What do you eat? What's in your Fridge/Pantry?

            I have a friend. Actually, I have several but there is one in particular that I have been spending more time with lately. In fact, if you read Redmosqui's blog.... she's actually "friend who is a boys" mom. She is a breast cancer survivor. Shortly after I met her at Bug and Bee's preschool she was diagnosed. But, I have NEVER seen her struggle. I have never seen her with a sullen look on her face. We finally got the kids together outside of school functions. Her and I were talking about food and eating habits. The cost of organic food and the vitamins we all need for our body and how they helped her out after her diagnosis and treatment.  Not only has she inspired me to support Breast Cancer awareness, she's gotten me thinking about what is in my fridge and in my pantry. I should thank her for making me realize that it isn't enough to only try to feed my children the right way. I have to feed myself the right way as well, regardless of time.
In all honesty, I should be sleeping. Really, I have a long week ahead of me but I am bothered by the lack of time and dedication that I am not showing my family. I have gotten so unbelievably busy lately. And the pain I am going through with these abdominal problems doesn't help. So we've been eating out a lot. I have stopped getting burgers and fries.  I have opted for the more healthier (if you can call it that), fast food options like wraps and salads.  I did my research. The Tendergrill Salad that I got from Burger king,  that I thought was one of the best salads EVER (taste wise).... has .... you ready? 460!!!!!!! Calories. Yes, 460. It's a relatively small Salad. That calorie count excludes dressing. The salad consists of chicken, tomatoes, cheese, and carrots. So, I thought to myself for a minute that it was the chicken! Burger King also has a small side salad. No chicken of course and it was still... for the side salad 330 calories.

McDonalds salads we won't even get into. Now, Wendy's side salad comes in at 130 calories but you have to consider, it does not have much nutritional value because of the iceberg lettuce.  You'd be better off with the Caesar side salad coming in at 260 calories and using the Romaine lettuce. It's crazy! So the question is.... Do you go with what you can afford? Do you go with convenience? Or do you go with what you can what is healthiest even if it is not convenient or affordable?

What's in my pantry right now?

Cereal--- Some healthy, some not.
Boxed pastas.
Bagels, brown sugar cinnamon
Multigrain pita thins.
Trail Mix
Granola Bars
Oatmeal---- (rarely gets eaten)
Pringles
Tortillas.
Peanut butter oreos (bad me, bad bad me!)
Some canned Veggies
Rice sides
Pringles
100 calorie packs

That's pretty much the gist of it.

My fridge/freezer has milk, dressing, some lunch meat, hummus (yay something healthy!) and cheeses, meatballs, lean pockets (SO bad for you.) some veggie steam bags. Some Ice cream.  And a few other fruits and veggies.

After speaking with my doctors, I have been trying to introduce "superfoods " back into my life. Which are:

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Oats
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Spinach
• Tea (green or black)
• Tomatoes
• Turkey
• Walnuts
• Yogurt

Most of these I did not abandon. I usually keep them in the house.  The girls actually LOVE everything on the above list. And believe it or not.... the Redmosqui, I met 7 years ago (On March 1oth!) who would only eat sandwiches will now eat most of the things on that list! My problem is time. I don't have it. I am going to be using the crock pot more, I have resolved and the girls and I have stocked up on tote bags so we can resume our weekly trips to the Farmer's Markets that we discontinue during the winter. So hopefully that will help. There are plans for apple, strawberry and possibly blue/blackberry picking.

There really isn't much food kept in my house. The girls get cereal for breakfast,  I don't eat breakfast. We usually get lunch out and the 2 nights I am home we all get dinner out and the 5 nights that I work, I get myself dinner from somewhere. Around December is when I started having abdominal problems. Which is also when I slowed down on going to the fitness center. So here are the things I am going to try to do when all of this is over.

1. Cut red meat MOSTLY out of my life. (substitute ground turkey or chicken most of the time)
2. Make the farmers market a year around thing instead of March-October.
3. Go to the fitness center more than once a week.
4. Take our dog for more walks/Use my Wii Fit more
5. Taking Bug jogging again (she loved it!)
6. NO MORE FAST FOOD.
7. Budget better so that eating out isn't necessary, and really only is a treat.
8. Purchase a meal planning kit.
9.  Purchase a triple crock pot (to cook 3 things at once).
10. Use the crockpot most nights of the week.

So are the few things that I want to doing, it may not happen all at once but it needs to happen. Right now, my only work out routine is dancing with the girls. Which is keeping my weight steady, I am not gaining any weight, but weight isn't really what I am worried about it. I am worried about health.

If you have recipes, tips, ideas, etc feel free to share. I don't I don't get to publish some comments, but I will at least reply to the emails to have an email conversation. I think this nation as a whole is struggling with health. I don't want to be factored into that population anymore.

The first step...

The first step is admitting you need a lifestyle change. And I think, I've admitted it to myself, but now it's a public admission--- I need to change my life.


