For a background on how this blog got started read this guest post I wrote for my friend Glennon’s wildly popular blog. We received a lot of comments on my essay, running the gamut from good to bad, excited to uncertain. Either way, the point is that it struck a chord with a lot of people. A lot. The comments suggest that most women, on some level, struggle for peace and balance in this area of their life. So we decided the best way to proceed was to have a separate, safe place where we could talk about the complexities of food, nutrition, exercise, and health, both mental and physical, without fear or judgment. I won’t pretend to understand everyone’s deep seeded issues and feelings surrounding food or fitness or body image or suggest that making changes will be easy. Because change, even when necessary or desired, is always difficult.
What I will do is listen. I will try to listen to your concerns and fears and hopes for your health and those of your family’s. When you’re ready to take some small steps, or some big ones, towards better health I will gently feed you the information and support and motivation to help you on your journey. If you stumble along the way I will pick you up, dust you off and point you back in the right direction. And if you’re not ready, I will patiently listen to you vent your frustrations and angst until your load feels lighter to carry. Because sometimes that is the first step.
I want us to learn together, and from one another, how to really feed ourselves once and for all. How not only to fuel our bodies with proper nutrition, but also how to feed our souls along the way. I will offer you super easy recipes and time-saving tricks to get you started as well as exercise tips for the busy, bored, motivated or lazy. There will be something for everyone.
I spent over 7 years as a personal trainer before becoming a wife to one and a mom to two, and trust me when I tell you that I’ve seen and heard it all. You can’t scare me. Or shock me. Or make me not want to help you. It can’t be done. And while I know most food issues have little to do with food itself, I do know that sometimes, just sometimes, making an outward change via exercise and nutrition is enough to shift the tides on the inside where real transformation happens.
Think about how important it is, on a scale of 1-10, for you to get healthy, change your eating habits and/or start exercising. If the answer is an 8, 9, or 10 then you will be able to find the time, energy and resources necessary to make positive changes. If your answer is more like a 2 or 3, then you will likely find more hurdles standing in your way. That’s okay, it just means you aren’t fully prepared to make sweeping changes yet; however, please keep reading because maybe you will be ready to take some baby steps. And that’s a good place to start.
If you’re feeling brave please respond to this post and introduce yourself. You can say something like, “Hi my name is Erin and getting healthy is about an 8 or 9 on the scale for me but I’m having trouble fitting in exercise; I love yoga pants but don’t seem to actually DO any yoga.”
Share what’s on your mind. Share your struggles and your burden so we can move forward together. All I want is for you to feel strong and balanced, and to be healthy inside and out. To be full. At last.
Erin thanks for creating this place where we can be honest and open about our food issues. Hi my name is Jennifer. Getting healthy is about a 7 on my scale but I have a really hard time making myself exercise and making good choices when it comes to food. I tend to over eat and/or eat fast food and feel REALLY bad about it after the fact. I lost 40lbs over the last year and I'm terrified that I am going to put it all back on because I am NOT motivated to exercise or eat right anymore. This is a CONSTANT struggle for me and it is OVERWHELMING.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you Erin...Just wanted to let you know I'm in your corner...
ReplyDeleteGreat job and look for the blog Erin. I would say I'm a 7-8 although it totally depends on the day, even the time of day. I don't have a ton of will-power and I'm not a natural athlete. That being said I try to eat healthy and exercise. I like to cook - and bake (that's no so good for the will-power thing :) and am always looking for good recipes! I feel like I'm doing good on health right now b.c I'm not working - when I do work I find myself struggling.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this blog!
Hey Erin... my name is Jamie. This is a good thing because people always need a safe place when it comes to this topic. Exercise, staying fit and active and eating healthy (yes, I do eat cookies too) are about a 10 on my scale. It is very important to me. I have 2 little ones that keep me very busy and it is exercise that keeps me sane. It is 'my time' and lets me breathe. Most of that time occurs at 5:00 in the morning because that's the only time I have, but it's crucial to my well-being. All that being said, I am also very aware that I excercise for deeper reasons as well... I am terrified of what will happen to me if I were to do less... will I put on weight, will I be able to 'cheat' and still fit into my jeans, will my husband still find me sexy?? Thanks for creating this place to learn.
