Right Muscles

So if you follow along on facebook and twitter, then you will know that I went to see an orthopedic surgeon about my knee.  I decided it was high time to get in there and find out if it is serious, or if it just needs the proper care.

As of right now, the results are not yet in.  I am waiting on insurance confirmation to have an MRI.  Yippee, right?

The doc told me that I could just be having issues with my patella, aka, knee cap.  I guess it is quite common to have it slide around when you walk and run, resulting in painful popping.  According to the specialist, the patella bone grinds on the femur bone at the joint.  This is what we are hoping is wrong...significantly reducing my need for future surgery.  I like this option, for my hopefully healing time, and for my pocket book.

So, in the mean time, the doctor gave me a simple exercise that would help.  He mentioned how the quadriceps muscle is just that, four different muscles that connect to the knee cap.  What happens is that one muscle becomes stronger than the others, pulling at the knee cap... because there is nothing holding the knee cap down.

The solution?  To strengthen the other muscles in the quad.  The very simple exercise is as follows:

Leg lifts, every day!  You lie flat on your back, and lift one leg half way (not all of the way, as this is not necessarily a core exercise).  Be sure to leave the other leg flat on the ground.  Do equal amounts of reps with both legs.  The doctor encouraged me to do 100 reps a day if I can.  He also said that if it was too easy, to add weight, and to continue to add weight as needed.  You can do that with ankle weights, homemade or bought.

This is the best picture I could find online.

I don't know if it matters if you other leg is straight or not,

I only know that is what my doctor told me to do. 

Info taken via

Here is the kicker (no pun intended... ok, well maybe a little), he said that I won't notice a huge difference for even 3 or 4 weeks, but that with continued strengthening, I would have less and less pain!

So, are you having knee pain and popping when you walk and run?  Maybe you need to strengthen the other muscles in your quad!

Happy losing!

Evelyn Campbell Curtis

PS  DO NOT take my word as a professional opinion.  I am merely sharing my experience for tailored therapy for me personally.  If you have concerns, please contact your local professional!

Adversity Thursday: Starting Over

Show me someone who has gone through the weigh loss program who was perfect, and I'll give you a million bucks!

Starting over.  After all, it is a life change, not just losing weight, and hoping that it won't find us again.  It is about changing our thinking, our way of life, and the way we feel about ourselves.

Honestly, part of my extended absence was due to the shame I felt for falling off of the wagon.  Shoot, its my wagon!  Why I didn't just stop it, dust myself off, and get back on, I do not know.

Here is the point where, in the past, I have felt the urge to give up.  I'm really good at losing 20lbs, but the rest isn't easy!  In fact, it is down right hard to change the way you have been thinking for any number of years.  So how do I put my train back on the track and begin again?  One wheel at a time (I just made that one up). :)

I've started integrating healthier options back into my diet.  That is a great place to start.  I have not been exercising, so my next step is to do so.  Then along with that, my next step is to start drinking my 3 liters of water.  You might be at a different place, but start where you know that you can succeed.  Once you have succeeded in that, then add on another mini challenge and goal.

Starting over is a good chance to apply what you have learned about yourself from the previous go around, to be more successful than before!  For me, I cannot pressure myself to post everyday like I did before.  If I miss, I miss.  I cannot stress out and lose weight... Worst Enemy shows that is impossible for me.

Good luck on your restart, if you are restarting!  If not, I commend you for having more will power than I over the holidays.

Happy losing!

Evelyn

Green Smoothie

I had been wanting to try this for quite some time now.  I just never got around to making it.  I have a friend who showed, a group of women and I, how to make it.  It is super easy, and I have been making it since.  The whole family loves it!  Even Baby K!  I'm going to have to make one just for him, because he always wants to drink mine... and he gets mad when I take it from him.

Green Smoothie

Ingredients
Spinach or Kale
1 cup filtered water
Banana
Grapes
Strawberries
Peaches
Apples
Blueberries
Raspberries
Any fruit really...
Ice if you like it cold.

I listed a lot of ingredients here, but you don't need all of these fruits.  Just a few.  Fill a blender with spinach to the top.  Pour in water, and blend on high.  Once all of the leaves are blended, add the fruits that you want!  So far, I have love strawberries, bananas, and grapes.  I have also put an apple into it, and I thought it turned out great!  The funny thing is, that it looks like it won't be that great.  However it does taste super good!

The particular smoothie pictured above contains, spinach, an unpeeled apple, banana, strawberries, and 1/2 cup orange juice.  I could see putting mango, and pomegranate seeds could be tasty too!

Drinking these foods is a great way to ensure that our bodies get all of the nutrients that it needs.  Our body will absorb more of it than when we eat it.  Start with your green smoothie for breakfast.  My friend suggests drinking a serving for breakfast, and then drinking the rest throughout the day.  Then eat your other meal/s.  Be sure to watch your portions on the later meals.

Be sure to alternate kale and spinach or other greens in order to prevent the building a tolerance for any one.  Yum yum!

Try it out, and let me know how you like it!

Happy losing!

Evelyn