So we giving up?

Just wondering  

Disappointed

I know everyone is busy but come on. Let's hear what's going on. Persistence is the only way to change

Day 22-24 for Kyle

This week has been hard to get on and I still don't have much time now. But I wanted to post something to say that I am still alive and doing well. So here it goes:

Monday - Breakfast was a President's Day breakfast casserole (egg, italian sausage, cheese, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion) with fruit salad. Lunch was mostly snacks at work, mixed nuts, granola bar and yogurt. Dinner was a half turkey half beef hamburger on wheat bun, greek salad, bbq potato chips, and oatmeal cookie.

Tuesday - Smoothie with all the usual plus spinach for breakfast. Lunch was a turkey sandwich and yogurt. Dinner was after the game at Logan we went to Wendy's so I had a chicken sandwich with a side salad and light lemonade.

Wednesday - Didn't have time for breakfast so I had some protein and almond milk mixed and then a granola bar at school. Lunch was another sandwich and mixed nuts. Dinner was a vegetable curry with brown rice and a fruit salad.

Thursday - (so far today) Kim made an overnight oatmeal with greek yogurt, pb, flax seed, and other stuff I couldn't tell you. Lunch is the leftover vegetable curry with brown rice. I have had a clif bar and some mixed nuts as well.

Most days have been good. I feel super hungry today and have had a headache all day, which is strange because I have had lots of water, slept well, and ate a good breakfast. Last game before the state tournament next week is today, so maybe that is part of it. I don't know, speaking of the state tournament, I think we will play at either 11:10 am or 9:10 pm on Tuesday at Weber. It all depends on if we win or lose tonight. My team has a chance to go undefeated in region by beating our rival Skyview at their place. So exciting stuff. But it is certainly a busy couple of weeks. The trimester ends next week the end of the regular season is this week, and state is next week. That has led to lots of grading needing to be done at odd hours, lots and lots of scouting potential opponents for next weeks game, and the occasional work on my masters. Typically, this type of busyness would lead to some Pepsi and comfort foods, but I have avoided that thus far.

Until next time -

Quitting Smoking Over The Weekend

Good Afternoon All

As you all know my goal last week was to smoke 9 a day. I happy to say I didn't smoke more then 9 and was more around 8. On the weekend I smoked 9 Saturday and 8 Sunday so I am pretty happy with that considering I had a lot of down time but I did get some reading in so that was good.

I really haven't had any major issues with hitting my goal and I can feel myself getting closer to just not wanting any at all, but there is still that part of my that cant completely let go. I really think that ACV has made a huge change for me as far as how I feel I haven't felt sick or anything ever since I started taking that every day.

As far as this week my goal is 7 so far today I have only smoked 3 so we will see what I can really get to!

Thanks again for all your support and love means the world to us!

With Love,
Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Day 19-21 for Kyle

I don't mean to make this a habit of reporting in 3 days at a time. But sometimes the schedule dictates such behavior. That said:

Friday - Multi-grain cheerios and almond milk for breakfast.
Lunch was the rest of my Zuppa Toscana soup a granola bar and a brownie that Kim and the girls brought me for Valentines Day.
For dinner, Mom and G-ma came to our games and they hooked me up with a Market Fresh sandwich from Arby's, those things are more filling than one might assume.

Saturday - the lazy morning led to me having breakfast at like 9:30 or 10, a couple of eggs 2 slices of sourdough bread and a fruit smoothie with almond milk and almond butter.
Lunch was not planned well, we were out and about taking care of kids and cousins and I had a few pretzel bites from pretzel maker, then we fed the kids some chicken nuggets and apple slices at the McDonald's. I had some nuggets and a few fries.
Dinner was our Valentines Day date, Kim had planned it and we went over to a nice restaurant here in Logan called Elements. Good food, it was one of those 2 for 50 type meals where you split an appetizer and then each get your own salad, entree, and dessert. So the appetizer was shrimp cocktail and coconut shrimp with a veggie egg roll. Not a very big appetizer which is good. I had a small cobb salad with light honey mustard, and then a bacon wrapped filet with garlic mashed potatoes. And for dessert I had this brownie thing with ice cream.
     --- This meal was really pretty good, and not quite as big as you might think. At no point did I feel overly stuffed and full. I drank water, as opposed to the Pepsi I would normally order in this situation. It was a pretty nice celebration dinner.

Sunday - Breakfast was a flax seed/wheat flour waffle that Kim had whipped up, with fruit and syrup. Lunch was more like snacks really, I had some sourdough toast and some celery with pb and apple (Mom's idea). Dinner was honey dijon pork chops with roasted potatoes/vegetables and garlic bread.

Each day I feel good and feel like I am keeping my portions in relative check. The water instead of soda thing is definitely the thing that I have noticed being the most impactful on how I feel each day. And on the nice end of things I lost 1.5 lbs, so as of this morning I am down to 330.5. The results are nice to see, in some ways it makes it easier to keep off the Pepsi, knowing that change along with others is producing good results.

Until next time -

Friday the 13th Part XIII

Hey ya'll....I haven't been very engaging on here, for that I apologize. Been trying a couple new things out that I wanted to share with everyone though. Dig in, I put my blogging hat on!

So—I'm currently in the middle of a post workout smoothie, and I'm trying this brand of vegan, plant-based protein supplement.

I blended it with ice, peanut butter, honey, cacao powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, almond milk and a banana. 

My first impression?

DANG!!! That's a tasty protein shake!!!

Really happy finding a vegan supplement that doesn't taste/feel like I was punished with chalkboard duty. Feeling very satisfied, no snacking urges. I feel like the seeds help a lot with this, as they absorb water and expand in your stomach. 

I also just purchased this to try:

I started adding it to the green juice smoothie for breakfast, it definitely adds a noticeable spring in my step out of the gates for the day. It also makes me feel a little better if for some reason we didn't have enough greens on hand to juice.