ReplyDeleteHey Erin! My name is Tricia and I am probably an 8 or 9. I have a 5 y/o, 4 y/o and 6 m/o and I work full time. Trying to fit in exercise seems like a luxury only second to sleep. My husband had a heart attack at the age of 34 last year so changing our eating and exercise habits are not just a novel idea or a new years resolution, it is a way of life and I need help. Thanks for starting this blog.
ReplyDeleteTricia
Erin,
ReplyDeleteVery excited for your blog. I hate cooking but am looking forward to learning how to cook healthy(and hopfully EASY)recipes.
JRR
Jennifer ... congrats on the weight loss! That is amazing.
ReplyDeleteTricia ... we will talk about how what we eat can actually prevent and reverse disease -- especially heart disease!
And a BIG welcome to everyone and a thank you for responding and sharing. We are going to tackle all of these issues and more and hopefully have some fun in the process!
Hi Erin! I am so excited for you. I seem to always be about a 9 in wanting to 'do more' to be more physically fit and healthy. On the other I am usually a 5 or 6 when it actually comes down to doing the work part. I am a fairly healthy eater - but really lack in the workout area. I am one who loves workout pants - but just to go to Target.
ReplyDeleteOver the years I have gained 5+ pounds each year and I don't want this to continue. I am currently 5 months pregnant and have a 2 year old. Are there things that I can be doing NOW so that come June I won't be wearing maternity pants forever??
-Court
Erin,
ReplyDeleteThis is so great, way to go! Anyone that can teach Sister to cook anything is a miracleworker -- I am looking forward to seeing the miracle you work here.
Amanda
Erin,
ReplyDeleteLove this idea! My name is Kristin. I would say exercise for me is a 9-10 - because if I don't, I'm not very nice or patient and I hate that. I have a crazy full time job and am a part-time Group Fitness Instructor. I love to work out, have trouble always finding the time, like everyone else. I am excited for healthier family friendly meal ideas, from you and everyone else. I also have a sweet tooth that even my dentist can't remove!! UGGH, sugar is my weakness...
Kristin
Court: yes, there are things you can be doing along with us -- like learning what really constitutes healthy food choices (something I thought I knew as a personal trainer but have come to find out otherwise) and learning healthy new recipes so you feel empowered to make positive changes once the baby is on the outside!
ReplyDeleteFeel free to email me separately if you want to talk about special pregnancy considerations.
Hi everyone. I am so excited to be a part of this new blog family. I'm Brooke and I have struggled with weight and nutrition for a long time. Like Court, I'm also pregnant with baby #2 and am hoping to set up some strategies for living a healthy lifestyle once life gets terribly hectic with two kids (and a full-time job). Thanks for helping us out Erin!
ReplyDeleteHi all, I don't even know how to quantify where I'm at on the scale since I've struggled with weight, body image and self esteem my whole life. It's frustrating and isolating. I'm looking forward to learning and maybe finding what I need to actually make lasting progress!
ReplyDeleteHey Ladies, I just started following momastery last week and the very first post I read was Erin's guest entry about food/health/body stuff. Wow, what perfect timing for me.
ReplyDeleteI am a beautiful quandary of overweight, healthy, fit, food addict, & lazy! It totally depends on the hour and sometimes even the minute within the hour. What # I am on the 1-10 scale depends on what minute it is...right now I'd say I'm a 5! Can't go wrong with that one.
I recently took part in a group at my YMCA called Lose to Win and lost 19 pounds. I'm training for a 1/2 marathon in March with my husband and I work out about 2-3 times a week with a long run in there somewhere, up to 8.5 miles!!! You'd NEVER know that by looking at me though...at least I don't think you would....I still have 40-50 pounds to lose.
But yesterday I ate HORRIBLY, make that the last 2 days and it took everything within me to drag myself to the Y to run 2 measly miles which is normally just my warm up. Why? Well, I just came back from a girl's weekend away and have the post trip blues. I also broke my rule and weighed and saw that I actually lost 2 pounds over the weekend and gave myself a license to pig out for the next 2 days. Why do I sabotage me?
