July 2023 W.I.S.H. Thread, Hello Sunshine!☀️

[PollyannaMom]

Self care has involved getting out of my head and getting some stuff done. I've been really unmotivated lately and it just makes me feel like crap. If I were avoiding chores to do something fun, ok, but I'm truly just playing dumb games on my phone instead of tackling what turn out to be totally manageable projects. I'm very happy to have a pile of keepsakes tucked away in the girls' "save" bin (certificates for completing dance recitals, birthday cards, etc) and off of my desk. Next up, I'm going to cut up veggies for meals this week so that they're prepped and ready to go when I'm shorter on time in the evenings after work. Nothing huge, but I definitely feel better when I've accomplished something instead of procrastinating for no damn reason. Normally I wouldn't categorize doing chores as self care, but it's definitely helping my mental health.

I totally get it! I've been feeling the same way about lack of motivation lately, and you explained it way better than I did.

 

[Oneanne]

MONDAY MOTIVATION



It seems many of us have been low on motivation lately. What three small things can you do this week to get back on track with where you want to be in your healthy living journey?

 

[PollyannaMom]

What three small things can you do this week to get back on track with where you want to be in your healthy living journey?

Write down things I intend to do.
Limit my time on the computer/social media.
Prep some healthy snacks.

 

[newski_mom]

Write down things I intend to do.
Limit my time on the computer/social media.
Prep some healthy snacks.

Those are great ones! I always do better focusing on things when I write them down.

Mine:
1. Re-focus on tracking. Even when I don't have a great eating day, I still find I'm in a better place mentally when I track better. I think it's just the fact of owning the choices that I make.

2. Take a walk every day after work. Even if it's just a short walk - something is better than nothing.

3. Go to bed earlier. I get my second wind at night, so I don't have a problem staying up way too late. I have to be at work by 7 am though, so it's an early morning and it just starts my day off badly when I don't go to bed early enough each night to get a decent amount of sleep.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

What three small things can you do this week to get back on track with where you want to be in your healthy living journey?

Diet and exercise is the one part of my life that I have stayed motivated. It's the rest of my stuff that's dragging!

So, for my personal three:
1) limit time playing nonsense games on my phone
2) pick at least one chore on the long term list to make progress on each day (laundry and dishes are those short term things that always get done, but the bigger projects that don't have a specific deadline are piling up)
3) assign myself 30 minute productivity windows to get moving (helpful for me when I have giant projects that feel overwhelming in the whole but that can be done in smaller parts)

 

[Summer2018]

1. Include movement every day whether it's walking on the treadmill, dancing, swimming, or walking out in public while doing errands...parking farther away or doing an extra lap in the air conditioned store.

2. Track my meals/calories and eat more high quality foods vs. takeout.

3. Prepare healthy foods ahead of time in bulk so that when I'm feeling too lazy to clean and cut veggies and fruit, it's already done so no excuses.

 

[Oneanne]

These lists are great everyone, and motivational to read.

My three things for this week:

1. Clean house. I slipped back into old housekeeping habits (as in not keeping house) with the low level of energy I had from the cold and I now need to get caught up.
2. Read one hour per day, which in turn means putting down my phone and leaving the TV turned off. I did read last evening to start the week off right.
3. Get moving again. I too need to get out for at least a short walk each day and resume yoga and arm exercises.

 

[Summer2018]

No matter what changes I have made to lose weight, I refused to give up white bread, especially Pepperidge Farm Very Thin White Bread and King's Hawaiian hamburger and hot dog rolls. I just don't enjoy whole wheat, and frankly, the nutrition labels on many whole wheat breads weren't that impressive to warrant me giving up the things I like. Ezekiel bread looked frightening to me. Instead, I stopped having toast with my eggs and sandwiches at lunch.

I recently started researching Dave's Killer breads, and the nutrition labels were actually quite impressive. So, last week I did something quite radical for myself. I bought Dave's Killer Good Seed bread, White Done Right, Raisin the Roof, plus Raisin bagels and White Done Right hamburger rolls. I knew if I didn't like them, DH would eat them, so it wasn't too risky. I was also thinking of DD because her diet isn't great.

