In the waiting...

Upon seeking council from a very good friend, she gave me some wonderful advice. Her own experience in her journey to becoming a mother had some bumps along the way. She and her husband had planned out the "perfect" time to start their family, but things didn't work out as they had hoped. She told me that while they were waiting for God to bless them with the child they desired, she decided to use the time she was given (even though it was against her plan and desire) to prepare herself for becoming pregnant and being a mother. Instead of being sad or discouraged about "be[ing] still and wait[ing]" (Psalm 37:7), she made the most of her time by preparing to receive God's blessing.

I decided to follow this wise council for myself. Matt and I have been trying to lose weight and get in shape for a while now. So I felt good about already being on my way. I have a walking partner that I try and meet up with several times a week, and I've decided to start adding in some weight training activities at home.

We have fallen into a rut with our dinner menu. I find that we eat the same few staple meals over and over again. I'm trying to find creative ways to incorporate more "color variation" in our diet, specifically more green veggies. Matt is much pickier about his green veggies than I am, so this one is difficult! I have to sneak some spinach into the quesadillas and hope he doesn't notice!

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this on the blog, but I'm an addict. I have fully embraced the fact that I'm addicted to coffee, and not just coffee, the caffeine in coffee. I LOVE COFFEE, and rather enjoy my addiction to it. If I don't have my morning cup of leaded joe, by 3pm I don't want to live my head hurts so bad. I've always said that if I make it through life and coffee is my worst vice, I've done fairly well.

Well, as of this past weekend I'm slowly giving up my love. I figured weaning myself off of caffeine now would be much easier than quitting cold turkey once I get pregnant (removing caffeine withdrawal from all the usual early pregnancy physical ailments). This way Matt won't have the desire to smother me in my sleep and put us both out of misery from the demon that takes over during my withdrawals. I've quit caffeine before, it AINT pretty. And the withdrawals can last a week or more. UGH.

So, in order to avoid the VERY unpleasant withdrawals from my dear love, I've started by drinking 1/2 caff and 1/2 decaf. With each week I will add a little less caff beans and a little more decaf beans to the grinder until I'm brewing all decaf (otherwise known as USELESS) coffee. So I'm still a little bitter about giving it up, sue me! Hopefully, when the time arrives, I will be caffeine free and feeling fine. :)

I also want to start preparing spiritually by doing a new individual study book of some kind. I haven't visited the book store yet, or put out feelers to acquire advice from knowledgeable friends. Any suggestions are appreciated. My search begins soon!

Feels like I'm cheating... AGAIN!!

If you want a YUMMY 20 minute dinner that's diet friendly and sure to impress, this is it! BBQ Salmon, brown rice and sugar snap peas.

Here's the WW point breakdown:

Salmon fillets = 3 pts

BBQ Sauce = 1 pt

Sugar snap peas = 0 pts

1/3 cup dry brown rice = 4 pts

Dinner total per serving = 8 pts

If you forget to thaw your salmon overnight in the fridge, soak in cold water for 15 minutes. While gathering your supplies, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Your rice takes the longest to cook, so throw it in the water and turn it up to boil. Spray a baking dish with Pam and arrange salmon fillets in the dish. Brush BBQ sauce to cover tops, and the excess on the bottom of fillets. Bake in the oven for 14 minutes. Lastly, throw the "steamable" frozen sugar snap peas into the microwave for 4 minutes.

Enjoy your super easy dinner, that is good for you and tastes like you worked hard for it!

Things I hate about being 30

There are many things about being 30 that one can appreciate. Being more respected as a knowledgeable professional, an established group of good friends (if they've made it this far, they are likely to be around a long time), and a firm grip on reality are a few examples of what is good about being 30.

There are however, things that really SUCK about being 30. And I feel well qualified to write about these things since I've been 30 for 9 months.

First off, apparently your body gets some sort of cosmic memo when you turn 30. All this crap that has never been a problem starts going to hell in a hand-basket. Take say, your metabolism. In your teens, you are in the best shape of your life. You eat anything you want and still have an amazing figure, yada yada. I've accepted that reality as GONE. However, I had no idea that the instant I turned 30 my body would SLAM ON THE BREAKS of my metabolism like the metabolism train is about to plummet off a proverbial cliff! It's ridiculous! I'm having to work so much harder than I used to to stay a size 8. A SIZE 8 PEOPLE!!! I've never even had kids and I'm struggling to stay a size 8! I have a tiny frame, TINY. A size 8 is at the TOP of my healthy weight range, just before being overweight.

Secondly, you begin to have problems sleeping. If sleeping were an Olympic sport, I [previously] would have earned a Silver metal. The Gold has to go to my cousin Erika, she's the champ. I was SUCH an awesome sleeper, my mom had to wake me up on EVERY Christmas morning of my childhood to see what Santa brought. SERIOUSLY. I love sleeping, sleeping's my favorite. Too bad I can't fall asleep to save my life these days. I actually have to have a set bedtime ritual, executed to perfection, in the hopes of falling asleep. RIDICULOUS.