Obviously haven't been using them long, but after today I'm feeling awesome! There are so many beneficial ingredients, I actually get stoked putting them into my body haha. 

Another thing I started trying to do was committing to daily cardio. Whether it's 15 minutes on the treadmill, biking around town running errands, or a half hour smashing drums before work, I can't believe the difference just a little activity makes in my energy level and overall feeling of betterment. (This is elementary but damn, it really does help!) 

Kyle, you have been crushing it with resisting your Pepsi cravings and I'm really glad to hear you've been committing to healthier choices throughout your day. I hope with your insane schedule you can find the time to try to start sneaking in exercise where you can. Regardless, you are doing awesome and I am proud of you my man! 

Patrick! My dude! You are so close to just quitting smoking, I know one day soon it will just be "it" for you. Keep challenging yourself and setting daily goals—soon enough yesterday will be the last day you smoked. It feels so awesome to say, I can't wait for you to achieve that. 

Pardon my extra long post today, I hope everyone has a great weekend and gets a shoebox full of Valentines from the entire class ;)

See everyone at the Grieves show, I am super pumped everyone's going to try to come! Means a lot xo

Jonathan

Day 17 and 18 for Kyle

Update:

Wednesday - It was a game day and I had a meeting first thing in the morning so I went without breakfast, not what I wanted. And I found myself snacking earlier in the day on granola bar and mixed nuts. Had leftover green chili chicken enchiladas and a yogurt for lunch, and then had a 6-inch subway for dinner between the games. I drank more water, which helped with the hunger, but I swear my bladder is the size of a walnut because I have to use the restroom about 100 times a day with all of this water.

Thursday - another failed breakfast day, I had a granola bar and an apple in the morning. For lunch I had the other half of my subway from the night before. And for dinner we went to Rumbi and I had a chicken bowl with brown rice. Karyn (Kim's mom) had made a few valentines day treats for the girls, Kim, and I so I had a chocolate covered strawberry and a chocolate covered oreo. Just enough, without overdoing it.

Feeling alright. Today I had a massive migraine type headache. Needless to say teaching had not been going well, we have a game later today, I had an hour long parent meeting in which I kept explaining the same thing 50 different ways. So I have wanted a Pepsi badly. But Kim brought me some excedrin and I have chugged about 70 oz of water, so I don't feel like I need it now, which is good. So I hope I can keep it up.

Until next time -

Quitting Smoking Days 15, 16, 17

Good Afternoon

I know I have been very poor at keeping up with the blog this last couple of weeks I have been really busy. but here it goes.

Day 15 16 and 17 I have smoked 8 times each.

My goal this week was 9 but it has been a lot easier as I am cutting out moments I notice I smoke the much. Honestly it hasn't been to difficult and I feel like I could actually do less if I really wanted to I am just in a cruise control. The toothpicks you gave me last weekend Mom help a ton and I am starting to make it a habit to use one of those instead of a smoke which is great. I have bought a new pack of toothpicks since then as I am going through them fairly quick right now.

Haven't seen anything in the last couple days from you either Kyle so lets post see how you are doing I know you have been making some great changes and I am excited to see what you did yesterday!

Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Bad sugar!

Sugar is the #1 reason that you carry faton your body.  That’s right…it’s not fat that makes you fat, it’s SUGAR.  

That’s because sugar stimulates a fat-storing hormone called insulin, which is secreted by your pancreas.  The more sugar you eat, the more insulin your body secretes… and that means you gain more and more FAT.  

But here’s the worst part…

Of all your body parts, guess where your insulin hormone loves to store fat the most?  Yep, you guessed it — your stomach! 

If you ever want to shed belly fat and reveal those lean abs, you MUST eat less sugar.

That is a fact.  But for the times when you DO eat sugar, remember this:

“Don’t drink your sugar, EAT your sugar!”

Memorize it, tattoo it to your forehead…whatever.

Here’s why: when you eat sugar from natural, whole foods (an apple for example), you are consuming the sugar along with fiber from the fruit.  Fiber slows down the uptake of sugar into your bloodstream, preventing your insulin from spiking so that you don’t store gobs of fat.

On the other hand, when you have sugary drinks (yes, even fruit juice!), there is NO fiber.  With every sip, you are essentially telling your body, “Hey, let’s pack on lots of fat!”

Here’s something else you need to understand:  all carbohydrates break down into sugar once they’re in your body.  That’s why foods like bread, pasta, and rice make you pack on the pounds and cause you to feel bloated all the time.  

Now, even though you should cut back on these high-carb foods, I’m not saying you can’t eat carbs at all.  In fact, let me fill you in on a little trick that let’s you “cheat” and eat more carbs — withoutexpanding your waistline…

If you’re going to eat carbs, the best time is AFTER you workout.

You see, after you finish a workout, your glycogen (glucose stored in your muscles) gets depleted.  So when you eat carbs, your body uses the sugar to replenish your muscles first, instead of sending it straight to your gut!

Day 15 and 16 for Kyle

Here is a quick update on the food diary:

Monday:
Breakfast - Muscle Milk and nature valley protein bar
Snack - greek yogurt
Lunch - Zuppa Toscana and banana
Snack - Mixed nuts
Dinner - Broccoli grilled cheese sandwich

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Smoothie with almond milk, pb, strawberries, banana, blueberries, and protein
Lunch - Turkey sandwich, hummus with carrots and crackers
Snack - Mixed nuts and granola bar
Dinner - Green chili chicken enchiladas

Overall it was a decent couple of days. I felt like I was just super hungry all day yesterday and then overate in the daytime. I need to drink more water on those days I think. Still no Pepsi, thanks for the support when  I was craving one yesterday. I don't think there is some magic reason why I crave one, why do people crave anything that they like? Just one of those days. Anyhow, today is a gameday and I am doing alright so far. Full report next time.

