Winter was Good, But my Jeans Say Different

So what does one do when the Winter and sweatpants weren't so kind to the thighs and jeans?
Whether you are a size 2 or 20, it seems like being healthy and being comfortable with yourself and in your clothes is something that floats around in the minds of moms.

This past winter was probably the least physically active and busiest travel winter that I have ever had. For me that means I sat at my desk or in meetings, wore sweat pants to clean, fold laundry and attend kids' sporting events and eating some really great food! But my jeans, shorts and many of my dress pants are screaming.... HELP! (FYI- so is my checkbook because buying new clothes is just not an option!)

So, now that it is early May, what can I do....that took a lot of thought. No, really it did. I have spent several days tossing around in my mind the things I am realistically willing and able to do. Here is what I came up with...
* I don't drink enough water... no coffee probably doesn't count
* I LOVE carbs... ok, I could devour a whole loaf of fresh bread, pound of pasta, and baskets of starchy fruits and vegies
* I am not nearly as active as I should be.... thinking and moving my fingers doesn't do much for the butt or thighs.

So what does this acknowledgement and profession actually lead me to do. That's a great question!

FIRST- I have to drink 4 glasses of water before I can have my first cup of coffee( built in motivator!!!!)

SECOND- I have to have at least 6 more glasses of water before 7 pm..... So a total of 10 glasses before 7 pm.
THIRD- Carbs.... 1) be aware of foods besides breads, pastas and fruits that have carbs and 2) reduce intake of carbs to 40% of daily calorie intake and increase protein!

FOURTH (and final for now)- MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! I have decided to take on a commitment of 20 continual minutes of movement each day. I know this is doable! I can "find" time to do this... especially because so many things I do each day can be enhanced to be a bit more active! (Here is a good Youtube video (there are TONS) that shows simple ways to make each regular house task more active!





QUICK TRICKS:

MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!
Exercise doesn't have to include a machine to have an impact.
Think about this: stair climbing, sweeping and vacuuming with a little extra "gusto", dancing with your kids, raking, lawn mowing with a push mower, walking, playing a game of tag, swimming, yard work, gardening, bike riding, washing the car, and for us farm moms.... cleaning out livestock pens and shoveling grain bins!

CARB CALCULATOR: Number of grams of carbs x 4= total calories. Figure amount of total carb intake by taking total daily calories recommended per day x % of from your plan. Then divide that number by 4 to get the amount of carbohydrate grams to eat.(example: 1750 calories per day x 40% =700 calories from carbs. 700cal / 4cal per gram of carb = 174 carbs per day.)



Disclaimer: I am not a health professional. I am just a mom with some ideas, sharing them for anyone that wants to read. As many health articles suggest and I share their thought too, if you have concerns for or about your health, healthcare professionals recommend visiting with them before starting a new dietary or exercise routine.

The Hidden Cost/ Investment of Gardening

Gardening is a passion of mine. I love to be outdoors, soaking up a bit of sun, producing food in my backyard, getting my kids to work together, and sharing what grows with others, but it all comes with a cost. 

The other day I started to think about trade offs, costs, investments, and expenses. Then I went outside and began cleaning out the garden preparing it for tillage and planting. My 3 year old and 5 year old were helping me while the other kids worked on other things in the yard. They all took time to goof around and play too. We were having a wonderful afternoon. So I then thought about the things I gained and lost as a result of having a decent sized garden. 

Here are some things I thought of:

Gains/ Investments:

* time outdoors

* interaction with my kids 

* fresh produce

* understanding of growing process

* less trips to store for veggies

* kids eat snacks out of garden in summer

* looks pretty

Costs/ Losses:

* plants/ seeds

* fertilizer

* planting stakes/ rope/ tomato supports

* less time to get indoor tasks done

* time ( planting, weeding, collecting, canning)

* processing supplies for canning

All in all it is about the bigger picture... Do we focus on the costs or the investments? Yes, sometimes, I feel as if my beans/ melons/ herbs are the most expensive in the county, disappointment when I only get 2 pumpkins, sad that I didn't make the time to do something with the hundreds of tomatoes that rotted/ froze on the plant, and frustrated that my broccoli went to seed before it even grew a head. But, the ability to eat right out of it, trying to grow different things,  looking for recipes that I may be able to use to convince my family to try something new, the ability to share the goods from the garden with friends, family and our local school, and see my kids "play" in it far outweighs the costs. 

So, think about what you may gain from planting a full garden or even growing a pot of beans or tomatoes on the back steps. 

You'd be amazed what a bit of gardening can do for the soul!

Fall Has Fallen

It is not official yet, but Fall has fallen. Afternoons are beautiful, the air is crisp and although we have not had our first hard frost, there have been a few mornings that the low areas were shall I say "frost-y". So, what does this mean for me... it means packing a few seasons worth of gear for my oldest's football games, it means it is harder for me to get up in the early morning when it is dark, it means I want to go to bed earlier because it is dark earlier,

it means our corn and soybeans are ready for harvest,it means the air conditioner has been turned off and it also means that the heat gets turned on for a bit in the mornings to take the chill out of the air. Despite all this and more, the falling of Fall means that it is time to harvest the last of the garden goodies.

For those who have visited my home and have seen my garden it is big, but not large. Each year I experiment with several different fruits and veggies and plant around the 2 apple trees growing on one side. This year I was fortunate to have most of my plants grow,some almost too well, and provide goodies for my family, extended family, friends and our local school hot lunch program. It also provided most of the snacks during the summer for my kids. When they were hungry, they went to the garden instead of the pantry. My snack expense for June and July was next to nothing... YAH HOO!

I have come to enjoy most of the work that my garden takes. My entire family has fun planting the seeds and seedlings, watching it grow and eating from it. But I have to admit, that Fall is the hardest time of the gardening season for me. With the cooler temps it is not as inviting to spend time removing plants and collecting the last of the colorful produce.Chopping, dicing, canning and freezing odds and ends takes more time too due to the small batches of many different things. I also need to find a place in my freezer and pantry to store the last few bags and jars. Sometimes it is a tight squeeze, but by summer there always seems to be lots of room. This means we enjoyed all the work all winter and spring and kept our tastebuds and tummies full with flavorful, healthy food! Gardening is good, even when Fall is falling!