Let them eat cake?

Tonight my baby girl and I were sharing a strawberry shortcake... fresh strawberries, angelfood cake, and fat-free Redi-whip.

Baby: "Is cake healthy?"

Me: "Nope."

Baby: "Because it has sugar in it?"

Me: "Yep."

Baby: "Yeah, and sugar doesn't have enough protein."

I thought this was funny. At age four, she knows more about nutrition than I did!

Revolt?

Today something happened - two of my kids requested that I NOT pack their lunch tomorrow. The two youngest kids! The ones who have been totally on board from the beginning!

My baby informed me after school today that they were serving spaghetti tomorrow and that she wanted to eat lunch at school. I thought it was cute that at age four, she was aware of the lunch menu enough to spot out her favorite food. So I told her that would be ok.

Then later tonight, my son informed me that he didn't want to take his lunch tomorrow. But he didn't even know what they were having! When I explained to him that it was a choice between spaghetti and burrito, he said he would eat the burrito. I KNOW he doesn't really care for either one! When I asked him why he didn't want me to make his lunch, he said it was because sometimes the food just "smells good" in the cafeteria and he wants it...

Let me explain something about my son for those who don't know this - but he has a mild form of Autism called Asperger's syndrome. AJ likes certain things - a lot. One of the foods he LOVES is chicken. Yesterday, the school served chicken strips, and I think he was upset that he didn't get to eat the chicken strips at school - or at least that's what I got out of the conversation. But for him to choose a school lunch that he doesn't LOVE over a lunch packed from home doesn't make sense... even for him! I even offered to let him pick what he wanted IN the lunch...

I don't think it is a good idea - this early in the game - to MAKE the kids take their lunches to school. My oldest daughter was still all for bringing her lunch from home, so all is not lost. She acually helped me pack mine and her lunch tonight, and we had a chance to talk.

I made a decison to day to STOP binging, and to eliminate certain trigger foods from my diet (candy, ice cream, and donuts). I talked to her about this, and asked for her help to keep me accountable. She mentioned that by doing this (helping me), it will also make her accountable and help her to make the right choices.

I also made sure that I told her this was not about a DIET, but about making healthy choices and stopping the binging. She knows all about the binging, and I feel I have to teach her that it is NOT normal. I think we made progress.

"Do as I say... not as I do"

I am so excited! I have written my first guest post for Mish over at Eating Journey! Yes, I am talking about THE Mish that started the whole EXPOSED movement!

She is doing a series this week highlighting not only stories of people dealing with family and food, but also how their current changes are impacting those around them.

I was HONORED that she contacted me to do this. Go over and check it out!

One week down!

We have officially been a healthy family for one week! Yay! And do you know what? It's been one of the best things we could be doing as a family!

I am so much more conscious of the food I give to my kids. Grocery shopping is a whole new experience!!! I had to go shopping today because we had ran out of fruit! We never just "run out" of fruit... it always ends up rotting in the food bowl! Sad, I know...

The kids love taking their lunches to school. I try to give them a little variety every day so they won't get tired of the same old thing...

This lunch consisted of a PB & J sandwich, pretzels, string cheese, baby carrots, and grapes. I'm sure some people will find some fault in that, but I think it's pretty balanced. Protein, whole grains, good fat, fruit, veggie, and not a lot of carbs.

My lunch is usually a variation of theirs...

Laughing cow and jalepeno jelly on an sandwhich thin, tuna and whole grain crackers, brocolli, and strawberries. I spread this out for both lunch and a snack.

We have also been eating more at home, which has been a challenge on some nights! We did have pizza one night, but it was a veggie pizza (something my kids had never heard of, lol).

Since we all love pizza, we might try to incorportate a veggie, thin-crust pizza every once in a while. Rome wasn't built in a day, and I also know there are going to be times that I just need to grab something fast.

Other nights we have grilled chicken, made french toast, or just eat a sandwhich while at soccer practice, picnic style. We grilled out with friends this weekend, and had leftover burgers with sweet potato fries. Tonight, we had breakfast for dinner - scrambled eggs, toast, and turkey sausage.

(This is the baby helping me crack eggs. And yes, she is wearing a bikini, lol.)

For the first week, I think we have adapted pretty well. Of course, the majority of the "work" is on me... I spend about 30 minutes each night packing lunches for the next day. Sometimes, I just want to go to bed, but I do it because it is important. I can't just start something like this and not carry it through. Soon, I know, it will be a habit.

I also think that planning dinners and having my evening meals more organized will begin to get easier, too. I have already planned ahead for tomorrow... BBQ chicken in the crockpot! We have double soccer practice tomorrow night, so I want something quick and easy when I get home.

Thanks for all the positive comments I have got from all of you in the past week!

Great links...

I love THIS BLOG. This is an entry that has tons of links to other websites that are "concerned about school lunch and the direction in which American children are headed nutritionally."