I started with White Done Right...umm, well, there's nothing white about it so...not a fan. However, I did enjoy it for French Toast. DD did not however. I have not tried the hamburger rolls.

The Good Seed thin slice bread is delicious with peanut butter, but not with cold cuts. But that's okay. I will eat it with 1 tbs. of natural peanut butter.

The Raisin the Roof bread and bagels are actually DELICIOUS...toasted with Land 'o' Lakes butter with canola oil or Philadelphia lite cream cheese.

So, this fussy eater took a risk and expanded her palate! I'm proud of myself because trying new foods is definitely out of my comfort zone. I want to do better. I want to be better.

 

[newski_mom]

No matter what changes I have made to lose weight, I refused to give up white bread, especially Pepperidge Farm Very Thin White Bread and King's Hawaiian hamburger and hot dog rolls. I just don't enjoy whole wheat, and frankly, the nutrition labels on many whole wheat breads weren't that impressive to warrant me giving up the things I like. Ezekiel bread looked frightening to me. Instead, I stopped having toast with my eggs and sandwiches at lunch.

I recently started researching Dave's Killer breads, and the nutrition labels were actually quite impressive. So, last week I did something quite radical for myself. I bought Dave's Killer Good Seed bread, White Done Right, Raisin the Roof, plus Raisin bagels and White Done Right hamburger rolls. I knew if I didn't like them, DH would eat them, so it wasn't too risky. I was also thinking of DD because her diet isn't great.

I started with White Done Right...umm, well, there's nothing white about it so...not a fan. However, I did enjoy it for French Toast. DD did not however. I have not tried the hamburger rolls.

The Good Seed thin slice bread is delicious with peanut butter, but not with cold cuts. But that's okay. I will eat it with 1 tbs. of natural peanut butter.

The Raisin the Roof bread and bagels are actually DELICIOUS...toasted with Land 'o' Lakes butter with canola oil or Philadelphia lite cream cheese.

So, this fussy eater took a risk and expanded her palate! I'm proud of myself because trying new foods is definitely out of my comfort zone. I want to do better. I want to be better.

That's great! I've never heard of these - thanks for the reviews!

 

[PAsFab5]

Happy Monday Everyone!!

Loved reading everyone’s motivations for this week, here is mine:

#1 set a 15 mins timer to put laundry away every night until it’s done-the laundry is clean and folded but it stacked up and needs put away

#2 Stop working late-I just worked 30 mins late and I need to stop. Whatever I get done in 10 hours I get done.

#3 Stop using the excuse that I don’t like my new food tracking app to not track my food-it’s fine, accurate and user friendly and I am using it as a excuse not to be honest about my eating

DD got on the bus at 730am today for camp!! No phones so relying on the church’s Instagram for updates-they made it and it looks absolutely gorgeous-directly on the beach. I think this week will be one she will remember forever and I am so glad she had the courage to go!!

Alright Ladies enjoy your evenings!!!!

 

[PollyannaMom]

The Good Seed thin slice bread is delicious with peanut butter, but not with cold cuts. But that's okay. I will eat it with 1 tbs. of natural peanut butter.

That's the one we buy (ever since DH's diabetes diagnosis) and I do love it toasted with peanut butter!! It makes a good hearty grilled cheese as well.

DH likes it for egg sandwiches and deli meat too, but I get sick of it after a while and sometimes have a white roll for mine when he's at work. - Like you, I rather just eat less of something really good than more of a substitute.

 

[Oneanne]

TUESDAY TOPIC:


Keeping with the basics and small changes we can make, let’s talk water. Here are just five of the benefits of drinking enough water:

• Improved brain performance: even mild dehydration can affect memory, mood, concentration, and reaction time
• Digestive harmony
• More energy
• Weight loss/management
• Kidney stone prevention

There are different opinions on how much is enough, common recommendations are:

• at least 8 glasses per day
• a gallon (which is 16 eight-ounce glasses)
• 1/3 your body weight
• enough to satisfy thirst

In the cleanse I’m attempting to do she has very specific instructions for water consumption:

• Drink ounces equal to 1/2 of your bodyweight every day
• Drink 16 ounces of water when you first wake up, as an ‘internal shower’
• Sip water thru out the day, don’t flood your body by gulping
• Don’t drink more than a quarter glass of water with meals

Water is part of every liquid and food we consume and these ways of getting it also count, but of course some choices are better than others (looking at you Starbucks with your sugar laden concoctions).

