Protein

We like to use protein powder. The Teen has a recipe that she uses it for a lot. She mixes equal parts protein powder, honey, powdered milk and peanut butter. It's called peanut butter fudge and it does taste like fudge. Usually I just mix the powder in water or put some in a smoothie. I have tried many different brands of powder. I like the Shaklee brand and had recently switched to GNC. I found out I can't use the 100% whey stuff so this last time I decided to look for something else. I started reading labels and found out that all the flavored proteins had some form of sugar in them. Since I try to avoid sugar I was very happy to find an unflavored container.

Now I know why they flavor it and put sugar in it.

Sugar, Salt, and other nice Things

It's been 3 months with no sugar. It's been about 2 weeks on low sodium. It is amazing the levels of sodium in stuff, lunch meat = 250mg per slice, canned chili = 500 mg per 1/2 cup, thats all I can remember at this minute. The sodium thing is harder than the sugar. I found some fruit juice sweetened dried fruit at the health food store so I was able to make some granola. Tonight I made a big pot of chili. It really tastes different with out the salt. I also left out the beans because all the brands had too much sodium in them. The American Heart Association recommends 2,500 mg of sodium per day. I usually use 4 slices of lunch meat on a sandwich. When I started on low sodium my size 10 jeans were TIGHT, now my size 8 jeans are loose.

Sugar

It’s been 5 weeks now with no sugar. I was complaining that my clothes were tighter rather than looser. It is weird because I am eating less. I am really less hungry than I was. Two friends suggested that I try cutting back on salt. I did and I remembered that about 2 weeks ago I took off my rings because they were SO TIGHT. Anyway 2 days on no salt and my fingers are a lot smaller and my jeans are a lot looser. Sigh! Oatmeal with out salt or sweetener is just... oatmeal. The other night I went to Red Lobster with my friend and their tartar sauce was so sweet I could not eat it.

Day 19

I've not eaten sugar in 19 days. Actually it’s getting harder not easier. Not because I am craving sweet so much as because I am sorta of forgetting. Than I catch myself and say “oh, yea, no sugar for me”. Its situations like when I’ll be out and think a Pepsi Icee sounds good because I’m hot, or maybe I’ll drive through someplace with the kiddos, but no wait everything has sugar in it. I made 6 loaves of bread with no sugar and 3 came out PERFECT! The other 3 I left out the eggs and it really made a difference. I wondered why it took so much extra water to get the dough to come together, oops. Have I felt any changes? My sinuses are really much more opened, I’m still using nasonex but that is more for the allergy headache. I am not as hungry as I have been, I’m eating less. My back is still hurting and my energy level is still low. I am getting back to doing some Pilates stuff though. My kids are asking questions like “when are you going to get off this no sugar kick?” They have not grasped the never concept.

Sugar Cravings

I am having some serious sugar cravings. This is not good. I have not had any sugar since May 18^th. This is my alcohol. I am munching on fruit cocktail in pear juice and Triskets with natural peanut butter. I’m eating it but I want cookies or brownies or the ice cream bar I saw at Costco that was chocolate covered with nuts. This is not fun. My back, hips and leg are hurting. I am whining and complaining.

Tuesday

Last night was fun. We went to Taste of Cincinnati. Because of my sweet DH's job we are volunteered to count the money from the drink sales. WOW! They sell a *LOT* of drinks. The whole family went. I had to walk 3 blocks. My back feels great, but now my hips are hurting. Remember about 18 months ago when I had bursitis really bad in my left hip? Guess what this feels like? If I can get over this with out a cortisone shot I will be a happy camper. Back to the taste, it was so busy they were running out of food. The kids brought me food. I did not feel up to walking around the event. Because of some road construction the event was moved to a new location this year. The organizers felt that really added to the success of the event. It was fun.

This morning I went to The Chiro Guy, but I forgot that today’s appointment was for 4:00pm and Thursdays is for 9:00am. I came home after about 20 minutes of waiting out in front of his office. Actually it was kind of fun because another patient had shown up at the same time. I had met her last week so we just continued our conversation. She home schools her grandson.

I wish I had taken my camera to the Taste last night. I passed some people that I would have loved to take a candid shot of. They looked hilarious.

Later...

The Chiro Guy fixed me up! He did an amazing job! He poked and pushed and pulled and ran his giant vibrator over my back and I feel amazingly better. Thanks Chiro Guy!

On the way home The Boy wanted to stop for some coneys. Oh you don’t know what a coney is. Hee hee it’s not what you are thinking it is...

So we stopped at Aldi and I found some really yummy looking raspberry salad dressing with no sugar in it.

Tonight I made Egg McMuffins for dinner. English muffins have sugar in them so I only ate half a muffin. Sometimes it just can't be avoided. I did not want my ham and egg on a Trisket. Maybe tomorrow I'll get back to baking bread. DH bought Butternut bread to take fishing.