I love what working out does for me both physically & mentally, I hate the getting there part. I know how to eat very healthy yet come 3pm, I WANT TO BURY MY FACE IN CHOCOLATE AND DIE IN THERE! AND THEN DO IT AGAIN 10 MIN LATER!
Still want me?
LifewithoutLove -- Yes Yes Yes, we want you and we love you already! I have been exactly where you are and I think I will scratch the surface of my bit of crazy tomorrow so you all believe me. We can do this, I promise.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as Sister suggested ... I did teach Glennon - who was busy burning plastic lids when I found her - how to cook from 2,000 miles away so I can DO THIS too!
ReplyDeleteErin, What a great blog idea! I am on the low end of the scale for both eating healthy and exercising even though I'm in denial about that. I do eat healthy for the most part, but also love to eat out and eat junk food too. I am and always have been a lover of food, it came from many years of family gatherings that were surrounded with food. Cooking and eating was a way of life for us growing up. It's how we socialized and it's how I socialize now (even though I do it alone a lot of the time). My hubby and I both want to eat better and exercise more for our health and always seem to start off great but then lose steam after a month or so.
ReplyDeleteI am a new mother to a 2 1/2 month old and will be returning to work soon so exercise seems like an unattainable goal right now. I'd love to learn how to make it a priority, a way of life for myself so I can stop feel guilty and start getting real!
~Beth
I like all of you.
ReplyDeleteChristi, I'm with you. I don't really know how to classify myself. Too long and exhausting of a history.
I am excited about this blog because I feel like a lot of my concerns with weight over the years have had to do with comparing myself to other women. I want to work WITH women to get healthy instead of against them.
Also, I want to be conscious of what I'm feeding myself and my family. As the years go by, I become more and more convinced that my relationship with food is a spiritual issue.
I also want to support farms and not big business when I make food choices.
Also, i want to learn more about how the kitchen works. Erin sent me an apron and I feel really excited and capable and powerful when I stir things while wearing it.
Also, I am learning important things like, it's important not to turn off the oven when the preheating alarm rings. If you do, and then put the food in, the food will not cook because the oven will be off. And then,when you excitedly take the food out, it will still be very cold. And you will have to eat frozen pizza anyway and say lots of curse words.
So, I'm just saying that I like my little bits of progress.
Hi, I'm Nicole and I'm an 8. I eat healthy and exercise, but I find it frustrating and exhausting to make the right choices. For example, I had fage and granola for breakfast, but would have preferred Golden Grahams. Also, I love sugar and caffeine and have a propensity to burn rice. Looking forward to your blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Erin, I'm Kathie and I am in the same boat at The Mommy One. I have a 5 y/o, 4 y/o and a 10 m/o, I work full time, and on top of that my husband is a GM in a restaurant and is only home 2 nights a week and never on the weekends, so I do everything myself 90% of the time. The only time I would be able to exercise would be around 5:00 in the morning and I just can't sacrifice the sleep. Right now I would say that I am a 7, I really just want to lose about 1 or 2 sizes. Looking forward to any assistance or support I can get.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
ReplyDeleteFellow Monkee Jennifer here. I would say I'm about a 7 on the scale of getting healthy. I have a 7yo and 2 yo and work full time and am also a single Mom so fitting in exercise is a HUGE issue for me as well as having time to actually cook a decent meal that isn't prepared in the microwave.
After picking the kids up from their daycare's (2 separate one's mind you) I get home around 6, have to help the 7yo with homework while trying to keep the 2 yo occupied and doing homework is never as easy as saying "Ok, do your homework", it's a fight every single night. There there are the nights that we have Tae Kwon Do and we have to leave the house by 6:45, doesn't give me much time to prepare something healthy for them to eat.
I just don't have enough time and I don't have enough hands to do everything.
My goal for this year is to lose 30lbs. I'm exercising right now using the Wii Active, which I like a lot and even my little guy will do some of the exercises with me.
I am really looking forward to some quick and EASY recipe's that don't need a ton of ingredients. My biggest problem with cooking is all the ingredients that some recipe's call for and the fact that I probably don't have half the ingredients and the chances of me going out and buying those spices or what not are pretty slim to none.