Thirdly, and this is just for women in my situation (married near or after 30 who are not pregnant or do not have children yet), people think it is their place or business at all to remind you of the age of your uterus. Those well meaning ladies at church who are friends with my mother-in-law ask me, "So when are you all gonna have us some babies?" [insert my polite answer as to why we are waiting that is truly none of their business] Followed by their response, "How old are you?" I'M THIRTY, [THANKS FOR THE REMINDER, LADY]. While raising their eyebrow they respond, "hmm." AAARRRRGGGGG!!!!! Thank you for not-so-silently judging me, my life and our family decisions. I'm KEENLY aware of how old I am, how old I will (or hope to) be when our children graduate from high school, and what the risks are. But really, it helps for you to remind me with your raised eyebrows.

So there you have it, my top 3 things that SUCK about being 30.

It feels like I'm cheating Weight Watchers recipe of the evening

Hi all! I thought I would share this yummy dish I just whipped up in literally 15 or 20 minutes with what I had in my house! I had some left over asparagus from an Easter casserole that was about to go bad, 2 TBSP of 1/3 less fat cream cheese from a Sip-N-See I hosted a couple of weeks ago, a lemon that was about to spoil from the punch at the same shower, and an opened box of whole wheat spaghetti. Then I remembered a yummy recipe from a cookbook of mine to adapt and voila! Since my husband hates asparagus and I love it, I made 2 servings - one for dinner and one for lunch tomorrow. :)

Here is the adapted recipe:

2 servings of whole wheat spaghetti (8 points)

1/2 bundle of asparagus cut to 1-1.5 inch pieces (ZERO points)

1 TBSP olive oil (1 point)

1 garlic clove (ZERO points)

1/2 cup skim milk (1 point)

2 TBSP of 1/3 less fat cream cheese (2 points)

Zest of 1 lemon (ZERO points)

dash of nutmeg

1/4 tsp of salt

ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (3 points)

2 servings = 15 points, 7.5 points per serving

1. Cook spaghetti until al dente

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and asparagus and sauté, tossing constantly for 2 minutes. Pour in about 2 TBSP of water and cover pan. Cook until asparagus is just tender, about 5 minutes. Combine milk, cream cheese, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over asparagus and bring to a boil, let simmer until preferred consistency.

3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Pour on the asparagus sauce, toss, and stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

YUMMY! It feels like I'm cheating, but I still have 3.5 more points for the day! Time to raid the Easter candy ;)

I hate New Year's Resolutions...

So I'm not making any. Instead, I'm just going to "ponder" a few things. My dear friend Meghan taught Common Ground Sunday School today. She is in school to be a Nurse Practitioner at Southern Adventist University, but is obviously not Adventist since she was teaching at a Methodist church! However, she did share with us some of the Adventist beliefs about spirituality and health. Adventists live generally long and healthy lives, the most strict are vegetarians. They believe that our bodies are not ours, but on loan from God. But the thing that struck me the most is that they view healthy eating, exercising, rest, and general care of our bodies/minds/spirits (all intertwined) as an act of WORSHIP!

So how's that for adding motivation to all those new goals? It's not about VANITY, fitting into those favorite jeans or looking good in a swim suit. It's about HONORING GOD. The basis of their beliefs is living the life we were CREATED to live, following principles in the book of Genesis.

C-Choice

Choice is the first step toward improved health because people who believe they are in control over their own lives are healthier and live longer.

R-Rest
Rest is good sleep and also taking time to relax. Relaxation lowers blood pressure and reduces stress.

E-Environment
Environment is our external world but also affects what happens within us for the better or worst.

A-Activity
Activity includes physical and mental conditioning. Our goal is to be active in mind, body and spirit.

T-Trust
Trust in God speaks to the relationship between spirituality and healing. A link exists between faith and wellness.

I-Interpersonal Relationships
Interpersonal relationships strengthen our well being. Social connection fortifies our resolve and improves our health.

O-Outlook
Outlook creates our reality. Our mind influences our body and our attitude impacts our health.

N-Nutrition
Nutrition is the fuel that drives the whole system. Small improvements and strategic substitutions produce profound results.

the above is copied from www.creationhealth.com

I took their test to see which principles of health that needed improvement in my life. So in the spirit of accountability, I need improvement in Choice, Environment, and Activity (the last being the greatest need by far).

Following Meghan's lesson was Brian's sermon in The Vine titled "The Quest for Spirituality: The Ultimate Thirst Quencher" based on John Chapter 4, Jesus's encounter with the woman at the well. He spoke of spiritual thirst, a desire for God's presence. Both of these lessons summed up where I am right now, what I want.

I am taking the first step in improving my health according to the CREATION principles. I CHOOSE to live the life I was CREATED to live in the PRESENCE of God. And hopefully, I will remain mindful of my daily choices regarding my mind, body and spirit.