Lenten Blog Post Challenge: Day 1- Ash Wednesday

Good morning love birds, and Happy St. Valentine's Day to you! Happy Lent to you as well! I have decided to do a Lenten blogging challenge for the Lenten season: blog each day, only about Lent, which includes the three main parts: prayer, fasting, and alms giving. Although Lenten fasting, prayer and alms giving is a private challenge between you and God, I am blogging partly about what I praying about, fasting about, and how I can give to others. Not all details will be given, but some will. I am not here to "toot my own horn" rather to inspire my readers on thier Lenten Journey!

Each day, I will reflect in a blog post about those three parts of Lent and how they are challenging and gifting me from the day before. Lent isn't just about giving up Diet Coke it is about going into the dessert. Jesus didn't do what was bearable, for us; he did what was unbearable. Putting limits on our Lenten Season, is like putting limits on God-- who does that?


If you aren't Catholic, your might be thinking things like "What is with the ashes?" or "I don't do Lent." If you are Catholic, you might be thinking, "Well, I would give up the Internet, but I need it for work" or "I would give up Diet Coke, but I am not a morning person" or I would give up my smart phone, but I need it for [insert excuse here].." You get the point. The bottom line Valentines, is that Lent is not about being mildly uncomfortable-- it is about sacrifice. Sacrifice comes in three parts: Prayer, Fasting, and Alms giving. Sacrifice to me is about giving your time to God (prayer); giving your addiction to God (fasting); giving to others as you would to God (charity/alms giving). This video is a great 2 minute response to some of those statements you might have had, Catholic or not!




Ash Wednesday is always a day I look forward to. Then when it gets here, I start doubting myself of the challenge at hand. I start to lower my standards each year, as to not feel the "uncomfortable-ness" that I need to be feeling. So I try to open with prayer that morning(usually in the shower or in the car) and I ask God to open me to his possibilities. I ask him to show me what he wants me to do through him.

Fasting:Fasting was difficult yesterday, especially with a migraine...I wasn't perfect, He doesn't expect me to be-- but I tried! I will do better. I don't think the goal is to be perfect, but to acknowledge what I am fasting from and try to better tomorrow, than I was today.

Prayer:
Funny thing- when you doubt God or Our Lady, they kind of "keep popping up!" The evening prior to Ash Wednesday was difficult for me, and in that moment of difficulty at dinner, Cody came to sit next to me. He started to laugh....when I looked up at what he saw, It was Our Lady of Perpetual Help-- right above, keeping watch over our booth in the restaurant. Yesterday, I doubted Our Lady again, and her beautiful statue was across the street of the house I was visiting! Sometimes in prayer, I am silent, and sometimes I am long-winded..But He knows all that we need, doubt, struggle with, and love.

Charity:

On my way to my friends house (what I thought was my act of charity yesterday) I saw a woman walking. Although I live in Texas, yesterday was a brisk 51* and it was damp. She had no shoes, no coat, and holy jeans. I glanced over and felt pain. 30 seconds later I pulled over. I saw the face of God in her. She had a cigarette in her mouth, but I saw the face of God in her.

I hope you enjoy my Lenten Blogging Challenge!

"Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."

- Annie B

Pancakes at the Kitchen Table

For as long as I can remember, going to grandma’s house was in my normal routine. I practically lived there twenty percent of my childhood (totally by choice) because it was there that my imagination developed; it was there that I could be an only child. My grandparents lived in Victoria, Texas, just a few miles away. On Fridays I looked forward to spending the night at their house; on Saturday, I called my parents to tell them that I would be staying another day, and on Sunday I packed my bags and went home. I was many things at my grandparents’ house—a beautician—styling my grandfathers “hair” (he was bald), a dental hygienist—working on the teeth of my baby dolls, a bride—wearing the old fashioned wedding dress my grandmother picked up at the salvation army and placed in the blue chest under the bed, and my favorite—a librarian—placing all of my books on the bed and requiring my grandparents to come to the library and check out books. Not only did I have a grand imagination at my grandparents’, I also learned about life and responsibility. I learned about polishing silver, dusting, recycling, and sweeping the porch, traveling, playing games and baking.