If it's not already in my house then I'm probably not going to cook it. I want something simple and fast. We don't eat a lot of beef but do eat a lot of chicken and turkey meat.
I do have salt and pepper though, that's about all the spices I have in my house, lol
Looking forward to see what you can share with me as far as eating on a very limited time schedule.
Jennifer
Hi Erin,
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you! My name's Kelley, and getting healthy is definitely a 10 for me. After the death of a dear friend last summer, I decided once and for all that I was taking my life for granted living the way I was and it needed to stop. I exercise every day and eat as heathily as my very limited budget allows. I've lost about 10 pounds, but have another 45 to lose. I'm a blank slate, ready for your advice, caring and "I've been there" wisdom.
Whenever another mom tells me she is POSITIVE she can do something, I believe her completely -- because I know how tough it is for us moms to be so unfailingly certain of our ability to do stuff, and because I understand all the time, talent, faith and energy being a mommy truly takes. If you can do all that, and teach us to cook and exercise TOO, then I gladly throw myself into your capable hands.
My situation sounds like a lot of other folks here. I have limited time, even less money, 2 picky kids and an even pickier husband. Bring on the recipes!
I LOVE livewithloves honesty. Can I steal her comment because it also applies to me. I am a beautiful quandary of overweight, healthy, fit, food addict, & lazy!
ReplyDeleteI really want to run a 1/2 marathon so maybe she can fill us in on how she went about preparing for that.
YAY, I feel like I've been waiting for you Erin. I'm Kirsten....I have a 4yo & 2yo and I also work full time. I guess I'm about an 8 on the scale of wanting to change & be healthier. The problem is that I constantly Crave (with a capital C) junk food! Three months ago I started getting up at 4:30 AM (3x/week) to go to a fitness bootcamp because the only time I could fit in exercise was while my children & husband slept. I like to cook but just don't seem to have the time. I'm looking forward to hearing your healthy eating tips.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
ReplyDeleteI'm a fellow Monkee and am thrilled that you have started this. Right now, I'm about an 8 - I'm not exercising regularly as I'm 5 months pregnant with number two, work full-time, have a toddler, and it is too freakin cold to go walking in the morning. When I'm not pregnant, I had a pretty good running routine in place and have done a couple of half-marathons.
I need help on the eating side; I have no willpower and will eat until I'm full (10 oreos last night). I try and feed my family as healthily as possible by limiting processed foods (I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2008 and wonder what all the hormones we ingest had to do with it), but I'm exhausted at the end of the day.
I also have a beautiful and strong 19 month old daughter whom I don't want to grow up and have the same issues with her body that I did/do. I want her to look at food as something that nourishes us (as opposed to either her best friend or her worst enemy).
Help!
Hi Erin
ReplyDeleteI'm Ginger and I'm probably a 3 or 4 right now. I've spent most of the last decade pregnant or nursing, which has mostly served me well, but has also let me get in the habit of eating more junk than I should since I'm burning calories like crazy with all the nursing.
I've been more motivated at other times in my life-- I was really into the gym in the year before my last pregnancy. But then I found out I was having twins and was exhausted all the time. Last Spring I got my motivation back and started taking the babies to the Childwatch at the gym-- and then the whole Swine Flu stuff started and I wasn't comfortable having the girls there. So, now I'm waiting a bit longer for regular flu season to let up. I just hope I don't invent a new excuse in the Spring.
For the moment, I'm looking for more simple, healthy meals I can prepare for my family. I'm getting better about eating bad things myself and have a pretty tight rein on my older kids. My husband is a whole other story-- he's big by heredity and not interested in exercise. I want him to stay healthy so we can have a long life together.
Erin,
ReplyDeleteI was one of the Monkees that reached out to Glennon asking to get connected to you. Thank you so much for doing this.
On a scale of 1-10, this is an 11 for me right now. I have struggled with my weight for what seems like my entire life. The only time I remember being happy with my weight and figure was when I was going through a hard time in my life and I was the farthest thing from healthy. And also before my wedding because I tried really hard to look good in my dress. That was a long time ago.