One of the links is for the LET'S MOVE campaign that First Lady Michelle Obama has started. While I think it's great that she has taken childhood obesity on as a project, I am really sceptical about what kind of changes will be made in the long run. School lunches are CRAP because the governent allows it! There is so much red tape, and in the end, it's a numbers game. Processed food is CHEAP and saves money.

I love Michelle Obama, but I just wonder if she can really influence change where it is needed.

And btw... I finally got to watch all the episodes of "Food Revolution" on Hulu this weekend! I love that show, but I really want to tell Alice how close-minded and ignorant she is. Ugh. I hate people like that!

I'm off to pack lunches for tomorrow!

Why would I want another blog?

Back on August 25, 2008, I started Weight Watchers for the ??? time. I weighed my all-time highest... 333 lbs. After 25 days of being on the program, I started a blog (www.skinnyhollie.com) on September 19, 2008 to chronicle my weight loss efforts. In the past 1 1/2 years, I have written about ups and downs on this journey. It has been ab out diets, it has been about exercise, it has been about struggles with my spouse and children... it's pretty much been about EVERYTHING!

On Tuesday, April 13, 2010, I made a pretty BIG DECISION. I decided to bring my family on board!

S is my oldest child. At age 12, she weighs just over 200 lbs. Unfortunatly, my bad eating habits have transfered to her. So far, my approach with her is "do what I SAY, not as I DO."

Growing up as an extremely overweight child myself, I have always tried to limit S's food intake and limit her junk food. But she sneaks it anyway, and last summer I found out that she had been binging behind my back. What can I expect... she has been watching me binge since she was born. Yes, I have lost weight and I diet constantly. But I have not been the role model she needs. I have let her down.

AJ is my only son. He is 9, and so far he can eat whatever he wants and can stay skinny! He loves to eat, and would love off pop-tarts and chicken nuggets if you'd let him. Unlike S, he will try to eat healthy food (fruits and veggies) if you encourage him.

Although AJ does not have a weight problem, his eating habits SUCK. I usully let him eat junk beause he is skinny. But I want him to eat healthy food, too! He is a growing boy that needs nourishment. I want him to have healthy eating habits that he will have for the rest of his life.

Last, but definitely not least, is K. She is 4, and the baby. She is a handful - an emotional, bratty, witty, challenging mess! If she had been my first child, she would have been my last!

K, because she came along after I had successfully lost 100 lbs by eating healthy and exercising, has the best eating habits of any of my children. Since day one, I have been more conscious of what I feed her and have encouraged her to eat healthy. So far, she shows no signs of bad eating habits, even though (like most kids) would eat ice cream and candy all day
if given that choice!

But she will also eat fruits and veggies and is always open to try new things, unlike my other kids...

Since I love my family, and only want the best for them, I have decided that healthy eating and an active lifestyle is not only the path that I need to be on for weight loss. It is the path my children need to be on for lifelong HEALTH.

I KNOW what needs to be done, but doing it just for ME is not enough. I can't continue to feed my babies processed JUNK when I don't even eat it! Yes, it IS easier to pop chicken nuggets and frozen fries in the oven for their dinner. It IS easier to get them McDonald's drive through food, or $5 Little Caesar's pizza on busy nights. I can always find something healthy for JUST ME. But the easier route is NOT always the best route.

Last week, after reading several blogs on health vs. weight loss, and then reading an article about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, I gave our school-wide menu a second look. Funnel cakes and honey buns for breakfast. Chicken nuggest, pizza, and fried chicken for lunch. Nothing at all with REAL nutritional value. I decided at that moment that it was time to get the whole family on board.

I talked to my kids, and explained that I wanted them to start bringing their lunch to school each day instead of eating school lunch. They were more than thrilled to do so, and so far, so good! Yes, it is time consuming. I have to now make the time to pack healthy lunches. I have to make sure I have groceries and plan ahead. But the great thing is that by doing this for the kids, I am helping ME, too! I am also getting to bring my own lunch, which is helping me stay in control at work.

I have informed my kids that fast food dinners are OUT. The occasional pizza dinner will now be a treat instead of a normal week-night meal. We always have dinner at the table, but now that dinner consists of lean meat and veggies. It is thought out ahead of time, and it is healthy and unprocessed.

This "food revolution" in my household is going to to be hard work to sustain, but it is worth it. While I will still blog on my weight loss blog, I want to use this blog to chronicle my FAMILY journey to health. It will have a lot more pictures of the food we eat, as well as our activities as a family.  It will focus more on my struggles as a mom trying to make permanent changes in my home that will allow my kids to be healthy and fit. It will focus more on my kids, and their transformation to healthy eating and a life with less processed, sugary foods. And it will hopefully encourage others to make the change in their family as well.

I need this, but my kids need it, too. Together, as a family, I know we can do it!