Sunday

Day 8, OK, yesterday I slipped a little, not intentionally, but it happened. I still consider this day 8 because I did not eat any JUNK food. My mom took me to PF Chang’s restaurant for lunch. I ate lemon chicken. It was sweet. Now I’m not a rocket scientist but it seems to me in order to make it sweet they must have used sugar. On my way home I stopped at Trader Joes and bought some Valhrona chocolate. I LOVE this stuff. Dark bittersweet chocolate is my favorite. It is 71% cocoa, the second ingredient is *SUGAR*, sigh. I ate 2 chunks off the bar. Since I did not eat a candy bar like Hershey’s or Kit Kat, nor did I eat a donut, I still consider my self to be on day 8. I mean come on, there is sugar in everything, if you don’t believe me go read the ingredients in your salt can.

This is my 99th post. I am on lesson 3 in the algebra video series. Hubby and the kiddos had great time fishing yesterday with Papa.

Tonight Sa is going to visit her Friend Roo.

Tomorrow is the day we remember those who serve and who paid the ultimate price for serving our country. Thanks People!

There is one road into my neighborhood. It feeds off a main street. Just off that corner is a large church. This weekend the church is having a festival. That means lots of extra cars, people, noise, frustration... Last year the church hired a cop to stand at the end of the street into my neighborhood with a list of people who lived here. It was such a blessing!!! Many people try to park here to walk to the festival. What they don’t realize is that it’s easier to park in festival parking, but you can’t tell people anything. There is a parking problem on my street when there is no festival. Add a festival and you have a zoo. Most houses have a 1 car driveway and at least 2 cars. We have 4 vehicles and a 1 car driveway.

My back is MUCH better today. Still hurts but, I don't feel like crying and I've only taken 3 ibuprofen.

It Feels Like Friday

Day 6 with no sugar. Where’s all that energy I was supposed to have? Oh, yea, it is being sucked up by my sore back. I went back to Chiro Guy today. He said I need to come back 6 more times. I told him to enjoy my vacation.

I am about done with end of the year stuff. Tomorrow is The Boy’s last day of first grade. He has had a great year. His teacher is lovely. I am sure he will want to do something special for her. Sa has a special dinner because she is leaving kids church and moving up to Jr. High. The Teen gets out next week. We have to go to an awards dinner next week for her. Last night she was in the 4th qtr performance and she sang a song by Journey. I’m going to try to post it here.

When I try to upload the video it has a box that says movie, but it does not play. I can't upload it to you tube because someone else owns the rights to the song. Any ideas on how to show off the video are welcome. The file is too big to put on picasa.

I just found this blog by a chriopratic student.

Day 4

This is day 4 with no sugar. I am breathing better. Yesterday I only used albuterol once. I still have a headache, welcome to spring in Ohio.

Last night I crashed around 6:00 PM and when I woke up this is what I found.

Tired, Tired, Tired

What is in the water? I am so tired. I feel like I'm crawling through muddy muck.

I had breakfast with my friend this morning. I love her so much. She challenged me about why I am leaving certain things undone. Today was the last day Sa and So went to tutoring so they had a party. So brought home chocolate chip cookies. I asked her to hide them. I have had no sugar since Friday. I put some honey in my tea about as small a drop as you can get out of the bottle. I'll be going to the grocery store later today. No flute lessons today or next Monday. We can't find So's math book. I expect her to finish this book so we need to find it. Did I mention I am organizationally challenged? The Teen is going to a concert tonight. They will hear someone named Fall Out Boy. I've never heard of them and may I please not have to listen? I really like the girl she is going with so I OK'd it.

Yesterday we went to Tall Guy’s high school graduation. It was amazing and awesome. He was the valedictorian. He was voted most likely to succeed. He was president of the student counsel. He had the first chair in orchestra and band. He got addressed by the choir director about his achievements and by the Pastor because of his commitment to helping with the scut work at church so faithfully.

Did I fail to mention he graduated in a class of one?

We have known Tall Guy since before he was tall. The Teen met him when she was in kindergarten and we lived around the corner from them.

The Teen and The Conference

Today is the teen’s birthday. We celebrated it yesterday because I had been invited to a conference today. Sadly I did not take the camera with me. I am typing this on DH's laptop and I am not used to typing here. I am making lots of goofy mistakes. Luckily for you by the time you see this it will have been run thorough Word and a spell checker. Word is not on this computer, so I will email this to myself than put it in word on the other computer after that I will put it on Blogger. Clear as mud. Good I thought so.