At present I am a wife, a mom to two kids and I work full-time. I struggle to find a way to work on myself. I feel like I'm always working for someone else. And then I'm just exhausted. Or I have no desire because if/when I do have a break, I want to jump on the couch (with a bowl full of anything that's NOT healthy) and catch up on my DVR.
I love to cook, but don’t always have the time or energy to do it… plus I hate doing dishes. And I’m not very good at “throwing something together” so most of the time my kids eat something out of the freezer, or pasta, because it’s easy. A lot of nights dinner for me and my husband consists of take-out or cereal… or maybe a Lean Cuisine (my attempt at “eating healthy”). I have just recently tried to get more serious about my health and weight – particularly with the way I eat. My husband has joined forces with me, which is helpful. I’m finally paying attention to what I put in my mouth and how much. I think I’m on the right track but I find it to be very, very hard. But I can do hard things, I know I can.
I think my biggest struggle is that I do not like to exercise. I know is a huge component so I feel like a failure automatically, no matter how hard I’m trying on the food end of it. And I’m currently paying for a gym membership so I’d like to actually put my money to good use rather than just contribute to their bank account.
So basically… HELP, please!
I really appreciate you taking the time and caring enough to help those of us that are open to it and want or need it. I believe support and encouragement are vital keys to success and this seems to be a great place to find it.
Kristan
Hey Erin! I am SO happy you are taking us all on! I haven't excercised since Sept. I was doing well, but then started a part time job and then became sick (I'm still dealing with it, but getting better.) I would like to learn how I can be a good role model for my kids and feed them good foods that they will eat! I have three kids and we are on the run all the time, like most of the women who post here. Anything you can suggest to help us better ourselves so we can better our families is so appreciated!
ReplyDeleteErin,
ReplyDeleteHey Monkee! I am a 9 when it comes to wanting to be healthy and active, but I am a 2 when it comes to doing anything about it. I have sat here while reading the comments and eaten a ton of pizza flavored goldfish and now I am on to the gummie bears. I quit smoking 9 months ago, had my 6th child 18 months ago, and I am pretty convinced I will never loose my extra tummy... did I mention that I am a recovering addict who has issues with OCD? I am really sorry if I just depressed you.
Much love, Susie.
Thank you to everyone for sharing your thoughts! And, no, you haven't scared me yet. I told you that I didn't think you could do it but feel free to keep trying.
ReplyDeleteWe are going to address all these concerns and more so please stay tuned. I'm not sure I will be as diligent as Glennon with a daily post but I plan on posting a few times a week - when I work out a schedule, I will let everyone know.
In the meantime, you can email me directly if that is more to your comfort level or if you have a particular question. I will get back to you in between diapers, naps and snacks. Otherwise please keep sharing your thoughts here so we can all learn and grow together!
Love,
Erin
Hello, I'm fellow Monkee Jeanette and I am in Court's shoes with currently being pregnant. Top that with breastfeeding minimally for a year and you can see my eating and exercise regimine is sort of how it is for the meantime.
ReplyDeleteI am a teacher of natural childbirth so I do know a lot about good nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding and good exercise for those stages so that's not really the problem.
Before mommydom (almost 4 year ago since my first pregnancy) I really loved kickboxing but now with the simple excuses of pregnancy, breastfeeding, lack of money and time, I'm really disliking the shape I'm in. I don't regret my mommy curves though as I know it's a temporary time for me. I also miss that me time and I was really good at it so I still have that goal of getting back to kickboxing and back into shape instead of just being a shape.
So, I guess I'm a 9 at heart but a 5 currently so I might just lurk here a little until we decide if this is the last child. I also want to glean some insight on eating healthy (organic) for less. I'm a frugalista to say the leasta...
Hi,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Chimmy. I'm a 10. That's right a perfect 10. I fell off the exercise wagon a while ago... and eating healthy went along with it, sort of. I'm fortunate to have taste buds that prefer a relatively healthy vegetarian diet (ovo-lacto).
I don't just want to get back on the wagon. Exercise used to be like breathing... I just did it. I want my life back!
Boy that felt good to write down!
Thanks, Erin!!!