How consistent are you at drinking your water? Can you tell the difference when you are not drinking enough and when you are? Any tips to share on how to keep you water intake up?

 

[PollyannaMom]

How consistent are you at drinking your water?

Not as consistent as I should be.

Can you tell the difference when you are not drinking enough and when you are?

Yes, I can...but sometimes too late in the day to fix it without interrupting my sleep. (It's all about balance, you know!)

But I do notice my mood, energy, and mental resources suffer if I forget to drink water.

I've also noticed that anytime I lost a bit a weight, I had been drinking a lot of water!

Any tips to share on how to keep you water intake up?

Not really. I was much better about it years ago when I worked in an office and commuted by train. - My water bottle was right next me all the time. I would fill it for the ride in, once I got there, at lunch time, and again for the ride home.

 

[Summer2018]

I have special circumstances because I take a water pill daily which requires me to drink a lot of water. Fortunately I love water.

How consistent are you at drinking your water? I drink it all day. As soon as I empty my water container, I refill it.
Can you tell the difference when you are not drinking enough and when you are? Yes. I will pass out if I don’t drink enough water because of my medication.
Any tips to share on how to keep you water intake up? I have a PUR filter on my kitchen sink for drinking water and ice so our water is not only clean, it tastes good. I use a 24 oz. Tervis Tumbler 24 hours a day. I drink at least one if not two in the morning to take my supplements and bring two designated work tumblers to school. In hot weather, I bring an emergency Poland Spring water bottle in case I get extra thirsty. I refill my home tumbler every time it is empty. It comes with me to bed, and I drink a full one throughout the night. I wake up 3 times anyway so I may as well continue to hydrate. There’s been nights when I had to refill it in the bathroom sink.

 

[newski_mom]

During the week, I'm very consistent about drinking my water. I have a 24 oz tumbler cup and I keep it full from the bubbler station during the day. My routine is to fill it when I get in to work at 7:00. My goal is to finish one tumbler each hour, so in my mind, I have my 7:00 water, 8:00 water, etc until I eat my lunch between 12 and 1. By that time, ideally, I will have had between 120 and 144 ounce of water. I do slow it down in the afternoon though for some reason.

I'm not good at drinking it on the weekends though. I need to get better at that.

The one tip you posted about only drinking 1/4 cup during meals - is there a reason for that? I definitely drink a lot with meals. It's honestly one of the reasons I started getting better at drinking water. When we eat out, I probably have about 3 cups of water with each meal. I knew drinking that much soda wasn't good during the meal, so I started ordering water. It also saves a lot on the check when you don't have to pay for drinks! DH could easily do the 1/4 cup during a meal. He doesn't drink much at all when he eats. We are opposites in that regard.

I guess my only tip would be to keep it handy. When DH and I go out somewhere, we each always take a full tervis of water with us. It saves from buying drinks while we're out and it also helps to keep us hydrated.

 

[Oneanne]

During the week, I'm very consistent about drinking my water. I have a 24 oz tumbler cup and I keep it full from the bubbler station during the day. My routine is to fill it when I get in to work at 7:00. My goal is to finish one tumbler each hour, so in my mind, I have my 7:00 water, 8:00 water, etc until I eat my lunch between 12 and 1. By that time, ideally, I will have had between 120 and 144 ounce of water. I do slow it down in the afternoon though for some reason.

I'm not good at drinking it on the weekends though. I need to get better at that.

