dietcoke detox

LINDA THIS IS FOR YOU!

Top ten reasons you will most likely crack and need a diet coke.(and probably an upgrade to an alcoholic beverage)

1. You decide that three kids are not enough and decide to adopt a dog that is in heat!
2.  You come home from work and can’t figure out what is dirtier your house or your kids.
3. You break your toe in the middle of winter and can only wear flip flops.
4. Your kids have been up puking all night followed by you puking all day.
5. You only notice the maple syrup in your hair after that very important meeting.
6.  The dog you adopt just peed on your rug.
7.  Someone sneaks non-washable paint into your house and you have your own Jackson Pollack on your walls.
8. That embarrassing picture from high school is suddenly posted on Facebook.
9. You almost light your hair on fire attempting to turn on the new BBQ.
10. Your iphone falls in the toilet and your ipad breaks and the only thing you can do on it is play Angry Birds.

I know I am due for a diet update. I am happy to report that I am down about 3 pounds and walking/running two miles most mornings. The diet is going pretty well although last night I went to bed at 9:30 to stop myself from eating a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

Most importantly, I have cut out of the diet coke OFFICIALLY!!! Only had it twice at work in the past two weeks. I am caffeine free for the most part. So big thanks to my hubby and kids for putting up with some extra crankiness.

I just wanted to thank everyone who has read and responded to my blog.

There are mornings where I wake up and say forget this blog I can’t do this. This was a stupid idea. But when I log in and see these supportive posts and emails and it really does keep me going.

I also wanted to thank to those who have encouraged me to write and helped me with my writing. Yes, my grammar sucks and my thoughts may be scattered at times but I am learning how to pull it all together!

More to come soon. XO

The other day I got a letter from my mom in the mail. Yes, my mother still sends me handwritten letters in the mail. She does not email, text or tweet. I think we may still have a rotary phone in the basement. So in these e-days of lightening fast messages, I was very excited to get snail mail that was not a bill.

I poured myself a glass of diet coke sat at the kitchen table and got ready to read my letter.  I smiled as I noticed the little handmade hearts on the back of the envelope. As I opened the letter out fell newspaper clippings (at least 10 of them) and one coupon for 20% off at bed bath and beyond.

What is this? Who still cuts things out from the newspaper? Who still reads real newspapers? When I lived at home, my mom always loved to cut things out from the newspaper before any of us even got a chance to read it! That explains why growing up we were never up on our current events. She always managed to cut out the most important parts of the story. I scanned across the headlines: Will Drinking Diet Coke Increase your Risk of a Heart Attack? Diet Coke Links to higher risk for Strokes? Diet Coke is Poison?

She was at it again. After years of telling me to get off diet soda, she was now sending me bits of mutilated newspaper to scare me. Underneath the headlines of each article, she might as well have written “I told you so.” And when she really wants to get her point across she highlights or underlines!

Well I guess the seed was planted in my head and few weeks ago I finally decided to go cold turkey. I traded in my diet coke for bottled water. The first person I wanted to share this with was my mom.  So last week I called her and gave her the great news.  I told her about my diet coke detox and I waited for the praise and encouragement. Her reply was “Just a week? weren’t you supposed to stop months ago? I just mailed you a new study…..”

Yes I complained about it and made fun of her for her nagging. But the truth is I loved her for doing it and as a mother now myself I understood why she did it. I am always worrying about my kids eating well and what they are eating. In my usual hurried morning rush as I attempt to eat some breakfast I can hear her voice saying “just once I would like to see you sitting down when you eat.”

I guess I should let her know that while I complain and laugh at her tactics I really do appreciate everything she does for me. So I reach over to grab the phone, nah, I think I’ll mail her a letter….

A few months ago, my sister-in law Vera and I decided we needed some time to ourselves to decompress and yoga seemed to be the right choice. Between us, we have six boys; and knowing that just getting out of the house on a weeknight would be an impossible feat, we hired a yoga instructor who was willing to come to us on a weekly basis.

Other than motivating ourselves to get excited about yoga after a long day, the biggest challenge was what do with our six boys (and one cute but overly attached dog) while we would be trying to find our  “inner peace”.  We decided to have the first session in Vera’s basement. We gave the children strict instructions that they were not to disturb us or come downstairs, and left them under the not so watchful eyes of my brother-in-law Jonathan.

