This is a journal sort of thread. You can use it to post a daily journal for yourself and/or accountability to others. Can include successess and challenges, daily menus including water and supplements, exercise, stress reduction, basically anything pertaining to the 5 steps of the SP and how you're doing with it. Edit your own post if you need to make an addition or a change to a post, so that we're each posting once a day. It's probably best to post questions in their own separate thread to make sure they're seen. I'll start a new thread each Friday.

Tues, 7/5

A very good day. I had a pretty good nite's sleep on Mon nite, still working on that. It's a real issue for me. I'm a very light sleeper and my husband is a prolific snorer. I wake up about every 2 hours all night long.

I weighed myself and tho I was a bit disappointed not to have lost any weight, I was happy that I hadn't gained. I was sure I would eating so many carbs. I made good food choices, and took all my supps, although my water intake is still way too low. Gotta work on that. I did have some chocolate chips in the evening...but not nearly as many as I usually do, and I just wanted a little sweet taste in my mouth. It wasn't a full-blown craving like it used to be. That's a definite improvement.

Wed, 7/6

1...I made good choices for breakfast and lunch (did eat some choc chips after lunch) and my pm snack. my water intake is still WAY too low. Took the kids to BK for dinner & to play on the slide. What can I say? I just didn't get it together enough to pull out something for dinner. Dinner is the hardest time of the day for me, and if I don't plan it in the morning, it makes it that much harder. I had a grilled chicken ceasar salad. It was so awful. I choked it down, then ate some FF and a few nuggets the kids didn't eat. I also forgot to take my multi. What started out as a day of good choices ended with poor choices. Guess I have to remember that for the future and plan better during the day. One success: I managed to fight off a desire for an ice cream cone last night (we made homemade ice cream 7/4) by simply not coming downstairs again after the kids went to bed. This method works well, actually, in fighting off cravings, but the downside is that anything that still needed to be done after they go to bed (dishes, tidying) doesn't get done!

2...Not a great night's sleep but no worse than usual either. I'm trying to incororate the 'mini's' into my day, but I fall asleep at the end of it!

3...Obviously, I'm not tackling the chemicals yet. I still feel that need for a lift in the morning that my one cup of coffee gives me. Today, I'm going to GNC and see if they carry Stevia and see if I can at least use than instead of artificial sweetners for a baby step in that direction. The chocolate chips are a continuing problem. They're just too convenient when I need a seratonin lift. They're like little 'uppers.'

4...I actually did one of the calming moves and 1 of the adaptive moves just to see what it would feel like. It felt good, but I'm nowhere near ready to start a formal exercise time each day yet. The mere thought of it sends cortisol into my blood! It's still a goal, tho. I do have to stretch my back out every morning before I get out of bed, and that does help with the morning stiffness. I do so wish my back would get better, but the chiro is right...I'm reinjuring it every single day in the simple actions of being a mom of 3 very young children.

Thur 7/7

1...A really good day of food choices! Only a small amount of chocolate chips after dinner. I was going to have an ice ceam cone, but the orange I had in my yummy orange/cilantro/blue cheese salad with dinner and the few chocolate chips really took care of my sweet tooth. I'm very proud of myself! However, my water intake is deplorable, and I simlply MUST tackle this issue.

As of tonight, I have added a Mg-Ca supplement to my repertoire. I'm now taking everything she recommends for a basically healthy person...multivitamin, omega 3, B-complex & Mg/Ca. I'm also taking GLA b/c my own research reveals that it's helpful for arthritis pain, PMS and mood.

Note to self: NO MORE BURGER KING!! I woke up feeling so incrediby horrible today. I mean like a train had hit me. My morning coffee and high protein breakfast didn't touch it. The feeling didn't pass until after I had a short nap this afternoon. It's hard to believe that one meal could cause me to feel so badly, but that was the ONLY thing it could have been, nothing else was different. When I think of the chemicals and damaged fat I ingested, I guess I shouldn't wonder! Suppose I shouldn't let my kids eat it either...I shouldn't be poisoning their little bodies any more.

2...Great night's sleep last night. My poor hubby had to leave the room, he said I was snoring so loudly. I only do that when I'm dead-tired. I don't remember waking more than once or twice, so it was a banner night for sleep for me. Did some calming/stretches when I woke up this am. Had a short nap this afternoon.

3...One baby step toward coming off toxic chemicals. I bought some liquid Stevia today for my morning coffee tomorrow. It was so expensive! I wonder how I should start it? Substitute Stevia for all the sweetner, or replace 1 packet at a time over a few days...

4...As I said, did some calming exercises and stretches first thing this AM.

Well, I guess there's no interest in this type of thread...and I don't want to take up valuable board space with my rambling!

Hi Elle,

I rather liked reading what you call your "rambling." It is an encouragement to read that other people are "real" too...ya know??
I would encourage you to keep posting here...if for noone else, then for yourself. Besides, you never know who you might encourage without even knowing it.
You mentioned your struggle in drinking enough water daily. I'm not doing well in that dept. either although I've not made it a commitment yet, either. I will tell you what really helped me alot though when I was doing really well.
Schedule a time very soon to go to the market and buy yourself a 32 oz. bottle/cup (the kind that have a straw included) and use it every day. You can do it 1 of 2 simple ways. #1 - Fill it at night before you turn in for the night so that it is ready first thing in the morning or #2 just fill it first thing when you wake up. (Get up, go to restroom, go fill water bottle). Anyhow, when you have a bottle with 32 oz, you only have to fill it twice and you've had your "8, 8oz glasses." Take with you wherever you go. If you ever sit down for a break (perhaps you're laughing at this point - I know I rarely sat down when my kids were little) during the day, grab your bottle first.
Soooo, there ya go. It's really easy. Pretty much the 1 and only obstacle is making the final determination that you are going to do it...then you will!!

Keep on keepin' on!!

Mindy

It was really helping me to stay on track, but I just don't want to take up too much space here. Real? Oh, you bet, I'm real. Right down to the forgetting to take a shower or brush my hair. No pretense here.

How is your daughter???

I do have a big cup that holds 32oz of water that I got from the hospital when my baby was born. All I have to drink is 2 for 8 cups of water. The days I come close to drinking even 1 are the days I fill it with ice and water first thing in the AM and keep it on the center island in my kitchen and just drink from it whever I walk by or feel thirsty. I have no problem finishing the first one by lunchtime...it's after that that I seem to quit.

Thanks for your input...maybe I'll keep doing the posting.