Day 18 of the Whole30.....Oh, to be eighteen again!

Day 18......Oh, to be eighteen again!

Today around 5:00 pm when we were schlepin' boxes and furniture from one storage unit to another.......I was wishin' I was 18 years old again!

I've been wanting to do this for quite a while now because I knew there were items in there that could go.  And, because the prices keep going up and up, we decided to simplify!

We changed to a smaller unit with the intentions of just moving some out to another FREE facility, but the rest, just an easy move.  If you know me at all you know I couldn't just move the boxes without looking in them.  The excitement of seeing all my treasures again, got me excited and enough energy to continue.

Earlier today I was ready to tackle the project.  Right now, my legs feel like mush, and everything is saying....Put me to bed (after you take two Tylenoid!) Yes, I meant to spell it that way and that's another Washington Street story to come later!

This ol' girl is hittin' the sheets!

Day 17......Change!

I received a card from my sister today....

She always has a way of knowing when I need a little extra Umph!....and either sends a card or calls just to chat!

When I first decided to start the Whole30 challenge, I called her with questions.  She always tries to eat healthy and had good advice.

Thanks Zo - and words like this......

Keep me going and determined more than ever to succeed!  Love you too!

Day 16.....Fat & Ugly!

Day 16....Fat & Ugly!

What a horrible thing to say!  Each word individually is bad enough, but when you link them together....horrible!

I want to take a break from Whole30 tonight to touch on the message I was greeted with early this morning.  It was a general post directed to a specific person and the deliverer was obviously experiencing joy in knowing a "popular girl" from school is now ....Fat & Ugly! Those exact words.....Fat & Ugly! (and no this isn't a current high school student....adults who finished school some 30 years ago!)

Well,  I sat on the edge of my bed in utter disbelief as I read more. It did not get any better.  The post was removed because a few people were offended.  Yep, I was one of them. 

To give fair balance, there was a reason....because the "popular girl" was mean and bully-like in school.  And yes you are right, we've all encountered a "mean girl" somewhere along the way but as a 49 year old woman, I refuse to give even a second of my day to someone who was young a foolish 30+ years ago.  The individual that caused you harm, might be living with regret for the things she said or did and given the opportunity.....might apologize.   

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think when the words Love One Another and Forgiveness were used in the Bible, they were meant only for the nice, skinny and pretty people.  We all need to exercise forgiveness and treat others as you want to be treated.  Life is just too short to hold on to such negative feelings.

As I sit here listening to my son play his guitar, I'm so thankful he's more interested in that vs. Facebook.  I have a blast with some of my family and friends on FB and it's great keeping in touch with everyone.  But....I refuse to have to scroll through such hurtful words....Be nice...just be nice!  When you send me a friend request, I expect you to be friendly!

The main difference I see in these two ladies is one waited until later in life to become the bully.

Day 15 of the Whole30...Really? Really!

Day 15......I'm halfway there? Really?  Really!

Today marks the halfway point of doing the Whole30 program!  Here are the facts:

• I feel great!
• This isn't that hard
• I want to weigh myself
• I need a smaller belt
• I'm regular
• I don't crave sweets
• I like this change

I really do feel great and a lot of that has to do with the inflammation being better.  I still don't quite understand the how's of why this works, but it does.  The combination of the great foods I can have makes my diet tasty, new and is keeping the pain and swelling down.  The edema in my ankles is not gone.  However.....I sit at a desk the majority of the day.  On the weekends I do not have the swelling.  Let me repeat that in case you were just skimming through and pretending to read this....on the weekends I do not have any swelling!

Because I've almost reached the point of a third new hole in my belt, I really want to get on the scale and see what it has to say.  I've got a long way to go, but I can already tell a difference in my clothes.  Especially, around my waist.

I've never been a 'gotta have sweets' kind of person.  My snickers bar is a fresh piece of homemade bread!  And crazy enough we don't keep ice cream in the house regularly, but I do miss a good scoop of ice cream.  I'll have to experiment a little.  I just remembered Sunshine's Mango Pineapple Popsicles!  Mmmmmm....I might have to make them this weekend and they could be just the ticket.

I also realized a few days ago that I did not take a BEFORE photo of myself.  However, I do have a photo of me on Day 1 going into our new house for the first time.  I'll just pose again and wear the same clothes for comparison.  I don't like photos of myself and unless I get to the point that people are comparing me to Sandra Bullock, you won't see those pictures. 

Guess what day IT is?  HUMP Daaaay....and my halfway point!  Go me!

Day 14 of the Whole30.....Planning is essential!

Day 14....Planning + Planning = A better day!