Until then -

Day 12-14 Quitting Smoking

Good Afternoon

So all and all I feel like my weekend went fairly well with smoking. For starters Mother bought me smoke of those tooth picks we have been talking about and I was shocked at how big of a difference they made.

Before I forget I owe Kyle 1 round of 9 holes so far so don't let me forget!

My goal was 10 a day

Friday I smoked 9

Saturday I smoked 10

Sunday I smoked 7

I felt pretty good I got a couple of headaches through out the weekend but nothing that stuck for very long.

My goal this week is 9 per day

Today I have smoked 5 times a little interested to see how the rest of the day turns out because I am a little a head of where I wanted to be at the time of day. Anyway feeling great and looking forward to Kyle and I killing it again this week and looking forward to some more great advice.

P.S. Carlyn the snack idea why driving seems like something I could try out I will let you know how it goes thanks again!


Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Day 12-14 for Kyle

The weekend report goes as follows:

Friday - Bagels and fruit for breakfast
Turkey sandwich with hummus crackers and carrots for lunch
Snacks of granola bar and mixed nuts
Dinner was at the Burger Bar in Roy. The coaches and I were scouting a game and that was our choice. I had a burger and fries, but no Pepsi.

Saturday - Kim cooked up some awesome veggie and feta omelets with wheat toast for breakfast
I snacked on greek yogurt, and a mixture of walnuts, Adam's pb, and a few chocolate chips
Kim then made some sesame chicken and honey walnut shrimp with brown rice and broccoli for dinner, all of which was excellent.

Sunday - I cooked up some over easy eggs with hashbrowns and toast in the morning
Snacked on some pita chips before church
For dinner we had Zuppa Toscana (recipe: here ), like the Olive Garden soup, and Kim's dad made some bruschetta, which was killer.

So this morning I weighed in and found that I had lost 2 more pounds and now sit at 332. So that is good. Looking back over the week I noticed that I am having at least 1 (sometimes 2 or 3) good meals a day. I think I need to fix the pacing on the weekends. I don't think that I really overate on the weekend but only having 2 meals could lead to that. Also, I am sure some of my more extremist supporters would like to see me have every meal be perfect, but that is not something I can do with much success. Typically, when I go super extreme and make every meal perfect I eventually get fed up and the fall out is worse than just not stressing to have a perfect week every week.

Still pretty happy with where I am at. 2 lbs a week is good especially since I haven't gone to extremes.

Until next time -

Carlyn

Welcome Carlyn!

Look forward to your support and sharing all your knowledge we all know you have!

Motivation

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
- Dale Carnegie

Day 10 and Day 11 Quitting Smoking

Good Morning Everyone

I know I have been very consistent with posting this week it has just been crazy for me so far. I had to let me receptionist go and I have been training my new receptionist so I have been very busy. She is catching on quickly though so next week should be a lot easier for me.

Breakdown on how my days have been going

Day 10 I smoked 9 times and it actually was a good day I was so busy with work I didn't think about it much at all.

Day 11 I smoked 10 times I drove a little more then I have been yesterday and as you all know driving has always been difficult times for me. I am feeling a lot better no headaches but my throat is starting to get a little bit tender on me right now. Which I have been expecting this to happen.

Kyle and I have made some great improvements in just a two week span I feel very optimistic for both of us and so excited to see how we continue to grow so thank you again for all the support.

Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Day 11 for Kyle

Thursdays are usually good days, this Thursday was no exception. In the morning I had an apple and a yogurt for breakfast. Not ideal, but not terrible. For lunch I had the left over chicken taco bowl and snack pack pudding and some edamame. Snacked on some more mixed nuts later in the day. Then when we got home with the girls we cooked up a frozen spinach and mushroom digiorno pizza. Tuesday and Thursday are days that we try to make easy things because getting home late with the girls and trying to fix dinner has proven to be complete chaos.

That was it for Thursday. Keeping it short and simple. I am still feeling really good most days, still haven't had any caffeine headaches. Right now, I am pretty happy with how things are going. Once basketball season ends, I can probably start to add to the habits that are being created now.

Until next time.

A good coconut oil u can get at sprouts

Day 9 and 10 for Kyle

I missed posting yesterday, mostly because some days teaching and coaching gets busy. Tuesday was a really good day for the food habits. I had a clif builder bar and a muscle milk in the morning, which always feels pretty good with all the protein. I had some mixed nuts for a snack, then had left over African peanut stew and wheat breadsticks for lunch. I had a banana and a yogurt in the afternoon for a snack and finished the day off with a crockpot chicken taco dish that Kim made. I have noticed that I do better on days when I get more sleep the night before and Monday night I got some pretty decent sleep for me (6 hours).

Wednesday was game day, basketball wise we really have a light week this week as we amp up to the culmination of the season the next 2 weeks. I had an apple, yogurt, and granola bar in the morning. Lunch was a turkey sandwich with hummus and carrots. Dinner was donated by some of the players parents and was pizza. I probably didn't eat enough throughout the day and overate the pizza. To complicate matters further, when I got home I saw the leftover lemon meringue pie and had a slice at 10 pm. I am conscious of not eating too late, especially sweets, but sometimes my brain gets lost.

Overall, still a couple of fairly good days. I still haven't had a Pepsi, which is good, but I can tell my brain and psychology is getting close to the point of telling myself that "I have earned one". I don't think having a Pepsi occasionally is a terrible thing, but at this point it would likely open a flood gate of having a few Pepsi's. So trying to avoid this.

Until next time -

The Path to Healthy Habits Blog Stats

A little update for everyone!

In the last 9 days since the blog "The Path To Healthy Habits" launched.

• Over 1,000 blog views

• Over 1,250 times all post have been read

• 27 total post

• 130 Comments total

This is breathtaking to see the support our Family has put into this and to see how much we all really care about making a difference in not only our own life's but the ones we care about most as well.

Great job and keep up the support and advice!

Love
Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Healthy AND Nauseous??

