Friends.
I don't have a lot of really, really close friends. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be. I have a lot of friends. But close friends (and women, you know what I'm talking about) are those friends who know almost an embarrassing amount of information about you and still manage to look at you without blushing or laughing hysterically. My husband is one of those close, close friends. But let's all agree, he's not a woman. And sometimes we women just need time with those close women friends.
I didn't realize how much I needed "girl time" until today.
My close, close friend, Jenni, and I have a running joke that we never make permanent routine plans to meet for a visit. We just happen to "pencil" coffee time into our schedules when we can. It works for us. That makes me smile. We had a "penciled" time this morning.
It was just what I needed.
At the end of this good, very good visit, I got a text from a new friend who is quickly becoming a close friend. She asked if I wanted to have lunch. I looked at myself and then at Jenni. I was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and "Barbie" style flip-flops (just think pink, purple, flowers, and sparkles). I had not styled my hair or applied makeup. Jenni assured me that I looked fine. So, away I went. Sandra and I visited much of the afternoon away at Panera Bread.
It was just what I needed.
This day was just exactly what I needed.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
The Highs and Lows of a GF Lifestyle
Well, here we are. Five and a half days in.
Highs:
Great, restful sleep for both of us.
No tossing and turning during the night because my hip joints are aching.
Actually none of my joints are aching.
Feeling much more satisfied/full after a meal.
We are not feeling hungry two hours after we eat.
Much less bloating/gas.
Troy has been able to cut his IBS medicine by 1/3 so far.
Lows:
Initial cost. (Ridding the house of gluten and restocking with a plethora of non-wheat flours makes me thankful that we had three paydays rather than just two this month.)
My kitchen is in a constant state of clutter (preparing/cleaning)
I am forced to cook more than I really, really want to.
Eating out has become a means to an end rather than a really enjoyable experience. Almost not worth the effort of eating out. (This is the lowest of the lows.)
Overall Experience:
So far, the highs way outnumber the lows as far as quality of life are concerned. I have had a sinus/allergy thing going on all week, so I'm not feeling the burst of energy that some people experience after being off gluten. But even feeling a little under the weather I still walked six miles this week, so that says something. Hopefully, when this is gone, I'll have a little more pep in my step.
I'm grappling with the whole Weight Watcher way of eating vs. Wheat Belly Diet way of eating. I weigh in on Tuesday night at the WW meeting. So, we will see. Depending on the scale, I may have to find some low-fat, gluten-free recipes. (Wheat Belly Diet is very much like Atkins, but instead of no carbohydrates, you substitute "good grains" for wheat.) Troy has also noticed that he needs to get off the two Diet Coke a day habit. He thinks the artificial sweetener is messing with him.
It's all still in the tweaking stage, but we've both decided that we are feeling better. That's what matters.
Highs:
Great, restful sleep for both of us.
No tossing and turning during the night because my hip joints are aching.
Actually none of my joints are aching.
Feeling much more satisfied/full after a meal.
We are not feeling hungry two hours after we eat.
Much less bloating/gas.
Troy has been able to cut his IBS medicine by 1/3 so far.
Lows:
Initial cost. (Ridding the house of gluten and restocking with a plethora of non-wheat flours makes me thankful that we had three paydays rather than just two this month.)
My kitchen is in a constant state of clutter (preparing/cleaning)
I am forced to cook more than I really, really want to.
Eating out has become a means to an end rather than a really enjoyable experience. Almost not worth the effort of eating out. (This is the lowest of the lows.)
Overall Experience:
So far, the highs way outnumber the lows as far as quality of life are concerned. I have had a sinus/allergy thing going on all week, so I'm not feeling the burst of energy that some people experience after being off gluten. But even feeling a little under the weather I still walked six miles this week, so that says something. Hopefully, when this is gone, I'll have a little more pep in my step.
I'm grappling with the whole Weight Watcher way of eating vs. Wheat Belly Diet way of eating. I weigh in on Tuesday night at the WW meeting. So, we will see. Depending on the scale, I may have to find some low-fat, gluten-free recipes. (Wheat Belly Diet is very much like Atkins, but instead of no carbohydrates, you substitute "good grains" for wheat.) Troy has also noticed that he needs to get off the two Diet Coke a day habit. He thinks the artificial sweetener is messing with him.
It's all still in the tweaking stage, but we've both decided that we are feeling better. That's what matters.
Friday, May 10, 2013
A Lot to Say...
It's been a while. I know.
It's not that I don't have anything in my life to write about. It's just that most of the things in my life right now are better left in my life and not on the world wide web.