The one tip you posted about only drinking 1/4 cup during meals - is there a reason for that? I definitely drink a lot with meals. It's honestly one of the reasons I started getting better at drinking water. When we eat out, I probably have about 3 cups of water with each meal. I knew drinking that much soda wasn't good during the meal, so I started ordering water. It also saves a lot on the check when you don't have to pay for drinks! DH could easily do the 1/4 cup during a meal. He doesn't drink much at all when he eats. We are opposites in that regard.

I guess my only tip would be to keep it handy. When DH and I go out somewhere, we each always take a full tervis of water with us. It saves from buying drinks while we're out and it also helps to keep us hydrated.

For the cleanse she mentions that drinking too much fluid with your meals dilutes your digestive function. I had also heard before that not drinking a lot with meals is better.

 

[newski_mom]

For the cleanse she mentions that drinking too much fluid with your meals dilutes your digestive function. I had also heard before that not drinking a lot with meals is better.

Thanks - that would be difficult for me I think, but I may try to consciously drink less with meals for awhile and see if it helps me.

 

[Oneanne]

I am also better at drinking my water during the work week and pretty inconsistent on the weekends. And I can really tell the difference when I haven't gotten enough, one of the signs is legs and feet cramps and another is a headache. I also normally drink several glasses of water with my meals, so I'm trying backing off of that and see if it helps with my tummy upsets.

With this cleanse, adjusting water intake has probably been the area where I've been most on-program, that and adding probiotics and digestive enzymes... and I'm seeing significant results. I've already dropped four of my five pound goal for this month and I've lost two inches around my waist, which was a big surprise and very exciting. I'm getting to the point where it should be more restrictive with lots of juices, but I'm happy just using it as a guide to clean up my food choices and to (finally) get a better balance by reducing carbs and increasing proteins.

 

[newski_mom]

I am also better at drinking my water during the work week and pretty inconsistent on the weekends. And I can really tell the difference when I haven't gotten enough, one of the signs is legs and feet cramps and another is a headache. I also normally drink several glasses of water with my meals, so I'm trying backing off of that and see if it helps with my tummy upsets.

With this cleanse, adjusting water intake has probably been the area where I've been most on-program, that and adding probiotics and digestive enzymes... and I'm seeing significant results. I've already dropped four of my five pound goal for this month and I've lost two inches around my waist, which was a big surprise and very exciting. I'm getting to the point where it should be more restrictive with lots of juices, but I'm happy just using it as a guide to clean up my food choices and to (finally) get a better balance by reducing carbs and increasing proteins.

Sounds like you are doing great!!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

How consistent are you at drinking your water?

I'm pretty good with fluid consumption. I alternate between water and a caffeinated beverage through the morning and then go to straight water after 3ish.

Can you tell the difference when you are not drinking enough and when you are?

I haven't found that I need to drink any set amount of water to feel good. But, I do think that, if I'm feeling off at all, or even snacky, the best thing to do is start with a glass of water and see if that levels things out. I'm a good chugger (I didn't know this was a thing until well into adulthood; I just assumed everyone could pound 12oz in a couple seconds if need be) so I'll drink a whole glass quickly and refill if I realize I've been distracted and letting myself get dehydrated.

Any tips to share on how to keep you water intake up?

Ho boy, do I ever?!? But, seriously, when I was growing three people at once, the recommendation was to drink a gallon of water every day despite the fact that I already had to pee constantly and had three future humans taking up a lot of my abdominal cavity.

To get my gallon, I had a few tricks. First, I got a 64oz water bottle (was harder to find in 2013, I feel like these are around more now) and I knew I had to have the first bottle finished by 1pm so that I'd have time to drink the refill without chugging at night and setting myself up for even more bladder-interrupted sleep than normal. I also used an app that was a drinking timer. It went off regularly (I want to say every 5 minutes, it was super frequent) reminding me to take a sip. Even if I didn't drink every time my phone chimed, it kept drinking water in the front of my mind throughout the day and, if I forgot to bring my bottle to a meeting or something, I would remember within 5 minutes and go get it. I want to say I used the app for about 2 weeks before it became second nature to just be constantly sipping throughout the day and I didn't need the little buzz to remind me.