Tipping the scales

Literally!

This morning I put on my comfy-but-cute jeans and they were ....wait for it.... TOO SMALL. I blame camping this past weekend. After all, a diet of beer and chips will do that. Regardless, it's sickening. I haven't lost much weight since having Brayden for a couple reasons- first I'm a lazy ass. I like to walk and do yoga but not when I feel as huge as I do now. Second, I can't diet because I'm Breastfeeding. I have lost lots of weight on Atkins before and I am willing to do it again. I know how, I'm educated in the Atkins interpretation of carbs, and by golly it WORKS for me. So my plan has been to atkins for a month, lose 20 pounds, and then pick yoga back up to shed the last 5 pounds. After actually tipping the scale today and seeing an extra 5 pounds on it I've decided today is the day. I'm already only nursing Brayden at bedtime and at wake up. So if I get some carbs in with dinner, he shouldn't be missing out on any nutrients. I'll also fill him with fruits and starches during the day. If this leads to weening him a little before his first birthday (tomorrow starts the one-month countdown) then I'm all for it too.

My theory is that if I blog every day about what I've eaten that it'll give me accountability and the inability to cheat or lie to myself.

Because I'm not throwing myself 100% into Atkins (carbs at dinner, remember?) my weight-loss wont be as rapid as it would if I were totally cold-turkeying carbs. But I'm okay with that. I just hate being this FAT. Yes I say fat because I am currently 30 pounds over MY normal and it's gross.

Ready---set---Atkins.

Lyn

Spring Break task: keeping the Kindergartener busy

Kien is happy playing Legos ALL DAY.  He might take a break to play cars or draw some pictures, but he is a generally easy kid.  The only bummer is that after a long enough stretch of him playing in his room he becomes a cranky little man.  He thrives off repetition, schedules, and routine.  So I have to incorporate some kind of organized structure in between the Lego airplane and Lego beach house just so we can have a sane evening.  Spring break is only a total of ten days, but the first day will be a day of soccer-shoe shopping and stocking up on supplies for the next week.  I've compiled a list of things I want to enjoy so I can put some creative structure in to Kien's day and get him out of his beloved bedroom.  My standards are that they all need to be realistically completed by working for about an hour at a time because that's the maximum time frame that Brayden lets me leave him alone for. Each project needs to be affordable, either using things I already have or by spending not more than a couple dollars.

#1: Painting pots 
My first thought was to pick up some cheap terracotta pots. I might still do that, but there's a chance I'll spend the first day paper mache-ing (what would the verb of paper mache be?) on to plastic posts we already have because we have a lot.  you know, those cheap green ones that potted plants from the store come in? They're floating all over my yard and garage.  So paper mache, paint (have it), and spray-sealer (have it) should do the trick.  I hope.  We'll see :)

#2: Yarn-wrapped picture frame
Cardboard (have it) cut into picture frames, various colors of yarn (I have teal, gray, ivory, and pink, maybe I'll let Kien pick out a new color if there are any small balls on sale).  Wrap the yarn  around the frame, and VOILA, a picture frame.  Maybe we can make a few coordinating ones and will have a beautiful montage on the walls. Art is always better when the kids create it on their own.

#3: Pretend stained glass
 Between two pieces of wax paper (have it) sprinkle crayon (have it) shavings, pictures, and anything that's flat like pieces of grass, flowers, magazine cut-outs, etc.  Iron it all slowly and once it's all done and pretty we can hang it in the windows, or maybe put it in the frames we made ;)