Grandma loved to bake. Every time I walked in the door, I went straight for the office space in her cozy home, to the peacock blue cookie jar. Most of the time, there were homemade sugar cookies in the jar, but every now and then grandma would change it up and put chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies! The best part about going to grandma’s house was that she taught us how to do things. One summer I remember learning to sew, one summer, learning to water color on canvas. But the thing grandma really enjoyed teaching us, was how to cook.

Another weekend at grandma's was underway. As I woke that Saturday morning, my grandfather was already at the table with freshly made coffee in hand. My grandmother was whipping up her homemade, melt-in-your-mouth pancakes and homemade maple syrup. We gathered at that little awkward table, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, games, baking, and talking. The table at my grandparents’ home was attached to the wall and adjacent to the counter top—it was a table that no one else I knew, had. It was a half oval and sat three people. It was perfect for me, grandma, and grandpa! I always sat at the “head of the table.” The kitchen was petite; it represented a gathering place, a place of comfort in the home. Grandma was just about finished with her pancakes, when she reached in the fridge to get her jar of homemade syrup. She warmed it on the stove, and she piled high the pancakes for grandpa and me. She drizzled the stack with warm and gooey syrup and brought the crispy bacon to the table.

Grandpa just couldn’t wait, and he dove right in to the warm and fluffy delight. When he did, his face portrayed the look that the pancakes tasted horrible. Grandpa never complained and we weren't allowed to say something tasted "pretty good" because grandma said that was opposite of complimenting the cook, so he continued to eat them. Grandma said, “How are the pancakes Buddy, Annie?” Grandpa replied, “Well, Betty, did you change your recipe?” Astonished, she answered, “No!” Grandma ran over to the table and bit into her fluffy pancakes doused in hot maple syrup, and started laughing. We were wondering WHAT was going on. Grandma said to us, “When I reached in the refrigerator to get the jar of homemade pancake syrup, I must have grabbed the wrong jar.” She went over to the stove and dipped her finger in the “syrup”. To her surprise it wasn’t syrup at all! It was unsweetened tea! My grandmother stored leftovers in glass jars in her refrigerator and syrup and tea were the same color, so I can see how she confused the two! She threw out the stacks of ruined pancakes and started mixing up another batch. This time when she set our pink, floral china on the table with our golden pancakes, I said, “Mmmm, good grandma!” We ate until our bellies were going to pop! Grandpa and I told her we would never let her forget this day in the kitchen!

What I enjoyed most about eating pancakes at my grandparents’ home was that it represented so much more than breakfast. It was the start of a new day, a place where my imagination began. It was then where we planned our activities, chores, talked about our dreams, and read the comics. A few years later, we planned to have our own pancake shop. As we thought of the details of our shop, I told grandma we would have a big pancake hanging outside on her front porch, for passersby to sample. I told her she would be flipping the cakes and I would be the waitress. I told her she would have to sample the syrup a our pancake shop so that our customers would keep coming back. She smiled.


Here are some pictures of Grandma Betty

 My Grandma, my cousins, and me:

My Grandmother and my Mom

*Today in my class, we are reading a memoir and then creating one of our own, so I decided to write one while my students were writing. This is what came to mind! Hope you enjoyed my blog post deviation!

~Annie B

2013 Week 2 Success with Paleo

Okay! So This week I did not lose any weight. I ate the paleo lifestyle and had a 2 cheat meals. I was very bummed about my Saturday weigh in and then I saw this on a fb post from one fit widow! And I then decided that I am not going to let the scale bog me down and eventually "somethings gotta give" I am only 2 weeks into a lifetime, thus I referred to this post as a success too!

