Well, I have completed my 4-day diet experiement and am here to report the results to you! The article in Prevention magazine stated that by following a few simple rules, I should be able to lose 7 pounds in 4 days. So, I followed their rules and kept a journal of my daily calorie intake which allowed me to cut my calories down. Also, instead of having just 3 meals a day I followed their rules and increased that to 4 meals per day scheduled every 4-5 hours apart. During each meal I incorporated 1 serving of a MUFA food to combat hunger and fat build up.
On Friday, I weighed and had lost not 7, but 2 pounds. So, the 7 pounds in 4 days did not work for me...but, I did notice some other positive changes during that 4 day period. First of all, I was sleeping better at night and I was waking up refreshed and with more energy! (It's important for you to understand here that I was not sleeping any longer then before.) It was not uncommon for me to wake up and still be tired, and then to try and catch up on my sleep, I would sometimes nap when my 2 year old did. Well, during my experiment last week - that was not the case. Because I was waking up more energized, I feld better and I got a lot more accomplished during the day and all without taking a mid-day nap!
I think I will continue to add a serving of MUFA foods at every meal from now on. The extra boost of energy that I've received from it, makes it well worth it to this toddler-mommy. If you haven't tried this diet out already - you should give it a 4 day trial like I did and see how you feel afterwards about it. If you don't know what diet I'm talking about, then read my last two blog posts and you will be caught up to par. Also, there is a book called "The Flat-Belly Diet," which was written with these principles in mind, so if you are really interested in learning more then go and check out that book!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Our Future
"The way America sees itself and the world is changing and it worries me because we used to have a common vision. But now that vision is split and what I believe is the prevailing vision, has been relegated in the mass media to the fringe. Things like: Belief in God over government; parents' rights over children's rights; the honor of military over the honor of the politician; being willing to do the hard thing now and have less so that our children can have a chance at having more." Glenn Beck
I am not a huge Glenn Beck fan mainly because of the way he presents some of his information, but I have to say that I agree 100% with the statement above. As a mother, it upsets me to look around and see the way this country is headed. Glenn really nailed down every major issue I have with this country. Why have we let the government put limits on God in this country? Things such as where we can and cannot pray, taking the Pledge of Allegience out of schools because of the word "God" and now considering removing "In God We Trust" from U.S. currency? Does this baffle anyone besides me?
The next is one of my pet peeves. It is giving our children more power then we, as parents, have. I understand there are many children out there in abusive situations, and they should by all means be removed from that situation, but by telling parents how they can and cannot discipline their children, our government is taking power out of our hands and placing it in our childrens' hands. I am not saying I support excessive spanking, but I do believe that sometimes it is necessary to effectively discipline our children - which is the process parents have to take in order to produce well-mannered and respectable adults. It's no wonder the majority of the younger generations are so lazy, rude and have no comprehension of what manners are. It doesn't take the smartest person out there to see where this is going to land us in a few short generations.
What parents are not willing to go with less now so their children can have more later? Well, just look around, because there are quite a few of them out there. Why? Because their parents made the mistake of giving them everything they wanted and not teaching them what it means to go out and earn their "stuff." I was very fortunate that my parents raised me differently. Did I enjoy the fact that I had to do chores around the house to earn money instead of getting a weekly "allowance" like other friends of mine did? Of course I didn't - I was a child! This is where my parents had enough wisdom to understand that if I didn't learn at an early age what it meant to earn things, then I would grow up to be a lazy member of society who is always expecting a hand out. We are now seeing parents who are part of the "me" generation, who are more concerned with their own happiness then they are about their children's welfare.
I am so sad to see this. It scares me to think about what the world will be like when my son is in school. There is not a doubt in my mind that my son will think he has the meanest parents alive. My husband and I are willing to go with less now and in the future- in terms of how our son will view us - so that he can have more later. More what? More self-respect, more character, more work ethic, more love and more opportunities. And when that time comes, my husband and I will suddenly be more appreciated by him for not giving in to his every whim when he was younger. I know because I have been there and now I have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for all of that "tough" love my parents bestowed upon me.
Our society, country and world are all in terrible shape and the future looks even bleaker. It will not change if we just stand passively by and wait. It must start with us. We need to voice our concerns - peacefully of course - and not stand by and do nothing. And most importantly, we need to instill our values and beliefs in our children and teach them to be strong and stand up for what they believe in, because, like it or not, our children are our future.