Since last weekend I have been outrageously nauseous (way more so than I ever was with Jax). I am having a hard time with keeping up the healthy aspect while dealing with it. I know that most of you have never been pregnant, but I am looking for foods/ideas that will help me stay healthy while I am dealing with the nausea (Lynds might have a little experience here). A sprite and something bland (toast, crackers, plain pasta) seem to be all that my stomach handles very well at the moment. Hopefully in a few weeks, when I am out of my first trimester, this will change.. but until then, I need to figure something out. If any of you have any ideas (keep in mind there are a lot of things that are not safe to eat/ingest during pregnancy), I would appreciate the feedback!

XO
Dani

"You are the culmination of your habits"

"Regardless of what you know is the right thing to do, your daily habits, the things you do without thinking, are what make you who you are today and determine who you will become days, weeks and months from now."  Here is an old concept and quote from an old dude who wrote an excellent read back in 1949 written by Donald Hebb, PhD in his famous 1949 book The Organization Of Behavior. 

Replace With Coconut Oil

I have been hearing and seeing a lot lately on Coconut Oil and so I thought I would give a little information on it for everyone. I know next time I go to the store I will pick some up and see how it works out for me and let you guys know. Let me know also if anyone has used this or knows anymore about it!

Coconut oil is a natural substance said to offer a host of health benefits. One of the few plant sources of saturated fat, coconut oil contains lauric acid (said to possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties) and medium-chain triglycerides (purported to speed up metabolism and promote weight loss).

Uses for Coconut Oil

 Coconut oil offers the following health benefits:

• supports thyroid function
• increases metabolism
• antiviral and antibacterial properties
• improved blood pressure
• improved cholesterol levels
• weight loss
• better diabetes control
• increased bone strength
• better digestion
• prevention of cancer
• hair and skin health
• prevention of heart disease
• stress reduction
• increased immunity

Ways to Use Coconut Oil in Your Diet

Use 1 cup to 1 cup ratio when replacing other oils/butter in recipes with coconut oil.
Replacement for butter/lard/Crisco/PAM in it’s solid form – greasing pans, pie crusts, etc.
Replacement for various oils in liquid form – baking, cooking, sautéing, etc.
Nutritional supplement – melt and add to smoothies.

Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Day 9 Quitting Smoking

Good Morning Everyone

As I told you all yesterday I was feeling sick again, I have started to feel better this morning. I left work early had some tea with honey last night and this morning as well as multiple glasses of water. Like I said I am feeling better today still slightly congested but feeling better. I am planning on getting some ACV soon and start putting that in to my morning regiment, so thank you for that advice Lynds.

Yesterday I only smoked 6 times so it was great as far as that goes because I was sick I was concentrated on other things besides smoking.

So far today I have smoked 2 times and feeling pretty good I am drinking some black tea with honey right now to sooth my throat some. I have a pretty busy day ahead of me today mainly because I missed half a day yesterday and need to get back on track.

Thank you for all the advice yesterday and looking forward to seeing how today goes and all the advice today!

Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Quote of The Day

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.”
- Earl Shoaf

ACV!

Hey everyone,

Apple cider vinegar! I was reading  all of the posts for this week, and decided I would talk about ACV for a minute. I first started reading into the benefits of taking ACV everyday when a friend of mine told me that they hadn't caught a cold since they began drinking it every morning. It wasnt difficult to find endless amounts of information backing up the numerous benefits of incorporating this fermented beverage into your everyday routine. From improving digestion, regulating blood sugar, increased energy, normalizing intestinal bacteria, to bringing your unrelenting hiccups to an instant halt! Which it totally does btw, I have tested this a few times.

I am going to dive into the benefits that seem the most applicable in response to Kyle and Patrick's posts. First being to simply strengthen your immune system. It has become known to me that plenty, if not nearly all of our health issues begin with, or are somehow connected with our digestive tract. That is why it has been my sole mission to try and do whatever i can to begin the healing there! ACV will help improve the conditions for friendly bacteria in your gut, and therefore help improve your overall immunity. The malic acid in ACV is a strong antiviral, and is also said to help your bodies lymphatic system by aiding in the break up mucous in the body. All of this contributing to many people saying they experience far less colds/allergies when drinking it. The other potential benefit I wanted to talk about is weight loss. The acetic acid in ACV has shown in studies to suppress the accumulation of body fat and liver lipids. It is said that if you try drinking ACV before a meal, it improves digestion of the food and suppresses your hunger levels helping with portion sizes.

If any anyone does start drinking this, its imperative that you are drinking raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized (not heated) ACV. Braggs is generally the go to brand, and it isn't pricey at all.

There are seriously endless amounts of articles stemming from a variety of sources explaining the benefits of drinking this everyday. I hope some of you will read more about it, who haven't already. It could be just another healthy habit, worthy of being in your everyday routine!

Day 8 for Kyle

Mondays are, well.... Mondays. Inevitably something is weird about them. I had a strange kind of headache a lot of the day and felt hungrier than I have in a while for most of the day. In the morning I didn't have much time so I mixed some protein with almond milk and had a nature valley granola bar at work. I ate some mixed pistachios and almonds as a snack. For lunch, I had a turkey sandwich on wheat sandwich thin with yogurt, carrots and hummus. For dinner, Kim made this awesome African Peanut Stew (here is the recipe: Stew, it's even vegan) with some homemade wheat breadsticks. Kim's Dad had resurrected the failed attempt at lemon meringue pie that we endured over the weekend and so we had to try that as well.

All in all, it was a good day. I felt like I ate fairly balanced and well throughout the day. The portions were a little smaller than usual and my calorie intake was about 600 lower than what the myfitnesspal app says it should be, so maybe that contributed to the off feeling.

Until next time.

Gandhi

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

Days 5,6,7, & 8 of Quitting Smoking

Good Morning Everyone!

