Today...

Had a great day-ish.  Started with a headache, which after deciding to sleep it off instead of going to graduation or working.  Ate soo much to try to combat cansansia.  Hope I feel better tomorrow.

Today:
W: 136
S: 8 plus
E: n/a
9 banana and orange
10:30 4 bananas and some walnuts
12:00 veggies, rice, curry, spring roll, peanut sauce
3:00 berry and soy milk ice cream at Sub Zero
4:30 four bananas and a spoonful of peanut butter.
5:30 big salad and a tortilla at Milagros with Jennifer.
9:00 nuts and raisins.
10:00 banana and popcorn.

March right to it! (and BR catchup)

I went with Beth, Elizabeth and Bethany (feel like I should have a B E T H somewhere in my name now...how about JoBeth? or Bethanna? Bet-hanna?) to Bishop Nelson's father's funeral today.  It was so inspiring! I never met him, but learned so much about him from the thoughts that were shared.  Of course, Bishop's talk was my favorite.  (How can I be so blessed?  I have learned so much from Bishop Nelson, am so blessed to know and serve with him, and to love him and be loved by him.  The gospel is the most beautiful thing...it teaches us how to love our brothers and sisters).  But all of the talks and tributes were great, and Glen Nelson's bishop shared a thought that I loved and needed to hear:

"When he had a task to do, he marched right to it and got it done."

I haven't been that way with many things, including my thesis.  But I've been feeling the need to improve and be better, to make changes instead of excuses.  So right now, when I've got a little time before I go to the temple, I'm going to do some things that need doing...blog and journal catch-up!  So I'll include today's stats, and then write up the days that I didn't blog about, but wrote about while I was in Idaho at the Boone Reunion.

Today:

S: 9 hours (went to bed early and still needed more sleep, apparently)

W: 137/136.4

E: essentrics a/a

9:15 am Ate a cob of Susie's delicious corn, and an orange.  Wasn't super hungry, but was getting there.  Loved having that satisfied, but not to full feeling even afterwards.

1:20  banana, spring mix and spinach with a Susie tomato, chili, and a palta.  SO delicious.  A tiny bit on the full side after finishing, but just about right.  

CATCH UP:

7/30/12

W: 142.2 

S: 5.5

E: essentrics a/a

11:30 cantaloupe, pineapple, tomatoes, chips, salsa, guacamole

4:00 banana, walnuts

8:00 spring mix, beans, banana

Crazy day, but I ate well--not really getting hungry, but I ate @ Missy's, ate in the pm, and ate to combat a headache.

7/31/12

S: 8 hours

E: essentrics l/b

8:30 tortilla, potatoes, salsa...not really hungry.

2:15 2 bananas, walnuts, orange...sort of growly.

5:00 watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes...not really hungry.

So I've decided that I don't ever get really hungry on ETL-either that or I never wait long enough to really know!  Uncle Brent said "That's a low fat burrito!" to my breakfast this morning.  Uncle George said "Vegetarian today?" and I said "Yes." Some people have noticed, but no one has been negative.  

8/1/12

S: 9.5 hours

E: 2 hour hike, essentrics a/a

9:00 pancake, melon, potatoes, and ketchup

12:00 orange, banana, 3 granola bars

4:00 roll, pb, 2 bananas

5:00 green beans, salad, watermelon

6:00 trail mix

8:30 roll with pb, honey

Today was a binge day.  I ate when I wasn't hungry (not even remotely so) and when it wasn't mealtime.  If I give in to one thing (granola bars) I keep giving in.

On the plus side, tomorrow is a new day, and I exercised a lot!

8/2/12

A little better.

E: essentrics l/b

9 canned pears

12:30 banana, orange

5:00 greens, peppers, carrots, black beans, corn, Italian tomatoes, apple with pb, 2 rolls with pb and honey.

Once I say yes to something non-ETL, it's hard to say no, or hard to stop saying yes.  So I ate pb, but I didn't eat nearly as much overall as I did yesterday.  I wastn' going to do essentrics today, but when I did this evening, it felt SO good.  It just feels good to do.

8/3/12

E: meal prep/baby bouncing!

9:30 or 10 fruit soup....not really hungry, but not too full.

6 ish corn chips, lettuce, salsa, mixture of canned beans, tomatoes, etc.

Didn't ever get hungry, and I didn't exercise today, but I didn't eat nearly as much either!  Ind I sure didn't eat donuts and milk!  Bendiciones!

Simple

I remember a conversation with the Vargas on the mission.  We were talking about potential and who we are.  She said that her friend (Amy?) was good at organizing and planning, and would do great in business or something like that.  I said something about feeling like I have the potential to be that kind of person, but that I choose to be...and she said "You're simple," and said that I choose to be that way. It was true then, and it's true now.  I don't need or even want so many of the things that are viewed as necessary in my society.