The reality is this: It took me many heart breaks, depressions, mistakes, stressful days at work, stressful days at home, infertility treatments, and disappointments as well as many celebrations, weekends out, and date nights to gain 50 lbs from my wedding day. So after two weeks of 90% clean eating and boot camp, I might start feeling better, but I can't expect a major loss. What I did lose, was depression. It seems now, after eating better and exercising at boot camp, my cloud is dissipating. Another success this week that I celebrated was putting on a pair of pants I bought when I started working at OHS. I was 171 pounds the day I walked in. Tuesday morning I was freaking out! Nothing to wear and I put those pants on! I zipped them up and almost walked out of the door-- they were just a tad too snug to wear for dress pants at work-- but give me a few more pounds or a few more workouts, and I will be sporting them! It was a success that last year at this time I was 193 pounds, and could not fit into anything. Even though I only dropped about 10 lbs, my body is changing. NO, I didn't lose this week, but I must be losing inches and gaining muscle because the pants are getting looser (even the jean capri's I just purchased at Kohl's!

Some neat things I ate week 2:

Almond Flour coated back strap with almond flour "gravy": YUM when everyone else was eating the real deal!

Almond milk poured over coconut flavored coffee (frozen in ice cubes) heat the ice for about 10 seconds, and pour almond milk! DELISH!

Bison Chili topped with veggie shreds or avocado slices:



Since Saturday's weigh in, I did eat paleo style over the 3 day weekend but got off track yesterday and today (week 3 actually). Paleo is expensive and sometimes that means if I am not prepared, I can't eat the way I am supposed to, or I just cannot afford to until we get paid and I can go to the store. I will not let that get me down. I have chosen this as a lifestyle and that means some days are going to rock, and some days I will make mistakes. Tomorrow is a new day and a new chance to change me, so "cheers" to getting back on track so that I can finish week 3 STRONG: eating Paleo 100% Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday-- It's all about choices and I better start making cleaner ones!

2013 Week 1 Success with Paleo

So...Saturday was my weigh-in day. All week I had been doubting a weight loss after getting back on track from my little gain this holiday season. My stomach didn't know what to do when I started eating clean again! Then I stared a new exercise program (6 week fitness boot-camp) and the rain deterred my running. Needless to say, my tummy was confused all week, and I felt bloated and sore from working out! BUT I woke up on Saturday and weighed in..and I lost 3- or 4 pounds! The reason why I can't figure out if it is 3 or 4, is because I was fluctuating Sunday and Monday. Anyway, a loss is a loss! I will be able tell exactly where I stand this week!

Things I ate this week:

• Breakfasts- Larabars and fruit OR Eggs and Bacon
• Lunch- Salad with chicken OR grilled veggies and meat
• Snacks- fruit, carrots and guacamole, paleo chocolate chip cookies, pistachios, peanuts, larabars, dairy free- coconut milk ice cream, plain, no sugar added applesauce.
• Dinner- Grilled meat (chicken, steak, and fish) with grilled veggies, or chicken and salad with sweet potato (only after a workout on the sweet potato-- it is a root veggie and should not be eaten often on Paleo)

• Date Night Cheat Meal: Mexican food, chips and salsa (I actually cheated twice with Mexican food), once with my hubby and once in Houston during a shopping trip, but as long as it is in moderation, and all other meals all week are Paleo, I think it is perfectly fine!

My first week back was not perfect, but it was a start! I think about the items I used to eat on Weight Watchers and My fitness pal-- "just because they are in calorie range or just because they are in my WW point range" and now I get why I didn't lose weight!! Just because I had Jr. burritos in calorie range, and whatburger Jr's, cookies, and fruit roll ups, 100 calorie snacks, and pizza, does not mean that I can lose weight eating all those bad carbs and sugars. I am not saying those programs are bad, what I am saying, is that for women with PCOS, any excuse to eat bad carbs, and JUSTIFY it, leads to weight gain/maintenance. That type of food feeds my PCOS and for me, low carb, or clean eating, such as the Paleo life-style allow my hormones to level, and that is why I lose 3-4 pounds a week, versus .2 or .8! It is hard, challenging, and no fun when everyone else can run through the drive thru when they are stressed at work, but Paleo is going to pay off!