I am not a huge Glenn Beck fan mainly because of the way he presents some of his information, but I have to say that I agree 100% with the statement above. As a mother, it upsets me to look around and see the way this country is headed. Glenn really nailed down every major issue I have with this country. Why have we let the government put limits on God in this country? Things such as where we can and cannot pray, taking the Pledge of Allegience out of schools because of the word "God" and now considering removing "In God We Trust" from U.S. currency? Does this baffle anyone besides me?
The next is one of my pet peeves. It is giving our children more power then we, as parents, have. I understand there are many children out there in abusive situations, and they should by all means be removed from that situation, but by telling parents how they can and cannot discipline their children, our government is taking power out of our hands and placing it in our childrens' hands. I am not saying I support excessive spanking, but I do believe that sometimes it is necessary to effectively discipline our children - which is the process parents have to take in order to produce well-mannered and respectable adults. It's no wonder the majority of the younger generations are so lazy, rude and have no comprehension of what manners are. It doesn't take the smartest person out there to see where this is going to land us in a few short generations.
What parents are not willing to go with less now so their children can have more later? Well, just look around, because there are quite a few of them out there. Why? Because their parents made the mistake of giving them everything they wanted and not teaching them what it means to go out and earn their "stuff." I was very fortunate that my parents raised me differently. Did I enjoy the fact that I had to do chores around the house to earn money instead of getting a weekly "allowance" like other friends of mine did? Of course I didn't - I was a child! This is where my parents had enough wisdom to understand that if I didn't learn at an early age what it meant to earn things, then I would grow up to be a lazy member of society who is always expecting a hand out. We are now seeing parents who are part of the "me" generation, who are more concerned with their own happiness then they are about their children's welfare.
I am so sad to see this. It scares me to think about what the world will be like when my son is in school. There is not a doubt in my mind that my son will think he has the meanest parents alive. My husband and I are willing to go with less now and in the future- in terms of how our son will view us - so that he can have more later. More what? More self-respect, more character, more work ethic, more love and more opportunities. And when that time comes, my husband and I will suddenly be more appreciated by him for not giving in to his every whim when he was younger. I know because I have been there and now I have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for all of that "tough" love my parents bestowed upon me.
Our society, country and world are all in terrible shape and the future looks even bleaker. It will not change if we just stand passively by and wait. It must start with us. We need to voice our concerns - peacefully of course - and not stand by and do nothing. And most importantly, we need to instill our values and beliefs in our children and teach them to be strong and stand up for what they believe in, because, like it or not, our children are our future.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The New Diet
Yesterday I blogged about the Prevention magazine article I stumbled across that claimed I can "Lose 7 pounds in 4 days" by following a new diet involving MUFA foods. If you read that post, then you are familiar with what MUFAs are - if you haven't read it, then you should check it out so you will understand how this new diet works.
First thing you need to do is to have a daily calorie goal. The magazine article suggests 1600 calories per day split up into 4 meals. These meals need to be eaten every 4 or 5 hours to make sure you keep your metabolism, blood sugar and hunger all under control. Now, the key is that at every meal you include at least one serving of MUFA food. After reading about the 5 different varieties of MUFA foods, I don't feel that this is something that will be hard to do at all.
I have decided I'm going to try this diet out - starting Monday. That gives me time this weekend to make sure my pantry is stocked with plenty of MUFAs! The article stated that after trying this diet out on 11 panelists for 4 weeks, the results showed they had lost a total of 91 pounds! 91 pounds is amazing in itself, but how about the fact that they lost a combined 83 inches with that 91 pounds?! That has given me some motivation to test this baby out and see how it works. We all know exercise is good for us, but the best part about this diet is that it is not required! So, check back next Friday and I will post an update!
First thing you need to do is to have a daily calorie goal. The magazine article suggests 1600 calories per day split up into 4 meals. These meals need to be eaten every 4 or 5 hours to make sure you keep your metabolism, blood sugar and hunger all under control. Now, the key is that at every meal you include at least one serving of MUFA food. After reading about the 5 different varieties of MUFA foods, I don't feel that this is something that will be hard to do at all.
I have decided I'm going to try this diet out - starting Monday. That gives me time this weekend to make sure my pantry is stocked with plenty of MUFAs! The article stated that after trying this diet out on 11 panelists for 4 weeks, the results showed they had lost a total of 91 pounds! 91 pounds is amazing in itself, but how about the fact that they lost a combined 83 inches with that 91 pounds?! That has given me some motivation to test this baby out and see how it works. We all know exercise is good for us, but the best part about this diet is that it is not required! So, check back next Friday and I will post an update!
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