I apologize for being late and not posting yesterday. I was slammed at work and then I also got a head cold again and got home and passed out all night. I am not sure what is going on but I have never been sick this much in a month period and it is starting to really frustrate me. I am not sure what else I can do I am working out 5-6 times a week,  I take all my vitamins daily, I am  eating healthy and balanced, I am drinking lots of water, and I am even taking an extra vitamin c in the morning to try and feel 100% again. So any advice at all I would really appreciate it!

Honestly I am not sure how I was feeling each day but I do know how many I smoked.
Day 5-11
Day 6-10
Day 7-12
Day 8- 7

So Day 6 which was Jax mans Birthday was easier because we had a lot going on and I spent a good part of my day around him.

Day 8 or yesterday it was so easy for me because I didn't feel well and slept all night.

This morning I am still not feeling very good so I have only smoked 1 time and I am thinking right now I might go home at lunch and sleep the rest of the day. Still my biggest issue is driving or not having much to do. Obviously when I am busy or around Jax Madi or Harper I don't smoke or want to smoke as much.

This week I am shooting for 10-11 a day and see how that goes but really right now more then anything I want to get over being off and on sick.

Thank you again for all the support and feedback it really does help!

Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

"Cuz I said so"

I know that this may sound redundant and or preachy according to some but I really would love it if everyone would take the time to watch on Netflix 'Fat Sick and Nearly Dead 2'. I loved it! It is very real! 

I truly can testify to the changes I have made in my life in feeling soooo much better and an added bonus of losing weight, simply by making daily choices to better myself and my choice is choosing sustainable and organic good food! Juicing was one of the vehicles I used to jump start myself but as you all know I probably didn't do it perfect myself and have some reservations but I'm overall happy about how things are going and am continuing to make choices to improve myself and my health. Including still juicing. 

So if you won't do it (watch the video that is) because of my example or of your own free will and choice...do it cuz I said so! And I love you and you love me and those around you but mostly because you love you!!! 

P.S. Promise you'll enjoy it

A Legend in the Making

Hi Everyone,
  I guess it is time for me to publish my first blog post not only in 'The Path to Healthy Habits' but ever. It only seems fitting that the title for this inaugural post is completely over the top and full of self confidence with a hint of arrogance.

I have really enjoyed following the family's updates as we all try to improve our lives one decision and one day at a time. The support has been outstanding and I hope this thing keeps rolling.

I have quite a few goals I am always working toward. They range from physical to intellectual to financial and they drive most the decisions I make in life.

As P. Diddy Day "Uncle Pat" eluded to, one goal I have had for many years which I have continually let fall by the way side is reading more. When speaking to people, even if it is the first time speaking to them, you can always tell if they are well read as they are articulate, intelligent, well spoken and have a vocabulary that rarely consists of all the three, four, and five letter words that require censorship around children. I WAN'T TO BE THAT PERSON

Over the past few years "Reading More" has continually been a New Year's Resolution of mine where I start out strong and fade away over a month or two.This year I decided to try something different in order to not to fall into Einstein's definition of Insanity:

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

I began my New Year's Resolution on December 23rd, 2014. It was a Tuesday. I set a goal to start, read and finish a book in parallel with my 8-week long indoor soccer seasons. My reward, I get to continue playing soccer the next season. I think you can all see where this is going, the punishment for failing, NO SOCCER. Crazy right?

So far, I am 6 weeks into my 8 week season and I am on track to finish my first book over the next 14 days. 

I am currently reading 'Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies.' Written by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras. 

Once I have finished the book, my plan is to write a summary blog post on what the book was about, what I learned, and how I feel I can apply the principles. 

If you have any recommendations for my next book I would love to hear them. So far I have really only been interested in books I can learn something from such as business/finance books, psychology books and others like that.

Well that about wraps up my first blog post. I feel like I should have some signature sign off or something like that. I will take suggestions for that as well. For now I will leave it with have a great evening and GO RSL. 

Day 5-7 for Kyle

Here is a quick run down of the weekends eating activities:

Friday:
Breakfast - Blueberry frosted mini wheats with almond milk
Snack - Nature valley granola bar
Lunch - 2 rolls of sushi (shrimp tempura and unagi/avocado/cucumber)
Dinner - Sack lunch from the parents for the game. Included: Sub sandwich, orange, granola bar, gatorade, and cookie.

Saturday:
Breakfast - Smoothie with flax seed, almond milk, almond butter, banana, blueberries, mixed greens
Snack - nutrigrain snack bar
Lunch - food at Jaxon's party: sandwich, chips and dip, veggies, fruit, 1 cupcake
Dinner - Chinese chicken salad (shredded chicken, almonds, greens, wonton strips), crab rangoons, pork potstickers, pork wontons, chow mein, sticky rice, orange chicken, lemon meringue pie. And a Diet Coke (more on this later).

Sunday:
Breakfast - Apple
Lunch - Crab rangoon, pork wontons, sweet chili sauce
Dinner - Mushroom/Beef tacos, guacamole, pita chips, mom's "healthy" no-bakes, 1/2 slices of lemon meringue and banana cream pie.

So the damage was a 2 lb loss from last week to this week, now weighing in at 334. I ended up having the one diet coke, which was stupid because diet coke is awful tasting and was a wasted intake of carbonation and caffeine. I drank a lot of water and spent a lot of time walking to and from a bathroom. I certainly felt better last week and this week is off to a good start. I am not overly concerned with the weight numbers at this time when I am so busy and working out hasn't been incorporated yet, but with that being said I am happy with the loss that occurred despite having a weekend that wasn't the best for food.

Thanks for the support so far, I appreciate the more you give for both Patrick and I.

Until next time -

Day 4 Quitting Smoking

I hit my goal!

I smoked 11 times yesterday which has been my goal for this week! I started the day off pacing myself a lot more then usual and it ended up paying off. I thought I could end the day with only 9 but as the day got late the urge grew strong. I am still very satisfied with that number and will not go above it now that I have achieved it.

