By Example

Recently I saw a photo of a little girl in diapers standing on a scale, looking at her weight with a worried curl in her brow.  The photo was being used as a warning to moms about the messages we send our kids about weight-obsession.  Our little girls, particularly, watch and pick up our fears, insecurities, and our focus on that big W word—Weight.

Ever since having my daughter, I’ve been determined to teach her to make healthy choices at a young age.  When I was a child I was chubby and felt insecure physically.  The way I was treated by kids and teachers at school created scars that still hurt at times.  (Mostly the hurt now is just fear that my daughter will go through something similar.)  Understandably, I do not want Eden to have her weight be an issue while she is in school—or ever, for that matter—but I cannot deny that part of weight is wrapped in genetics and she probably will have to face it at some point.

My job, then, is to teach her how to overcome the weight “tendency” the best she can—without teaching her to obsess about her weight!  Where is that line?  Can I make her conscious about something, without leading her into the weight-obsessed mindset most of our society already pushes?

The answer, I think, is recognizing myself as the example.  Do I obsess about weight in front of my child?  I can talk about portion control and daily exercise with positive results, but am I mixing it with a panicked fear that if I don’t do these things, something very bad will happen?  Does my need to lose weight overshadow my ability to love?  If I eat more than I should, do I carry on about my regrets and fears?  Is my self-image wrapped up in looking a certain way?

My child watches and learns how to be healthy, both physically and emotionally.  I pray that I am able to teach her to be healthy in both aspects.  

Kitchen Project

It’s been hectic at our house this summer. We are currently without cupboards in our kitchen and soon to be without water, refrigerator, or any other useful appliance. Due to some water damage we are getting a new kitchen, which really is a blessing even though it feels like a curse right now.

The curse is enough to drive me crazy—trying to get the cabinet guy to call me back, trying to find that pan that was once in its perfect spot, and trying to make dozens good decisions in a matter of hours. And another obstacle: my anxiety for the days to come.

I am dreading the weeks when we won’t have a kitchen, and when we’ll be hearing slamming, hammering, and drilling nonstop instead. How will my kids react? How will they nap? Where will we go during the day?

And where will we eat? Will I gain ten pounds from eating out all the time? Friends have told me that I should BBQ outside and use paper plates, which is a useful idea I plan to do. But what if it’s too hot? Where will I keep the meat if I don’t have a refrigerator?

So many questions and so many concerns. I really should let tomorrow take care of itself.

Ultimately, this situation is the perfect topic for a health blog because there are so many health ramifications from being kicked out of your kitchen. I plan to give updates as we progress through this unanticipated project. Hopefully I’ll be sane enough to do so!

Hearing It All

            Lately my daughter Eden has been asking us “what?” and saying “I can’t hear you” when we talk to her.  I haven’t been overly concerned, figuring it was more of an I-don’t-understand thing rather than I-can’t-hear thing.  Still, being a typical mom, I wanted to get her hearing tested, if only to put my mind to rest.

            I called her doctor.  Sure enough, Dr. Phan said that Eden’s behavior was perfectly normal—but to play it safe we should get her tested.

            Eden is petrified of doctors, which she has reason to be since most of the time they’re poking, prodding, and injecting.  Ouch.  So to prepare her for the hearing test, I told her about it several days in advance.  She was very worried immediately, but I kept assuring that it would be okay, there would be no shots, and it might even be fun.  I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect at the appointment, but I figured it would include looking in her ears and having her listen to various decibel levels.

            The night before her appointment we were in the car, and I was again trying to help her nerves.  We decided to “practice” the hearing test, so I lowered my voice and said in a hushed whisper, “Eden is a cute little girl.”  Then I asked her to repeat it.  With a quirky smile, she whispered, “Eden is a cute little girl.”

            I had a strong feeling my daughter’s ears were just fine, except for the occasional problem of selective hearing.

            The next morning we headed into the doctor.  By the time the appointment started, I am pretty sure that my husband and I were way more stressed out than Eden was.  We had gone to the wrong building and ended up being 15 minutes late.  They agreed to see her, though.  During the test she was a perfect angel.  And she had a blast. 