Week two is looking good already! I am excited about boot camp, I have Paleo 911 chili to look forward to this week that hubster is making, and a date night cheat meal on Thursday! Are you ready to challenge yourself with Paleo? If you are still wondering what exactly Paleo is...just click here!

Paleo & Weight Update

The holiday season is over! I have to back-track a little on the original Paleo Week 1 post.  After that week 1 post, Cody and I continued the Paleo lifestyle for about another week and a half and ran during that time too. Then we got sick. With the turn of fall and the cooler weather, the holiday mindset, and my major sinus infection, I didn't feel much like eating anything but fast foods and quick service take out! Being sick, I didn't have the strength to really run; I took a two week break (of which our 6th anniversary and Thanksgiving occurred)! I got back on track the week I returned to school from the Thanksgiving break and ran once and only did Paleo breakfast, lunch, and snacks-- dinner was a free for all mess (because my hubby was not wanting to do it with me-- I love blaming him sometimes lol). Then it was just excuse after excuse. It was too cold to run, I didn't feel good, there were too many treats to look forward to during the holiday-- Like GiGi's Cupcakes okay!

I did weigh frequently through the holiday break and I only went up 2 lbs. HEY that's a win in my book! I wasn't back up to the highest weight, so I felt some motivation stirring around New Year's Day!

Anyway, I am back on the Paleo bandwagon. We set it up to where we are allowed 1-2 cheats a week, and I think that is a "S. M. A. R. T. Goal" for getting healthy and losing the weight. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable, Time bound).

As of right now, I am fluctuating in the mid to upper 180's--however last night at boot camp I weighed more, but I am telling myself that is after a full day of eating (that TOTALLY matters) first morning weight is what I go by!

I need to spend some time getting creative with my lunch plan, because I can see it getting old quick! But Here is what I did on Sunday: Meal Plan!

Mon-Wed Breakfast:

2 eggs, scrambled/2 pieces of bacon/ fruit

Mon-Wed Lunch:

2 cups of lettuce/Chicken Breast/Nuts/natural applesauce

Snacks:

Larabars, (fav this week is coconut cream pie), fruit, and sometimes I add a Naked (green machine) in the mix--        I am also known to emotionally eat pistachios!

Wednesday, I will cook for Thursday and Friday, bag food and bring to work!

The best part about Paleo...THERE IS NO COUNTING! I don't count calories, I don't count points, I don't count carbs, etc...and with running, the weight slips off. I can basically eat as much as I want (within reason) and still lose! It is a perfect eating plan in controlling my hormones with PCOS, because the foods are natural and don't cause blood sugar spikes! Paleo and running control my moods, ovulatory cycle, make me feel good, and help with my complexion because my hormones aren't off the the charts! In the few weeks that I committed to it the first time, I was pleased and I am looking forward to that "On Top of the World" feeling again! As of today, I'm needing a little motivation, and adjusting from the free for all diet. I am guessing my Saturday weigh in will give me that motivation!

The first run of the new year SUCKED! But I will be getting better soon! It has been a good 6 weeks since I had good run!

Weight Goals:

• 6 week goal (February 16th)-- 15 lbs lost
• 12 week goal (March 30th)--   30 lbs lost total.
•  Vegas Vacation Goal: June 2013-- 40 lbs lost total.

Running Goals:

• March 9th 2013 Gusher 5k 
• Start training 5k to 10k
• November 2013: 10k

The Color Run 5k: Houston 2012

Sorry my dearest followers! I have taken a blogging break due to the busy holiday season and a mild case of the "ehhhs" BUT I have once again returned and have much to catch you up on: my 5k, weight and paleo, Thanksgiving and Christmas, 2013 goals and dreams, and fertility (sounds like I will be writing multiple posts until I catch you up with me)!