The water again as I have mentioned many times seems to be the best thing I have tried to this date for making me feel better and it actually helps curb the need to smoke in the morning which has really surprised me.

I started off today strong at this point I have only smoked twice today and it feels amazing to feel so much more control over this habit. I have a long way to go but I can feel my will power growing with it more and more and that is very exciting to me not only for quitting smoking but in life generally.

Until next time

Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Day 4 for Kyle

Thursday was a little bit different of a day. I felt good all day, but without my water bottle I know I didn't drink as much water as I should. I also felt tired for large portions of the day, I even fell asleep watching a BYU game in a fully upright position, so I was clearly tired. The strange part was that I felt like I ate fairly well but just was dragging quite a bit. In the morning, I had a smoothie with blueberries, almond milk, protein, and Adam's PB. I had a nature valley granola bar in mid morning as a snack. For lunch, I had some whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, a clementine, and greek yogurt. In the afternoon, I had a handful of mixed pistachios/cashews/almonds/peanuts. Then Kim's parents were super kind and made dinner for us because they know how crazy it is on days when Kim and I both work and getting the girls home from daycare is crazy. This is in large part due to the girls being wackos when we get home. So it was super nice to have dinner ready when we got home. They made a homemade sweet and sour sauce with ham, fingerling potatoes and carrots, and garlic bread. I certainly ate too much garlic bread.

I don't feel like my portion sizes have been out of control. I probably need to find a way to eat more vegetables. That is the nice thing about writing it all down and seeing the dearth of vegetables that get written down. I really like Lyndsay's suggestion about drinking a ton of water in the morning. This of course would cause me to have to leave the classroom a couple of times in the morning to empty the bladder, but I think yesterday is a good reminder that when I drink enough water I feel better.

We have an away game today, which is always tricky because we are just stuck at some other gym without transportation. This usually means we stop as a team and get dinner on the way back. I am not sure if that will happen tonight since we are only playing in Box Elder. But it does mean going from 2:30 ish to 9:30 ish while being someplace without much access to my food. We shall see how it goes.

Until next time.

Hi from Lyndsay!

Hello everyone! I'm sorry to be joining in on everything so late, but i'm super excited about this . It sounds as though you're both off to a great first week of this adventure.

Patrick, I love that you're doing the glass of water first thing when you wake up, and I hope it helps. This is actually a small habit that I am trying to incorporate into my everydsy routine, and something simple we all could benefit from. When we're sleeping, our bodies go through a natural cleansing regimen, it just makes sense to wake up and facilitate the process by drinking 2 glasses of water before you put anything else in your body. It could be an easy way to help shed some pounds, and increase your energy in the morning. People who are on more extreme regimens, and are specifically working to lose weight, drink 2 liters first thing in the morning, and have seen drastic results just from this. Its worth a shot! Let me know if anyone else tries this out.

The other thing I have been wanting to share with all of you is that Fat Sick and Nearly Dead 2 is now on Netflix. Has anyone watched this yet? Jonathan and I are watching it now,  and I would urge all of us to watch it. Not to try and convince anyone of plunging into a juicing cleanse, because I don't necessarily believe that's the answer. Merely because it really focuses on the different experiences and journeys of people that are just trying to make healthier changes in their everyday lives. Its kind of interesting to hear the different, very real struggles that people are facing, along with success stories. It seems very relatable, and really acknowledges the mental contribution to why we maintain some of the poor habits that we do. I think it would be an inspiring thing for all of us to watch, and perfectly in conjunction with this whole support group that we are building :) Let me know if any of you get the chance!

I believe!

Day 3 for Kyle

Wednesday was a pretty good day. It started off with a muscle milk and a clif builder bar, because I was running late and didn't have time to make breakfast, lots of protein for breakfast. I had a nature valley granola bar later in the morning as a snack. The same mushroom and whole wheat pasta dish from Tuesday night was leftover lunch with some more Greek yogurt. In the afternoon it was game time. My team played well and won by 15 (even though the other team had a sophomore who had a 2 handed 360 dunk going the wrong way in warm ups). After that Kim hooked me up with a 6-inch subway. Double turkey with pepper jack and lots of veggies. She also got me some apple slices, and that got me through the day.

Another good day. I feel good, but I lost my water bottle somewhere in the course of all my games yesterday, so I may have to get another one.

Until tomorrow.

Day 3 Quitting Smoking

Good Morning!

Yesterday I smoked 12 again same as day 2 so 1 more then the goal but 4 less then my average.

As you all know from my post yesterday it was a rough day but I held off pretty well and it started to get easier as the day went on. Thank you again for the ones the did comment with some words of advice for me I really appreciate it.

Today I feel great I went to the gym earlier this morning then I have been going so I could run a couple of miles. I am surprised in how much that has suppressed my urges this morning to smoke and I am thinking I am implement this in my program a little more often. But I still hate running and it will not become a habit ha!

Very optimistic today feel like I can accomplish anything I want to and shooting for a great day I have only smoked 1 so far this morning so I am off to a way better start then previously. I also woke up and drank to large glasses of water (Jonathan has suggested this to me) and I am shocked with how much energy I feel like I have just from water.

Yesterday is over whether it was good or bad its now the past and does not affect what you can do today.

Thank You Everyone
Love
Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Day 2 for Kyle

Day 2 went fairly well. Kim got up early and made me an egg sandwich on wheat sandwich thins, I had a nature valley granola bar for a snack. For lunch I had 2 slices of leftover spicy fennel sausage gourmet delite (thin crust) pizza from Papa Murphy's (210 calories a slice), an apple with pb, and a greek yogurt. For dinner I had a mushroom pasta with whole wheat spiral pasta and a homemade sauce, and I snuck in a brownie that happened to be around. Overall, I felt like it was a decent day, still avoided the Pepsi and haven't had any headaches or anything which I was slightly worried about after 4 days with no caffeine. But it is going well in that regard.