Our instructor arrived and we immediately took a liking to her.  If anyone could inspire us she was that person! During this first session, we were not surprised to find that we were equally inflexible and uncoordinated. Our tree poses looked like trees during a Nor’easter. We laughed as we “transitioned” from our down dogs to our cobras. We tried desperately to relax as the sounds of 6 boys running and screaming in the living room vibrated above our heads. We tried to ignore Daisy’s whimpering and scratching at the basement door. We wondered where Jonathan was and grew frustrated at his inability to keep everyone quiet. But then something surprising happened. Somewhere between the final stretching and the soothing sounds of music emanating from our instructor’s iPhone, we managed to unwind. By the end of the hour amid all the chaos and cracking bones we did actually feel more relaxed.

Since then, we have kept up with our weekly sessions, even when life’s crazy schedule gets in the way. I did once miss half a session because my toilet overflowed. I came over to Vera’s house in tears, saying  “I have no time for yoga! I need to fix my toilet. Can I borrow your plunger?”

Our instructor continues to teach us how to focus our minds on the moment and away from the stresses and sounds of our daily lives.  For one hour every week, we simply focus attention on ourselves. For the most part, we’ve learned to tune out the kids, our husbands, the barking dog, the lawnmowers, the ringing phones and find our own version of quiet. Sure, there are still plenty of good laughs and unlimber limbs. But it’s one hour that belongs to us, with lots of love and sparkles!

Here is something funny I wrote I little while ago. Happy Monday!

1. I want to cry over the spilled milk on my floor, on my couch, in my car, on my new dress..
2. I want a “time out” of one minute for each year of my age. 40 minutes sounds pretty good…
3. I want “bling” that is not made from macaroni or cheerios.
4. I want artwork that is not made with washable markers.
5. I want wine and not whining.
6. I want a day where I do not hear the words: “but, how come, why not, I don’t know, he did it, one more, and because…”
7. I want to wake my kids at 2am to get me water because I am thirsty then wake them again at 3am because I AM STILL THIRSTY.
8 .I want to throw up on someone and have them clean it up…
9. I want someone to tell ME to take a nap!
10. and last but not least I want ONE MORE MINUTE PLEASE!

A big thanks to my friend Linda for her supportive response on my first post.  She has offered to help me get in shape and back into running. She pushed me when I did my first 5k run. (and last).

She runs marathons and triathlons and also a mother of three!  Best friends since we were born, we have seen each other through thick and thin.  And hopefully right now for thin!

She has also decided to join me and try to kick  her diet soda habit and eat better too!

I am a 40 year old mother of three boys. I have spent the last ten years obsessing about what my kids eat, if they are eating, did they finish eating… while taking little care of myself and my own eating habits. That has lead to more than one trip to the emergency room. My body has been through two childbirths (one of which was twins!), lung infections, Pancreatitis gall stones, anemia to name a few. and while the broken toe has nothing to do with diet, it does have to do with lack of self-care and lack of attention I give to myself. Yes, I am a terrible eater. I drink too much diet coke, love anything salty and don’t eat enough fruits and veggies at all.

It is always easier to blame someone else for it.  I will blame my mother. Sorry mom. I love you. You are the sweetest, kindest person but you never forced me to eat anything. If I didn’t want it I didn’t eat it. When you lecture me for my bad habits you have only yourself to blame.  so really is it not my fault.

Some may say I am klutzy, clumsy, forgetful at times,  and even a walking disaster. I would say I am a mother. TO THREE BOYS!! Any mother would understand what that means, what my day entails and why I eat breakfast standing up and dinner falling down from exhaustion….

So while I spent my thirties taking care of everyone else I decided now that I am 40 I need to dedicate more time to myself.

Why this blog?

After many failed attempts to become healthier, I admit I need help as well as support and encouragement. I figured if I write this and at least one or two people actually read this I know I cannot quit or give up. One person saying “good job” or “I understand” can push a very tired, cranky mother into one more day of self-care!

I will blog about my progress and downfalls (as I am sure there will be many…)  and hopefully be on the road to a healthier me!