Our very first race was Sunday, November 11th, 2012! Cody and I both ran our first 5k race! We opted for our first race to be a fun run, so we weren't chipped or timed, but I timed myself on my Nike App. Prior to our race, we trained every other day for about 6 weeks. Prior to that, we had to practice the art of actually running, so we started back in April with the C25k app. We started and stopped and started again. By fall, we were getting nervous so we started hardcore training after our BIG MOVE to BOREMONT (Beaumont, for all of you non-natives). We started noticing that our running wasn't getting any better, so we really focused on what we were putting into our bodies about 2 weeks (yep, only 2 weeks--- we are procrastinators) before the BIG RACE!  With only 2 weeks before the race, we focused on the Paleo diet (see previous blog post here) and we were feeling great!

Saturday: We got up, ran our errands around town, packed, ate lunch at home, paleo style of course, and hit the road! When we got to H town, we checked into the hotel and hit Starbucks for a coffee treat! We then went to Sports Authority to pick up our race packet!! (EXCITEMENT!) After drooling at all the awesome running and workout gear, we both bought a color run shirt and hit the road for DINNER!

We were cheating on Paleo that night, carb-ing up, so we decided to go somewhere new. We went to the Macaroni Grill and it was pretty yummo! After that, we headed back to our hotel to change for a fun night out! We went to Pete's Dueling Piano Bar (Highly recommend if in downtown Houston) and it was a blast!

That evening, we settled in, talked about our childhood, and got our race clothes out!

I was so so so nervous! My race gear laid out on the couch made everything so real:

My Color Run Shirt I bought at Sports Authority-- can't wait until spring so I can run in it:

As we were talking about our childhood, Cody remembers this Mickey Mouse Kitchen! He was describing it to me and I found this one on the internet! He was cracking up! Only boy to probably have a Mickey kitchen!

Sunday (RACE DAY) I woke up at 7:30 and pretty much felt sick at my stomach, and I knew it was the race and totally not the alcohol I had the night before! We had our Larabar and 1/2 of a banana for breakfast and headed out, but we met....RAIN :(

We walked in the rain 1.5 miles to the race at Minute Maid Park, I melted a little, but I survived. Once we got to the race location, there were so many people and I was worried! How would I run with all these people in the way, I thought! We went in waves every 10 minutes, I think Cody and I were in the 6th or 7th wave of people and I was excited to have my Nike App ready to start timing me! (The Friday before, I ran my 3.1 miles in 40:32, so my goal for the race day was anything under 40 minutes! I went through the first K and got shot with powdered color and was on my way to the second K...when I looked up and noticed I was going to have to cross an overpass! YIKES! I had been running on flat land all of these weeks and never anticipated a BRIDGE!! Needless to say the track was a loop, so I had to cross the overpass twice! IT really slowed my down but...I FINISHED. I didn't meet my goal of under 40 but I did accomplish something: I RAN a 5K! (42 min)

Cody and I don't run next to eachother but I knew he was waiting for me at the finish line! I actually lost him, but after about 20 minutes, I found him (we were both covered in color and it was hard to find people)! WE took pictures and threw our color in the air, and headed back to the hotel. Oh! And a high school friend was racing too! Miss Natalie :)

After spending a while getting that color off our bodies, we headed for Mexican food at Papasito's Cantina! Then picked up the doggies from the babysitter and snoozed away the rainy day ZZZzzZzzzZZzz.

-Annie B

Paleo Week 1

I guess working at JD has changed hubby's mind about what type of food we should really be eating (that and he has Crohn's Disease and I have PCOS, we are both out of shape and working on our 5k for Nov. 11th). He came home a few weeks ago with a Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook and said, "We're starting this next week." Ummm hello- excuse me "We're" you mean, YOU! I was totally not looking forward to giving up my bread, dairy, sugar, and processed foods for 30 days. We stared our Paleo 30 challenge 1 week ago, and I have to say When I weighed in this morning, I had lost 4 pounds. Running my behind off everyday  every other day and getting rid of processed stuff has not only allowed me to really prepare for my race, it has gotten me compliments! I am already showing signs of improved health and just FEEL better when I wake up! So, have I convinced you yet?