Today is a big day with a big game against Sky View (our rival and one of the leaders in our region along with us)! Their sophomore team has lost 2 times I think in the past 2 years, and my team has won 7 in a row so should be a great clash. Gamedays like this one make it a little easier because my mind is on that. But, because of that game we had a pep assembly today where they wanted faculty to play against some of the boys from the team. So I played and went at about 10% speed (trying not to sweat too much). That little bit of exercise felt invigorating in a way (mostly because I managed not to sprain an ankle or through out my back)!

Until tomorrow!

Day 2 Quitting Smoking

Good Morning Everyone

Yesterday I smoked 12 cigarettes which is 1 more then the goal and 4 less then the average. I took your advice and drank more water and around 2 PM the headaches started to fade away, so thank you for that advice and I will start making this a habit.

Things I struggled with yesterday were the same as far as smoking as I drive. If I can figure out a habit to quit this it would cut my cigarettes per day in half. I just find myself getting so bored driving and so easy to just grab one and smoke it over thinking about it. When I am working it seems like such a hassle in my mind that I have time to talk myself out of it most of the time. Same with when I am at home I start thinking about smoking and just pick up a book and start reading it and it defers me most of the time. All an all yesterday was the easiest day so far.

I am realizing the more occupied my mind is the easier it is to avoid the urges and push them aside. When I get bored or don't have much to do it seems to be the first thing on my mind and it is so much easier just to give in to the urges.

Honestly today has been way harder then first couple of days, for some reason after I smoke once it doesn't seem to satisfy me at all and I want to smoke more then one in a row to achieve the satisfaction. I can tell right now that my body is fighting me every second, it wants the endorphin release it has grown so custom to. My mind is fading more and more to think about smoking I start making excuses as to why it would be okay to smoke for example: "I am working I am not concentrating on my work and if I go smoke now for work it would be acceptable".  I have started to question all my reason in my head, not that I don't know the reasons why its bad or I want to quit, but is it worth it or can I really accomplish this goal.  The idea of quitting smoking (which I have tried multiple times) is starting to seem impossible. I have been going through figures in my head such as what is the real % of me doing anything or making any difference in my life or if I quit now will I really quit or is this just temporary.

Like I said yesterday today is a new day and just writing this to you all is making me feel a little more optimistic. I will fight every urge today not for myself (because I want to give in honestly) but I will fight today for Kyle. I know you are feeling your own pains and struggles and I know what I feel like right now and it kills me knowing you might be feeling the same way. I truly believe in you Kyle if anyone can do anything in this world it is you and if anyone can keep me on the path it is.

Good Luck Today Kyle!

Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Challenge!

Hey
Now that we are off and going with the blog and Kyle and I have informed you all of our goals. I am now challenging all of you by no later then the end of Sunday to post a goal of yours on the blog. No matter how big or small anything you are working on we would love to hear about and who knows there will probably be some great feed back.

For example Jordan I know you have been reading more, so maybe daily or weekly tell us a little bit about what you read in your book. What your likes and dislikes were or anything about it.
Also Dani I know you have talked about a healthy pregnancy so inform us a little bit about it what you want to see etc.

Really anything these are just some ideas I know Kyle and I have more of an extreme path we are on but anything that you guys want to do or that will help you guys out at all I would love to know and help with it.

At the least tell us something you have been doing you really like and how it may have helped you out in life at some point. Because the chances are someone else for one might not of know that about you and two you will probably encourage someone else to pick up a book, go to bed earlier, try a juice, really anything productive and great for you.

Thanks I hope you all do this!
Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

Green Smoothie!

I'm doing this from my phone so I apologize in advance if this post isn't very flattering or well composed.

I wanted to share the recipe that we've been using for smoothies in the mornings and afternoons.

I prep and juice all the produce a few times a week and keep it in tightly sealed mason jars. I try to only make enough juice for the current and following days, but sometimes it ends up being a little more.

Green Juice:
• 2.5 lbs carrots - We buy 5lb bags and I eyeball half.
• 3 apples
• 2 cucumbers
• 2-3 bunches kale
• 1 lime
• 1-2" chunk of ginger

Juice all of it!


Chia Gel:
• 2 C. Water
• 1/3 C. Chia seeds

Combine seeds and water. Stir. Wait a couple minutes until it starts to set. Stir again and refrigerate.


Smoothie:
• 2 C. Green Juice (I use pint mason jars)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 C. frozen blueberries
• 1/2 C. nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 C. Chia gel
• 1/2 avocado
• I'll add fiber powder if we have it around.

I start with all the ingredients but half the juice and blend it until smooth. Then I add the remainder of the juice and finish blending it, but I have to do this because our blender sucks :(


It's really hard to determine the nutritional information in the juice blend, but the other smoothie components combine for 400 calories, 11.5 grams of protein, and 14.5 grams of fat—most of which is derived from the avocado and chia. Aside from a small amount of saturated fat in the avocado, the rest are essential fatty acids and all those good things you already know about.

Obviously this recipe yields a pretty large smoothie. I usually drink half for breakfast and save the other half for lunch. It's super filling and we've seemed to notice extra energy during the day when we make it. The avocado and yogurt give it a super creamy, almost whipped kind of texture to it. I really like it, although it can be a little much for Lyndsay.

Hope you guys can give this a try and let me know what you think!

52 Healthy Meals in 12 minutes or Less!?

http://greatist.com/health/52-healthy-meals-12-minutes-or-less

All

A huge challenge I have and I know a lot of us have is the time preparing healthy food. I found this link last night and there are some really delicious quick ideas in this article plus they are pretty healthy. I know I am going to try some of these out and see how it goes I recommend for you time crunched people as well that you do too. 

P.S. I am posting this on my lunch now and it is making my lunch very disappointing to me ha ha.