I've posted this on facebook, but I think it bears repeating. I've lost 81 pounds. Nineteen pounds away from that illusive 100 pound loss. It actually seems possible to lose 100 pounds now. I'll have 82 pounds to go even after I reach that century mark. But still. I now walk at least 15 miles a week. This from a girl who really detested exercise. I didn't write about it for a while because I had kind of lost my weight loss mo-jo for a few months. It had consumed my life for a year and I was just tired. I was comfortable in my 70 pound lighter body. Then, one morning, I was reading about the Israelites and how they were living in the Promised Land but hadn't followed through with God's orders to rid the land of idols and idol worshipers. I realized I was much like this chosen nation. I was living in a much healthier body, but had not totally followed through with what God told me to do. Food was still an idol and I was treating it as such. He inspired me to start this journey anew but instead of focusing on the weight loss, I would focus on Him and His strength. I believe He is very proud of what I've accomplished so far, but I'm not finished yet.
After 7 years in our house, I finally have my living room decorated exactly as I want it. For those friends in Oklahoma who knew me when I lived in my little "Barbie" house, you will be extremely bewildered with my sense of decorative style now. To tell you the truth, this older and more mature "Barbie" and her wonderful "Ken" are much less enamored with pinks, blues, and florals. The walls of the living room are gray. The furniture gray and black with brown accents. I really don't think the pictures do it justice. But they give you an idea.
We start on the kitchen in June. We are remodeling it in black, brown, and red. I think it will have a very nice, cozy, coffee-shop feel. I'll post pics when we are finished.
In the midst of weight loss and home decorating, we have decided to take gluten out of our diets. I've suspected for quite some time that Troy's medical issues would benefit from a gluten-free lifestyle. But (as you wives know) it needed to be his idea to follow through. So, as the words, "Maybe we should try this gluten-free thing," came out of his mouth, I was already on my laptop doing research. I'm currently reading Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis and am convinced that this change in our eating habits will be beneficial. I've also been secretly observing the families in our church who have changed to gluten-free and are amazed at how much healthier they seem. We plan to start this new way of eating after Troy is finished with this semester of seminary. So, I'll keep you posted on how things are going with this change. (A side note. I'm so proud of my husband. He is an elder candidate at our church. He is taking a master's level seminary course. He is teaching an adult Sunday school class. AND He works in a stress filled full time job. On top of all that, he makes sure that I get my quality time with him on "date night" once a week. He's amazing!)
See? I did have a lot to say. And there's even more.....but that will have to wait until it is appropriate to share on the WWW.
It's not that I don't have anything in my life to write about. It's just that most of the things in my life right now are better left in my life and not on the world wide web.
I've posted this on facebook, but I think it bears repeating. I've lost 81 pounds. Nineteen pounds away from that illusive 100 pound loss. It actually seems possible to lose 100 pounds now. I'll have 82 pounds to go even after I reach that century mark. But still. I now walk at least 15 miles a week. This from a girl who really detested exercise. I didn't write about it for a while because I had kind of lost my weight loss mo-jo for a few months. It had consumed my life for a year and I was just tired. I was comfortable in my 70 pound lighter body. Then, one morning, I was reading about the Israelites and how they were living in the Promised Land but hadn't followed through with God's orders to rid the land of idols and idol worshipers. I realized I was much like this chosen nation. I was living in a much healthier body, but had not totally followed through with what God told me to do. Food was still an idol and I was treating it as such. He inspired me to start this journey anew but instead of focusing on the weight loss, I would focus on Him and His strength. I believe He is very proud of what I've accomplished so far, but I'm not finished yet.
After 7 years in our house, I finally have my living room decorated exactly as I want it. For those friends in Oklahoma who knew me when I lived in my little "Barbie" house, you will be extremely bewildered with my sense of decorative style now. To tell you the truth, this older and more mature "Barbie" and her wonderful "Ken" are much less enamored with pinks, blues, and florals. The walls of the living room are gray. The furniture gray and black with brown accents. I really don't think the pictures do it justice. But they give you an idea.
We start on the kitchen in June. We are remodeling it in black, brown, and red. I think it will have a very nice, cozy, coffee-shop feel. I'll post pics when we are finished.
In the midst of weight loss and home decorating, we have decided to take gluten out of our diets. I've suspected for quite some time that Troy's medical issues would benefit from a gluten-free lifestyle. But (as you wives know) it needed to be his idea to follow through. So, as the words, "Maybe we should try this gluten-free thing," came out of his mouth, I was already on my laptop doing research. I'm currently reading Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis and am convinced that this change in our eating habits will be beneficial. I've also been secretly observing the families in our church who have changed to gluten-free and are amazed at how much healthier they seem. We plan to start this new way of eating after Troy is finished with this semester of seminary. So, I'll keep you posted on how things are going with this change. (A side note. I'm so proud of my husband. He is an elder candidate at our church. He is taking a master's level seminary course. He is teaching an adult Sunday school class. AND He works in a stress filled full time job. On top of all that, he makes sure that I get my quality time with him on "date night" once a week. He's amazing!)
See? I did have a lot to say. And there's even more.....but that will have to wait until it is appropriate to share on the WWW.
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