            As I had expected, her ears were examined first.  Then she was brought into a sound-proof room and given headphones to wear.  In the next room, facing her with a glass window between them, sat the doctor.  She spoke into the microphone and asked Eden to repeat the words she said.  She said words that Eden would appreciate, like ice cream and playground.  Then she asked Eden to respond when she heard a train whistle.  Eden heard it, but being shy she just grinned.  The doctor made a game of it—when Eden heard the train, she was to throw the ball into the basket that my husband was holding.

            In the end, Eden had a wonderful time.  If anyone is trying to think of a fun activity to do with your kids for a special day, by all means give them a hearing test.  On the way to the doctor’s office, Eden wore out our ears by repeatedly saying, “I don’t want to go to the doctor!”  When we left, she wore out our ears saying, “I want to go to the doctor!” 

            Oh, and the doctor said her hearing is just fine.

No eating after 4 PM - Is it feasible?

For the past few days I've been trying out a new eating schedule so that I don't eat after 4 PM. Previously I was trying to limit my calories to 1500 daily, but was finding that mid-mornings and mid-afternoons I was getting sluggish and shaky.


Since ending my eating at 4, I have been eating more earlier in the day.  The plus has been a spike in energy during the day, no more sluggishness and shakiness, and (amazingly) more energy in the evening.  The negative has been that I am no longer able to eat when my family eats at dinner.


Has anyone else tried this kind of eating schedule? Has it worked on a long-term basis? What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear ideas! 

Goal Met

After one year of blogging, I am exciting to announce that I met my goal at the end of November. I want to thank everyone who read and subscribed. Having an audience is what kept me going. The comments and emails were so encouraging. I appreciate all of you! 


I am not currently writing blog entries for My Daily Avocado, but I may repost or write new ones in the future. So what am I doing? I am starting a new goal, this one not as public. I am in the midst of writing a young adult novel. It is going well so far, and I hope to finish by the end of 2011.


Again thank you all so much for your support! You'll hear from me again in the future. Meanwhile, stay healthy!


Kimberly

Shop Till You Eat

I recently went to the mall with my mom and my two kids. Have I ever mentioned that I hate to shop? (Almost unnatural for a woman, I know.) What’s there not to like about crowded parking lots, congested walkways, long lines, fussy kids, and loud store music? Maybe I am not normal to avoid these things, but after spending the day at the mall I found that I really enjoyed myself. Surprisingly.

The kids had fun, which results in me having fun too. Among the talking dogs, Christmas decorations (yes, they’re up!), escalators, and carousel ride, my kids enjoyed themselves.

But they did get hungry. Have you ever tried to find nutritious food in a mall? We ended up at Jamba Juice and a pretzel shop. Not the best and not the worst, I suppose. The pretzel shop had no whole grain options, sadly. You would think nobody is interested in being healthy at a mall. Is that true? Do other people besides myself long to find nutritious food while they shop?

We’re nearing a very busy season for shopping. How many trips to the mall will we make over the next several weeks? Will we be able to avoid the fat, salt, and sugar of a food court menu?

The holidays present enough opportunities to over-indulge. We don’t need more opportunities for goodness’ sake! Next time I go the mall I think I’ll bring a granola bar and apples for my kids. Or maybe avoid the mall altogether!

Multi-tasking

I must be the world’s worst multi-tasker. Give me a job, I’ll do it. Give me another job while I’m doing my first job, and I’ll fluster about and fail miserably at both.

Dinner was supposed to be easy after my busy day, and it would have been if I hadn’t set myself up for failure by multi-tasking. Instead of waiting in the kitchen for the food to get hot enough to turn down to a simmer, I used the waiting time to put some laundry away. You probably can guess what happened—I burned the food.

Life as mom would be impossible if I didn’t multi-task some of the time, but when it comes to my children’s safety, I have to make sure I have no distractions. But distractions can come easily when you’re doing a mindless task.

So I have developed strategies to help keep me focused and pull me back to details I forget when I’m multi-tasking. For instance, one strategy is using a kitchen timer on even extremely basic tasks. If I had set the timer for 60 seconds while I was cooking the other night I would not have left it on high heat to be burned. Timers are a great help for those of us who are lousy at tackling two things at once.

Sticky notes is another help. Little reminders written and placed where they’re most needed can help stop me from making a mistake.

I don’t know if anyone else suffers from a one-track mind, but if you’re like me, you need these kinds of tips.