weight loss wednesday ... on a thursday

such a crazy day yesterday. but good...
so quick wrap up...
1. cookie dough is gone - and i didn't eat it.
2. i really wanted to walk, but it didn't happen.
3. have only had one pepsi a day, and one day i didn't have any.
2 out of 3 ain't bad!
for this week...
1. WALK each day after lunch.
2. make a meal plan and stick to it.
oh yeah... there are 2 pounds less of me typing this week. so if you like addition, that makes a total of 4 since the beginning of wlw...
woo hoo!
be brave, friends!

tirade tuesday...

was supposed to start last week, but with our country making history and all, i didn't feel very tirade-y.
so this week... oprah has had overweight teens on the show. yesterday i was literally crying as i watched. they did an exercise with a counselor where they stood up and yelled, "i am angry because..." and then the teen had to fill in the blank, yelling to get all the anger out. first i should say that we should be allowed to do this as adults. i think when we get mad we should run into our front yards and yell, " i am mad because i have five more loads of laundry to do!" or "don't mess with me because i have pms!" or "i am so ticked because my kid just dumped his breakfast on the floor!" and just get it all out. i digress...
but the things these kids were mad about would break your heart. it wasn't i am mad because i don't have this or that, but one girl was mad because her mom was her best friend - her only friend. another teen was upset because they get teased by teachers as well as students. and another was angry because she would rather be dead than look the way that she does.
so now it's my turn... I AM ANGRY BECAUSE our society has told these teenagers that they are not worthy of love and affection. I AM ANGRY BECAUSE there are teachers that don't care enough to invest in the children who sit in their classes every day. I AM ANGRY BECAUSE our culture rewards external beauty and punishes anyone who is "different." I AM ANGRY BECAUSE most of these teens will struggle with their weight their entire lives and will always believe they are less than beautiful. I AM ANGRY BECAUSE we are all, in some small way, perpetuating this sick culture. I AM ANGRY BECAUSE many teens do not know how amazing they are, how wonderful God has made them and how He loves them exactly as they are, i am angry because we don't love on teens like we should.
i know how frustrating teenagers can be. no i am not a parent but i have worked with teens in church and para-church organizations for more than fifteen years. i have heard both sides of the story. parents who think their kids are selfish brats. teens who think their parents don't love them.
parents need to know that teens DESPERATELY want to be loved and to make you proud. that is the one thing i have heard consistently over the past fifteen years. i wish my mom loved me more. i wish my dad would spend more time with me. if only i could succeed in this way, my parents would finally be proud of me. parents, i know that a lot of times teens are "unlovable" but as adults you need to be the ones to put your own hurt aside and love those teens. hug them whether they want to be hugged or not. tell them you are proud of them - even if they are screwing up. that is the most important thing you can give your kids - the knowledge that you love them NO MATTER WHAT! eventually, your kid will realize what they put you through. and they will realize with a deeper understanding how much you actually do love them.
but the reality is, these teens belong to all of us. we are all responsible for loving and caring for them because they will be the ones who walk into their high school and shoot classmates - because they are hurting. or become involved in a gang - because they were never truly accepted by their family. or become addicted to drugs or alcohol - because the reality of life is too painful without a numbing agent. or end their life - because they don't feel they are worth the space they take up on the earth.
so love on a teen today. call or email or take time to talk to a teenager. try to remember how hard it was to be a teen. the pressure, the feelings of inadequacy and lack of control. just let them know you love them, that you are there for them and that you are proud of who they are.
and actually don't we all need to hear that?
be brave, friends...

who knew...

olive was an artist? we came home from church today to find that olive decided she was bored and needed to do some painting. the basket that i keep my paints in was shredded and she pulled out a few that she felt she needed. apparently my office floor needed some dark orange and yellow and the living room needed light blue. thankfully it all came up except for a few spots on her dog bed. i think i am going to get her some canvases tomorrow and sell some of her paintings on etsy. maybe she will make enough to replace the carpet in the office... then again, maybe i will just have more paint all over my house... yeah, i am sure it will be the latter...
be brave, friends...
oh, and by the way, she is right handed...

show and tell thursday...

this is what is on my design board now. it will be a scarf for mel. we made some for friends for christmas and mel liked them so much she wanted one. the thing is, apparently she is picky about where the colors go. she doesn't want to same fabrics next to each other when she puts it around her neck and she wants smaller squares. so yeah... more work for me... if she ever decides what she wants. maybe she can use it to keep her neck warm at the beach this summer.
be brave, friends...

weight loss wednesday...