I need to quit ignoring the fact that I have diabetes. I've been living my life, and pushing the diabetes into the back of my mind. I do not check my blood sugar. Everytime I do, it's a number that you would really not want to see-- 455, 532, or "Hi," as in... "Hello, your blood sugar is so high the meter won't read it." When I called to ask what the highest number the meter would read, they said "600, go to a doctor now." Of course, I didn't go to the doctor because before, I didn't "really" have diabetes. But it's here, it's a problem and I have to fix it--- some how. I took the first step on Sunday, I started eating healthy. Monday, we got stuck in an appointment and I had to get Arby's. Well, I didn't have to, but I didn't get out the appointment until a quarter to 4. The kids were hungry, and Arby's has heathly kids meals so bam, Arby's. Other than that, the diet went well.... There are so many things at stake: my eye sight, my organs, my limbs... I've got to quit being so apathetic even if I'm tired all the time. Excercise is energy, right....

Today, me and the bugs went Gym Shopping. Step to in admitting a lifestyle change is needed. On gym, a major chain... wanted $25 a month with a 2 year contract. And once a year equipment charges. The enroll ment fee was $55, plus the first month. Or I could go for one year, and pay $275 for the entire year at one time. We did put the kids in the child care facility to tour the gym. The kids stayed in the same spot. The woman who works in the day care was leaving, but the manager of the gym said he would stay with the kids. Yes, I said HE. This made me a little uncomfortable. We finished before the other woman left. So, I'm not sure of this aspect of the whole choosing a gym thing. The facility was nice though, Lanie didn't want to leave. I don't like that there is no bathroom. This is unisex, big chain gym. It's also quite a ways from my house. They do have showers, but you bring your own things. They offer tanning as well, aromatherapy, massage therapy.... at an extra cost of course. They didn't address how diapers are changed. They watch children from 8:00-11:30 and again in the afternoon but that doesn't pertain to me because I'll be at work. But they'll watch them as long as I want in that time frame.

The other gym that I went to said they do not do contracts, $48 enrollment fee, $28 per month and I can quit anytime with a 30 day notice. Their childcare facility was a little bit smaller. It did have a bathroom. The child care staff was not there when I was there, but that's okay. They offer drinks and snacks to children at 75 cents a snack and drink... which I didn't even think about at the other place. That's not too bad. They're classes change monthly, but they print out the schedules. It's a women's only place. It's a hop, skip and a jump away from my house. She also said because it is an all womens facility, only women would watch the children. They offer showers, sauna and also toiletries like shampoo and conditioner for free. If one of my kids needs changed or to go to the bathroom, they'll come get me so I can do it. I like that. The only downside is the kids can only say in child care for 1.5 hours. So, I'd have to go more frequently during the week but it's a lot closer than the other one. Bug thought this place was "School" and didn't want to leave. Bee.... I couldn't tell what she thought of the place, I held her the entire time. It's definitely not a big gym, but it's a comfortable place so it seems. I like the idea of not having a contract.


Why not work out at my house? I've been trying to do that. I face many problems working out here. The first is well, I only have an excercise bike. If I bike during naptime, I don't have time to shower afterward. If I let the kids play while I shower, my house will get destroyed. At least if I join a gym, I can exercise, shower and all that without having to worry about what the kids are doing. If they demolish that child care room.... it really isn't my problem. It just seems like this is the best way to go to get us out of the house without having to go shopping. Plus I think this offers more of a break for me and them. When we get home, we'll each lunch and they'll take a nap. The kids get to play together with someone else and I get to try to lose this dreaded 30 lbs that is hanging on to me since I had both children.

It's a tough decision as to which place to choose. I feel like I'm trying to convince myself to do this. When I talked with each place about the whole "dislocating every bone in my foot, tearing ligaments and fracturing all the main bones as well, then getting pre-Eclampsia with both children and having my muscles atrophy (Sp?), they seemed to understand my concern on how long I could work out. But the person at the first place just wanted me to sign the documents and get the bank draft started. Once I said I was going to go look somewhere else too before I decided, he kind of quickly let the "tour" of the place go (which I was okay with since a male would be watching my kids. Really again, I do not have a big problem with this... I just really don't think it was good way to start out a tour. I don't have a problem with male child care, it's just, this is the first time my girls would be without me, with someone they don't know. So it was a little hard. He did do great with them. He said the girls didn't move from where I left them, and Littlest bug just played peek-a-boo.

Today, the girls were so hungry, we got hot dogs and hamburgers from Hardees. NO Fries... that's not very diabetic friendly. So, upon doing this gym shopping I realized on all the days that I go to the gym, I'll have to prepare lunch for us before we go. They can have a snack at the gym. And then come home to eat lunch. I think it would be good for all of us to get out and interact. And for me to get healthy.


Argh, I don't know which one to choose! OK, I'll stop ranting now on the two places. I'm upstairs waiting for the girls to fall asleep. I will make a decision by Saturday and go out and get the gym membership--- which is the second step. The third step is following through.