This is what you would be eating:

Okay, I know what you are thinking: So basically, I have to eat chicken and salad and water for 30 days. NO THANKS! You're wrong. You don't have to eat that, but you do have to get creative! We started here and have been very successful! We also started with this cookbook too! Hubby brought it home from work and I was skeptical really enjoyed cooking out of it! So how can one turn a boring non realistic eating plan into realistic with results? GET CREATIVE! I even made CHOCOLATE FUDGE (Paleo friendly of course, click the link for details)!!Here are some of the things we ate in our first week of Paleo:

Organic "Fried Chicken" with Cauliflower "mashed potatoes" and green beans: our gravy didn't turn out that great and the "mashed potatoes" were a little on the spicy side from the garlic, but good first attempt! We would make this again!

Many days for lunch I would have leftovers from the night before I would bring chicken and salad. I found that getting a rotisserie chicken was easier for me with time, money, and packing in advance. I also searched high and low for a dressing that would be acceptable (no sugar, no wheat, no crap) and I actually did! I found it at Super HEB! It tastes really good too!

For dinner another night we got our cookbook out again, and got creative with making Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes! They are made with almond flour, NO sugar and are perfect if you are craving something sweet and bread-y! They actually have pumpkin in them, so they did come out a little wet, so to me, they tasted more like french toast. We topped them with wild berries and honey. We also had cage free eggs and organic sausage! We felt as if we were cheating, that's how good dinner was!!

Snacking at school I would usually stick to fruit, but I also got addicted to these:

Before my runs, to protect my potassium and my blood sugar drops, I would have a banana (soft carbs) with cinnamon and honey. Super sweet, but eaten 20 minutes before a run helped me to regulate and push through! It also kept me from leg cramps!

I started to get tired of chicken, salad and dressing so I used some homemade salsa (the only kind out there that doesn't have crap and sugar in it) on my salad! We had some left over from our fajitas hubby made!

Speaking of Fajitas, we tried our hand (for literally an hour) at making coconut flour tortillas. They looked beautiful, but didn't taste that great! We threw them out, tried again and finally I headed to HEB where I bought Corn. You cannot  have corn products or wheat products, but since we were having friends over, we decided to cheat and then we ended up getting yogurt because our friends forced it upon us!

On the note of cheating, I was about sick of lettuce this week, and decided to get a JD gluten free sammie with chicken, avocado, and tomato. It was heavenly since I hadn't tasted bread in so long. On Paleo, you can have some gluten free products, but during the 30 day challenge you are to steer clear of ALL grains, including rice flour (which gluten free bread is made from). Oh well. After a long run, I felt I deserved a "healthy cheat."

WE have a run this Sunday and I am so excited. Paleo has not only given me the confidence to get through it successfully, It has rid me of the waste. In one week I can tell I am feeling better sans junk, wheat, dairy, and sugar. I can even see it on the scale!

Last Tuesday, Day 1:

This Tuesday, Day 7:

That's a 4 lb loss in 1 week! I think this way of eating is definitely helping my PCOS symptoms. I have been doing C25K since April. Off and on, I would diet here and there throughout, but my results weren't noticeable, just water weight. I think that through all of this running, others can tell I am getting healthier. A few people have said comments and I unbelievably went on about my business. I had a family member tell me to look at my FB pics and I would see how I've changed. BOY have I. Left is from 1 yr ago on Halloween. The right is just 2-3 weeks ago, even before the above 4 lbs lost. Inches lost are showing (and this is just in the face and cheeks)!!!!!

I cannot wait to tell you all about our color run and week 2 results from Paleo! I am so excited to feel better, look better, eat better and run better! Speaking of running look at that time! I beat my fastest mile! WooHoo GO ME!!! I know it isn't fast, but the more I lose, the faster I seem to go! I actually just increased to run 2.5 the other day! I'm not yet at a full 3 but I got to 2.3 out of the 2.5 I was was pretty proud of that. On that run, I also beat my mile time! I was beaming afterwards! GO PALEO!