How can anyone follow Chimmy's perfect 10? HA HA
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm Southlakesmom and I have been all of you (fellow commenters) at some point in my life, and am now in what they politely call the "peri" menopause stage which really means all the hormonal attacks you have as a teen are back only now your metabolism is 10 times slower...and at the same time I have a lovely teen daughter who I want to nurture to make good choices for health.
I love to cook, and I do work out regularly, but my most recent 'aha' moment concerns accountability with what I eat. Yeah. Simple math - burn more calories than I eat and because I love to eat and cook I want those calories to be worth the burn. SO I'm recording them via my iTouch with the LoseIt App.
I'm not a person of extremes -- either Cheetohs or Flax Seed...
AND finally, I have a son with a life threatening peanut and tree nut allergy (yeah, we almost lost him at age 3) so a lot of the 'get healthier' recipes don't work for us as well...
Erin, you are a brave woman. I will be praying that the Monkees will be as loving to you as they are to Glennon.
Thanks Chimmy -- you touched on something we will address soon which is this: when you stop eating highly addictive processed foods and refined carbohydrates, and start eating more whole plant based foods, your taste buds will change. You will - I swear - start to prefer the taste of all natural fruits, vegetables and whole grains to that of processed, refined foods. It's the darndest things but I swear it happens.
ReplyDeleteAnd, to all you beautiful preggo ladies: you need to give yourself some breathing room. Don't try and add one more big "to do" thing on your plate right now. You don't need the pressure. You are cooking babies, that's your big to do item right now. I didn't over-haul my diet until the twins were about 4 months old and I was tired of being tired and felt ready to tackle something new. So, just hang out here and file away some information for later. Or try some of the recipes I will be sharing. But, please do not feel pressured by anything I say here!
SouthLakesMom, What is a tree nut allergy? I saw this for the first time on Monday when I was walking around my daughters school and there was a sign outside one of the classrooms that actually said Life Threatening peanut and tree nut allergy in this classroom.
ReplyDeleteSo what does someone eat that is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts? seems like everything is made with peanut oil or something.
Kling - saw that you had throid cancer. Are you in remission?
Nice job Erin!
ReplyDeleteHi Erin, I am a 10 an almost neurotic 10 and feel I may need meds to quiet my mind about how to go about making sure I only feed my family healthy foods. Today's Oprah did not help. I found myself in the pantry throwing a lot away and at the same time thinking Geesh, should I just send this stuff to Haiti? Help! I want to so bad only eat good stuff but don't know how to cook it. Like bok choy and kale? I mean what the hell do you do with that?
ReplyDeleteThanks!!! Please help me quiet my mind!
Caren, it's easy to go off the deep end, for sure, so we will address staying sane and balanced while making mostly healthy choices. Oh and I actually blend some kale in a smoothie but you can wilt it in soups and stews much like you would spinach. Not to woryr, I am testing and compiling recipes my friends!
ReplyDeleteIs Oprah trying to steal our thunder?!?
Oooh, I'm watching the Oprah now and she said, "we need a food revolution." And that is what we're starting here!! Maybe wes should invite her to the blog?!?!
ReplyDeleteWe SHOULD invite Oprah, I think she would love us and mostly agree with what we are thinking:) My family will thank you! Do you have a favorite cook book?
ReplyDeleteYay Erin! I'm so proud of you and this blog (and incredibly amazed at how you and Glennon make time for us ladies - THANK YOU!)
ReplyDeleteI am a 10 in that I exercise regularly and eat a mostly vegan diet...well, except for the occasional (okay, regular) late night (and, okay, midday) chocolate snacks and sometimes salty cravings that seem to happen in bulk and with rapid speed. We all have weaknesses, right?
Like another comment above, if I don't have regular "sweat time", I am a complete bitch, to my husband and kids mostly. How unfair for them? I'm always looking for ways to eat better and fit in exercise; I always seem to want more, more, more. Obsessed? No, not me!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to learning more from you, Erin, and everyone else who visits the blog! Thanks again!