The Teen was blessed by her family on her birthday. She got a PS2. She has been increasingly frustrated by the way her siblings take care of the game cube. This new PS2 is all hers. So today when I get home from the conference I ask to sit at the computer and she is there. She doesn't want to give up her seat there. That is why I am at the laptop, which is not really on my lap it is on a small dinner tray that you would use if you were having a meal in bed. As I was wrapping The Teen’s gifts yesterday I thought about what she would do with her PS2. Her very good friend 'Tall Guy' is her favorite person to play video games with. I called 'Tall Guy' and asked him to come over and surprise The Teen and play video games with her. He did. It was very sweet. Anyway she did not tell me what she wanted to eat for her birthday dinner so she got spaghetti and meat sauce. So and I made her a nice cake. We used the white cake recipe from Cooks Illustrated. The link to CI is over on the right. It is my favorite place to for and about recipe stuff. Ya know how as you type stuff in word it automatically fixes the word ‘the’. Up to this point in this program every time I have typed the word the I have spelled it wrong. Weird. The Teen also got a button maker as a gift.

So about the conference; about a week a go I received an invitation to it. I did not commit at that time. Thursday night I was talking to my friend and she reminded me about it and asked if I would come. I have been in a very dry place lately so I agreed to go. I am so glad I did. It was really a beautiful thing. It started with yummy treats, than prayer and worship. After that was a speaker on contemplative prayer. I have researched contemplative prayer before, so I was familiar with the concept. There have been times when I have heard things from God so clearly, today was one of those days. We were all sitting there and had been instructed to picture a large vessel in front of us that is full. This vessel is full of all our busyness, laziness, anger, resentment, fear, what ever is keeping us from praying and hearing from God. Than imagine you are reaching into this vessel and pulling out something that is keeping you from God. How about several things... Now ask God to fill that space you have made. What is he saying to you today? These times can be scary. It is a very vulnerable place to be. "OK, God what are you saying to me?" What do you want me to change in my life? I was thinking about lots of things I could change for God. I heard so clearly. Something I did not want to hear. I knew it was not my thoughts I was hearing. SIGH... "Get off of sugar” WHAT? Oh come on God, not that one. I mean I know I feel better when I don't eat sugar but I really like baking and I have so many recipes I want to try. What about the brownies. I really like brownies. When it was time to share I said "I feel like I want to act like a 2yo. I want to throw myself down on the floor and kick and scream. I want to throw a total fit." My dear friend MS said to me "you can do that Marla, God doesn't mind." Than the clincher "he will just treat you like you treat your own children when they throw a fit." AAAAKKKK!!!! That is very much not how I want to be treated. When my kids threw a fit I calmly and gently said "get over it" "You are not getting what ever it is you are acting like that about" If the fit continued they got some cold water dumped on them. Much later in the conference another speaker made this comment "ain't no fight like you and the Holy Ghost and you are not going to win." Again, sigh! Well, I guess sugar is gone. Just like that. I will quit cold turkey. Funny the last two days I have drank my coffee with out sugar just because I wanted too.

Other things from the conference were "you have a tomorrow!" For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

They saved the best for last. First there was a worship leader who had the most beautiful soothing/smokey voice. She talked and sang about how I have value. When we know our worth to God we open ourselves up to letting him do amazing things through us. I am the best God has created. I am because he created me to be me. I am the only one who can be me; therefore I am the best that has been created to be me. The keynote speaker was Lucreta Bowman. She is an amazing woman who chose to listen to God and let him work in her life. Her message about breaking free from our incarcerated minds was very powerful. She had been to prison 5 times. While in for the 5th time she heard God and choose to listen. She spoke about not living on the sidelines of our lives and examining if we are conditioned to remain in the position we have created for ourselves.

I'm so glad I went to this conference. I went up for prayer at the end. I told MS I seem to always choose the hard road. I am coming to a major cross road here and decisions need to be made. I will have to get a job to pay for the kids to go to school this year. Since I don't have one of those nifty pieces of paper that says I am worth more than $cheap per hour, I am feeling challenged. Part of the hardest thing is some of the people I encounter with those nifty pieces of paper who seem to be worthless at whatever job they are doing. A friend said I should apply for a receptionist position. At his company they start people as receptionists and if they show intelligence they are quickly promoted to another job. Part of the difficulty is that I am looking for a part time job. It is VERY important to the kids that I am home when they arrive home from school.

It was Lucreta who prayed with me. When she walked up to me I told her she was beautiful (she was). She told me how cool it was that I was an encourager. Who, me? She told me stuff about my being joyful, um, never mind the fact that I can't seem to function without Lexapro, and it was that joy that had gotten me through the tough times. Anyway she was really all over me about not letting go of the Joy. She said I had been through a hard time, um, YEA! Pause and you are still going through it. "Just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water." I mean I guess I was thinking we were about done with this hard time stuff. I've been thinking about going back to school much more seriously. Right now is season for me to pay for my kids to go to school. I was looking into this nursing school near me and actually its not that expensive + you can work off part of the tuition at the hospital.