so this week has been good. i won't mention the delicious potluck after church on sunday or the hershey kisses that were lingering around from christmas or the brownies... but i will mention the decrease of pepsi and increase of water intake, the afternoon outside at the dog park, and there was something else... oh yeah, the two pounds that i shed. thanks to all of you for the encouragement and suggestions (the cookie dough is still in the fridge, melb). you guys do mean a lot and it does help to know i have to check in here. i also thought that i should start posting measurable goals for each week. so here goes...
1. throw away the cookie dough
2. walk after lunch each weekday
3. limit pepsi to one can a day
okay... that will do it. number one just might be the hardest of the three.
be brave, friends...
<3 anna

i am a sucker...

for free stuff. this is exactly why i love the state fair. there are those warehouses filled with groups and people giving out free stuff! recipes, pencils, pens, bags, flyers with information that i never knew i needed to know... ahhh. i can't wait until the fall. but i digress... this really talented lady is offering a free class. yep. free. hop on over there and join us!!
be brave, friends...
<3 anna

i give you...

the first installment of weight-loss wednesday. i have decided to focus on the positive of what i have done in the past week to become a healthier person instead of what i didn't. also, if you are expecting to see that i ate three pieces of lettuce and exercised for three hours, i hate to tell you there will be some disappointment in your future. no, it will probably be along the lines of... i only laid in front of the tv for two hours instead of four. baby steps, people. i didn't gain all this weight in one week and if i want to be successful, it will be a gradual life change. hopefully blogging about this will help the process be a little less gradual.
this week... i made an appt with the doc to have some bloodwork done. i stuck to 5 small meals. i did not eat the cookie dough that is in my fridge. i ran around the yard with my puppy trying to tire her out. i am the only one who got tired. but at least i did get some exercise. and i guess actually deciding to open up on this blog is a step in the right direction...

i need a plan...

okay, so i have to admit that most of the time when i don't blog, i have no clue what to blog about. i am not married and the only child i have has fur and a tail so i can't regale you with stories of my brilliant, supportive husband or my overachieving, perfect children. sometimes i am just stumped. i do get some great ideas at 3 am when i have insomnia but i don't actually have a computer in my bed so that doesn't really help. so...because i love you, my dear readers... i have come up with a plan. first, i got a little notebook to write down my ideas when i am not in front of a computer - now i just need to put one by my bed... second, i will have 3 days a week that will have a theme. they will be as follows...
tirade tuesday - this will be my opportunity to vent about the obsurdities that surround me. please don't think me a curmudgeon, there are just some ridiculous things that go on in this crazy world.
weight-loss wednesday - this will be my opportunity to share how i am doing in my journey to lose weight and become healthy in 09. it is also a time where you can tell me how great i am doing.
show-and-tell thursday - without a doubt my favorite part of elementary school. here it will be an opportunity for me to show you what crafty/artsy things i am working on or have finished. and another opportunity for you to tell me how great i am doing.
i will post on other days as well but it will probably be just random blathering. actually i can't promise there won't be random blathering on the themed days either. but if you notice my vocabulary has already improved in 09, so i promise to sprinkle in some smarty pants words every now and then.
be brave, friends...
<3 anna

i guess you should put me in time out...

since i haven't been here in almost a week. i have been feeling horrible - if that makes any difference... so, during the first week of this year i have only really connected with my bed, my new puppy (who cuddles with me while i sleep), and some tissues. today i saw the doc and got some meds so hopefully i will be feeling better by the weekend. i am working on a quilt for my mom but it is on the back burner since tax season is here. i am making a goal to connect with my art at least one hour a day. i think that is enough to keep me sane. it will have to replace the peanut m&ms that i usually use to survive tax season craziness. especially since i am going to be in my friend's wedding in april. ugh. so time to connect with my bike and my much underutilized muscles. right now i am going to reconnect with my bed and pillow... and i guess my puppy will be somewhere in there too!

one little word...

can make a difference...
there are tons of us who are adopting this idea. it all started with ali edwards (i think). the idea is that you choose a word to focus on for the year. i thought the concept was really great so i decided to join the gang. so...
my word for 2009 is
connect
i believe that being a christian means that we are in relationship with a God who wants to be in relationship with us. He seeks to connect with us. Jesus was all about connecting with people when He was walking on this earth. for me, 08 left me feeling horribly disconnected - from God, friends, my church family... and i realized that i yearn to have connection with those people. and i need to connect with myself. to take time to cultivate the interests that God has placed in my heart. so i want to find ways to connect with those folks that have been placed in my life. i know that will mean purposeful action on my part. i will leave the rest to God - the intertwining of hearts, the fellowship of spirit... that is all on Him. i will find some way to connect with someone each day of this year. that includes all you dear friends who are reading this post... so leave me a comment with any creative ideas you have for connecting.
be brave...
<3 anna