Menu Plan-Low Carbin' It!

I need to lose weight. It has a little to do with vanity, but mostly for my health and my family I want to get to a healthy weight. I have set a goal of losing 50 pounds in a year. My first mini goal is ten pounds. I had this in mind a couple of months ago when our family joined the local YMCA. I have not been as consistent about getting there as I would like, but have managed to walk or get in a workout there at least twice a week most weeks. I have lost 4 pounds in three months. Not very impressive, but the scale is moving in the right direction.


In order to make some changes and hopefully have some success losing, I want to try limiting carbs. For two weeks I will be doing what I consider to be extremely limiting carbs. It's no "big news" that we should all avoid white sugar and white flour. This eliminates all the things that we know should not be a regular part of our diets anyway. I have come up with a plan that includes a list of healthy low carbohydrate foods, but also healthy whole foods. After two weeks, I will begin to add small amounts of whole grains.

Here is the breakdown of what I will and won't eat for two weeks starting today:

Foods to avoid:

• Sugar, period. including artificial sweeteners and natural things like honey or maple syrup too
• all grains


• all fruit except for the ones I list below


• carrots and potatoes

Foods I will eat:

• Breakfast- eggs with vegetables and coffee (I most likely will not have meat for this meal)
• Lunches-Salads with lots of veggies, boiled eggs, ( a couple of days I may add tuna salad or some lean meat) I have been making our ranch dressing. I will share the recipe here in a couple of days. It is so much better than any store bought we've ever had.
• Snacks- one green apple per day, 1 ounce of almonds, cheese, celery with natural peanut butter or cream cheese, cottage cheese with vegetables. I can't wait now for our tomato plants to start producing! And if I feel the need for something sweet, I'll have a smoothie of strawberries and plain yogurt.
• Dinners-will include lean meats like chicken, lean ground turkey or beef, or grilled fish. I will probably eat a salad most days for dinner as well, just because it can be pre-made and ready to eat. It will also include lots of roasted or steamed vegetables including: brussell sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, and greens. One of my favorite meals will continue to be taco salad. Mine will be without the chips.
• Drinks-Lots and lots of water. I will start my day with water and end with water. In between I will enjoy coffee, and unsweetened tea, and probably a small amount of milk.

I should add that my family's eating will not change. They will continue to enjoy the meals I've posted in previous Menu Plans. I will share my progress and highlight the things that work and don't work. I feel that if I can follow this for 2 weeks, I can readjust my taste buds and develop new habits.

As I am finishing this writing today I feel pretty good about the choices I've made for day one. It was a little tough at dinner time when I was buttering baked potatoes for my kids. I know that late afternoon and late evening will be challenging times of day. I often reach for sweets during these times because I'm low on energy. I prayed through today and it felt good. I will write more about my motivation at some point too.

They Got Their Chance...

...to rescue us that is. And boy was I glad! Tommy did not believe that the girls had seen a "huge snake". I don't think the boys believed them either. Those of us that saw their pale faces and their little trembling selves did though. We all chose to believe that the snake was just passing through and not living in the bush outside of our garage or we would not have wanted to go outside ever again :)

We were sitting in the garage yesterday evening watching heavy rain fall as a storm passed over and discussing our disappointment of another game cancellation. All of sudden, my husband's clip board full of game plans goes flying along with his lawn chair and he jumped back, I mean jumped in between me and a huge snake that came out from under the bush just outside of the garage. After a second to collect himself, he did grab a hockey stick and thankfully Jacob was not afraid to help and the two of them wrangled him into a bucket. Jacob was very brave, and did not seem afraid at all. He is the one in the video picking up the snake, playing with it, and then putting it into the bucket. He watched a LOT of Crocodile Hunter growing up and loves Survivor Man too.

Now much to my disappointment, we could not kill a "good snake". So, after tiring him out and letting everyone inspect it as much as they cared to, everyone (except me and Rose) took him to some nearby woods and let him go. Hopefully, never to return. Please don't tell me if you think it's possible that a wayward snake can find his way back "home" . You know like the stories you hear of dogs and cats traveling miles and finding their way back. I really wish the poor creature no harm, I just don't want to share my yard with him ;)

And like any good homeschooling family, we did some research about local snakes. We discovered that our snake is a rat snake. The only kind of snake in Virginia that grows over six feet in length. If your curious and want to see lots of neat snake pictures check out The Virginia Herpetological Society. Even the pictures give me the "willies".

