My Finale to the Change 3 Challenge...

by Jenny

So now it's November 9th and I "ended" the Change 3 Challenge nine days ago and still haven't written an update. I say "ended" because I was so bad about the changes that last week and a half it's almost laughable.
If you haven't followed these Change 3 Challenge posts, here is my first~ Change 3 Challenge. Then I shared how I did after one full week in my Was I Successful in My 3 Challenges? and then the following week I shared my Two Weeks in~Change 3 Challenge. That was my last post. I could say I feel like I failed but I'm going to look on the bright side. I'm choosing to be positive.
In a nutshell, my three challenges were drinking more water, writing down what I eat, and only eating veggies or fruits between meals.
Overall, I would say I wasn't necessarily successful in these three challenges as far as accomplishing them more often than not. But I would say a lot of good came out of this challenge.
1. I am drinking a full glass of water everyday before I start all of my coffee to insure I'm getting more than I was...that also encourages me to drink more in between the coffee because I just refill my water bottle.
2. I really eliminated snacking between meals altogether which was helpful (honestly though...it went out the window when the trunk or treat candy came in the house...)
and lastly...
3. I've really begun to think and pray about the 'food issue' in my life. I really don't want to talk about this with anyone because if you read my first post I think I remember mentioning living in denial when it comes to my physical realm.... well, I'm coming to the realization that it really is something deeper for me. I rely on food when I'm stressed, when I'm sad, when I'm angry. I think the way others can rely on drugs or alcohol, I rely on food. And that's not healthy. So I'm working on this. And it's going to take some time. And more than this challenge can fix. But I'm super glad I did this because it got me thinking. Or maybe I'm not. I haven't decided yet.

Two Weeks in~Change 3 Challenge

by Jenny

Well, another week has gone and past while I worked on my Change 3 Challenge. It's been so crazy lately and it all seemed to come to the surface Monday while attempting a full and complete homeschool day! So this post is a little behind....
We've had birthdays, anniversaries, weekend trips...now gearing up for more birthdays, a party that I'm pulling out all the stops to plan for my two gingers! (I can't wait to blog all about that! I love birthday parties!!) Oh, and another short overnight trip! It always seems that I think the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is busy but it really starts for me in September... With all that busyness, I guess we had fallen behind on our school.
We started the day with a speech about getting back to business and I had them grab their clipboards where they log their subjects, details, and hours. The kids hadn't logged anything for about 3 weeks! That means we hadn't written down anything...don't get me wrong- we've done stuff, just apparently not written it down. We decided to take a bit to log it, recall all that we did, and write down some totals for hours. In doing that, I realized that *certain (non-favorite) subjects had been neglected. I'm very proud of myself- I maintained composure and we prayed about it. We talked about the importance of those subjects and then started out fresh and packed in as much as we could do. Add in trying to get ready for our study group that meets on Tuesday, and that put me so behind that I couldn't post about my Change 3 Challenge!
Two weeks ago, I linked up with Amber at Adventures in Mindful Living {read what the Change 3 Challenge is} and created 3 of my own challenges! Here's my original- Change 3 Challenge then I posted after the first week...Was I Successful in My Challenges?
I had a more successful week in some areas and flopped in others! That seems to be the way it goes for me!
As far as the water goes- I made my goal of drinking 100 ounces everyday but one! Woohoo for me!
As far as writing down everything I eat- I only did it for 2 1/2 days...at one point I couldn't find my original paper, then I got sidetracked from writing it on another...I'm still not sure where half the week went so...who knows what my issue was- this was my major flop.
Then my last goal was to only snack on veggies or fruit and I'd say I was pretty successful for this one. Although I really wanted crackers so I just added it to lunch so it wouldn't be a 'snack' but I really didn't need them, so apparently I'm a cheater...
I'll be honest with you, I'm really trying to work through some of my underlying issues with food. I don't like to admit it to anyone, or frankly talk about anything related to food, weight, clothes, etc. because I guess I'd like to not acknowledge my issue or be in denial or something... just trying to type it out is super hard. God and I working on it. I'm trying to seek the Lord and not go to food when I'm stressed or sad. I suppose working on this with Him is really foundational to the success for my other goals. So pray for me, if you think of it.
I hope my week evens out and that I'm diligent in what God wants me to learn and wants me to teach my kids. If you're working on any challenges, how'd you do?

Was I Successful in My 3 Challenges?

by Jenny

Change 3 Challenge: One Week Down...