I think that several things are contributing to my re-committing to simplification (I like minimalism as an idea, but there are "things" that I like too, and that bring me and others joy, so I don't know if I'll ever be on the minimalist bandwagon so much that I eschew all societal things...I'm a big music fan, big arts fan, big dressing up and reading fan, etc....but I do like simple.) I've long thought that I don't want gifts for my wedding. If people feel like giving, I would rather have $ to contribute to Rising Star, or to travel with.  Lunch with some of my grad school friends today and hearing about C.A.'s experiences in India made me realize (again!) that I have SO MUCH more than I need, or even want.  Also, J.A. is an influence, I think.  I can't decide what to think about the situation, but I don't need to know right now.  I like that he likes simple, though.  And lots of other things about him.  We're similar in a lot of ways.

Simplifying isn't always easy.  For example, this post couldn't really be considered simple.  It takes time sometimes to decide what you think is dispensable at any given point in your life.  But it also gives time and the ability to notice (it's SOOOO this way with simple food preparation and consumption, too!).  For example, today I noticed and reveled in the beautiful rose that the Snows brought me for my birthday, and the wood in the kitchen cupboards is lovely.  Simple is best. And real.

I have some "birthday bylaws" that I've been thinking about and want to record in a more organized way (I have some ideas written down), and that will help me simplify and focus, I think.  Maybe I'll share them here too (as well as in my journal) when they're more coherent.

Today:
W: 138.8 (I can't get away from progress...blessed to not have gone backwards as far as I'd thought)
S: 6 hours
E: essentrics l/b
12:00 butternut coconut soup at Enliten with my grad school girls.  Wasn't hungry because of last night's binge, but the soup was good, and I didn't feel overly full.

Birthday blessings!

Great day!  LOVE my friends and family and feel so blessed!  31 and loving life! :)

Today:
W: 134.8!  Was sure I would gain from yesterday. It pays to Eat to Live for real!
S: about 6 hours...woke up an hour before my alarm.
E: essentrics a/a
9:00 banana and orange
11:30 spring mix, palta, tomatoes, 2 pieces of bread
5:00 banana
5:30 Indian food...rice, dal, veggie coconut korma, aloo gobi
1:20 more rice, dal, and roti
1:40 3 tortillas with peanut butter and honey
3:40  chili, banana

Joy!

Today was full of blessings...I got to sleep in, I did a second interview with one of my thesis study participants, I got to talk about God a little bit with a CA man who was getting his tires changed at Walmart at the same time that I was.  The talent show went smoothly, DDD was awesome, as was the chat with Caitlin afterwards.  And JA has her stamp of approval too! :)  One of the best things was that I accessed my class list today...I LOVE being a teacher, and in spite of the drama, and potential tension within the team, I'm excited for my list of 21 5th graders...4 or 5 of them I know, having had older siblings, or knowing their parents because they work at the school.

Today:
W: 135.2
E: pm yoga
9:00 orange
11:30 banana, apple
5:00 greens, fiesta mix, banana

Do your best!

Several of the testimonies today mentioned doing your best...that's been something that I've been thinking about today...how I haven't been doing my best on my thesis, on my diet, schedule, teaching, etc.  If I have to do something, I might as well do it well!  So I'm singing the "Do your best!" song in my head on repeat right now, and I'm going to do my best to do my best tomorrow!!

Today:

W: 141

E: n/a

Didn't eat...fasting, and not hungry either.  We'll see how long it takes me to get hungry tomorrow! :)  

Excited for a new day, and so blessed by tender mercies today!

Home.

I'm back in the "real" world.  My week of family reunioning in Idaho was LOVELY.  And I did write about what I ate each day, and my exercise, but I won't copy it all down tonight, but here's today's run down:

Today:
W: ?
E: pm yoga
8:30 am Two tortillas with hashbrowns and ketchup.  Wasn't hungry...do I ever REALLY get hungry on ETL?  I don't think so!
1:00 Wendy's berry almond salad and a baked potato.  I'd ordered a taco salad at Carl's Jr., but they messed up my order and it just looked greasy and gross (and it had MEAT on it!) so I went next door and got what I really wanted!
5:00 5 bean burritos from Taco Bell.  Wasn't hungry, but ate them to stay awake.  I think I'm done with refined carbs.  7 tortillas in one day was not a good idea.
9:00 soy milk ice cream with vanilla flavoring, peaches and cashews at Sub Zero.

I've been reading about the TA method, but still feel that if I stick to ETL, only eating when I'm hungry, do essentrics, and become a runner again, I'll reach my goals!  I'll keep trying!