Menu Plan Monday

Monday
B-oatmeal with blueberries
L-pbj and sliced apples
D-spagetti, salad, garlic toast

Tuesday
B-fried egg sandwiches
L-left overs
D-black bean quesadillas , watermelon

Wednesday
B- toast with cream cheese and jam, bananas
L-egg salad sandwiches or pbj
D-chicken(crock-pot), baked potatoes (crock-pot), salad

Thursday
B-oatmeal, blueberries
L-left overs
D-stir-fry with chicken and veggies

Friday
B-blueberry and chocolate chip muffins (make extra for the weekend)
L-egg salad sandwiches, apples
D-BLT's, watermelon

Saturday
B-muffins, boiled eggs
D-spagetti, salad, garlic bread

Two Peas in a Pod

Lily and Wendy just met a black snake in the back yard. We heard them scream and they came flying in the door. They were scared, to say the least! They were both pale and trembling (even their lips didn't have color.) Breathing heavily they said,

"It was huge!""

"Get the boys!"

"It stuck it's tongue out at me!"

"Yeah, It was mean!"

"The boys can shoot it."

"And they can have it for dinner." (Lily adds!)

Well, that broke the tension and we all cracked up!! The laughter and some hugs brought back color to their face!! I'm so glad they have each other and rarely leave one another's side. Sweet sisters, what a blessing! And how neat that they thought of their big brothers to rescue them. It's a shame none of the guys were here to "save us" from the mean snake!!

A Little Perspective

I took this sweet picture on Mother's Day. This is Jacob, my soon to be 16 year old and Rose, my soon to be 16 month old playing in the sand box. Precious. This loved and well traveled sand box has been in the family for 14 years. A gift to the boys from my Mom and Dad.

Jacob is a six foot two running machine. But his needs aren't a whole lot different than little Rose's. He depends on me for food like Rose. LOTS of food. You see he is a growing young man that runs an average of 30 miles a week. No joke. He is a serious runner. But most of all he needs me to listen. He talks a lot about things that are important to him. And I listen.

Someone accused me of being too protective when Jacob was a baby. That was probably true in a sense. But only when it came to dirt. Because I was as confident then at age 21 as I am now that all he really needed was me and his Daddy. Lots of me and Dad.

So, this picture and memory was one of many gifts on Mother's Day. I was spoiled by everyone and loved every minute of it (thank you guys), but mostly I was honored to be called Mama.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16

Monday May 4th, 2009

outside my window...the sun is out after the rain and the birds are singing

i am thinking...about what books need to be ordered for summer schooling

from the learning room...some things are being finished, others just beginning

i am thankful for...a hard working husband

from the kitchen...clean dishes, sink, and counter...for now

i am wearing...black pants and a pink t shirt

i am hoping...that the rain cleared some pollen for my allergy sufferers

i am hearing...my little fan on my desk

around the house...everyone is working on cleaning out dresser drawers

one of my favorite things...peanut butter

plans for the week...more Spring cleaning, simplifying/de-cluttering bedrooms, finalizing a book order

A picture I'm sharing...

Samuel and Rose

Read more entries here.

Menu Plan Monday

*picture taken by Abigail*

Monday-

B-granola cereal, milk

Early dinner-grilled cheeseburgers, lettuce, tomato, onion

Tuesday-

B-oatmeal, blueberries

L-leftover burgers

D-baked chicken, garlic egg noodles, steamed carrots

Wednesday-

B-pink smoothies, cream cheese toast

L-grilled cheese, apple slices

D-crockpot pork BBQ, cole slaw


Thursday-

B-granola, milk, bananas

L-beans, rice, corn muffins

D-BLT's, pink smoothies


Friday-

B-muffins

L-mexican fried rice with sausage and carrot sticks

D-grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, tortilla chips and dip


Saturday-

Brunch-pancakes and strawberries

D-spinach rice casserole, turkey


Sunday-

B-oatmeal with blueberries

D-spagetti, green salad, garlic bread

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