It wasn't a horrible day!  If I'd planned and eaten protein for breakfast instead of thinking fruit would hold me and packed my lunch, it would have been better.

Andrew had Open House tonight for 10th grade.  Because he is 10 ft tall, I challenged him (actually dared him) to walk up the freshmen table and say, I'm a freshman, is this where I sign up?  The poor lady would have probably fallen over backwards in her chair.  He didn't bite.

Instead we talked to Robbie & Ashley's former guidance counselor and her son is Andrew's.  Go figure!

Great classes for Drew and it's gonna be an AP kind of semester but classes he loves (hopefully he'll learn to love Algebra II, because his Mama is having heart palpitations just thinking about it) and all his teachers seem wonderful. 

Off we go to another school year and off I go to pack my lunch!

My little man and he's grown so much since Christmas!

Days 11, 12 and 13 of the Whole30....Agatha, Melvina & Myrt's Adventure!

Days 11, 12,13.....The Big Adventure!

Computer issues and a weekend get-a-way took me away from my blog.

Cindy and I started planning about a month ago to take Nannie to the destination of her choice. .....Portsmouth, Va!  So we loaded up the van and off we went.  Instead of a Thelma & Louise adventure, it was Agatha, Melvina and Myrt adventure (that's another post!).

Back when I was first trying to decide when to start Whole30, I really wanted to wait until AFTER this weekend trip because I knew the restaurants we'd be dining in would not be Whole30 friendly.  But, I figured there will always be something, or some kind of event taking place so I might as well start before the trip so I'd already be in the right frame of mind.  It worked!

I packed my cooler bag with healthy choices in case there wasn't anything I could eat on the menu.  Amazingly enough both Cracker Barrel and Ihop had items on their menu that I could customize to what I needed.  Not organic and not optimal choices, but decent choices.

Back to the adventure.......the ladies we met for lunch were old friends of Dad and Nancy's while living in Cradock.  Listening to their stories were interesting and funny.  I guess I started the laughter by accidentally taking Nannie into the men's restroom.  Once I realized what I had done, I couldn't stop laughing long enough to tell her we were in the wrong bathroom.  I shuffled her out and then told her once we were outside.  Then I'd laughed myself into needing to go myself.  Nannie said, "You should have to go in there too!" She couldn't wait to tell everyone at the table.

We had a tour guide for the afternoon and thank goodness we did because this road connects to that road and loops back around to another road.  In the process, we saw Nan & Pap's old house, the old elementary school, the demise of Cradock High School.  What a shame because there was so much character.  Even the football field was still lined so I had to get out and take some pictures.  One of the football benches was still there and the old concession stand was still standing too. 

I had to do it........I stood on the sideline and did an Aunt Naincy cheer - arms waiving in sync with the perfect cheer....the Cradock way!  Go Team!

We were also privileged to spend time with family.  Another Bailey family and they love to laugh as much as we do.......and we did plenty!  Someone told me recently I am just like my Dad, and I'll take that compliment any day of the week.  Eddie...you are just like your Dad and that too is meant as a compliment.  I can only imagine you and my Dad together when you were younger and full of pranks!  Bonnie...It was all I could do to keep from nose diving into that homemade pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream!  

Our goal:  Give Nannie a weekend to remember!  SUCCESS because she hasn't stopped talking about it!

Day Ten of the Whole30........TGIF!

Day Ten - TGIF!

Thank Goodness I'm Full!

And I'm thankful it's Friday too!

I'm really trying not to make a big stink about people eating food around me that I can't have. It will ALWAYS be there.  And, I know after the 30 days I may actually have a slice of that pizza......or a scoop of ice cream.  But you know, it will have to be a lip-smackin' good piece of pizza and some of Mom's homemade ice cream for me to risk going back to feeling so bloated.

Pizza is on the way to my house!  Stephen and Andrew weren't thrilled with the idea of grilled tuna, mashed cauliflower and fresh strawberries for deezert.  TGIF!  I've eaten and I don't think I could eat another bite. That's a good thing so I won't even want a slice of that nasty ol pizza!

I was a little hungry when I left work, but I stopped by Trader Joe's to pick up some veggies and fruit and also grabbed some dry roasted almonds.  They did the trick and filled that little hole in my stomach saying, Feed me!  Feed me!

You aren't supposed to snack, and I try not to.  However, sometimes I have to nibble on a few pieces of fruit, handful of almonds or cashews to avoid the homemade coffee cake sitting in the kitchen at work.  I know, I know....but it's note always easy to walk away or avoid the kitchen.  Eventually, I have to go in the kitchen to get my lovely lunch I've prepared.  AND...if I go in there with a few cucumber slices in my system, I can say...No thanks - TGIF!

Love ya - mean it!