Jennifer M -- tree nut means that most nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts) that grow on trees will cause him to have an anaphylactic reaction. That is essentially an overreaction of the immune system which identifies a normally benign item (nuts) as an invader and starts a runaway reaction to get rid of it. The reactions can be stopped by a) (rarely) the body's natural defense b) epinephrine (thus epi-pens) c) death. So...we take it seriously. Anything in the store that says "processed on shared equipment" or anything resembling that doesn't make it into our home. So (for example) we use Hershey's choc chips instead of Tollhouse. We don't eat at 5 guys or Chik-Fil-A because they use peanut oil -- some studies show that cold pressed peanut oil is NOT a problem. I'm not willing to bet my son's life on it.
ReplyDeleteHis allergy really started me reading labels in the first place, and alerted me to the number of chemicals that are added to processed foods. So, I've pared them down over the years. I make almost everything from scratch now -- but I have to say, my kids are now teens and are gone all day at school. When they were small (and needy) it was all I could do to boil water for spaghetti noodles.
Baby steps. Baby steps.
AND -- a great product called Sun Butter (at Wegmans and other great stores) has made our life MUCH easier as well. If anyone has a nut allergy kid and wants to vent or ask questions, you can e-mail me at southlakesmom at yahoo dot com
Smooches to all the Monkees and other tree-climbing (or barely hanging on) ladies here!
Hi Erin: I'm Maryann and I vary from a 5-10 depending on the day , my schedule, my mood, how my wardrobe is fitting etc. My kids are 33,35 and 37. I was an athlete as a child and never worried about weight until I stated to have children. Then I didn't have to eat, I just had to walk by the Bakery and the pounds just stuck to my body.
ReplyDeleteI love to cook but live alone and it's not nearly as much fun to cook for just me. I teach high school and tutor all evening 4 nights a week. By weekend, I am exhausted and exercise and cooking aren't that appealing.
Five years ago I had a brain tumor that causes issues on the right side of my body-especially my right arm and shoulder --so I often use that as an excuse if I don't want to exercise.
That all being said. I really want to be healthy, feel good, look good and be around along time to enjoy my grandkids. So I need your help and I am very thankful that you are taking us all on. You are definitely an answer to prayer.
Looking forward to the blog, Erin. This is Megan. I am 3.5 months pregnant and scareed to death I will never be fit and healthy again. I was in great shape (mentally and physically) before the pregnancy. I have been sick the entire 3.5 months so I have completely stopped exercising and what I eat is limited to what I can stomach (which is rarely healthy). It sucks. I am concerned when the baby comes that I won't have time for healty cooking and exercise and will never get back in the shape I was in.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you for starting this blog & putting your heart out there! You are an amazing woman & friend! About 4 years ago, as a mom of three boys ages 2, 1 and newborn, health & wellness were about a 3 on my list of priorities. I was doing what I could to survive. And I was definitely not using exercise for health or even getting skinny, but as a break from my needy babies. Processed and packaged foods were about all that could be found in our house. Because really.....I could only do so much, right? We were always sick & we spent more than our fair share of time at the hospital and doctors office. And that wasn't just the babies. I did not make the connection between nutrition (or lack of it) and our health until just recently. This is an ongoing process for our whole family & I am so happy we are where we are today. Dedication to health and wellness is now a 10 on our family's priority list simply because we've gotten a taste of how good it feels to be truly healthy & if we don't have our health, what do we have? I am so looking forward to sharing this journey with you my friend!
Erin,
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing more! Why is that women have this love/hate relationship with food but men don't? It's sad that we live in a society who favors "skinny" over healthy so often. As women, we need to support one another as it seems we always end up placing so much judgment on one another. Thanks for getting us started and giving us a forum to be there.
wow! what a great blog and overwhelming responses. I look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteI hope to return to my prior, pre baby level of fitness after I am done BFing my son, hopefully in about 4 or 5 months or so. I want to run again. Go to the gym with a goal and obtain it. I am lucky that BFing has shed all my pg weight (and a few lbs too, I cant complain) but I am not in shape...
Harmony
http://baby-to-go.blogspot.com/
Erin ... you rock! This is a much needed forum for helping people make easy and healthful choices when it comes to their eating strategy. Quite funny too!
ReplyDeleteErin ... you rock! This is a much needed forum for helping people make easy and healthful choices when it comes to their eating strategy. Quite funny too!
ReplyDelete