Day 1 for Kyle

So day 1 started out a little differently for me. I hadn't weighed in since last summer when we finished the 6 week challenge as a family. The challenge was good, but since then there have been lots of excuses why eating super healthy has been hard: moving, new job, basketball season, starting my masters, children that don't sleep when they should, etc. I have lots of long super tiring days which usually end up meaning Pepsi, not everyday but when I do have some it is in no small amount. But mostly, I just like food. I like to eat food that tastes good, and not "wow these fake meat patties don't taste like cardboard" kind of good, or "you know when you eat this vegan dish it really isn't as bad as you might think." Being able to eat good food is part of life that I enjoy, especially when on vacation or at holidays. Many of you have heard my stories about trips Kim and I have been on, or have been around for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Food is part of the celebration. I know that not everyone agrees with that, or needs to, but that is a part of my life that I am not interested in changing.

There are some things that I am interested in changing. I realize that although Pepsi is the elixir of the gods, it is probably something I need to do without, since I am no god. And I realize, that especially during busy times I tend to eat worse, I look for food that is fast or convenient and not so much for the balanced meal. I also recognize that there have been lots of days that I don't even eat breakfast or sometimes a proper dinner. So those things need to change. The challenge has always been that I try to do things that are extreme. Super restrictive diets, or crazy regimented supplement plans combined with over the top diet restrictions. These sort of things don't work for me. In reality, I am not sure that extremes work for anyone. So I am interested in changes that I know can be sustainable, if the change is not one that I can make for life, I am not interested. Ultimately, that leads us to me eating balanced healthy meals on a regular basis while still allowing for the celebration aspect of food when the time is appropriate.

So back to the first day, I weighed in when I woke up at 336.2 lbs. Not quite the heaviest I have ever been but close. I began the day with a smoothie (blueberries, almond milk, Adam's pb, and protein), had a potato and bacon fritata with hot sauce at lunch (no cheese, and not nearly as much bacon or potato as you might think) with a banana and greek yogurt, had some mixed almonds/cashews/pistachios for a snack. The day was going pretty well, until parent teacher conference. PTC lasts from 4-9 with a break from 6-7 for dinner which is provided by the school. As a math teacher, and one that takes time to communicate with the parents that come, my line is typically the longest and I didn't get to my break until 6:30. So by the time I got to the room where dinner was, all that was left was pizza (they had run out of salad and cookies). I proceeded to eat 4 slices of pizza due to my starving state and desire to make it to the end of the night without flipping out on any parents. On a good note, no Pepsi (last one I had was Friday night).

So there it is. I am happy to have a place like this to write and the support from family that Patrick and I both have. I welcome any ideas or thoughts.

Day 1 Quitting Smoking

A little update.

As you may have seen my goal is to smoke 11 a day this week which my average was 16, (I know I said 4 less a day when actually its 5 ha ha). Anyway Yesterday I smoked 13, 2 above my goal but on the positive side 3 below my average.

For me yesterday was rough I got home from work and someone had broken into my house so I was really stressed and going back and forth talking with the cops to try and figure out everything that was missing. What I need to remember is someone can take materialistic things from us but they have no control over our personal goals or attitude. I let them beat me by letting their actions play a part in my goals and mindset.

I also had trouble with an on going headache yesterday. To provide a background for you all I smoke probably around 60% of my cigarettes with in the first 4 hours of the day. Yesterday morning I only smoked 4 cigarettes in that time period and my head started pounding, so I took some Excedrin Extra Strength and felt a little bit better but it never fully went away.

This morning I have smoked 4 cigarettes again and again this headache is coming on strong. I would love some feedback on any ideas to counter these headaches besides Excedrin or maybe if any of you come across an article of some sort please share.

I am very optimistic today for Kyle and I both! Today is a new day and the struggle in both of our journeys is about to get very real. But if we do not take the steps and progress we need to today then when will we? There is no perfect time so then there is no better time then now, today, and this moment.  

Kyle I would love to hear how it is going on your end when you get a chance I know you are really busy so whenever would be awesome man.

Patrick
AKA Uncle Pat

The Brotherly Path

To kick us off!

Kyle and I have been talking and we are ready for some changes! 

Kyle's goal is to create healthier eating habits and mine is to quit smoking. 

How: 

Since we are making these changes for life and not a temporary period we are going to build in to these goals. 

Kyle:

Week 1 goals: 

Eating a healthy lunch everyday Monday-Friday. 

Drinking more water.

Daily when available I recommended posting what he ate daily. 

Weekly at the end of every week Kyle will give us a debriefing on:

How he ate

What he ate 

What worked/didn't 

Issues he may have ran into

Patrick:

Week 1 goal:

Smoke 4 less cigarettes a day then average (average: 16 goal: 11)

Daily I will try to post the amount I smoked.

Weekly post about issues I am having with quitting. Things I have noticed in why I smoke and at what times I smoke the most. 

Awards:

Kyle: 

For every two weeks Kyle sticks to what we agree on I will pay for him and I to golf 9 holes this summer. 

Patrick:

Still trying to figure that out! :/

Thanks! 

Let us know what you guys think or any ideas you have or come across for either one of us! 

Patrick

Aka uncle pat

Behind The Blog

Family 

I want to start by saying thank you to everyone for wanting to be apart of this family blog! It means a lot that you care enough about us to support us and/or care enough about your health to pursue this. The purpose of this blog is to create and motivate healthy habits in our life's not only for ourselves but for our loved ones as well. We all have things we can always work on or change no one is perfect but by putting our ideas and minds together we can help each other. This is a safe positive blog for our family's use so we can motivate, share, and encourage each other to create the healthy lifestyle we all strive for. Whether your goal may be to lose weight, quit tobacco, drink less, ideas for great tasting healthy meals, gain weight, be more positive, or workout more what ever the goal we will be here to support and encourage you. I have learned the hard way success in anything is never achieved solo, I need all your support to be successful and I will give you all of my support. 

Good luck on your journey to a healthy lifestyle. I look forward to watching us all grow!

With love,

Patrick 

Aka uncle pat