Last week I joined Amber at Adventures in Mindful Cooking & her Change 3 Challenge and came up with 3 of my own changes. Here's my Change 3 Challenge post if you wanna catch up.

My three were:
1. Drink 100oz of water daily!
2. Write down everything I eat!
3. Eat only veggies & fruits for snacks!

Well, I don't think I ever reached 100 ounces but everyday I got between 70-90 ounces which is more than what I was drinking but not quite to goal...some days I really had to push myself. I think last Tuesday, by dinner time, I had only had one glass of water! Then I chugged it all evening to try to catch up! Which resulted in a not so restful night's sleep.... Towards the end of the week, it definitely got easier!
The goal of mine, to write everything down, is because I've noticed for myself that if I have to acknowledge it by writing it down, I think twice about eating it. I've also done enough carb & calorie counting in my life to have a general idea of what I should be eating in a day. I also usually measure all of our food into exact serving sizes because my 11 year old had Type 1 Diabetes and is on a pump so we total her carbs and she enters those in the pump to calculate how much insulin to take. Since we're measuring her food, we just give everybody the same amount. My mindless snacking or second helpings is what gets me into trouble so I thought writing it down would help. I did okay with this goal most days but there was a couple busy days that I tried to play "catch up" by writing it down at night- defeats the purpose really.
My third goal went great for me! I cut out most snacking (since I didn't want to write it down!) and if I felt hungry I ate edamame (my new favorite snack), cherry tomatoes, snap peas, or carrots.
Overall, I don't feel down about not reaching all my goals everyday because I was successful more often that not! And that's something to be proud of for me!
This week is a new week and I'm going to try to do even better this week! Wish me luck, pray for me, ask me in person if you see me- How ya doing? I want the encouragement!

Jamie's "Change 3 Challenge" Choices

OK, so it's my turn for the "Change 3 Challenge!"

As some of you may have noticed, Jenny and I have recently "linked up" with a fellow blogger and her blog, "Adventures in Mindful Cooking", and have accepted her "Change 3 Challenge." This challenge is about pin-pointing and focusing on just three things you want to  change for the better in your life. It started Oct. 1 and will last until Nov. 1. You can join in any time! The goal is to form new habits within that 30 days.

So I've come up with a list for myself which will be quite a challenge for me!

1. Stick to my schedule at least 3 days of the week.

I recently had to re-evaluate my days at home. I was feeling very stressed and overloaded with responsibilities every day, and I knew something had to change! After a few days of observing my stress, I came to the conclusion that my 10 year old, my 12 year old, and I could not be on the same schedule anymore. They have certain responsibilities they need to focus on themselves that I could not take on for them anymore; I have enough on my plate as it its, and they are old enough to "step up their game!" So as of now, they have their schedules while I have mine, and parts of our schedules overlap so we are still doing things together. Anyway, all that to say, if I can stick to my personal schedule, I will be focusing on the right things, on the right days, at the right times, and not stressing over everything, everyday, all the time! Whew! If I can do this at least 3 days a week, I am certain my stress level will lessen. This will be my most challenging challenge!


2. Exercise with my kids at least 3 days a week.

I have been pretty good to stick to an exercise routine for myself, but find that I am constantly harping on the kids to "do something active!" I have realized that I must come along side my children in order to form these healthy habits. They are eager to walk or ride bikes around the block, or play dance games on the X-Box, as long as I do it with them! So I have included 30 minutes of exercising together in our daily schedules. I know this will prove to be a challenge as well! I guess that is the point of this, right? LOL!

3. Lose 5 pounds this month.

WHY am I including this challenge?! (I'm talking to myself here.) WHY am I torturing myself with announcing this?!  I know it is going to be the HARDEST one and, I CERTAINLY do NOT want accountability here, people!!! BUT...I NEED to do this for my HEALTH! My high blood pressure is most likely due to my weight. It is possible hereditary, but I need to find out. I DO NOT want to be on prescription medication for hypertension for the rest of my life...especially with all this new Obamacare stuff. Who knows where that will leave me in the future! But that's a whole 'nother blog!! LOL!!

Ok, so there it is! My 3 scary challenges! Since today is Thursday, I am officially starting these changes this Monday. I am already working toward them, but I will start recording progress on Monday. I plan on blogging about this at the end of this month to let y'all know how I did! Wish me luck, or better yet, pray for me!!